Jose is currently a captain in the U.S. Army on his way to becoming a full-time pastor. His story reminds us that it's never too late to be used by God—regardless of our past.
In my mind I was destined to be a failure, but God had a purpose for my life.
I grew up in a legalistic environment where [it felt like] I had to meet certain requirements in order to keep my salvation. That led to a lot of temptation in my life and a lot of failures, which [made me] really mad at God for what was happening in my life. I got divorced because I was not really trusting God to be the center of that relationship. . . . I was unfaithful to my second wife and began living a worldly life. . . . I was living in disobedience to the Word of God.
After I met my current wife, Viviana, I thought I was going to repeat the same cycle again. In my mind I was destined to be a failure, but God had a purpose for my life. That's when God started to speak to me and transform me from the inside out.
One day, as I was driving to work, I came across Dr. Michael Youssef on the radio. And the Holy Spirit was speaking to me: "This is the pastor you need to listen to for sound teaching." I started listening to him every day on the Leading The Way app, and it changed my life and my family. We dedicated our lives to God. We started praying. We started going to church and sharing the Gospel—telling people what happened in our marriage.
Dr. Youssef has become a big part of my life. He inspired me to pursue a master's degree in theology. . . . Now, [I have finished my degree] and feel equipped to fulfill my calling as a pastor. I want to say thank you to him and to everybody, and let you know that [your ministry] is actually working. The Holy Spirit is using you—people are listening and their lives are being transformed.
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