On this episode of A Touch From Above, Dr. Luauna Stines sits down with Tom Beban to trace the roots of addiction—starting with childhood abuse, rejection, and rebellion. His story reveals how small compromises led to a life of drugs, homelessness, and despair, and why recognizing the trap early can make all the difference.
00:26:22 Upcoming Details and Prayer Mountain Announcement
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you have faith? I wrote a book called Mission America. It’s a journal. I literally took a team of five women. We traveled across the entire United States of America with 250,000 gospel tracts, a revival tent, 250 chairs from San Diego all the way to the East Coast, all the way back, reloaded all the way up the West Coast, all the way across Washington, Oregon, you name it. Setting up our tent and preaching the gospel. This book, Mission America, will make you laugh, keep you at the edge of your seat, and you’ll go, oh my gosh, I can’t believe these girls. I want to encourage you, for your support, I want to send you your copy. ATFA, P.O. Box 2800, Ramona, California, 92065. A touch from above, P.O. Box 2800, Ramona, California, 92065. Or you can log on to our website, atouchfromabove.org and give.
SPEAKER 01 :
Set your spirit on fire and let Dr. Luauna Stines guide you to a life of purpose and fulfillment. To reach Dr. Luauna Stines, call 760-315-1967. That’s 760-315-1967. Or visit atouchfromabove.org. And now, here’s your A Touch From Above host, Dr. Luauna Stines.
SPEAKER 03 :
God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so much for joining me. I’m Dr. Luauna, and this is A Touch From Above, right from our prayer mountain out of Ramona, California. And I want to tell you really quick, a church alive is worth the drive. Why have you not come up to the prayer mountain? Every Sunday morning, I minister 1015 a.m. We have a church service. Get in that car. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and come on up. Drive on up. Amen. But be careful. Don’t spill it while you’re driving. Our God is a good God. Well, thank you so much for joining me. I am so excited these next three days. You do not want to miss these next three days. I have a wonderful guest with me today, but before we get started and before he says hello, I want to read you something that is very important and you’ll understand why when he comes on. Jeremiah chapter 1, reading in verse 5. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Then I said, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak. for I am a youth but the Lord said to me do not say I am a youth for you shall go to all to whom I send you and whatever I command you you shall speak do not be afraid of their faces for I’m with you to deliver you says the Lord then the Lord put forth his hand and he touched my mouth and the Lord said to me behold I have put my words in your mouth See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down, to destroy, to throw down, to build and to plant. Let me stop there. I read out of Jeremiah chapter one, in case you’re wondering. My guest today is a powerful young man. I’ve had him on the radio a little while back, but his name is Tom Beban. Tom, thank you for being here today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, Dr. Luauna, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, you can believe me. The blessing is mine. You know, Tom is going to share a little bit about his testimony. And for those of you that are listening, moms, listen. Maybe you have a son. Maybe you have a daughter. Maybe they’re out there on the streets. Maybe they’re doing drugs. Maybe they’re addicted to crystal meth or maybe just a crazy pot smoker. and maybe they’re just rebellious and you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to do maybe you are a listener and maybe you are bound up on crystal meth maybe you are bound up on drugs and you do not want to miss these three days but i want to read to you one more thing out of the book of ephesians chapter 6 reading in verse 12 for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of dark the darkness of this world Of this age against the spiritual host of wickedness and heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth. having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shrod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all, all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this very end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. And as for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, in that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Amen. Well, the reason I read those scriptures before Tom begins to share his testimony is because his testimony is so powerful. As a young boy, I know that God had called him to the ministry, but you know in Ephesians we just read that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. You see, the devil will do anything he can to stop your destiny. he does not want you to find that destiny tom let’s go all the way back when you were young and how that just that web of i don’t know rejection and abuse share let’s go all the way back share a little bit about first of all tom is originally from poland so share Jean Delbritt.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s Polish for hello. And yes, rejection was a real big part of growing up in my life. I had that because I felt like I was an outsider, somewhat of an outcast. And even though my dad would do his best to discipline me, it was in a way that turned me away from actually receiving any correction that he had because I watched how he lived. And that example wasn’t exactly the kind that I wanted to follow.
SPEAKER 03 :
What example did he do? I mean, when you’re young, when you’re young, you really do watch your parents. It really does make a difference.
SPEAKER 02 :
Correct. So that was a drinking and abuse. And that was his way of trying to keep our family in order or in line. And it was very stern or let me just put it this way. I would, you know, get a snot beat out of me if I wasn’t doing what he had asked me to do. So yeah. It’s just abuse. Simply put it, it’s abuse. It’s a lifestyle that had drinking involved. And because he did come from a country where communism was around, I believe a big part of the reason he acted that way was from his childhood and growing up. And it just transferred over into how he knew how to raise a family.
SPEAKER 03 :
So you guys came, you came from Poland because for safety sake? Correct. Wow. And how old were you when you came from Poland? I was about five years old. Oh my goodness. Now, did this abuse stretch over into your, uh, you ha you have only, you’re the only sibling, correct? You’re the only child.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. The only child.
SPEAKER 03 :
So did his, your father’s abuse and drinking affect your mother?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, it did. Very much so. Yeah, because what ended up happening was that abuse turned into… more abuse. And then I felt like there was nothing I can do to stop it. And my mom protected me. So she protected me from him as much as she could. And pretty much now that I look back on it, I see it as a way of her maybe spoiling me and me using that to manipulate her. Once my dad was out of the picture.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow, so finally the abuse got so bad that she finally had to, what, she finally ended up getting a divorce? Yes, she separated herself. Thank God, thank God. When people hear abuse, we’re not just talking about yelling. We’re not talking about correction. We’re talking about heavy-handed abuse. Yes, very much so. There are people that are listening today, Tom, and because of quote unquote, so many people say, well, you know what, you’re married, you just got to stay married and they’re in abuse. What would happen to your mother if your mother would have stayed in that marriage?
SPEAKER 02 :
I don’t know if she’d still be around because it got so bad. And, you know, I just want to say how difficult it is to even bring this up. It’s been years. I’m a grown man. And every time that I talk about my father and what I had to go through, it is very difficult. I sometimes want to shrink back, but it’s so important to let others know that there is freedom involved in this and that there’s there’s hope and that you can do the right thing and trust in God.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. So, okay, so here you are now, you’re five years old, you’re in the United States of America, and now you’re, so your first language was Polish. Correct. So how do you tell everybody, hello, how are you, to those that are listening in Poland, they’re from Poland, how do you tell them, hello, God bless you, how are you?
SPEAKER 02 :
Hello everyone from Poland, I want to tell you that God is good and Jesus is our deliverance.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. I don’t know what he said, but it sounded really good.
SPEAKER 02 :
I’m working on it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. So now here you are. You’re five years old. Now you’re in a completely different country, and now you’re thrown into school. What happened there?
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay, so once I started school, I didn’t know English, so I ended up in Spanish-speaking classes that were trying to teach me English, and it wasn’t working out, and I just remember being able to go outside and have recess by myself.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, my goodness. How hard that must have been. So, did you like school?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I did like school. Yeah. I mean, I did like school because I got to get away from home.
SPEAKER 03 :
Ah, okay. So, now here you are. Now you’re heading into junior high. What’s happening? The abuse at home. Your mom’s finally… Was your mom still married at that time when you were still in…
SPEAKER 02 :
Around that time is when the separation started happening.
SPEAKER 03 :
What happened there? Now you’re just getting into your teenage years. So those are really crucial. You have your mom, you have your dad, there’s abuse, there’s alcohol. There’s probably strong words going back there. Your dad also was a truck driver. So he was there and then back home and then gone for long periods of time. Um, what happened in those crucial years of young teenage years, 13, 14.
SPEAKER 02 :
Rebellion rebellion started happening. All the hurt that I grew up with. I started looking at that as an excuse to rebel and to start drinking and using drugs and experimenting and taking every opportunity I had when my dad was away to, to do those things, to have fun.
SPEAKER 03 :
So how old were you when you first started doing drugs?
SPEAKER 02 :
I was about 12 years old.
SPEAKER 03 :
Whoa. What was the first drug that you did? Marijuana. Marijuana. So did somebody introduce you to that? I mean, how did you, by now you’re speaking English, of course, and you’re hanging out and.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. And, uh, it was through, um, my dad’s friends through the family. And I think another thing is so important to know who your kids are around. And to keep tabs on them at all times. Yeah, because I never saw that coming, really. And once I was exposed to it, I just looked at the world as that’s what everyone does. Everyone works hard and parties hard. And I used that as an excuse to start.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. So here you are. Now you’re getting ready to graduate. And you did graduate, right? Barely. Barely graduated. Barely graduated. So now your mom and them are completely separated. Then what happened? Now you started off with marijuana, but now you’re 17, 18 years old.
SPEAKER 02 :
And what’s happening? Right. Well, you know, what happened was, as I saw the separation occurring earlier, I was happy for my mom and I was happy for myself, too, because it was freedom from the abuse. But also a part of me knew that I would have more chances to rebel, that it would be easier. My dad wouldn’t be in the picture. I didn’t have to worry about hiding everything. And so once that occurred, then it was I was just like it was all out. I.
SPEAKER 03 :
there was no more restraint no boundaries or nothing no boundaries no nothing and my mom had to work twice as hard being single mother so she wasn’t around she wasn’t at home and i just took to full advantage of her so then you went from you went from smoking pot to drinking and now you’re almost falling in the pattern of your father with your dad was a massive drinker and now here you are now drinking and What else Tom?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I started drinking too. I swore I would never be like him that I would never drink. I never recognized how angry I was inside. And just trying to fit in, trying to under like have some kind of joy in the world. And the only way I was able to find it was through drugs and alcohol.
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you think that was because the abuse brought so much insecurity or maybe that fear?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. I think it’s a big part of my life, insecurity, just growing up, not fitting in. Rejected. Being abused and rejected. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. So your mother didn’t reject you, but your father had rejected you. And most people love the… I mean, the father really does shape the home.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
And you’re listening today to my program. My name is Dr. Luauna. My guest is Tom Bieben. And he’s sharing his powerful testimony. And for those of you, we’re just barely getting started. You don’t want to miss the next couple of days because we’re going to go into depth of where… abuse and alcohol and the influence of a father who drank and was not saved the influence that that dad had in the home and what that still does today to thousands of my listeners that are listening so dads please Put your ears on. Please have an open heart. Mamas, you’ve got to listen up. It’s important that you also listen. And remember, Tom said something really powerful. He said, hold your kids accountable to not let them just hang out with whoever they wanted to to keep watch on those kids so now tom is he’s um now 18 he’s graduated but yet there’s still that um that rejection that’s hidden deep within him there’s still that uh hidden anger and abuse so now you’re 18 what happened at 18 tom
SPEAKER 02 :
So by the age of 18, I found my hope in drugs and alcohol. It was what allowed me to just be me as the way I looked at it.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was the only way you could really communicate and talk and just be out there. But at 18, did you stay home or did you take off? What happened?
SPEAKER 02 :
I took off. I went on a road trip with a friend, and I traveled, and I was never really at home, and all I wanted to do was drink and drug. What kind of drugs, Tom? I started doing meth, and then that led into heavier drugs, into heroin, and sin took me to those places that I never thought I would go, and it kept me there much longer than I ever intended.
SPEAKER 03 :
to stay you know it’s really true when we read about ephesians you know tom you know you’re now a christian just to let you know that tom received christ and we’re going to talk about that a little bit later probably not to well we’re going to talk a little bit about that before we end today but uh there is a force of darkness in ephesians that most people can’t see with your natural eye And the reason I read Jeremiah, because when I look at Tom today, Tom is a vital part of our ministry, a touch from above. He’s been with us for over five years and God has just done an amazing, amazing work in Tom. And he’s such a blessing and you can see the call of God on his life. And when I read Jeremiah, I knew you when you were yet before you were even in your mother’s womb. I believe with all my heart that God knows each and every one of us before we’re even in our mother’s room. And God has a plan, but Satan hates that plan. So now here you are, Tom. You’re not saved. You’re searching. You’re lost. You’re empty. Now you’re going across. Where all did you go across the country?
SPEAKER 02 :
Tell me where all you went. I went from here to the East Coast and back. And what happened after high school is having that freedom And in full on rebellion, I just left everything behind thinking that I can go explore and have fun. And it led me nowhere and led me even down a worser path than I could imagine. Because at that time, everything was still okay in my life. So to say that I still had my mom who cared enough to actually want to help me.
SPEAKER 03 :
But you thought you had control.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
So here you are, you still had your mom who loved you. So you were traveling and you still keep in contact with your mom, but where did you end up getting stranded at?
SPEAKER 02 :
got stranded all over throughout the united states it was just an aimless journey and uh yeah it was it led me nowhere nowhere fast i ended up on the east coast florida daytona beach spring break and the debauchery and the the the free fall It was just something I’d never seen before in my life.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, listeners today, they think sin is okay. Kids at that age, you know, they think, oh, yeah, Daytona Beach. Yeah, let’s just go. Let’s be rebellious. Let’s run away. Let’s go have fun. What do you want to tell those kids today, Tom?
SPEAKER 02 :
that it’s a trap. Satan sets up a trap. And just because we’re having fun, that enjoying sin can cost you your life. Now looking back on it, I can realize that God does have a plan, but so does Satan. And Satan’s plan is to distract you from the Lord, to get you off track, to cause rebellion, to get you so hurt and offended and bitter that you won’t turn to God. If he can get you angry at God, then he can leave you hopeless.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. You know, the Bible says in John 10, 10, the thief comes only, but to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus said, I came to give you life and to give you life more abundant. Now, Tom, there are many moms out there that are, they’re looking at their kids and they’re biting their nails. They’re trying to figure out they’re not sleeping at night. They’re tormented. They’re saying, what’s going to happen to my kid? They’re out there. They’re doing meth. They’re doing heroin. They’re doing drugs. What do you want to tell those mamas out there?
SPEAKER 02 :
I want to, first of all, tell those mamas that you’re doing everything you can, but you have to get to that place where you can trust the Lord enough to let go of them. And that was the hardest thing that my mom ever had to do, but it was the best thing for me because I ended up in God’s hands and not hers. And I stopped manipulating and hurting her and dragging her through the hell that I caused. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
For those of you that are listening, I’m Dr. Luauna, and this is A Touch From Above, right from Ramona, California. My guest is Tom Beban, and he’s also preparing a powerful book, and it’s freedom, freedom from meth, freedom from crazy, you know, and you’ll want to make sure you pick that up. He’s in the process of writing it, and God is doing a powerful work there. And, uh, Tom, you know, um, is a miracle of God’s grace. Tom, at the end, um, let’s just share a little bit and then we’ll share again tomorrow. Tell them where you really ended up, how the devil set that trap. Tell those people what really happened and how you were on the.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. Go ahead. So I ended up on the streets, homeless out of my mind. Walking around barefoot literally got to the point where I was eating out of trash. And I lived in canyons and begging people for change. I went from having everything I thought meant something in my life to having absolutely nothing and losing my mind.
SPEAKER 03 :
They had you on all kinds of different meds. What did they have you on, Tom?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I was on at least a few to eight different meds, from antidepressants to anxiety to schizophrenia, and that list just in between those three different diagnoses goes on and on, and bipolar. So this started happening because I would try to get off the streets and enter into homeless housing. And that’s when I would end up on medication. And it’s just a cycle that kept me hopeless because nothing was working and it wasn’t satisfying that missing void in my life. amen well we only have about three minutes so you what do you want to tell me what do you want to tell me how jesus what did jesus do in your lifetime okay jesus came into my life like a holy ghost right and this this spirit of the living god he grabbed a hold of me he convicted me of my sins to the point where i feared god i feared hell and i knew that i was headed in that direction and there was nothing i can do about it and it caused me to turn to him and in his love and his grace he embraced me he told me how much he loves me and he began to change my mind and he reminded me that the god of this world is satan and that i need to be still and know that jesus is god amen you’re listening to my program today and you’re listening and maybe you have a problem with drugs what do you want to tell them tom I want to tell you that you need to pray. You need to cry out to God. You need to rend your heart. Rid yourself of all the offenses that you have committed. You’re going to get yourself a new heart and a new spirit. And God’s going to lead you to his word. And you pick up that word of truth, which is going to be your shield. Because Satan is the father of all lies. And if you’re bound in drugs or addiction or lusts, and everything else that comes with it, you’re believing in a lie. You’re trying to find something that will take away your hurt and your pain, and that something is a person. That person is the God of heaven and earth that created you for that special place that you may come to know him. Amen.
SPEAKER 03 :
The Bible says in the book of John, dear listener, John chapter three, verse five, most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. You know, God says you and I, he said, do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. You and I know that. that it’s so important that you, listener, must be born again. How are you born again? Exactly what Tom said, surrender, let go, acknowledge that you’re a sinner, acknowledge that you did wrong, acknowledge that you are in great need of Jesus. Repent of your sins. Pray with me right now. Say this prayer, Jesus. I know that I’m in trouble. I need help. I need a miracle. Please forgive me. I want you to come into my heart. Be my Lord. Be my Savior. Open up the eyes of my understanding. Soften my heart and deliver me from this bondage, I pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen. now if you said that prayer i want you to know something tom is going to be here tomorrow and the day after we’re going to go into more detail and you don’t want to miss it you don’t want to miss it jesus is our strength he’s our help he’s our hope and without him we can do nothing and i want to encourage you uh up please come up to the prayer mountain for a touch from above church service every sunday morning at 10 15 up at the prayer mountain a church alive is worth the drive and one more thing Support our radio program. Help us to stay on the air and help us to keep bringing these wonderful, amazing testimonies of God’s amazing grace. Thank you, Tom, for being with us today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you, Pastor Luauna, for having me. Thank you for listening to Dr. Luauna Stines. Give online at atouchfromabove.org.
SPEAKER 03 :
Are you distracted? Seems like everything gets in the way? Come to A Touch From Above Prayer Mountain, 25 beautiful acres. Walk up to the cross or relax in a small private cabin to pray. Bring your leaders to pray at Prayer Mountain. God answers prayer. Even Jesus had to get away to pray. Call today and make your reservation, 760-315-1967. Your answer is just a prayer away, at touchfromabove.org. Do you have faith? I wrote a book called Mission America. It’s a journal. I literally took a team of five women. We traveled across the entire United States of America with 250,000 gospel tracts, a revival tent, 250 chairs. from san diego all the way to the east coast all the way back reloaded all the way up the west coast all the way across washington oregon you name it setting up our tent and preaching the gospel this book mission america will make you laugh keep you at the edge of your seat and you’ll go oh my gosh i can’t believe these girls i want to encourage you for your support i want to send you your copy ATFA P.O. Box 2800, Ramona, California 92065. A Touch From Above P.O. Box 2800, Ramona, California 92065. Or you can log on to our website, atouchfromabove.org and give.
