"For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." Colossians 1:13 (NASB)


I was dying and I knew it. I'd gone from 185 lb. down to 129 lb. Sin was killing me. Drugs were killing me. Alcohol was killing me. There was booze under my bed. There was booze in the cabinets. Booze everywhere. Yet, God had not stopped dealing with me. I had heard so much preaching and teaching. I knew it had to be true. I knew God was real, but I had to come to the place where I trusted God myself.

Back in 1971 and '72 I had lived at the Church of the Redeemer household under the ministry of Dr. Eckert in Houston. I read my Bible and worked at the church every day. But as the days went by and the weeks and months, I couldn't understand why certain things would happen to me. I was really on my way to victory, but I didn't know it. I realize now that I was just being religious. I needed more of God. Eventually I gave up and went back to the streets and my old friends.

Even though I left the household and went back out onto the streets, God was still dealing with me and working in my heart. I might have a beer or a joint in my hand, but I would still open the paper and look at the top and there would be an article by Billy Graham. I read Billy Graham's articles in the paper two or three times a week. Then I'd would turn on the radio and there was Billy Graham again. Even when I was not doing well, God got through to me because I loved music. I'm a fiend behind music, any kind of music. Even Christian music. So, sometimes I'd still go over to Brother Smith's church. He was good to me. I loved the singing and I loved the preaching. I was on the devil's side. He was on God's side. It was a decision I had to make. In the meantime, I kept killing myself slowly.

One night, lying in bed, about two in the morning I cried out to God there in that house at 214 West Gray. I prayed, "Lord, I know I'm gonna die. I know I'm gonna die. But before I die, I'm gonna give God my life. I've tried everything on earth. Lord, if you can help me, I'd sure appreciate your help. I don't have any where else to go. If you can't give it to me, then I'm dead."

"Lord, whatever you want to do for me. Do it. I won't belong to myself any more. I'll belong to you. Please forgive me my long tarrying. Whatever you tell me to say I'll say. Wherever you tell me to go, I'll go. Whatever you want to do. It's in your hands. I'm not my own boss anymore. It's a shame that I had to come to this. I should have done it a long time ago. If you want to send me to hell, send me to hell. One way or another I'm yours."

Then I started to cry. I had cried drunk cries before, but this was different. I just cried and cried like God broke my heart. After about ten or fifteen minutes I started wondering. "What am I crying about? This is not me. This is not Irvin, not strong, tough Irvin."

Then God said. "It's all over with now. No more of that." You see, I had hardened my heart, so I'd never cry. But God washed that all away.
So, when I called on Jesus that night, He heard me.

That decision came in my life just before I met the Agape Force. I asked God to send me some real Christians to fellowship with me. I needed people who loved God and loved me.

I'd seen them many times walking from the house they had down a little further on West Gray, but it seemed like they never walked on my side of the street. It was always the other side of the street. Why didn't they ever stop on this side? I couldn't figure it out. Everybody else always came on this side. Those old Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslim's with their bad old tracts.

Everybody in the neighborhood knew about the Agape Force. Word gets around fast. When I saw them walking I thought they looked like they were for real and it got to the point where I really wanted to meet them. Finally, one night I was sitting on the porch and three Agape Force people came walking up the sidewalk on my side of the street. It was Lynn Nicodemus, Dusan Ivanovich and Britt Saunders. They stopped and talked to me and invited me to come over to the house. After that someone would come and pick me up almost every day to take me to the house for Bible studies or to the Station for a meeting. They'd even make me eat dinner with them.

In two and a half months, I moved out of my house at 214 West Gray and in with the team there in Houston. I thought that was a long time, because all this time I'm waiting for directions from God. I said "God, What's going on here? What's taking so long?" But I just kept watching and soaking everything in.

At first they almost scared me away with the way they prayed. One Saturday night they picked me up and took me with them to The Station. I was sitting out in front, but they all went in and were praying back there in a back room. Praying and praying! It almost scared me out of there. I started to walk out the front door. "My goodness, do you have to call on God like that", I thought? I hadn't even called on God that hard when I thought I was dying. But then Robert came out. God told him to come out there and let me see that they were all right.

After a while, I started to understand what made them pray like they did. One night we were at Jim Berrier's house right across the street from The Station. A bunch of people were praying there, getting ready to go over to the meeting that night. Up until then I hadn't had much to say. Mostly, I listened, but as we prayed that night something happened. The Holy Ghost fell on me and for the first time I started praying right out loud. I started asking God for hitchhikers, prostitutes, warmongers, drug addicts. I knew all of them. Almost every one in town. "Get a hold of them", I prayed. "Stop the cars. Let them come in here. Men and women hitchhiking all over the world. Bring them to a halt. Deal with them. All this commotion, cursing and shooting. Bring them to this coffee house. Bring them to The Station. Finally Larry Powell and Jim Berrier had to leave and go over to get ready for the meeting, but I couldn't stop praying. I just kept on. Someone put a hand on my shoulder, but I still wouldn't stop praying. I couldn't be still. I just couldn't be still. I finally got quieted down enough to go to the meeting, but inside I was still praying. I never stopped. Twenty four years later and I'm still going. Something started in my life that night that has never stopped. I might be looking down, but I'm praying. I might have my eyes closed, but I'm still praying. After a while they sent me to the Ranch up in Lindale and I just kept praying.

When the Holy Spirit came down on me. That's when I started praying for hitchhikers. Then in about a month. Eddie Milewski and Joe McShae, two guys that were hitch hiking, walked into The Station. They ended up getting saved and they joined the Agape Force too.

I learned everything I needed to know about myself and about God in the Agape Force. I wanted to know God for myself. Now I do.
People are sick and they've got to get healed. They're sick in their hearts and their bodies and their minds. Just like I was. God wants to change people like He changed me.

Irvin Plummer