It is one thing to say you have faith in God, but to publically call on that faith in the middle of a robbery, well… that’s another story. That is exactly what Pompano Beach store clerk Navara Goncalves did when she became the target of a robbery.
On Friday, July 30, 2010, while working alone in a South Florida Metro PCS store in the 1500 block of S. Cypress Creek Road, 20-year-old Navara Goncalves turned the tables on a would-be robber with nothing but her faith in Jesus.
The unidentified robber, wearing a rain coat and cap walked into the Metro PCS store around 10 a.m. and told the clerk he needed to look at a new phone because of the storms from tropical storm Bonnie that was sweeping inland.
Surveillance video from the store’s camera shows that when Goncalves walked over to the display case to show the man a phone, he said, “I really hate to do this,” and then he pulled a gun and demanded money from the cash register.
In a surprising and fearless display of faith Navara Goncalves told the man that she was a Christian and she immediately began witnessing Jesus to the robber. Remaining remarkably calm throughout the entire ordeal she told the robber that she was not judging him, but she felt the need to tell him that Jesus had something better for him.
Calmly she said, “I would like to talk to you about the Jesus I’ve got before you leave.” A surprised gun-wielding robber asked, “The what?” The young woman kept her cool and softly answered, “The Jesus I’ve got.”
What began as a robbery attempt had now turned into an open-ended conversation about Jesus. Astonishingly the would-be robber says to the clerk, “God bless you for that.”
In a true display of Christian-like character, Goncalves continued to witness Jesus to the man when he admitted that he was also a Christian, and that he really didn’t want to rob her but he was desperate because he was going through hard times. The man also apologized to Goncalves and said this was the first time he had done anything like this.
In the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 of the Bible faith is defined as, “…the evidence of things not seen.” Without a doubt Navara Goncalves exhibited perfect faith in God as she fearlessly witnessed to the would-be robber. Most Christians would call the young woman a faith hero because of the way she responded to what could have turned out to be a life threatening situation.
People often expect Christians to be perfect, but the average Christian would tell you that they are not perfect. Christianity teaches that no one is perfect but God, and that God forgives sin or imperfection when one repents, that is, to completely turn away from the sin that was committed.
If the would-be robber was in fact a Christian, then it should be a subtle reminder that Christians, like non Christians can have weak moments causing them to momentarily lose sight of their faith due to the circumstances of life, but in the end, faith will win.
by: Eric Dunbar -http://www.ericdunbar.com/
Keep Pray :)
Matthew 26:41 "All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"
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