By Bobby Davis
Born in Portland, Oregon, Robert Jinings was the youngest of three children. His father had a cow-calf operation raising beef cattle, and Robert says he enjoyed a good upbringing on the farm.
“However, religion and God were never mentioned in our home,” he says, “and while I had some vague belief in a Higher Power, I had no idea what that was, really.”
Robert says he began getting into drugs when he was a teenager. “It was the hippie era, and because of this, I was exposed to all sorts of Eastern religion ideas,” he says. “But I never understood it all, and honestly, I never gave those things much thought because it was too confusing. The only religious exposure I ever had was from my uncle, who was a Lutheran. He was always called on to say the Lord’s Prayer during holiday meals and family picnics, but we never spoke about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. These topics were never discussed in my family, but they weren’t looked down on, either. We were taught not to look down on people.”
Difficult Years
Robert says he attended a community college for a year and a half before dropping out. “I was getting into alcohol and drugs a lot,” he says. “Alcohol, even excessive drinking, was acceptable in my family, so by the time I was in my late teens I was a daily drinker and continued that way for the next 17 years. I was also using cocaine and amphetamines, so I was pretty confused. But somehow, I never got in trouble with the law.
“In 1978 I married a lady bartender and we drank together, so things stayed about the same. I worked in construction and refurbished sawmill machinery before beginning a career in durable medical equipment, where I eventually wound up building specialized electronic equipment for quadriplegic and pediatric patients.
A Turning Point
Things began to change when Robert’s wife began attending aerobics classes at a local Baptist church. “My wife had given her heart to the Lord when she was young, and now she started coming back to the Jesus” he says. “She stopped drinking and doing all those things, but I kept on. When she invited me, I went to a Sunday service or two, but I couldn’t figure out what was going on because I didn’t know anything about the Bible.
“Later, after completing work on a large church in Portland, I was invited, along with all the workers, to their grand opening. As I listened, I was convicted of my need for God, but I didn’t tell anybody. Two days went by, and I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I prayed, God help me! If You’re real, I need help. I can’t get away from the alcohol and drugs by myself.
“That day I felt the presence of God for the first time,” Robert exclaims. “I didn’t see or hear anything, but I knew He was there for me! Four or five days after telling God I needed help by repeating the Sinner’s Prayer, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and was relieved of my craving for alcohol and drugs. Of course, Satan didn’t give up easy, and a month or so later I drank again, but it was a one-day deal, and that was the last time.”
Robert studied with his pastor for about six months before he was baptized, “And what a great day that was! My wife and I were baptized together, and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit bringing about a complete change in me,” he says. “I was in complete obedience, doing what God wanted me to do.”
More Changes
Sadly, though, after 24 years of marriage, and after raising a son and a daughter, Robert’s wife sought a divorce—just as he was grieving his father’s death, and just as he became very ill.
“I had vertigo so badly that I could hardly stand up, and finally I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency where my body thinks I have an inner ear infection and attacks it! All that brought on tremendous anxiety, and unfortunately, there is no cure.
“I felt like everything was falling apart at the seams, so I decided to move my fifth-wheel trailer up to my niece’s farm near Redmond, Oregon. It was a nice place in the middle of nowhere, and I was very grateful to be near my niece, since my illness made it hard for me to take care of myself.
“Although I didn’t watch much TV, one day I fixed something to eat and found a channel I’d never seen before called 3ABN. Danny Shelton was interviewing some missionaries, and suddenly I realized it was a Christian station. As I watched I began hearing things I’d never heard before, so I kept watching and eventually found myself glued to the TV 12 hours a day! I couldn’t get enough of Shelley Quinn’s program, Exalting His Word, or Hal Steenson’s Heaven’s Point of View. Then I began watching Doug Batchelor’s Here We Stand series, and other evangelists, like Lyle Albrecht, Kenneth Cox, and David Asscherick. Occasionally I’d watch another Christian network but kept wondering why the preachers were all yelling at me. In contrast, 3ABN’s presenters were sincere, and everyone one of them said, ‘Check it out for yourself from the Bible. If it’s not in the Bible, then don’t believe it!’ That was pretty revolutionary for me, since I was conditioned to believe what the pastor, deacons, and elders said without question.
“Finally, I realized that the message on 3ABN was Seventh-day Adventist. I’d never heard of the seventh-day Sabbath, and it was the most striking new teaching I’d ever heard. When I accepted it, the Lord directed me to prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These were a complete mystery to me, since I had never even read the book of Daniel, but the Holy Spirit was working hard, and the conviction grew that I needed to join this church.”
Soon Robert visited the Redmond Seventh-day Adventist Church, and joined a small study group. Finally, he asked the leader, “So what do I have to do to join the church?” and was told that he could either be baptized or join the church by profession of faith. “Since I had not left the Lord since being baptized, I decided to join the Adventist Church by profession of faith,” he says. “It was a wonderful day, and I was excited about my new faith.”
However, in a few short weeks, Robert’s illness took a turn for the worse. “I decided to move into town so I could be near their medical facilities,” he says. “Although my church is only a mile away, I can’t drive that far. I also cannot sit for long, since my vertigo makes me so sick. So I attend when I can, and I know the Lord loves me and will continue to be my strength. Several people from church stop by from time to time,” he continues, “and I have a friend who brings me a Sabbath School Quarterly, as well as DVDs, or inspirational books. My friend Donna, who lives about 20 miles away used to visit often, but her eyesight has deteriorated, so she can’t make it to church, either. We talk and text a lot, and I let people know that I’m doing okay.”
Robert tries to share his faith with his neighbors at the mobile home park where he lives, and says he finds it interesting that when he lived 30 miles out of town, he could pick up 3ABN just fine. “But I guess the trees here get in the way of the signal, even though I’m much closer to the tower, so now I only get 3ABN about 45 percent of the time. It’s okay, though,” he adds, “because I’ve recorded lots of programs over the years, so it’s not like I’m without instruction.
“Years ago, when I still lived outside of town, we were going to get a big winter storm with high winds, so I decided to crank down my TV antenna so it wouldn’t get blown over. A day and a half later, I had three feet of snow covering my antenna, and couldn’t get any of our local stations. But 3ABN’s signal was still clear!
“I’ve never heard the message so plainly, clearly, and sincerely. It’s like God is speaking to me through 3ABN all the time. The Bible says in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” As far as I’m concerned, 3ABN proclaims nothing but the truth. It’s hard to find sincere people, so I just praise God that He led me to you!”