Frank Anthony

“I’m the mocker,” says Frank Anthony. He never thought he’d be down on the field making a decision to follow Christ. Frank just got out of prison three days before the 2014 SoCal Harvest. He told the inmates that he was going to go to this crusade. They didn’t believe him.

A year before, Frank was as far from Christ as he could imagine. He was a drinker and he spent his time getting high with his girlfriend. He had been in and out of jail for years. But for the six months leading up to the crusade, Frank Anthony’s heart had been getting prepared. He even ended up helping with the chapel in prison, a job he couldn’t imagine he’d be involved in. He also had been listening to Pastor Greg’s radio program, A New Beginning, twice a day. He heard about the crusade on the radio and when he got out of prison he decided he was going to go. He called up his longtime friend Larry Bowers and told him that he wanted to go. Larry said, “If you are for real, you call me.” Frank Anthony called him back. The two got lunch and headed down to the crusade.

Larry had been living the same life as Frank Anthony. They met living the same lifestyle, but Larry got saved. He prayed for Frank and even would pick him up when he was strung out and high, and drive him all over specifically to go to different churches. It never stuck. Frank Anthony always returned to his lifestyle. The crusade was different for Frank Anthony. The Lord had been preparing his heart. After listening to Pastor Greg’s message he decided that he was ready to stand up and profess his faith in Christ. Larry stayed in his seat. He wanted to make sure Frank was serious. Frank Anthony pressed on so Larry said to him, “This is like level 10—death row, man. There’s no more playing games.” Larry wanted Frank Anthony to know that walking down on that field was not just something to do, but it could and would change his life. Larry had been praying for Frank Anthony for many years.

The road to Christ is never easy and Frank Anthony found that out too. After being release from prison he got a new phone and before he walked out of the store, his old girlfriend called him up. She wanted to hang out and get high. Frank made the choice to come to the crusade instead. There will always be temptations in the world, and it’s especially important for new believers to realize this. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (NLT)