God Makes a Way: Miracles in the Storm

From a man who came from the streets to starting his ministry on the streets, James Levesque came from a life of violence and pushing drugs. A street stalker surviving the only way he knew how. Eat or be eaten. Yet, in his late teens, he had an encounter with God that would change his life forever. In a moment, he had an awareness of God and how he’d lived his life  totally self-centered and now he wanted to serve the people on the streets from which he came. He thought he’d begin by feeding the homeless. Yet, as he opened his refrigerator, he had nothing, but a single pork chop.  

In a moment of inspiration, he took the pork chop and descended on the dark haunting streets of New London Connecticut late at night. Finding a homeless person worthy of all he had, his ministry began. 

From those humble beginnings to planting churches all over the world comes the story of  James Levesque, yet that story is not what put his life on news headlines around the world in 2024. James started off 2024 seeking God for a word for the year and he heard the word “Miracles”. He’d walked with God for decades, so he was confident that he heard God’s voice.

Yet on January 25th of that year, the opposite happened. His flagship church was in New London Connecticut. A 200 year old landmark where Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield preached to ignite America’s first great awakening. A monumental era where much of America was ablaze with God! The walls of that church are buried with America’s spiritual history. On that fateful day of January 25th, the steeple of this old cathedral came crashing down, completely destroying the monolithic worship center at the corner of Union and State street. Thankfully, no one was hurt. 

But God, you said “Miracles”??? 

Soon after the collapse, James was being hit with bills from the city, leans, and lawsuits to  clean up the property and he had no insurance to cover his back. There was a $300,000 lean from  the city, a $300,000 lean from a lender, and a $2 million dollar lawsuit from a neighbor who claimed  their retainer wall was destroyed in the collapse. James was pressured on all sides had  nothing to lean on, but this word, “Miracles”. How does one hold on to a word like this in the  midst of the opposite happening? I mean, that is the essence of faith isn’t it, believing in that  which you do not see? Most would consider his faith to be just plain delusion and to be honest, it’s often hard to tell the difference between faith and delusion.

James and his wife Deborah were in the middle of a storm and had no where to turn. At the  time, they were living in Madeira beach near St. Petersburg, Florida where they had established  another church community. For the next 8 months they were feeling constant pressure with so many unknowns hanging over them. How would they rebuild? How would they pay the fine and lawyers for the lawsuits? James said along side the lawsuits he was getting blasted in the  media constantly so the media PR campaign against him was also creating pressure in his community. He felt like prison time was a real possibility. 

His community in Connecticut was displaced, but he had a pastor and friend of 15 years who was leading them and meeting in temporary facilities. That pastor was also feeling the pressures of the situation and one day in August he decided that it was time to move on. James and Deborah were a shaken and devastated by their departure, but they continued to  hold on to the word, “Miracles”.

24 hours after his pastor stepped down, James received a  phone call from a banker in New London. Calls from bankers at this point came with the  anxieties of “what next”, yet this banker had a different air about his tone. He told James that he had read the articles about him that were negative in tone, but he didn’t believe them to be true. He then proceeded to asked James a question and said, “How would you like to buy a building for $1?” 

James thought it was a joke. However this bank owned the sister property built by the same congregation that had originally built his church. During that first great awakening, their church outgrew their space and built another cathedral in another part of the city, which now sat  empty. James was almost in unbelief, but then he remembered, “Miracles!” It turned out to not be a joke. Not only did they get this building for $1, but it was a bigger and better building  than the last one!  

Their faith was lifted and feeling explosive, but it wasn’t done being tested in this “miracle  year.”

The next month hurricane Helene began its journey through the gulf of Mexico heading directly for Florida’s coast expected to make landfall near St. Petersburg which is next door to Madeira Beach where Jame’s Florida congregation was located. James and Debora made preparations for their church and prayed. Surely they couldn’t lose 2 churches in a year.

Unfortunately, when Helene made landfall, it brought a storm surge with 8 feet of water onto Madeira beach flooding their church, wiping out their furniture and walls within. The structure was maintained but the flood damage was massive. Once again and unfortunately, they did not have insurance to cover their costs. 

Many people in their community lost their homes and they used what was left of their facilities  to distribute supplies to those in need. In the midst of the tragedy they began to watch God work in people’s lives that had been reduced to nothing yet their needs were being met by this church community. 

Two weeks later hurricane Milton developed and was on a similar track to Helene. Completely overwhelmed Jame thought, “Could this be really happening? I don’t think I can take anything else God!” 

This time around they were on the left side of the storm and there was a reverse storm serge as water was being sucked out to sea, however the winds were still extremely violent. So violent that they ripped the roof right off of their building. From flood damage to wind damage, there was not much more they could take. All they knew to do was pray. 

People around the county began to get wind of their story. Not only had they never heard of a story quite like this, but people were also genuinely moved by their faith in a God of miracles in the midst of such loss and devastation. Not only that, but they were still serving and meeting  the needs in their storm torn region.

Donations started coming in.

Massive donations to the tune of $300,000.

God was making a way, for miracles.

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