“Armed Robber Turns to Jesus”
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Anthony S. writes:
At the age of three, I was adopted into an upper middle class family. You might think that this was a foot up in life; on the contrary, the only thing that changed was the price of the plates that they threw at each other.
I grew up amidst drinking and violence, a sure recipe for disaster. Around the age 15 or 16, I began to rebel and was expelled from a top school in Cape Town, ran away from home, landed in a place of safety, went to another school and was asked to leave and ended up in a boy’s home.
After school I joined the army and volunteered to join 1 Parachute Battalion and spent two years in the military, seeing action against SWAPO and FAPLA FORCES in South West Africa.
I completed my military service in December 1981, and a life of debauchery followed. I landed up in the sin capital of South Africa, Hillbrow. Things went from bad to worse: I finally ended up committing 5 armed robberies, one of them a bank robbery.
I was caught by the notorious Brixton murder and robbery squad and sentenced to 6 years for each charge — a total of
thirty years in prison. Because it was a first offense, the sentence was commuted to 15 years to run concurrent with 15 years. I went to prison at the age of 23.
After a year and a half in a maximum classification prison, alone and forsaken by all, I gave my life to Jesus. I still had to serve many years in prison and was released in 1991 by an absolute miracle. I spent approx. 6 years and seven months in prison, and most of them were with Jesus. I saw the power of God in prison and was delivered many times from the powers of darkness.
Since my release I have been working in the secular world, and I am now married with 2 children. I am very involved in the ministry in Cape Town and am a leader in a Pentecostal Church called Kingsgate Fellowship. Praise God for His mighty deliverance.
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on November 19th, 2007 and filed under Praise, Your Stories, Conversions.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Anthony, wow, thanks for sharing. What a journey! Needless to say, you went through a lot.
I admire your courage, resilience and openness. You’re a survivor and overcomer! And I can tell you have an absolutely beautiful, open heart.
Blessings to you and your family.
November 19th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Dear Anthony S.:
Had every one of us been honest like you to reflect on our own ‘darkness,’ we would not merely enjoy the wisdom of cartharsis and thus be set free, but be able to let our light shine before man.
I thank you for your spiritual ‘food’ for this day.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless you and yours, and
GODSPEED!
Mary Sun.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Thank God that such brave you’ve got is enough to honor our Father in heaven. After hearing of the story you posted, I was moved with tears and joy that God did change your life. This week I’ll put what you told us in my sermon. Thank God for I’ve got what I’m going to talk about.
Go on, you’ll bear to witness that in God everything can be.