Lost on Earth. In 1998 Mark W. Koch (pronounced Cook) was perhaps the hottest producer in Hollywood with two of his films (Lost in Space based on the 1960s TV series and Black Dog starring the late Patrick Swayze) almost simultaneously achieving box office success. However, it was also year that saw his life spiral out of control substance abuse and the collapse of his marriage. Then, as he tells it (in two books, Lost in Space Saved By Grace and the newly released The First Hour: Unleash God’s Power), God intervened.

JWK: So, in the late 1990s you were a hot Hollywood producer whose personal life life was a bit of mess. What happened then?

Mark W. Cook: Just to give you a quick background – a couple minute testimony – I always had a dream of being in the film business. Being from Detroit, Michigan with a degree in automotive marketing, there was probably a slim chance but I ended up sneaking through the gates of Paramount and off I went. As I look back now it was definitely a calling.

You know, it’s interesting because the Holy Spirit always wakes me up in the middle of the night – of course, never during prayer time – and gives me these three-letter acronyms. One is DNA which means we all have DNA in the flesh – We’re all different – but we also, I believe, all have a spiritual DNA which is Divine Natural Assignment.

As I look back, in 1997 I got into Paramount and next thing you know I was a Hollywood producer. I had all these interns working for me from film schools – Thank God! – because I didn’t know anything about the film business. As fate would have it, Hollywood was in the phase of making old TV series into feature films. I ended up getting hold of the widow of Irwin Allen and, lo and behold, bought the rights to do a remake of Lost in Space. Flash forward, next thing you know Ted Turner’s company New Line said “Here’s $90 million go make your movie.”

JWK: Wow!

MWK: So, Lost in Space came out. At this particular time I was not a Christian. I was not saved. I lost my father at a young age. I lost my father when I was 26. He was only 51. I had a very, very strong relationship with my dad. He was very strict but very loving. I tell you if he were alive he would have flown out to Hollywood and pulled me out of there by my hair…Lost in Space came out in 1998, set a box office record for the largest April opening ever. It knocked Titanic out of first. Brother, I thought was all that because my dream was always to have a number-one box office hit. Well, that dream came true. It made a lot of money – but I found myself lost in space. I was partying with the Hollywood elite, the A-Leaguers. You know, drinking, drugs, the whole Hollywood thing.

I actually just got married at the time. Lost in Space came out in April of 1998. By the way, two weeks later my second movie came out, Black Dog with Patrick Swayze. That did really well. So, I had two in the top ten at the same time – and, again, I had an ego the size of Manhattan – but my life was a mess. I was on the highway to self-destruction (with) the late nights (and) the partying. At that time, my wife had two babies at home and I was just going crazy. At that time we got separated.

I was separated from my wife and I’ll never forget it. Sitting there on my own – of course, I moved out – I was not seeking God, my brother. I had millions of dollars, the cars and the house. I was lost – and the Holy Spirit got a hold of me. I’ll never forget it…It’s like I was sitting on this mountain looking down and all my worldly dreams came true. The film was number one. You know, what am I going to drive today? The Ranger, the Porsche or the Jag? We had a 7000 square foot house. I had it all! But I had this emptiness and a hole because all my worldly dreams came true but I was lost. It’s like the Holy Spirit told me “Look at you! You’re lost in space!” So, that’s kind of the quickie testimony in a fast fashion there for you.

JWK: Did you get back together with your wife?

MWK: It’s interesting because after that Holy Spirit appointment I ended up in church and that was a serious divine appointment. It’s a long story but a gentleman showed up where I was staying at. He was a friend of my wife’s best friend’s husband who I never even met. He basically said “My name’s Dean and I’m tired of waking up every morning at 3:30 in the morning with a burden on my heart.” He had a Bible in his hand. He said “You’re losing everything! Do you believe in God?!” I said “Of course, I believe in God!” I was a Catholic. I graduated from (Catholic school). He said “I’ll flat out ask you, do you want to go to church?” I’ll never forget it. I said “Yes.”

I ended up at Christ Fellowship which is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. You know, God knows how to get out attention. The pastor there was an ex-football coach, a big godly man who reminded me of my dad. My brother, John, when I showed up at the church the music started playing. I was full of strongholds and, quite frankly, demons. I was living a life of sin. You know how you get a lump in your throat when you get emotional? Well, I had a softball in my throat. I thought I was dying in church but a song came on: “Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul.” It just broke me. So, when the pastor did the altar call, I went up to the altar. I’ll never forget it. You never forget that day when you accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. It’s just a new beginning. I dropped down on my knees. I said “Lord, I’m a sinner. Forgive me! Cleanse me! Mold me! Use me! Make me the man You want me to be! I give you my life!” I really meant it, broke down and – boom – got saved.

My wife happened to be at that service. We hugged, cried and embraced. I moved back in and there started my new life. Now, interestingly enough, I remember the pastor saying “There’s a thousand angels up there rejoicing every time somebody gives their life to Christ.” I felt it. I felt the relief. What he didn’t tell me is there’s also an adversary called Satan. He’s down there in conference room saying “Boys, we got a problem. Mark Koch just gave his life to Christ. Get him!” I went through some serious spiritual warfare battles – ups, downs, ups, downs…I’ll tell you I gave my life to Christ (but) there were a lot of struggles…In the first three months after giving my life to Christ, my entire life came crashing down. As I look back it, it wasn’t the enemy. It was God because when I was at that altar and I said “Lord, forgive me. I accept you as my personal savior. Mold me! Change me! Make me the man You want me be be!” I can see it now. It was like “Okay, as long as Mark Koch still has a couple of million bucks in the bank and this and that we’re not gonna get his attention.” Brother John, we went from a 7000 square foot house and deciding which luxury car to drive to an 800 square foot apartment, lost all the cars. My father-in-law gave me a 1997 Explorer with 300,000 miles (on it). We lost everything!

JWK: May I ask how you lost the money?

MWK: Two of my stuntmen on Black Dog – which was a big truck movie – (had) an accident (and) died. Tragic! Horrific! The families sued Universal Pictures, they sued Prelude Pictures which was my company and, of course, they sued the producer personally – which was me, even though I’m not directly responsible. So, I obviously ended up losing. It was a $3.2 million judgement put against me. We just lost everything but I gotta tell you – and I tell people this – as I look back at my life I thank Jesus every day for it because that 800 square foot apartment was more of a home than that 7000 square foot house ever was because God was in the process of changing me and restoring my marriage. Listen, when you give your life to Christ and you really mean it, that Holy Spirit plow comes to get some of those weeds out. So, I had a long sanctification period and, again, a lot of spiritual battles.

JWK: What happened?

MWK: That’s what I want to talk about. I want to talk about what God laid in my heart and seeking Him first. So, from 1998 I went through about four years of up, down, up, down, going to church, a spiritual battle of being obedient, not drinking, not partying for six or seven months then just out of the blue falling. I’d close a deal or things would start looking up financially and I’d have a few vodka tonics or whatever and bam! But I found out that I actually had conviction the next morning. I also found out that I got disciplined. It’s like I got grounded. When a deal would fall apart or whatever I’d cry out to God, repent and ask for forgiveness. It’s like I got grounded for six months. Things would be going good, going good. I’d be good for a year! And then bam! Slip and fall! And the next day, discipline! So, I’m doing this up, down, up, down. I finally just cried out to God. I said “Lord, I just want to be obedient. I just want follow you.!” Here’s when we get into the book The First Hour. This is my second Holy Spirit experience. It’s real. The Holy Spirit woke me at at 5:55 AM. I’ll never forget it.