Q&A With Koloff- #148

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Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is set for one fall. Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, Nikita Kolov. Welcome to another episode Q&A with Kolov, the devil's nightmare. Today I have the privilege of talking with Bill Crooms.

Bill, welcome to the Q&A with Kolov. It's good to be here, my friend. Well, it's great to have you with us. I know recently I was down in middle Georgia where you and I spent a weekend together. You want to tell our listeners what we were doing in middle Georgia and who Bill Crooms is?

Well, I'll be glad to do that. You know, you came down and visited with us and ministered to our community. We had a men's breakfast, we had a recovery celebration, and we had a Sunday morning worship service. And so you were able to deliver three messages, probably within about a 25 to 26 hour period, so we kept you busy. And our community benefited greatly from you coming and bringing the gospel.

Many decisions made for the Lord, people rededicating, people saying that they wanted to follow Jesus, and just the impact that it had on our congregation and those that were in attendance at the different rallies. And so my name is, again, Bill Crooms. I am married. My wife is Kim.

I will tell you, she is a princess, and she is wonderful, and God gave her to me. And it is just a wonderful combination. We live in Dublin, Georgia, and we are ministering in Eastman, Georgia, at Eastside Baptist Church, where I pastor and where you visited, and we have five children. We have three girls and two boys, and they're all grown.

They're between ages of 20 and 26, and we are a blended family, and God has blessed us in putting us together. And we really are grateful that you were able to come and just be a part of what God is doing in that community and how you are able to touch the hearts of men with the gospel. Well, and I was honored to be there. Of course, that men's breakfast had a great turnout for the men's breakfast and a lot of great conversations with the guys there. And then, of course, a real highlight was that Saturday night when you brought together, I mean, six, seven van loads of guys, over 100 men and women who are in addiction recovery programs, representing, I believe you told me, 20, 25 different states that they were all a part of that recovery program and came that evening. And I know we had two waves of people that flooded the altars. And as you said, many, many decisions were certainly made that evening.

And I'm believing for the ripple effect of that. As you have said, even through our conversations, as they go back home to their respective states, that there may come out of that the reconciliation of marriages or the reconciliation of families, right, with the sons and daughters and grandma and grandpas, right, and just a host of praise reports I'm hoping to hear and receive. And then, of course, there on Sunday morning as well, the opportunity, the privilege of being able to minister with you guys was certainly a blessing as well. Yes, and we are grateful. Thank you, my friend.

Yes. Well, great to be. Now, and pastoring is not all that you do, though. I mean, you're part of the VA. Just to share just real briefly a couple of the, some of the other things you're involved in, too, Bill. One of the things that I do is something that's called On Mission 365. And On Mission 365, it connects people with existing ministries.

And we do it in a variety of ways. But one of our ways of doing that is, you know, we may go and we may interview someone that has a homeless shelter, or we may interview someone who is actively working on the ground. We have a park in Macon, Georgia, where about 200 homeless people, they live there in this park, and we have a group of Cans of Grace that will come in and minister to them, and they'll provide medical care, free food. They're going to provide clothing, and the gospel is being preached by pastors, and the local community comes and supports that. And what we do is we may go do an interview with them.

We'll put it on Facebook Live. People are chiming in, and we're trying to connect that person who is saying, I want to help my community. I want to help America. I want to help the world, but I don't know how.

And so we're able to say, well, here's how. You can come and volunteer, or you can give financially. And so we try to point people in the right direction so that they can contribute to their community and their state and their country. Well, and I think it's wonderful that you're not necessarily trying to reinvent the wheel, but just connect people together, right? Network people, network ministries together, network people together is certainly commendable.

And you are truly, and I can say I saw this firsthand, this man, Bill Crooms, is truly making an impact and a difference in middle Georgia. And Bill, if people want to learn more about what you're doing and or even contributing as they listen to this show today, where can they find you? Where can they go do that?

We know right now they can find me just on Facebook, Bill Crooms, and they can go to my Facebook, and they can message me. They can watch some of the interviews. If you go to the Facebook, it's Facebook Live. You can see these interviews. You'll be able to see some links. You'll be able to hear the information as I'm interviewing Facebook Live, the different people from these different ministries. And they give you the information. It's usually there on a link, but they'll tell you how you can help them.

And I can just share an example. There's places that need gloves and blankets. They need warm clothing. And there's a link there that you can go and you can purchase those items, and it ships directly to them.

It doesn't come to me. We're providing links that you can help these ministries firsthand. And so that's the best way right now.

We have some future podcasts maybe coming up in the future and some things like that, but those aren't quite finished yet. But so right now, that's the only way. Well, I love your heart. You are kingdom-minded. You're not micromanaging, and you are kingdom-minded and don't mind spreading it out.

And that's not always the case. And so Facebook, go find Bill Crooms. That's C-R-O-O-M-S, Bill Crooms.

And if God puts it on your heart to support what He's doing, I want to encourage you to do that so you can impact starting with middle Georgia and then the ripple effect of that, how it can go nationwide and worldwide. Well, this is the Q&A show, Bill. And so I do want to give you the opportunity to ask me a few questions. So if you're ready, we'll transition to that and you can fire away your first question for me. All right. Well, I have a few for you. And, you know, one is a wrestling question and then there's a couple of other questions.

But we'll start it off and have a little fun first then. And so I want to know, I heard a rumor and I know pastors aren't supposed to listen to rumors. OK, I like that rumor that one that you want. Did the Russians pickle on David Crockett?

You heard that rumor. Yes, sir. So you're wondering whether I actually did or not. Right. Yes. Well, now you grew up in Georgia, right? Yes, sir. So I'm guessing Georgia was a mecca of professional wrestling, Georgia championship wrestling with Ole Anderson and so many other led Tommy Wildfire Rich.

Right. And so so many others that that were there, a part of Mr. Wrestling one and two. Are these names jogging any memories in any way?

Oh, yes, they are. You know, I remember Wahoo McDaniel's and Bob Armstrong as well, you know, and and the assassins and the superstar. They were all part of Middle Georgia wrestling. Bullet Bob Armstrong.

Right. And then the Armstrong family, like he ended up having like, I think, simpler to the Von Erich family. I think Bob had three, maybe four sons that all wrestled as well. And Bullet Bob, I don't know if you're aware of this, wrestled into his 70s, still looked like didn't look 70, but wrestled into his 70s almost right up till his passing from what I was told. Of course, he was legendary in the great state of Alabama in addition to Georgia as well. And so but but yeah, I will I will to that rumor and it is well documented.

In fact, it's out there. What I love about the wrestling fan is all, you know, as they follow me on social media, all the things that they post and that's probably one of the most one of the most things posted is is sickling day. The announcer, David Crockett.

Right. And and I'll never forget when when he was being interviewed by Tony Shivani, another legendary announcer as well, Tony Shivani. And he was asking David about about that, that that occurrence and how Tony was in, I think, the TV truck. And he's like, he kept hearing, when's it going to happen? When's it going to happen? He's like and he's like, I got tired of hearing when's it going to happen?

He didn't know what it was. And when he finally said, when's what going to happen? Boom.

I nailed. I leveled Crockett to the floor. And he said, David, I noticed you laid there for like what seemed to be a couple minutes. And David said, Yeah, I wanted to make sure everything was still working right. Because it was television.

So the Russian neighbor had to make it look good. I mean, come on. I didn't want to just, you know, be mamby pamby on that. And so I did lay it in. And if you have yet to see you're out there in the listening world, you're a wrestling fan. You have yet to see a clip of of me sickling the announcer, David Crockett, by all means, go on YouTube and you will see that. And you too will probably feel the pain that David felt that particular evening. So, would your company, business or you personally like to partner with me in supporting Koloff for Christ Ministries, the Man Up Show and Man Up Minutes, go to koloff.net and click the donate button.

You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Nikita Koloff here and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?

Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Koloff fans and like it and follow today. If you would like to support Koloff for Christ Ministries for a gift of twenty five dollars, Nikita will send you his two CDs, Adoration and Declaration for a gift of fifty dollars. Nikita will include his book, Wrestling with Success, and for a gift of one hundred dollars or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption.

Go to www.koloff.net and donate today. You're listening to the Truth Network and truthnetwork.com. Yep. Squatch that rumor. It is true.

All right. Oh, we're wonderful. And I know that makes all of our wrestling fans out there. I know that makes them happy to talk about that. You know, like you said, brings up good memories. Well, let me ask you something.

Let me jump in real quick. So so you were a wrestling fan and do you have a favorite wrestling memory? Well, yes, I'll tell you. You know, I have a favorite wrestling. I was a big fan of Tommy Wildfire Rich.

You said the Wildfire and Mr. Wrestling number two. And I was a big fan of those two guys. And and and I'll tell you, when when you joined Ivan, I thought the world was over. I just did not know how any of my guys were going to win anymore. It just felt like the world had ended for me as a as a as a 12 or 13 year old kid. And, you know, you're pulling for your favorite, you know, you're pulling for your your tag team. And it was a scary time. But I'll tell you, I really did love Mr. Wrestling number two and Tommy Wildfire Rich and what it all the things they were doing.

No specific match. Just enjoyed their energy. And and but I'll tell you, you you scared everybody when you came along. And as far as wrestling fans, you know, we we knew our guys were in trouble. Well, I got to tell you, I heard if I've heard that once, I've heard that probably a thousand times, like you scared the death out of, you know, you scared the life out of me, I guess, you know, by guys in the business as well as as the wrestling fan. I know. I think I remember you telling me, you go, Ivan was big enough, you know, bigger than life himself.

And then you come on the scene and you like dwarfed him, you know, in size. And so anyway, well, well, I appreciate you being a fan. What what what else do you have? What other questions you have for me, Bill? Well, I want to talk about your first sermon. Tell me.

I just like to know some details about that. Do you remember it? Do you remember how you felt and where it was?

Well, so, yes, the short answer is yes. And it was Angola, Africa, was the first real opportunity I had to, if you want to say, preach. And I was actually over building, helping, getting my hands dirty, helping to build a church in this little town called Dundu, Dundu, you know, in Angola, Africa, and was up on, I think, I think the Zaire border, if I remember correctly, my geography correctly. But all that to say, we're there for three weeks and and, you know, we were kind of getting ready to wrap things up and they wanted to in the church was by no means completed. But they wanted to wanted me to do a they came to me and go, we want you to do a dedication service for the church.

I'm like, like, like, what do you mean a dedication? Well, we want you to preach. And I'm like, to myself, I'm like, I had never preached in my life ever. And I'm like, Lord, what the heck am I supposed to talk about? And and the to me, the humorous part of that story is for for the whole month prior, even to my going. And even while I'm there, the Lord was like just downloading things and I'm journaling things.

Right. Writing things down. And I'm like, oh, that's that's that's a cool little point.

Lord knows I maybe read my Bible and this and the other. And then when I when I got to the point, got to the question, Lord, what am I supposed to talk to these people about? He's like, hello.

How about like the things I've been downloading to you for the last 30 days? I'm like, oh, that's why you've been giving me all of those little nuggets. And so I'm like, OK. And so what what what helped was we had the missionary bill, our missionary and and then the national pastor overseeing the project, both there. And so what was kind of cool was I would deliver what I wanted to say in English and then the missionary bill would translate in one dialect of African.

And then the national pastor would would would translate in another dialect of African. And then it would give me opportunities to kind of gather my thoughts on what I wanted to say next. And so it was really very helpful to have that time to just, you know, prepare and and and share that that entire message. And according to them, it was great. And everyone loved it. And and then I'll tag this on real quick.

Fast forward about it. Maybe a year later, I was in Bogota, Colombia, which was, I think, my second opportunity to deliver a message. And where I was chaperoning my daughter, my oldest daughter, Taryn's youth group in Bogota, Colombia. And and her youth pastor said, you're supposed to preach one night while you're here. And I'm like, Lord, what am I supposed? And he's like in a similar scenario, he's like, hello.

Like what I've been downloading to you for the last few weeks. I'm like, oh, OK. So, you know, it took me a while to kind of get that. But all that to say there must have he must have saw some improvement in me because I only needed one translator and not two down there in in Bogota. And then from there, the Lord just began eventually opening more and more and more doors.

But so Angola, Africa. That was my very first sermon. Well, well, thank you for that. And I'll tell you, you just went right into where I was headed.

You're talking about opening doors. Well, you know, we know where you've been a very successful wrestling career. We know about your ministry that you've had for maybe over the last 20 years. But my question is, what projects do you have planned for the upcoming next few years? Wow.

Great question. And so one thing I'm grateful for is where I'm sitting here today and interviewing you, Truth Radio Network, Stu Epperson, Robbie Dilmore and a great team here at Truth Radio Network based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Little did I know or ever dream I'd have my own radio show, my own podcast, you know, never really in a million years, which led to a TV show, the Man Up show as well. And so just the growth and expansion of that is I see clearly on the horizon.

Presently, I think we've been downloaded 88 different countries so far, but there's a lot more countries I want to reach with this Q&A show, with the Man Up show as well. And so that's certainly one thing. Camps and conferences, the Man Up conference, doing about 15 to 20 of those a year on average. Just one day conferences in local churches and communities, empowering and equipping men to be godly men, husbands and godly fathers, which that conference leads into a camp that the total package Lex Luger and I help, we help to facilitate with the help of the Lord down there in Georgia, down where you're at, a little town called Royston, Georgia.

So continuing to facilitate those man camps and the Man Up conferences. And then the most, the newest thing in addition to books and other projects I'm working on as well is taking my first tour group to the Holy Land, to Israel. And if you listening out there ever want to put on a pair of 3D glasses, the next time you read your Bible, make the trip to the Holy Land with me, you will never be the same. And they can find out, Bill, about all of that. Follow me on social media and the podcast, the trip to Israel, the Holy Land and all that at Koloff.net.

They can find out more about all of that. And so great questions, my friend, great questions. Thank you.

Yes, sir. And I appreciate you and your time today being on Q&A with Koloff, Bill Crooms, and go to his Facebook page, find out more about what he's doing as well and how you can partner with him and make a difference in your community as he is doing and the ripple effect of that. So, Bill, thank you for being a part of this today. It's been a great time and I'm grateful. Thank you. And thank all of you. Hey, be sure to go over to the Man Up show and catch more of my interview with Bill, get more of his story.

You will not be disappointed. Thanks for tuning in today. God bless you. Have a God-filled day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to Koloff.net and donate today.

Hi, Nikita Koloff. Be sure to check out the Man Up show now available on television, broadcast and podcast. Go to MorningStarTV.com or the Truth Radio Network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today. If you are enjoying Q&A with Koloff, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe and leave a comment. Are you looking for the perfect gift for your pastor?

Well, look no further. Bless him with a trip to the Holy Land with yours truly, Nikita Koloff, the Russian nightmare. I'll be hosting this once in a lifetime trip, December 27, 2023 to January 5, 2024.

Your pastor will never be the same. Go to Koloff.net to get registered today. Nikita Koloff here.

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