Living Proof

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Luke 4:18)

I am living proof that God is real. My life is a testimony to His goodness, patience, and power. He freed me from addiction to alcohol and tobacco that had me bound for more than twenty years. I call it my one-step program: from my seat to my knees. He freed me without cravings or any withdrawal symptoms. It was as if I had never started: fresh, clean, free.

I started smoking and drinking when I was fifteen. Over the years, my cravings and addictions deepened until a casual habit became a daily addiction. By the time I was 38, my life had become a wreck: I was broke, jobless, homeless, divorced, estranged from my three children. Mentally, I was depressed, discouraged, and hopeless.

The Lord sent someone with a simple message: “God loves you and has a plan for your life.” That sounded really good. Maybe there was hope, a way out of the mess I had made. Hey, what did I have to lose?

So, I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. He did. Immediately, my life began to change because with the Lord, “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Soon, I was reunited with my children and found work and a place to live. Step by step, the Lord put my life together beautifully. For the first time in my life, I knew the Lord. I had peace and purpose. I married a wonderful woman and mother of three girls, and the blessings kept coming for all of us. Today, we have 22 grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and I am retiring from a wonderful, 30-year career in finance.

We all know it is impossible to change a life, to set an addict free simply with a word. Yet that’s what happened to me. And it’s exactly what my wife, Ginger, and I have seen countless times over 25 years in rescue missions, county jails, and state prisons. Thousands of men and women have been liberated by confession, repentance, and the declaration of salvation in Jesus’ name! People sometimes ask me why we do prison ministry. I tell them, “We love the sound of the shackles hitting the floor.”

Jesus came to set the captive free. He still does. The inescapable joy is that He allows us to participate with Him. It is an honor and joy to serve. And miracles still occur in the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I remember the day when you broke the chains that had me bound. My life changed forever when I asked You to be my Lord and Savior. With a word, You set me free and received me as Your own. Now, I’m free to follow You every day of my life. Lead on!