The Eric Metaxas Show - Paul Tangellapali

Episode Date: March 11, 2025

Pastor Paul Tangellapali shares a miracle monday story. More at: www.htwi.org

Noble gold investments is the official gold sponsor of the Eric Mataxis show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you can protect your wealth with noble gold investments. That's noble gold investments.com. Welcome to the Eric Metaxus show. It's the show featuring Go-Go-Go the Chimp. Nothing like a chimp to liven up the radio show. Easy there. Go-go, go, go. No, go-go! No! Go-go! No! Folks, welcome back. It's Miracle Monday on the Eric Metaxis show. We're going to be trying to do, you know, Miracle Mondays every Monday, if possible. So in a few minutes, we have an amazing story. Paul Tangalapali, just real stories, folks. I wrote a book called Miracles with a ton of miracle stories from people I know personally with the journalistic tale. So you don't go, eh, who knows? If you read it, you understand. And you hear these stories. In a few minutes, you'll hear. a story like that. Next week, we're going to be airing something with someone who had just an outrageous near-death experience.

What a story that's next week on Miracle Monday. Incredible stuff. I want to share a couple things. First of all, we're doing a fundraiser with food for the poor. We ask everyone who listens to this program to chip in what you can. they ask for $100, but if you can't give that, can you give 10? Can you give 20? Can you give 30? What can you give? Some people can give a lot. It's tax deductible. Every $100 feeds a child for a year. That's amazing, okay? But that's food for the poor. They are amazing. This is a ministry started by a Christian man who knew God was calling him, who spoke to him, in a miraculous way, and who has been feeding the poorest of the poor, the least of these for over 40 years. It's a powerful ministry. So you can go to metaxistalk.com,

Mataxis talk.com. When you go to metaxis talk.com, you'll see the banner at the top of the homepage. And right there, you just click on that and it takes you through and you can do whatever you want. In a minute, I'll give you the phone number. Also, want to remind you of our friends at the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. They are some of the sponsors on this program on behalf of the government of Israel. And really, I hear this over and over, anybody who has visited Israel, now maybe now is not exactly the time you're ready to go, but I think everybody wants to go as soon as it's possible or feasible. Go to the website, go Israel.com, go Israel.com. But I hear this over and over. People who visit Israel, it's life-changing.

It's absolutely life-changing. Now, why is that? It's because suddenly all the stuff you've been reading about that sounds mythical, you get to see, you know, the stones, you get to see this is the spot. It's, it's amazing. You know, when you go to Copernium, you go, you know that Jesus spoke in the synagogue, and we're looking at the tile floor. It's amazing stuff. I was there briefly a few years ago, and I will never forget it. We were on the bus going from the airport to our hotel, and I had a supernatural experience. I started weeping.

It was just completely supernatural. I don't know what was going on, but I started weeping and thinking about Jesus was here. He walked here, and he was rejected. He was brought into this world by God for God's purposes, and he walked here. And just thinking about it, it was just a supernatural experience that I had weeping, but it was just because I was there and I knew that he was there, that he had walked there. And that's, you hear these stories over and over and over and over and over from people who have been to Israel.

So we want to stand with Israel. and the website, as I say, is go-israel.com for more information on exploring the beauty and the history of that sacred place on the surface of this earth. I want to give you the information before we get to our Miracle Monday guest on how, if you want to give to food for the poor right now, there are three ways you can give. One is go to metaxis talk.com. You'll see a banner at the top of the page.

I exhort you to go to metaxis talk.com. That's the banner. There's a phone number. Some of you prefer that. I'll give it to you right now. The phone number is, you get your pencils. You ready? 844.

8663, 4673, 844, 8663, 4673. 8473. I'm always amazed that from watching TV and they give you a phone number. They kind of rattle it off. Like, who's writing that down? How do you remember that? You got to like, you know,

if you're going to give a number, you got to really give it slowly so people can actually write it down. 844-863-4-6-7-3. please dial that number, 844-863-4673. Obviously, it's tax-deductible. Every $100 feeds a child for one year in El Salvador. I've given the information on it.

I don't need to get into the details. 8-44-863-4673. Or you can also text my last name, Metaxus, to 5-1-55. And that's, again, my surname, M-E-T-A-X-A-S, Metaxus, M-E-T-A-X-A-S. to 515-55, metaxis to 51555. I'll say that whatever you give is a monster blessing. So, $1, $100, whatever you can give, $1,000 feeds 10 kids for a year. Get your family involved in this. Tell people about this. When there's a reputable organization doing God's work, I want to know about it. I want to give to that organization. So the phone number is 844-863-467. You can text Metaxus, M-E-T-A-X-A-S- to 5-1-55-5-5-5. Or you can just go to Metaxisttalk.com and see the banner.

Also want to mention our friends before we get to our miracle story at the Herzog Foundation. The Herzog Foundation, folks, I talk about this all the time. Homeschooling is the future. Price-centered K-12 Christian education. This is the future. This is how we bring our nation back. used to basically have homeschooling and Christian schooling. And I don't mean 100% theological, but I mean schooling that has a basis in reality, that there is a God who loves us, that he is

the way forward for us, that he made the world. When we study science, it's because God made the world to be understandable by us. He gave it order. And we can use our reason. He gave us reason to study science and to declare the glory of God as we studied. science, to study history, all of this stuff ought to be linked to God. And whether it's done explicitly or implicitly, it's not done at all, not explicitly and not implicitly in most public school education. So Herzog Foundation, they are, they're the best. HerzogFoundation.com. They want to help you, by the way, to do this, to get plugged in. So that's why we talk about them. They're a foundation.

They're there to help you. Herzog Foundation. Dot com. And before we go to the break, let me remind you, Socrates in the city, we are on YouTube now. We have a ton of new stuff there. We just posted new stuff. If you're a member of Socrates Plus, we just posted an amazing interview, actually two amazing interviews. If you're a member of Socrates Plus, I taped a bunch of stuff when I was in England recently.

You don't want to miss it. believe me. We're adding I.N. Herssey Ali to that list. She has an insane story. Wow. Big stuff. So go to Socrates in the city.com. You can sign up for Socrates Plus. We have an event in Palm Beach on the 21st of this month. We have an event in Lexington, Kentucky, coming up next month. I can't believe it. Wow. We're going to have Larry Arne of Hillsdale College. Big deal. Big deal stuff. So that's Socrates in the city. Put that on your sign up for our updates. And then finally, you got to celebrate what is happening in America. I don't know how you want to celebrate, but I suggest why not get a copy of Donald Drain's the

swamp because it's actually happening. Donald Drain's the Swamp is the Children's Book that I wrote. It's a lot of humor for adults, but it's a kid's book. Donald Drain's the Swamp. You'll recognize John Brennan, Hillary Clinton, oh, I don't know, Chuck Schumer, all the monsters. There's a turtle in there who looks outrageously like Mitch McConnell. Donald, that's not fair. All turtles look like Mitch McConnell. That's not fair. Donald drains the swamp is the book.

You can get it at my store.com. If you use the code Eric, huge discount, my store.com. Use the code Eric. We can get it anywhere. We'll be right back with the miracle story we've been promising. A generation of kids in El Salvador are lost to malnutrition. And the only way to a better future is through a school feeding, program. Join me, Eric Metaxus, in saving lives with food for the poor. When you click the Feed Their Future

banner at Metaxus talk.com, your gift of $100 will provide a child in El Salvador with daily school nutrition for a year. Call 844-863-4673. Make your most generous contribution, please. The nutrition these kids get in school is often their only meal of the day. Food for the Poor School Nutrition program effectively addresses malnutrition and increases children's school attendance. Your donation will also support local farmers who produce the nutritional supplements. You are needed to improve children's nutrition in El Salvador. Your gift will allow them to focus on learning rather than worrying about their next meal. Today you have the power to feed a child or an entire classroom for a year.

Please click the blue banner at metaxus talk.com or call 844-863-4673 with a gift of $100 to feed their future. My Pillow is excited to announce that they're having the first ever mega sale on overstock clearance and brand new products. For example, you can save over 50% on this season's flannel sheets. The queen size is only 5998 and King is only 6998. They sell out fast every year, so be sure to order now. You can also save 30% on their brand new My Crosses.

They're designed in the likeness of the one Mike has worn every day for over 20 years. They come in men's and women's styles and they're made right here in the USA. Get the 2025 six piece my towel sets for only 2998. The initial quantities are extremely low, so get them now before they go. And I can't forget to mention the best-selling standard. MyPillow is just 1498. To take advantage of the first ever mega sale, go to MyPillow.com and use promo code Eric or call 800-978-3057. But wait, remember that $75 free shipping rule.

Well, that ship has sailed because right now for a limited time, every order ship's free. Folks, go to MyPillow.com. use the promo code Eric. Mypillow.com promo code Eric. Hey there, folks. This is a Miracle Monday story. If you're not listening to it on Monday, we're going to have a problem. Actually, you know what? There's no problem because it's a true story. I don't care when you listen to it, but we're airing it on Monday because we do our Miracle Monday stories. But we have on a new guest, Pastor Paul Tangalapali. I think I said that almost correctly. Pastor Paul Tanglapali.

Now, Keith Junta, you are the one to have introduced me to Pastor Paul's story. So say what you can before we bring on Pastor Paul Tangla Polly. Sure. This is an immense honor and pleasure for me because I love this man. We met in India. I was part of a team. I was a co-leader on a team. We brought a group of high school kids to India.

and we got to serve the poor in some of the most rural, abject poverty areas you can imagine. We visited churches. We encouraged the church planters who risk their lives for the gospel. We put in some water wells. Eric, I was at multiple leper colonies. I laid hands on lepers and prayed for them. I experienced things there that were biblical in every sense of the word. And Paul is the nephew of Bishop Jacob, and Jacob was the one who we had the connection with.

Jacob serves literally thousands of orphans. He has schools. He supports the elderly. He supports the handicapped. Paul can tell you the details. They feed more people than you can. imagine. And this is in India. In India. It's all in India. And so Paul, we met Paul on the trip. He traveled with us. And I can't wait for him to share and start speaking because the Lord,

just like with Jacob, saved his life miraculously. So Paul would not be here had it not been for the grace of God. And we traveled together and I got to hear his story. And Eric, I know how much you love for the listeners to hear testimonies of the glory and the miraculous of God. And so Paul is, I'm just so true. And I want to say just for clarity, since I wrote a book on miracles titled miracles, which I recommend because I think we'll encourage you. But in that book, I want to be real clear that when we're talking about miracles, every good thing is from the grace of God.

So it becomes like a religious cliche when we say, oh, I'm here by the grace of God. I'm here by the grace of God. Yes, everyone is here. and every good thing comes by the grace of God. But there are extraordinary times when the Lord moves miraculously, when people say, wow, that was a miracle. So it's one thing to say, oh, my existence is a miracle. That's true.

But there's a time when God gets our attention in a genuinely, overtly, miraculous way. And that's different. And God, you know, it's like when God parted the Red Sea, you don't go, yeah, well, God just, God's always doing stuff. No, that would be stupid. Your mind was supposed to be blown. When the Red Sea is parted, you're supposed to say, oh my gosh, wow, wow, wow. There's a time when God does miracles for our benefit, and it's different than just the general grace for which we should be thanking the Lord at all times. And I know Pastor Paul's experienced at least once, which is the story you want to tell. So Pastor Paul Tangela Pali, thank you for coming.

on and thank you for letting me mispronounce your name to the best of my ability. Welcome. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it. And first of all, you didn't mispronounce it. You did a great job. Thank you. Wow. I'm patting myself on the back, metaphorically. Well, so your story, tell us your story because Keith told it to me, but I want to hear it from, we want to hear it from you. Absolutely. And first of all, Eric, thank you very much for having me on your show. It's a pleasure, and it's a great honor to be here. And also, I just want to thank my good friend Keith for just corresponding and making this happen. I really want to

thank you. Well, I always say when people thank me for stuff, I'm being self-serving because I want to bless my audience. I know that my audience longs to hear true stories of God doing great things. We need to encourage each other. So I'm grateful that you're willing to come on here. And so where does your story start, Paul? Well, Mr. Keith, it's like I was born and raised

in a Christian family. And by the time I was born, my parents are already Christians and serving the Lord full-time. You know, just there is actually believe that when you're born into your Christian family, you automatically become Christian. You know, in my case, that wasn't true at all. My parents are full-time pastors or full-time missionaries to different villages. They travel around and preach the kingdom of God, preach the Word of God. But I was born into Christian family. I was in a traditionally, ritually, I was forced to read the Bible, forced to read the, you know, just biblical literature and pray and going to Sunday schools and participate in church. Again, like, you know, my mom was very strict.

Like, if I don't go to church, then I'll be spank on my back, you know? So that kind of a very strong Christian values are in my family. So as I was raising in that family, I was doing everything I could do just to read the Bible and go to churches and just organize different meetings and just speaking in different meetings just to please my parents. and but I never had a personal relationship with Jesus. And after, you know, just a few years like this, I went to high school where I had met with a lot of friends who are not Christians, who are just completely out in the world. They begin to introduce me the pleasures of the world.

Now, by the way, Paul, so this is in India. Yes, sir. That's right. Okay. All right. And, you know, just as a teenager, I began to think, okay, I was missing so much pleasure. It's like, you know, just means like Christianity is outdated. It's only for old people, not for young people,

because it's always just restrict me to do a lot of other things. And now I'm in the world experiencing this exciting, experiencing this fleeting pleasures. And I felt like, man, the Christianity must not be for this generation. It's only for old people or generation. Like my mom, my grandparents, and all these people, they go to church. They're like, okay, it's not for me. because I began to feel something the world is offering a freedom that I've never seen before,

and I became addicted to those freedoms. And I just went far from God. I stopped going to church. I stopped reading the Bible. I completely pull myself away from the Christian roots, and I almost gave upon God. You know, Eric, but one person that never gave upon me is my mother. she always come to my room after I fall in his sleep and lay her Bible on my head and pray with tears. And I could hear her tears that every night just whispering in my ears just like, man, Lord, just save my son.

Lord, just bring back my son to you. Bring back my son to your presence. And I was thinking I pitied her. I just said, okay, this old lady is praying, let her pray if that's making her feel better. but I never knew that her prayers were shaking heavens. You know, just in India, education is considered as a, considered as a very, how would I say, a very important. And also, it is correlated with honor and shame.

When you're doing better in school, it is always just related to, okay, now my son is so proud, my son is doing so well, and it's always just related to families honor or families, you know, just name. So as I was enjoying the world and enjoying the pleasures of the world, I began to neglect my education. And I started failing in my education not once, not twice, but three times. So one day I just came home and my dad told me after I failed, Paul, it looks like you're bringing great shame on our family. You know, those words as a teenager cut me so deep and it pierced my heart so deeper. and I never felt so worthless.

And at the time, I have, I don't know what to do because because of me, my family is going through shame. Because of me, my family is going through pain and guilt and because my parents are pastors, they had to be with people and everybody's asking them, hey, how is your son doing? And they're ashamed to say over and over. My son is failing over and over and over. And now, since I came to America, it's not a big deal. okay, if you fail education, you're going to do something.

But at the time, in the culture, and the people, they were so just making me feel guilty, making my family guilty. And at the time, I had no idea what to do. And I told myself, what if I were to disappear? Just, and no more guilt, no more pain, no more discomfort. And I just, I just would disappear somewhere.

As I was thinking, a thought came to my mind. What if I die? If I die, my life. my parents may just feel bad for me. I'd cry for me for a few months, but there will be no more pain, no more guilt, no more shame on my family. Everything will be wiped out because of my death. As I began to think about that suicide, death and killing myself, I felt like somebody was forcing me. The spirit of suicide was forcing me to, you have to commit this act now. You have to, it's like a rushing wind that is actually just forcing me to commit that act. right now. So I couldn't control myself, but I listened to it. I began to, I was in, I, now I firmly believe that there is a spirit of suicide that actually attacks people, takes them from their logical mindset, and the spirit of demon will overtake, and making them act in such a way that they're not supposed to. So I was under the demonic and demonic impression, and then I just

listened to those thoughts, and okay, now I have to die now. And my mind, is giving me no choices and I would just begin to think like I have no choice but I kill myself. Hold on one second. We have to go to a quick break. Folks, it's the Eric Metaxa show. Don't go away. Folks, welcome back. It's Miracle Monday. I have the privilege of talking to Pastor Paul, Tangleapali. Paul, you are telling us a really amazing story. You felt this compulsion. How old were you exactly, 18, 19? I was about 17. 17 years old. And you feel a compulsory. to take your own life. There's so much shame and you just decide I'm going to do this.

But you say you felt like you're being pushed by a demonic power that you must do this immediately. So keep going. Yes, I actually just now I understand there's a demonic power. At the time, I looked around what could I do? But my mind and my heart gives me no choices but to kill myself. And this is what I end up my life. This is the better option for me.

This is the greatest option for me at this time. and I just walked towards the bank of the river and just, you know, as I was walking, as I was thinking, there's something so rushed that somebody was forcing me to come into act. And I did what? To drown yourself? What were you going to do?

To jump from the bank of the river and kill myself. And, but I'm saying, you don't swim or why? It's not clear. You're not jumping from a bridge. Especially the river where I'm about to jump is not just with a fill of water, but filled with stones. So big rock. So when I'm jumping, I'm not only jumping on water, but jumping on big stone so that it can break my body into pieces.

That's the plan. So I would just walk to the bank of the river and I stood at the bank of the river. I completely understand here like, hey, why don't you swim? Honestly, I didn't know how to swim until I was 25 until I came to States. So, and my mother was so protective of me and she never even let me touch the water until I was just 17 or 18. So I stood at the bank of the river, crying like a baby, and thinking that I will be no more from the next moment. And as I closed my eyes to jump into the river, a person came to me, pulled me back from the river, and laid his hand on me, and making me walk with him and just laid his hand on me and taking me with him and explaining the scriptures from the word of God and explaining the scriptures and talking to me and telling me that my life has a purpose. and telling me that I was born to do a God's will.

And he was explaining the scriptures because I know there are scriptures because I was raised as a Christian child just reading the scriptures. So after spending time with them, after receiving an encouragement from him, he was there with me six hours. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This is why I'm here, Paul, because this is too fascinating. I'm going to have to interrupt to ask some details. you're telling me you're on the verge of taking your life.

You're just about to jump in. You've made the decision. You're weeping and you're ready to go. Suddenly, someone puts his arm around you, a stranger. Yes, sir. And starts telling you that your life has purpose. Did you, was this someone you knew? In other words, what is going through your mind suddenly at this moment?

I was at the time, Eric, I was completely out of myself. And by the time he laid his hand on me, I was all already depressed. And he was wearing our cultural clothing, like a far looks like a farmer. And I never even saw his face correctly because by the time he's laid his hand on me, my face was down completely like this by the time. Because I was filled with shame and guilt and just, I was just ashamed of myself. And then I had no intention to see the person or just just, just even that, I wasn't that in, in that feeling of, you know, just to seeing his. face and looking his face and talking. So you're so miserable and weeping.

But did you, did it make sense to you at the time? In other words, would it look obvious to somebody walking by that this young man is going to take his life? You said he starts telling you about your life and your life has meaning. It's like he can read your thoughts.

Yes, sir, that's right. And he just explaining scriptures and telling me and encouraging me, just encouraging me from different various scriptures and bringing up various scriptures, and just telling me that, son, you will not die, but you will live. That's the major words that actually struck in my mind, because I was there to kill myself and die.

He spoke to me and encouraged me. And after I was there with him about six hours, and he walked me to my home. I still have to ask you before we get to this moment. Yes, sir. Did you have any sense during this time, these hours that he's speaking to you, of who this really is?

is? No, sir, I did not, honestly. You just thought it was someone who is a Christian who lives near there who saw you about to kill yourself? I have no idea who was that at the moment, like, whoever it is, who cares, you know, just at the time, like, I didn't even know that was a person or that was actually just, I was so completely out of myself. So, like, whatever the person who was, like, he would just pulling me back and he was not just letting me do what I want to do. and he was just laying his hand, not just the hand, like he was controlling me. He just hold my shoulder and just making me walk with him. So at the time, I didn't know he was a Christian. He was my neighbor.

I have never seen that man before for sure. And he was wearing our culture, farming, clothing. And I was walking with him at the time, yes, sir. And as you're talking to him over these hours, does it occur to you? I mean, you were only 17. but does it occur to you to think about who this is or you're simply listening to what he's saying?

I was just simply listening to what he was saying. And so he walks you all the way back to your home. Yes, sir, that's right. So then what happened? He walked me to my house and he left me by my door. And by the time he leave me by my door, when I see my familiar senses like my home, and my gate and my door.

And I was like, oh, I'm home already. And then I didn't know that I was six hours, just he was walking with me because I came back and I saw the time, okay, this is the time that I got out of the house. And this is the time I came back. So that was only my count at the time. So he left him by my door. And I wanted to say thanks to him because he was there for me. He was encouraging me. And he was explaining the scriptures.

I read the same scriptures before, but I never felt. felt anything powerful. But as he was talking, those scriptures, I felt a lie. I felt so powerful. Those scriptures came to life. Paul, forgive me for interrupting again. We'll be right back. Folks, welcome back. I'm talking to Pastor Paul, Tengalapali. This is an amazing story. We haven't gotten to the punchline. So you just said, as he's speaking these scriptures, something inside you is coming to life. I mean, he has literally saved your life. But something, inside you that had been deeply depressed and suicidal is coming to life as he's reading you as he's speaking these scriptures to you. And he takes you back to your house, you said, and you said,

suddenly you realize your home. And I mean, the whole thing seems almost like an out of body experience because of the state you were in. Yes, sir. And he left me by my door. And I wanted to, I just, by the time I saw my familiar senses, I felt like I came like, oh, I'm already at my house. and then I just wanted to say thanks to this man I don't know this man when I turned back to see this man and I could see no one and as a as a as a as a teenager

and I know that as my parents are full-time ministers they always deal with demonic possession people and people and just you know just dealing with the witchcrafts so which means we're very familiar with the spiritual realm and spiritual world and as I just turned around and looked around just walking towards the street and just see if there's anybody who I could find anyone, and I couldn't find anyone,

and because I can see at least a less than a half mile around my house if somebody's walking around. And I was just shaking. My body was shivering. My body was shaking because I didn't know who that man was. I feel him. I heard him, and I just heard that he was encouraging me, and suddenly just I wanted to say thanks to him.

I turned around, and I could see no one. and it really just made me I wouldn't say just afraid but nervous and it first started my mind was was this a demon and I began to think if that is a demon and then I just came to my sense if that is a demon

then why does demon explain me the scriptures from the word of God if that is a demon then why does demon save me from death why does demon give me the purpose of my life so demon are supposed to kill people torment people, torture people. But this man didn't torture me.

This man actually saved me from my death. That moment, Eric, I began to understand that is someone from God, our God. I don't know exactly. But I know that there is a supernatural experience and that stirred in my heart. I knelt down by my door and accepted Jesus Christ. And that was my transformation story. And I wanted to say one more thing, Eric. This is because I'm here actually sharing with you this story because only solely of prayers of my mother.

If my mother, who thought I was actually, who thought I was actually just a crazy person who would never pray for me, who would give upon me, I wouldn't be here where I'd say, share my story. So I just wanted to, you know, your listeners, if any of the mothers who are praying for their children, and maybe they might be. thinking that their children have gone too far, and now there's no more salvation, and whether God really works in supernatural miracles. And I wanted to let them know that, you know, a man like me who mocked Christianity, even though born and raised in Christian family, now carries the gospel to different nations and travel around carries the gospel. And God's hand can still reach your children. I just want to encourage you, never give upon your children. If my mother would have give upon me and I wouldn't be here sharing this story. And my mother's prayer definitely

shaking the heaven. And I don't know. There's so much here, Paul. I mean, first of all, thank you for sharing this story. This is, I mean, I've heard many people tell stories of angels. This realm is real. And the stories of angels are often they end with, and then he was gone. Then I looked around and I could not make any sense of where he went. He was right there and then suddenly he's gone. I think I have a few stories, even in my, I mentioned my miracles book. It's the same thing. I'm miraculously saved from death or something and I look around, he's not there.

You hear these stories. It's interesting that you had an innate sense that this is a supernatural being. At first you think it's a demonic entity, but then you think, well, that makes no sense because he saved my life. He's encouraging me from the scriptures not to kill myself. Very few people have had these kinds of experiences with angels. But it's so beautiful to hear this,

to know what God can do what he does in people's lives. I know there are many people listening right now who have had experiences similar. I know there are many people listening who have never had any story like this. And I want to encourage you folks, this stuff is real. And it doesn't happen, you know, exactly when you wanted or whatever.

But I just want to encourage people, this is real. And God wants us to desire a supernatural personal relationship with him. He wants to speak to us. He does speak to us. I had someone very recently tell me a dream that a few days later came true. Oh, you know, utterly miraculous. You just shake your head and you say, God, is real. I've had many experiences. I don't write about most of them in my miracles book,

but I will eventually write about my experiences. I've talked about some of them. This stuff is real. And it's beautiful. And to think, Paul, that you were 17 years old and God intervenes this way. And you said it was because your mother's prayers. There's no doubt about it. There is no doubt about it. What an encouragement to us to pray for those that we love who are not where we would have them to be. to just keep praying. So many people come up to me. You know, I'm on the road. I give speeches.

People come up to me and they tell me about their kids. And I say to them, the story's not over. The story is not over. Do not despair. So what happened? Did you tell your parents about this right away, Paul? No, sir. I didn't actually just, you know,

this has happened to me. And then like my thoughts and because I was a rebellious kid and I was just feeling guilty. I was just, you know, just experiencing all this shameful things. And now I was just liberated, of course. It didn't happen all night. But just, you know, I have to put that into practice. Everything right after this incident, I just, because I couldn't believe in what I experienced.

And I just waited for a few days and just wanted to make sure that I came back to my senses. And then I spoke to my parents about it. And they were first, like little, like they were asking me all kind of questions, what happened? And how did it happen? Then I just shared with my uncle Jacob and Keith Neum, Keith Neum, Keith, a good friend of him. So, and then they were all just miraculously surprised when I shared with them. And I felt like, man, just at the time, it was completely surreal. It's completely just, even now, it's hard for me to believe that has happened to me. So it's, it's such a beautiful

story. And I just wanted to thank God for this wonderful, you know, just opportunity to experience such a supernatural experience. It's, I mean, listen, it's, it's, it's, It is, it's amazing. We're supposed to be amazed. That's the point. When God does things like this, it's to get our attention in a way that it's overwhelming. We'll be right back.

Folks, welcome back. I'm talking to Pastor Paul Tengalapali, who has just told us a miracle story. You know, it's funny, Paul, because you know how many people don't believe in this stuff. They just shake their heads, whatever. And I think it's preposterous. There are so many stories like this.

So for people to say, oh, I just don't believe in that stuff, it's irrational. I mean, what does everybody think that, you know, everyone is making these stories up? You're making this story up. You were ready to take your own life. That's where you were. That's where your brain was and your life was. And then God does this thing and it completely changes everything around. And I know, again, many people have had similar stories, but oftentimes we don't hear

these stories. So it's one of the reasons we do these Miracle Monday segments. I said, people want to get people encouraged. God is alive and he wants to speak to us in big ways and small ways. Now, what is the ministry that you run now? It's hope for the world international. Yes, sir. This is the ministry that God has laid in my heart for a long time. You know, after I had supernatural experience with God and I completely surrendered my life to serve Jesus. and I wanted to give and not give, like show the hope of Jesus to people who did not have the, you know, just the hope. So I went home and after this, I went to Bachelors of theology and I went home and started two churches and serving along with my family. And I began to understand my heart was longing more to know more about God at the time.

So I came to States to do my Master's of Arts in theology in States. In 2018, I came here, finished my master's in. 2020 and my heart filled with that, you know, the calling to start something just to give hope to people, not only in India, but, you know, if the Lord allows, we want to do, I have some friends in Africa that we help occasionally and we want to help in Myanmar. We want to help in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, in African countries. So I felt the call of God so, so strong. I shared with this, I shared this calling with some of my friends and we came together and started a ministry called Hope for the World International.

So this ministry helps, this ministry helps orphans, underprivile children, support native missionaries, drill fresh water wells, and help leprosy people, help widows, and help medical aid for poor and needy. Just for one reason, Eric. We do all these things not because we want to be great,

but one reason. The charitable activities open the doors and hearts of people to see who Jesus is and experience the love of God. That is our main goal. to preach the kingdom of God, to give the hope to people, and to give and to touch the broken heart people through our charity, through our activities, just to make Jesus known to people who never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ before.

And Paul, it's so beautiful. Go ahead. I might even jump in. I know this is a shorter segment, but Paul, doing what you just said in India is not easy because you've got the government working against you. There's persecution against Christians, and you have to be very coy in how you go about this because in your origin country, they don't want you helping the orphans, correct? They don't want you helping the lepers. They don't want you helping the elderly, right? So it's a very hard work that you're doing. Yes, sir. And just I would like to share more, but probably I encourage you just what I'm sharing may not be included in the public space. So, you know,

Apparently, we're facing tremendous persecution from the government. The government always tried to come after us and look for every opportunity that they can close and persecute us. And they've been trying that for years. And only by the grace of God, we're able to survive. And the bigger organizations, like a compassion and just even just world vision and just bigger organizations are already kicked out of India. Because they are actually sharing the gospel of Jesus. They're still world. Wow.

What is the website before we get? go to the break. It's www. htwI.org. H-T-W-I. That's hope for the world international. H-T-W-I. org.

Yes, sir. H-T-W-I.org. We'll be right back.