The Other Side of Faith: My Story: From Prison to the Pulpit, From Lost to Found

My motive for writing this book is to encourage the 30 percent of genuine Bible-reading believers to stand fast and on the word of God (Galatians 5:1). And to also encourage vigorously the 70 percent of nonreading Bible Christians to take the further step of faith to realize the fuller revelation and benefits of salvation like in Isaiah 61:1-7 and Isaiah 58, for example. For without this next step of faith, mountains would not come down, obstacles will not be removed, and onlookers will continue to look at Christianity as weak and lean.

My working continuously from fifteen as a schoolteacher to now at seventy as a substance abuse counselor, pastor, child support specialist, workshop instructor proved it to me. Delivered from twenty-five years of alcoholism and its detriments proved it to me. Living unscathed with dangerous criminals in seven correctional facilities, including Rikers Island, proved it to me. Watching individuals in prison threaten to kill me and beat Jesus out of my ---- and then became my friend proved it to be so. Delivered from low self-esteem and clinophobia proved it to be so. Going for 1 percent in math to graduating magna cum laude at forty-four proved it to be so. Working on Wall Street for twenty years in and out of the mix unscathed proved it be so. Delivered from two cancers without surgeries and be handsomely paid proved it to be so. Having enormous peace and security and hope in Christ proves it to be so. Watching all of my bills disappear by standing and applying the word of God as Joshua 1:8 states proves it to be so.

As one inmate counselor once told me, "Christianity works for those who work it, not for those who don't take the time to prove it so." Jesus Christ said this to be true, and I believe it because it works for me and followers like me with no regrets in every situation of life.