Faith that Inspires

Happy Monday to our CFC Family,

Last night, I had the privilege of attending the Adult and Teen Challenge (ATC) graduation to support one of my former students, Anthony, who graciously gave me permission to share his story today. Anthony along with three other students successfully completed their second-year leadership program and were now being honored. A couple of weeks ago, he reached out to me and asked if I could be there to celebrate this significant milestone in his life—a request that I was honored to accept.

Before the service began, I had the chance to speak with Anthony, and I was delighted when he told me that he was in the process of enrolling in Bible school and preparing to pursue full-time ministry. Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t help but think that here stood an incredible example of a remarkable testimony of the miracle-working power of Jesus! Later in the service, as I watched Anthony deliver his speech, my thoughts drifted back to the first day he entered the ATC program, straight from prison. At that time, Anthony had been court-ordered to enroll in the program while awaiting his sentencing. His initial plan was to stay until his court date, believing that God would then move him on to bigger and better things.

Before entering the ATC program, while still incarcerated, Anthony had found his faith in Jesus. Facing some serious prison time, his lawyer had warned him that the Crown was pushing for a 12-year sentence. Despite this, Anthony was certain that God had given him a vision, revealing that he would not receive such a long sentence. He believed that God was going to grant him much less time and ultimately place him in ministry, possibly even mission work.

As his teacher and mentor at the time, I tried to offer Anthony a little “dose of reality.” While I encouraged his faith and the possibility that his vision from God might be true, as his “mature spiritual leader,” I gently reminded him that he needed to prepare for the likelihood that his freedom might not come as quickly as he hoped.

Seeing him standing on that stage last night and witnessing a portion of his vision become a reality, caused me to do some self-reflection. Here I was, his teacher, his mentor, and pastor—and it was he who taught me a valuable lesson of faith.

The miracle of his light sentence was so supernatural that even his diehard atheist lawyer, who had even tried to convince the judge that Anthony was insane because, “Anthony hears God talking to him,” in the end, had to admit that Anthony’s shortened sentence was indeed “divine intervention.” That this turn of events gave him much to ponder about the supernatural and his own faith as a Jewish man.

All of us can be guilty of “saying we have faith,” yet in the back of our minds, really doubting that anything out of the natural will likely happen during our challenges.

Now, am I saying that God intervened with all my former students this way? Not at all. Right now, there are a number of men who we prayed for to receive a lighter sentence, who are today in prison. But this does not negate the reality of miracles.

In Anthony’s case, God gave him a vivid vision of his freedom, and it was a vision that Anthony never wavered from. He saw it, he believed it, and in the end, he experienced it. What can God do in a situation you might be going through? Well, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20;God, “…is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according tohis power that is at work within us.”

And with that said, let me ask you, “What can you imagine?” Because if you can imagine it…Paul says that Jesus can do “immeasurably more than that!” Wow, what a concept!!

Have a blessed week!