In this episode we revisit a very special episode from this time last year, where we sat down and visited with one of the original founders of TRM, Max Manning! Even at the age of 95, Max continues to carry a spirit that embodies an unwavering dedication to service and immeasurable love for humanity. Be inspired by his journey of founding the Topeka Rescue Mission to his ongoing work with Global Mission Ministries.
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
In this episode we revisit a very special episode from this time last year, where we sat down and visited with one of the original founders of TRM, Max Manning! Even at the age of 95, Max continues to carry a spirit that embodies an unwavering dedication to service and immeasurable love for humanity. Be inspired by his journey of founding the Topeka Rescue Mission to his ongoing work with Global Mission Ministries.
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Dearly Father, we thank you for this day and your blessings and provisions, god, thank you, as always, for this time of the season, lord, and Just being able to celebrate the birth of your son. Lord, I pray that every listener Would just be encouraged and blessed today by this episode. God, we love you and we praise your name. Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. You're listening to our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka rescue mission. This is your host, barry Fieker, here on December, the 13th of 2023, right before Christmas. We're gonna have a special Re-broadcast today want to talk about here in a moment. But if you're interested in helping out the efforts of Topeka rescue mission to bless many people who are Sheltered, unsheltered and just people in need in our community this Christmas season, you can go to the website at TRM online that dot org that's Online dot org for a needs list there and to find out more about the Topeka rescue mission.
Speaker 2:Well, we thought we would rebroadcast a Episode of our community, our mission. This is number 202, but we were going to rebroadcast one that was about a year ago, almost to the day podcast number 152 with one of the original founders of the Topeka rescue mission, clear back in 1953. As a matter of fact, he's the only living founder of Topeka rescue mission and he's 95 years old. His name is max Manning. We spent some time with him a year ago Just unpacking his story and his ministry and how he got involved with Topeka rescue mission.
Speaker 2:If you don't know who max is, he's with global missions today and, as a matter of fact, he just recently did a big crusade and met with the president of Uganda here just the other day. So max does not slow down and and what you will hear is a humble man who talks about his love for the Lord and His love for people, and he's been in, I think, over 60 countries, I believe it was. So stay tuned to a rebroadcast that was about a year ago of max Manning, one of the original founders of Topeka rescue mission. We hope you enjoy. Our guest today is a is an individual who has given his life to the call of God to Do some amazing things. One of the most humble people you'll ever meet.
Speaker 2:He's probably one of the most Anointed by God people that I've ever met, and let me explain that.
Speaker 2:1986, when I became the director of the rescue mission, I was invited to a restaurant and by a chiropractor here in town by the name of dr Bob Sullivan, and we went to this restaurant and he said I'm going to introduce you to a missionary from Haiti, as that's what I recall and I'd never met a missionary from Haiti.
Speaker 2:You know, I just didn't really know too many people that did foreign missions. I pretty much was local, and so when this gentleman came in and set across for me in this booth I'm listening to his story, he just got back from Haiti. He was a little younger than in 1986 and he is now. He's almost 95 years old now and still going strong, but I saw Either a really good suntan that looked like one of those that you you polish up, you know, with that bronze, or he was glowing because of the Anointing on him and so I talked to people after I met with this humble man and I said I met this guy named Max Manning and they said, well, you know who he is, don't you and I go Missionaries from Haiti?
Speaker 2:No, he's one of the founders of the Topeka rescue mission in 1953. I said, well, I need to know more about this guy. And I said but he early had a good suntan. They go that one, that suntan. That was the anointing of God on him. I'd never had to seen that before, but you were. He's in our presence right now and there's this kind of a glow about this guy.
Speaker 2:That is just there, and so it's without further ado. I just want to say welcome, max Manning, to the our community, our mission to peak a rescue mission podcast here today, one of the founders of the Topeka rescue mission. Thank you for coming.
Speaker 4:Well, thank you, barry, my my pleasure to be here and I see you have such a wonderful staff. We do there, as you said, they've had much experience. But if you had all the right things to say to edifies and bill, Max, today you are the founder and the director of global mission ministries.
Speaker 2:We want to get into that.
Speaker 2:Yes but I think it just really kind of backing this up To 1953, and you can go even before that if you'd like it. You founded several churches in the area. You've pastor of these churches, but in 1953 there was a guy named George USeler and a Walt Hilmer and a Max Manning who, as I understand it, decided that we need to do something for people on quote-unquote skid row, and so you guys decided to form this thing called the Topeka rescue mission will, which will In April of this next year. I've celebrated 70th year in business, and so, max, talk about what you, what comes to your mind about the formulation of this ministry. That's now nearly 70 years going strong.
Speaker 4:Well, I Might go back to my experience in life. I had been in the Marines, I was in the last Year of World War two and I stayed through the Korean War, and so I had several years of good, hard training and got me Conditioned for the long road ahead and it was obviously we're a nice Marine, or at least you got nice, very nice now.
Speaker 4:I had a good conduct, so I had To make a long story short. There I, 71 years ago, I gave my heart to Christ and I had just gotten out of the Marines the first time. I stayed in the reserve and I Was one of the first Kansans to call be called up during a Korean War. I had five days to get to the West Coast and since I was fresh out of there, why I? We would be on a ship just shortly after that. But I was. I'd given my heart to the Lord and I was so Wanted to share Christ. I Woke in on the post office, at the main post office on the outside, and here was a fine address man and I said, sir, I was tearful and I said I want to share my experience with you. I found Jesus and I'm just the young you know, I just Took my liberty.
Speaker 2:You're excited.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was excited and I said I want you to kneel with me and I want to. If you don't know Christ, I want you to know him. And this businessman, it was amazing, he, we knelt on the concrete, I led him to the Lord, and so that was a way. So I go down the street on Well, from the post office down is two, three blocks, and I I wanted just witness to everyone.
Speaker 4:And here was a fellow coming along. He had a little bit of a habit and I thought, well, I better to speak to this man. And he seemed like a very humble man and very open. So I, I stopped him. I said, sir, may I talk to you? I found Jesus Christ and I've got to share him with you. And and when he said I found him too, he told me where he had found him, and that was George Yutzler. I met him for the first time. He was a very common, common man, and so as we talked, he said yes, he said I have a bad habit, I'm trying to give up, but I, I found Christ. And and so I said what are you doing down here? Well, he said I would like to see a Rescumation there. At that time there was two attempts that I was aware of A Reverend wing over on. I forget the street or to peek over.
Speaker 4:And but he was. I met him. He was a very, very Difficult man. I think he meant well, but he was rather rude at times and so I, I didn't think he would. He was a friend of George. But so, george, that day we took up, I took up the whole day with him and and Parade with him over his habit, and I I said, boom you, I will assist you. Anyway, I can't See, I didn't know how. As a young Christian, I didn't know how to do these things. Darrell.
Speaker 2:Bock, so you'd just come to Christ about a year before that, peter.
Speaker 4:Wittig. Yes, yeah, that's right. And so he said well, we need a building. Well, we found a building, a room down on 4th Street. In that day that street was called very much Skid Row, that's what I would name it.
Speaker 2:There was alcoholics, there was Darrell Bock it's the South 4th Street on the south side of the river. Peter Wittig, yes.
Speaker 4:Darrell Bock. But it was a street I'm sure the police would like to have seen cleared up, because it was full of trancets and they had nowhere to go and all of that. So I said well, george, I'll rent the building. I'll pay the first month of rent. It was only $80. And so we got that building, and then I think you should tell the story about my wife, we Peter Wittig.
Speaker 2:I'll love to tell the story, darrell Bock. Yeah, I should. Peter Wittig, tell me when you're ready, I'm ready.
Speaker 4:Darrell Bock. So my feeling was, well, they would I didn't know anything about a rescue mission, but I said, well, we would need some dishes, we'd need some pots and pans, we would need tables and all of this, and so my wife wasn't there at home that day. So you can start there, peter Wittig.
Speaker 2:So one of the first stories I heard about Max was how his generosity to help people, just whatever was in front of him. And so you and George Eustler, which we called the street preacher he was definitely kind of looked like a homeless guy, a little bit unkept. It looked a little about if people don't never met him, he looked like Albert Einstein Kind of hair, going everywhere, a Bible on one hand, a cigar on the other one, and just right out there preaching to people. And that was the first guy who would start up this rescue mission with Max and some others, and so very relatable kind of guy. Well, if I understand correctly, you came home because there was no plates and cups and silverware, maybe pots and pans, I don't recall now in the shelter to feed people, and so you went home and you just kind of got some boxes and emptied your kitchen out and you took them down to the rescue mission.
Speaker 2:The only thing is you forgot to tell Mary about it and when she got home she thought you guys had been robbed. And so you know, I can only imagine what you know people were saying oh, the thieves came in and just stole pots, and pans and silverware. But you know, your wife. I did get to meet her. She went to be with Jesus here a few years ago, but what a lovely partner that you had in Mary and so but the so this was kind of the rough start, so to speak, of getting something going in 1953. And so you furnished. Hopefully you got some pots and pans back so that you could eat at home.
Speaker 4:Yeah, she was just extremely shocked. And so I was sitting there in a living room and I had forgot it. I'd welcomed her, she'd cut in and gave her a big hug and I just sat down and, oh, she said, well, I'm going in and start the evening meal. And then, oh no, I'm in trouble.
Speaker 4:She had no pots and pans, no dishes and there was no McDonald's drive-through back in those days and I'd never seen her angry, but because when we get married now, 76 years ago, we get married to love on each other, to help each other and embrace each other's families. So I'd never seen her upset. But she was so shocked as she went in I was afraid to say anything. I thought she better find out herself. So she screamed. She said oh, we have been robbed. And I jumped to her. I said oh no, mary, it's not that way. Let me explain to you what happened. Did that help?
Speaker 2:Not for long. Well, she said well, I'm glad you got a homeless shelter, because that's where you're going now.
Speaker 4:Well, she understood. But I had the privilege of going down to Sears-Rovak they at that time was at 120 East 6. And my brother was a manager of that store for a number of years and he was also a pastor and so I opened an account and I said Mary, get anything and everything you want. That she did, that made it better yeah. But we learned to laugh about that. Did you do that again, max? Did you ever go?
Speaker 4:no, you didn't do that again I was more careful, but you know, it's wonderful to have a helpmate on the same page throughout all of our ministry. I might mention, in Haiti, I have planted 60 churches and we have 16 orphanages. We ship about every six weeks a 40-foot container and with our problem there, as you're aware of the news Haiti has, we had our president, whom I knew personally. He was assassinated and the gangs began to take over and, by and large, they're doing so much evil and detrimental things. But anyway, none of our containers have ever been molested. They haven't taken them.
Speaker 2:These are containers of donations that everything from water to medical equipment.
Speaker 4:Everything. Yeah, this week we sent six tons of rice and two tons of corn and 40,000 meals kids against hunger meals donated by Houston Texas. The churches there assemble all of this, they put all the nutrition in and it's air-packed, and so this will go long ways to help in our efforts.
Speaker 2:So you started this over 40 years ago, yeah about 60 years ago 60 years ago. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I went down, I was guest of Francois de Valier, papa Doc, and so I arrived there. The ambassador, arthur Bonhomme, had been a friend of mine from Washington, and so he said the president wants you to call him. So I called him and he said Reverend, I want you to be my guest and I've authorized Mr Bonhomme your air ticket. And that's unusual, see, I've never met another person that had these unusual experiences. I just thought, well, thank you, jesus, I had, however, whatever you dropped in their heart, but it just lightened my burdens, because I don't take a salary at my work, and I haven't really taken a salary. But that goes into the divine visitation where God spoke to me and the way he dealt with me when I was called, you know, when we were saved and filled with spirit. People just come to me and they say oh, you're going to be in the ministry. I said, oh, don't say that, because I couldn't visualize that. I thought I was a good Marine, but this was different to tell people how to live and not having the theological seminary.
Speaker 2:Of course, I did begin to apply myself with study books, dr Flint if I understand it correctly, God has opened doors for you to be in 64 different countries over the years.
Speaker 4:Well, 44 countries, yes.
Speaker 2:Okay, 44 countries and over 60 years of ministering.
Speaker 4:Well, I've been 70 or so 70 years, but overseas, yes.
Speaker 2:How many times have you been to Haiti?
Speaker 4:of the Dominican Republic, see there's no way to number that. I used to travel back and forth, back and forth, and then one time I rented a house and lived there for about a year and then I knew that I had to come back and forth, but I've always had. It's kind of amazing. They have given me just they think I'm a wonderful person, I mean I can't.
Speaker 2:Why do you think that is?
Speaker 4:Well, I feed them a lot and we've started a lot of preachers out. I don't know how many preachers we have started out and I had here. A year ago I flew in, I had a team of workers and we had some seminar we wanted to hold and also meet with pastors, and I hadn't been there for a few months and we had 500 pastors that came from all over Haiti and stayed with us during all those days. It was an amazing thing, but the Haitian people, if they love you, they have a great love, so this doesn't represent them. What's happening to their country?
Speaker 2:It's so sad and let me ask you a hard question. You've spent all these years working in this country to try to improve the lives of people who are devastated through violence and through natural disasters and economic poverty, emotional poverty, spiritual poverty, environmental poverty the whole 10 yards. How do you keep your focus on the Lord in the midst of all of that?
Speaker 4:Well, the way I feel, he's just living through me, so there's no problem. It hasn't?
Speaker 2:been fixed. Yet, though it hasn't been fixed All these years that you've spent in there, it's not fixed oh the country. The country's not fixed. Some people say expect us to fix the homeless problem or fix the mental health problem, or fix the drug addiction problem or fix this. And so how do you say, ok, well, I've spent all these years here and still not fixed.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, it is being fixed. When I first started there and this isn't because of me, but because of see Haiti has had the highest rate of missionaries per square mile of any country. I mean, it's handy to America, they can go down from the churches.
Speaker 2:A lot of people take trips and there's ministries out of Topeka that send teams.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but when you look at that, the statistics was when I first started going, and if I say something that changes, it don't mean that I have done something, it's just united effort. You know the Lord is moving, but all night long we would hear the beating of drums. Voodoo was the main religion. It's supposed to be the library, the Catholics, but it was really Voodoo. And so now, since Christianity has spread and spread all over the island, rarely do you ever hear a drum at all.
Speaker 2:So what's the difference been, I mean, from a cultural Voodoo practice to these many years? So why have people putting that down, and what do they find valuable about Christianity?
Speaker 4:Well, it's like the earthquake in 2010. That was a terrible time. I was there. We had in 43 seconds. We had 300,000 die in 43 seconds Now, and then the whole city of Port-au-Prince had damage. 90% of the buildings damaged. My own building there. The earthquake took the floor out, two-story building down, and so I had to start over in another place. But the people there didn't have a place to live. They were in the streets, they were everywhere, and there was one evening some young men got on their drums and their musical instruments and began to praise the Lord and they started a march and we noticed a lot of Voodoo priests got right in with them and began to. They were changed. I mean, they well, they had the fire scared out of them to start with With the earthquake, but anyway they got on board and I don't know how many was saved, but just, I mean, there was thousands and thousands of people.
Speaker 2:So, Max, you're from the United States. You have been a missionary to these different countries. I know what. The answer is this, but other people may say you're going to be 95 in July. You've had all these years. You're still going strong. Why haven't you retired? Why haven't you said I did the best, that I could, announced time for somebody else to do it?
Speaker 4:I'm looking for somebody to show me in the Bible where preachers can retire. I don't see that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was one in Elijah that retired really good retirement program you got to ride straight into that one.
Speaker 4:Well, you know, I'm all ready to go and I've even made statements in a will. When I pass, the work that I've had will go on as long as God permits and there's people doing it. In other words, I don't own any property. I don't well with Mary gone, I just… You're looking forward to seeing her again.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I am. But you know, I was holding her hand when she passed and I said, mary, I knew she was passing that day about… Well, it was July 14th, the 7th 2014. And she… If she'd lived one more day, she'd be 85 years old. And so she had lived a good life. And when Mary came into our life, she was a young presbyterian girl. She knew nothing about being led to the Lord and the life we would live. We just started out together, and so I almost forgot. I get talking about her. I have to stop oh that's fine.
Speaker 4:But yeah, we were called both of us.
Speaker 2:She was powerful in your life. I believe that family of God Church. I was asked to speak on a Sunday evening and I think it was shortly after Mary had gone to be with Jesus and I had my message all planned out and I hadn't seen you in quite some time. And here you come, walking in the door, just as bright and cheerful, and I felt like the Lord said you're not going to preach on what you're preaching about, you're going to talk about Max and his wife and just the impact that you guys have had. I mean, I was totally messed up when you walked in in a good way, because of the impact that you had on my life and really you and I I was director here for nearly 40 years and you and I didn't intersect that much, but we knew about each other's ministry a lot. And here late we've got a chance to be together.
Speaker 2:And Mary says this is really awesome, and just for me as well. You know, just just just to know. I mean, there's so much about your story, you know there's so many. We could probably do 20 podcasts easy with things that God has shown you. So I kind of want to want to go back. So 1953, you and George and Waldo Helmer got this thing called to peak, a rescue mission up and running. Then eventually, the Christian Neighborhood Center would get birthed out of this as well, which is still in existence today. Your global missions ministry has just all over the world and so many people have been ministered to. You haven't quit. You have said I'm staying in the game until the Lord calls me home because, there's no retirement program here.
Speaker 2:When you look at to peak a rescue mission today, what you know about it nearly 70 years later, what comes to your mind?
Speaker 4:Well, I just see a chain of miracles. I was so glad, you know, I knew, I knew all of the previous directors at Charlie Fox. We were, we were very good friends and there's a Baptist preacher, that from little town over here, yes, yeah, we can't feel.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and then so many more. George, you know he wanted to get this into have churches represented. You know, I don't know that he knew all about how to do that and I certainly wasn't a help there because I was a new Christian, more of a new Christian. And so, howard Burmy, I think they formed a committee, or what do you call them, the directors, border directors, border directors. Howard Burmy, his church was going big over there in Oakland, the Baptist church. Lynn Hodges also was still here at that time. He had left the first Baptist church in North Pica and he had started the church out there. The community church, community church, yeah, they called it community.
Speaker 2:They did Baptist at one time.
Speaker 4:Baptist, yeah, it was and he was a well, he and his brother, I guess they were Baptists and Pentecostal he had gone to Pentecostal. They called, they called, but he was from, they were from out there in Oregon, but these were fine men, but they would. And then there was others, of course, and but he brought them together and then they began to take their place and act as directors and they wanted to see a lot of us closer to the Lord.
Speaker 2:So today, when you get a glimpse of the facilities and the impact, how does that make you feel as being a founder?
Speaker 4:Well, see, I don't connect with that. I mean, I just that's that humble.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean I. There's always a pioneer that comes along that gives up his dishes, almost gets kicked out of the house, who goes up to a man at a post office, a businessman or a man on the street and sow seeds, and that's max Manning. You know, max, you may not connect with this, but we do. We connect with those that have come before us. We don't take for granted anything. That is the beginnings, amanda, you, you're sitting next to Max right now.
Speaker 5:So can it all in.
Speaker 2:What's it like to look at one of those? You know I was here before you were born. This guy was here before I was born, so what's it's like to you?
Speaker 5:Wow, you know, I just think that there are moments in our lives that stand out so clearly, and this is going to be one for me. You know, it's one thing to hear about Max's heart and to hear about the legacy and the impact of himself and Miss Mary, but to be able to see him and hug him and shake his hand and hear the story is is just so empowering, and it's also just a reminder to me that this is a calling and it is a very purposeful assignment that the Lord has me on and that it's a great responsibility for me to ensure that the love of Christ is still the foundational route here and remains that past me, and to just be able to see the face and to hear his heart of why these men thought it was necessary and they didn't look at other people to do it. They saw a need and they did it.
Speaker 3:And so that also is challenging to me to say okay, lord, what are you calling me to say yes to and it's a little bit bigger now a lot of moving parts, but the assignments are very still related and so definitely a highlight for me and I've taken lots of notes and I think I'm reminded, when I hear these kind of stories about how things get started, that you know really what Christ calls us to do is plant seeds right, and that I'm guessing that, whether it was Max or George or Walt, they were just planting right and had no idea where possibly it would go or how it would grow or how many people would actually be touched by what they just saw was that immediate need.
Speaker 3:You know, and we always talk about what we're called to do is just love the one in front of us and the rest will come right. And I see that that's really what you all have done is you just planted those seeds and the Lord now has just made them grow. You know in so many different ways whether it is the people that we serve or whether it's the employees that are here, and how we have the opportunity to grow, because what God allows us to be part of and I think that's when I, when I listen to you, max, when I, when I hear the story, that's what I think about it what an amazing farmer you all were in terms of planting the seeds that God would then grow.
Speaker 4:I would mention, if I may, one one experience. Are you?
Speaker 2:just dismissed everything. It's okay.
Speaker 5:The other people, no, no no, that's fine. You are so sweet and humble.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you are. Are you aware, at Kansas and Fifth Street there was a huge old motel called the Troop Hotel. Yes, well, that was standing in those days and it was vacant, it was empty. In fact, there was another, another hotel where the federal building is now there by the post office. There was two giant old ones, you know, and but they looked old, they looked haunted, you know.
Speaker 4:So a lot of these alcoholics would go into buildings like this. And so here I was. I was to meet my first real challenge. By the way, we would have every morning we would have rolls. Someone would donate some rolls and coffee, and we still have that today Donates and coffee.
Speaker 4:And anyway, I, they told me there was a man down there in that building. He had been a college man, he had people back east, a lot of his family was very important people, high-level people and they said can you do anything to help him? Well, I didn't know what I could do, but a little bit of my marine came out of me. I thought, well, I'm not afraid of the dark, so I took a flashlight and I went in. And this gentleman, when I mentioned his name, if I remember his name properly, you probably heard of him from some distant place. So I went in and he saw me and he was lying. You know how drunk you've seen more than I have. But he was drunk and his mind was all crazy. So he was cursing me and he said go away, I don't need you. He was laying in his own vermin and just a pitiful shape, and my wife understood that if I didn't come in late I'd be along. There's nothing wrong. I was just overstaying with a problem. And so he really got combative and I said look, I'm staying here till you sober up, until you give your heart to God. That's my mission, that's what I'm here for. And he said I don't want to hear it.
Speaker 4:So anyway, I went the night and another fellow named Walter Wilbur used to live up at Perry. He was a farmer, he was very good and spent a lot of time at the mission. But we would also have a night meeting. But all we had was just, I think, that first building seat, about 35. But it was usually full because it was cold. I wanted to get in out of the weather, but we didn't have anything else to give them.
Speaker 4:So Walt joined me that morning and I hadn't even been home and we prayed for him. He sobered up a little bit but he was still pretty bad shape and really needed some attention and a bath and all of that and food. So in two or three days God had worked a miracle on him. Now I don't know whatever happened to him afterwards, but he would hang around the mission there for about two months at times and he finally was persuaded to go out to the community church.
Speaker 4:Lynn wasn't there, I don't believe it this time, but someone else was, and Lynn Hodges. So he met a lady there that her husband had died and the last I heard of him for weeks was he was happy, he had gotten a driver's license, they had gotten married and it was just a real success story. And he looked different and acted different. So we called his family and they came from Connecticut, I believe it was down here, and for two or three days they with him. They'd lost track of him, but he had been in the home, he had been a fine graduate from college and all of that, but here, that was just one little success story that.
Speaker 2:I think yeah, absolutely. And I guess the question would be for anybody listening to this. When he told you to leave him alone and to go away, you said no, I'm going to stay with you. This, this, it was dark flashlight, it was a dangerous area, what?
Speaker 4:compelled you to stay. Well, the Holy Spirit, I was going to stay with him till.
Speaker 2:I. You didn't have cell phones or walkie-talkies back in those days to call in for help.
Speaker 4:No, I, I wasn't concerned about that for some reason, but you had the peace of the God.
Speaker 4:Peace of God, yeah, and then investing in him, I wanted to see him change. See, I, my, you know, the Lord kept me five or six months. He kept me on a high plane of joy and and gladness and I was just, I was just happy. And these were real things were happening, you know, real things. And I, money wasn't, wasn't important to me, nothing else was important to me, only souls. And I feel that today, I mean I, I have I help a lot of people, but I mean my. My real desire is to see a life change and I think we're getting closer now to where we don't have long. Things are changing so rapidly. You know, in in America and so forth. I feel great concern for America, but I've always admired you, brother Barry Fiecker, and I got a glimpse of your daddy. He came, I planted a church at 407 Teff Street in 19,.
Speaker 4:Well, way back there, and I built the church and then the back in those years the Salvation Army building had. They had a building at fourth and and fourth and Branner and the gangs burnt that down. They moved to East Topeka. They burnt a building down on East Six and the congregation we had. They were sort of fearful of coming down there. They'd drive through Topeka, and so we, we made a sale and a trade of a building, and one at fifth and western, which now is is I don't think it's a church, probably still is. So I never did mention the prophecy. Go ahead, you want me to? Yes, I'll tell you. Yes, this was. This was 10 days before the tornado.
Speaker 2:June 8th 1966.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:The big tornado, which was until Joplin Missouri, was the most costly tornado in the United States. History hit Topeka, kansas.
Speaker 4:And so I had. I had planted a church over there and we had a full house that night. We were having good revival, you know a great, great meetings. And I preached that night and I thought, well, I'm so happy I could just visualize the altar be full of people praising, drawing closer to God, and that's, that's the way I thought it would happen. But as I I got near the end of my message, the Holy Spirit just stopped me and now I had taught people don't listen to these people, go extreme.
Speaker 4:Some would say, well, you're here to get married to this one. And I said you better let the Lord direct you and all of that. You're not going to be that guy, yeah. So anyway, I thought this was type service we'd have. And then, all at once, everything was sober, the people were reverent and I'd done something I'd never done before. And here's what I said. It was a word of prophecy. Thus, saith, the Lord, said that destruction will start in this city that was Topeka, and on the southwest part of the city and there would be two. I forget what the storm was, it was her tornado and they joined there and I said it'll travel for 17 miles across the city.
Speaker 2:There were seven small tornadoes. It became one big tornado and it hit Burnett's mound. From what we understood, that's what it was.
Speaker 4:So it started that way. But it didn't say, if my people would pray, it wouldn't happen. It was just a declaration. It was going to happen. Destruction would come Well. So I thought, lord. So I put my head down on the pulpit. I thought, lord, that's what I've been telling people I shouldn't do. Don't prepare. But this was so. He's still.
Speaker 2:God right, he's going to do what he's going to do.
Speaker 4:And then he's done that again. I had to say the same thing again and it shocked the people, and so some asked me about that and I said, well, I can't say. He didn't tell me anything else. And so the next day I told my wife. I said, look, my mother and daddy is still living. Your mother and daddy is still living. And I said, let's go visit them. But why? Because you said something was going to happen. And I said, yes, I did.
Speaker 2:So you guys left Topeka? Well, we did Just, and I understand some other people decided to leave Topeka for a few days as well.
Speaker 4:Well they did. And so she said why are we going at this time? I said, well, the way I got to figure it out. If it don't happen, I'm a false prophet. I'll have to leave town.
Speaker 4:Might as well go and pack that It'll be over, but if it does, I don't want to be here because I couldn't imagine what kind of destruction. So anyway, on the ninth day, and he said in 10 days, see, and that was so. Unlike me, I mean, I still am that way. I'm careful If I tell you, God told me something, I want it to be valid and real. It was four o'clock in the afternoon and I said, Mary, let's go for a little ride. So we left the folks for a while and we turned on our phone. Wimbw was coming on and it told what had happened and so we headed right back home. So the church we had planted, there was only some leaves of trees, but it barely missed going out by the airport, you know there used to be the airport, the main airport out there.
Speaker 4:So, anyway, the next day after—oh, there was people who said, well, the newspaper got this and I don't know who else got it, but I had a bunch of weirdo people I'd never been around, people that were psychic and they—well, they made up. So they said how did you do that? See, they came and called on me, but you were in the psychic arena. Yeah, they had their pads. We won't know how you did that.
Speaker 4:How could we do it? And I said no. So I got to testify to them and I said you know, if you're one of those, you need to get saved, you need to get right with God in case something happens to you. I just use those cautions to witness to them. But they just kept coming and I still have people once in a while ask me about that. But you know, that was—I've never done anything like that since, but that was for that moment.
Speaker 2:You had committed not to do it, and God said you're going to do it, and so you had to obey Him, just like going into that building.
Speaker 1:You know it's not going in with a flashlight and I'm going to stay here.
Speaker 2:Max, that is what your life has been about.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm just—I love the Lord, I don't think there's anything that I wouldn't do. I've traveled to dangerous countries. I traveled to India when the communists were—I've been to India 11 times and back in the 50s and 60s and there was demonstrations maybe 20,000 people. That was caught up in communism and I know I was out there by the crowd and I got smacked right in the mouth with a piece of iron. My teeth were driven back. At first I kept asking the Lord, don't let me look freaky shoveling, Don't have much to go with before. I'm always the shortest guy, but anyway, I didn't mean to say all that.
Speaker 2:Max, your life has been a testimony. You know what little that a lot of people know. There's so much more to you, but God knows, and whether he's used you in a prophecy 10 days in advance of a major destruction, or sending you into a dark building to love on people, or inviting a man to kneel down in front of a post office who's in a suit, you're an icon, even though you had to go look it up and see what it meant. You're an icon before the Lord. The Lord has used you.
Speaker 2:I know Amanda and I and Maryam and everybody who's listening here today is like wow. So I've got one question for you before we close today. Somebody's listening out here today and they're wondering about their life and what their direction should be, because a lot of people are. They don't know why they're here. What would you say to the person? Obviously, the first thing I know you'll say is that you need to get to know Jesus. But once they do, then what would you say to that person that's saying I wonder what my purpose is. What would you say to them?
Speaker 4:Well, the Lord has. He's listening and if we really, with all of our heart, we want to know, he will reveal himself to us. You know he's not hard of hearing and I think this thing of dedication now I have everything I need in this life. I mean, what do I need if we have food and shelter and so forth? But sometimes there's people hurting out there and they are mixed up with their life and they need to commit themselves to him and sincerely ask him, because he knows the plan he has for us. You know he knows all about this. I had no clue. I had been in the Marines while the government shipped me to islands over there and I've seen things that I never thought I would see. But he will show you. He will show you the way.
Speaker 2:So if you're serious with God, he'll get serious with you, he will.
Speaker 2:Yeah obviously he has in your life and so many have benefited. Max Manning, the founder the last living founder of the Topeka Rescue Mission, you're an icon in that regard. You're an icon in regards to the founding of global missions, ministries. That's gone in many, many different countries. You have been on the front lines of ministering to that one in front of you, but also been a vehicle for millions of people to understand their value, their importance, to get proud practical helps, whether it be a trailer full of equipment to sustain corn, water, food, medical supplies, but, more importantly than that, the value that they have before God. And so, max, it's just an honor to have you here today, and that's an understatement. Channel 13 gave you a slew to our heroes here the other day is that icon.
Speaker 2:I know that that kind of embarrassed you but, that's okay, because people need to know your story, because they need to know here's a man who could have made a lot of decisions in his life, but he decided to say, god, I'm just going to be transparent before you and I'm going to be a guy. And God said okay, we're going to take this and we're going to roll with it, and we're all benefiting from it today this ministry called Topeka Rescue Mission, this community and in the world. And so, max Manning, thank you for being here with us today.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you again for listening to our community, our mission, here on December 13th of 2023,. You just listened to a rebroadcast that we did about a year ago with Max Manning, one of the original founders of Topeka Rescue Mission. You heard how humbly is what a man of great accomplishment and who is still going, at 95 years old today, going across the world to bless people for the cause of Christ and the love of the of the Lord. To bless people not only at times like this at Christmas, but all throughout the year. Thank you again for listening to our community, our mission. If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. Thanks again for listening to our community, our mission.