Carlos From Partying to Preaching, Part 4

While taking Bible studies, Carlos began to feel a call to preach the gospel. One day he watched a DVD titled The Final Events of Bible Prophecy. He shares, “I was captivated! I discovered the Amazing Facts ministry and went online and found many resources that I enjoyed.” He especially liked a series by Pastor Doug Batchelor called The Prophecy Code. He also felt an even deeper call to study theology and become a pastor. “I wanted to do what Pastor Doug was doing.”

But his partying days had left him in so much debt that he could hardly pay for school. So he moved from Puerto Rico back to New York to find a higher paying job. He began working as an elementary dual-language teacher and finished his master’s degree. At the same time, he began attending a Spanish Sabbath-keeping church in Manhattan where he soon became an elder.

“I continued to have a strong desire to dedicate my life to full-time ministry,” Carlos remembers. “I loved teaching, but wanted to work completely for God.” One day he saw an ad for the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) training program and decided to attend. After paying off his debts, Carlos quit his teaching career and headed for Sacramento.

Carlos loved AFCOE. “I learned so much and was having a great time,” he shares. One day, Pastor Jëan Ross, the director for AFCOE, asked Carlos about his future plans. “He told me he wanted me on their team and offered me a position as one of their full-time evangelists.”

It was a dream come true. Carlos realized that the call he felt to preach four years earlier was more than a passing thought. It was the Holy Spirit revealing His plans for his life. Carlos accepted the invitation. “It’s been the greatest journey in my life. I have the best job in the world!” He is now the director of the AFCOE program.

From partying to preaching, Carlos was a young man with a distorted view of God who longed to discover truth. Now, as a bilingual Amazing Facts evangelist, he leads others to find a God who truly cares.

Reflect: Have you ever preached a sermon? Maybe God is calling you to stand up and share the gospel before a group. Pray about it and talk with your pastor.

Key Bible Texts

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15 KJV)