March 2002 (Estimated)
Encounter with an Angel
Excerpt from Preface of “Astonishing Grace to the Chief of All Fools”
Romans 15:17-19 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit;
It was a Sunday morning, as best as I can remember, sometime in early 2002, at Northland Community Church in Longwood, FL, where I was about to have a very bizarre experience. My first wife and I had just opened our franchise of the Lord’s Gym health club in Orlando, FL. I was so blessed by all that the Lord had done to make this happen. Both the club and we as the owners, had been received with wonderful enthusiasm by the community.
We were just finishing up the worship service and the sermon was about to begin when I was tapped on my left shoulder. I turned my head as far left as possible, still only able to see the lady from my peripheral vision in the dimly lit sanctuary. She leaned in and said, “The Lord will be magnified and glorified through your obedience.” Those were the only words she said; I was stunned. I sat down and went through feelings of wonder, joy, and then even some indignation. At one point I thought, “Who says something like that to a complete stranger… she doesn’t even know me…why would she say that?” I was barely able to listen to the sermon because I was so struck by her words. I couldn’t wait for the service to end so I could inquire of her motive. When the message ended, I promptly turned around and saw a family sitting in all the seats. There were no other empty seats and no one had seen the woman I had just described.
Hebrews 1:14, 13:2 “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Three months later on May 22nd 2002, at the age of 28 years old, the entire thing collapsed in a very tragic and public scandal. The story ran each night on the evening news with me being slandered in front of hundreds of thousands in Central Florida. The dream was shattered and were left with some half-a-million dollars in business debt. I was so humiliated and afraid that we wouldn’t go to a grocery store within 5 miles of my home for at least six months. I had failed terribly in a business with the Lord’s name on it, bringing much disgrace to His name. Reflecting back on the words of that woman, I remember thinking how in the world will God ever be magnified and glorified through my life now…I’m finished!