Paul Lucca, the Man at the End of the Row

I recently had the memorial service for a man in our church who was a powerful evangelist and a loved and skilled teacher of the Word. His sudden death left a hole in our church. Paul Lucca was a great man who influenced many for the Lord. However, he wasn’t always so godly. Many years ago, he shared with me his testimony of how he received Christ as His Savior. In his younger years he was involved in an armed robbery and ended up in prison. He shared that for the first 6 months in prison he lost 35 pounds because he was afraid someone would poison his food. He was terrified in prison being surrounded by all kinds of wicked men who have committed terrible crimes. Paul even experienced a riot and 2 hangings. He was lost, alone, and afraid.

One day during his three-year incarceration a man walked in the prison. He proceeded to walk down the row of cells until he came to the end of the cell block. Without a word the man handed a Bible to Paul and walked away. Later, the man visited Paul again, but this time he brought him a radio. Paul started listening to the popular biblical preachers on the radio; men like: John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, and Adrian Rogers. The truth of God’s Word began pouring into Paul’s mind and soon he felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit speaking to his heart. Paul bowed on his knees in that cell and called upon the name of Jesus to save him from his sins. His life was changed forever. When he was released from prison, he began to serve his Lord for the rest of his days.

Paul was the man at the end of the row. Why did the man in the prison walk past so many others and give the Bible to him? Later, Paul understood that God in His amazing grace was seeking him when he was lost. God is looking for you today. He wants to save you and change you. God loves to do miracles at the end of the row.