Miami is an exciting city to be living and working in. Especially when your serving Christ, by serving His people. So, many times people are to busy to stop by the Oasis Church North Miami campus and see the progress. So, this is our opportunity to give you a sneak peak into where we spend our hours as staff and volunteers gathering, praying, strategizing, planning and administrating.

Please, remember to offer up a quick prayer for us, as we seek to Glorify God in our personal and corporate lives as a church. Check out this video and pay us a visit this week. If the Holy Spirit so leads you, join us on the mission of reaching people for Christ. As unique members of His body we can do great things, under the Headship of Christ (1 Cor 12)!

SIMPLE WORD, GRACE! Read my story & you will undestand:

Where It All Started!

In 1992 while sitting in a tiny, cold, concrete cell at the LA County Jail, my life came to a serious crossroads. Before I tell you what happened in that cell I want to briefly share my life story and what led up to this dramatic experience.

My life story is not unusual. Many have experienced the crossroads miracle like me and have lived to tell their story to others. Here goes my chance to tell you.

I was born in Liberia, W.Africa. My Dad is ethnically Armenian born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. My biological mom is ethnically Liberian, born and raised in West Africa, Liberia. I was raised by a stepmother, who is from Lebanon, like my dad.

My family came to America in 1978 when I was five years old. We fled from the civil war that broke out in the capital of Monrovia, Liberia due to the corruption in the government and the high prices on food.

My dad and step mom (who raised me) were both hard working people.They labored day and night when we came to America, trying to make ends meet. I think the stress of making money and long hours at work caused the climate of our home to be tense. Every evening my dad and two brothers, who worked with him at the family business would come home and argue about financial, business , and family related issues.

While they passionately fought, I would sit in my room with the lights turned off and the door barely cracked open, listening and wondering, "why is this happening to me, why does life seem so hard?" After a few years, the fighting seemed normal, but my existence seemed meaningless.

My sister, who was a couple of years older, pretty much felt the same emotionally. To keep life exciting we played baseball, hide and seek and watched television together. When I was bored, I used to pick on her and listen to her phone conversations, only to make her mad.

She would chase after me, try to hit me or tell my mom. It seemed like she was always getting me in trouble and my mom favored her. My other sister was much older. It seemed like she was always studying for school. I remember thinking, "I don't want to be like her and go to college. No way!"

New To America!

When I came to America I started school in the 1st grade. It was weird for me because I had never been around Americans before.

They seemed to be nice and accepted me really quick,except for this time a guy called me "nigger" on the playground and I didn't know what he meant. But overall I made friends quick and it worked out to my disadvantage because I hooked up with the "kings of the school" who were always getting in trouble.

By the 6th grade I had already been suspended two or three times and almost arrested for pushing a girl and causing injury to her head. Why did I do such a stupid thing? Probably becuase I wanted to be popular and not lose the respect of my popular friends. 
My home life was pretty much the same as elementary school. I was always in trouble it seemed. My parents and brothers seemed cruel to me because they never let me go anywhere. So, I used to sneak off and end up getting punished when I got home. I hated it when my dad would whip me with the belt. He seemed liked a psychopath on a mission to kill me.

My jr. high years were the same. I was in constant trouble sitting in the deans office. My only joy in life was sports. I loved football and basketball and was pretty much a star athlete, who got a lot of positive attention. These were good times that helped prepare me for the crossroads miracle.

Twice my football team won the championship and went undefeated. I played tailback and scored an average of two touchdowns a game. Some of the parents used to tell me I would go to college with a scholarship if I stuck to it. My dream was the NFL!

The sad thing is by the time I hit the 9th grade I lost all interest for sports. My interest turned to smoking weed, being popular, partying, and having as many girls on my jock (old school term meaning: to like or be infatuated with).

In time I quickly learned the best way to satisfy these desires was to run with the most respected gang in our neighborhood, "Loonie Gang Piru". They had all the girls, they had all the weed, respect and fun.

The first summer after 9th grade, I joined the neighborhood gang. A year later the name changed to West Covina Mob Piru, by two brothers who started the gang as an affiliate of Eastside Compton Mob Piru (Same gang Suge Knight of Death Row Records was affiliated with).

I took my new membership seriously. So serious that by the second semester of my tenth grade I ended up in a boys home for assaulting some gang rivals, trying to steal a car, and having constant problems in school and at home.

Acting Like A Thug!

I did 12 difficult months in Optimist Boys Home in Los Angles because I would always fight with crips . After the 12 months my probation officer sent me to a group home in the San Femando Valley.

In the group home, I was lonely, homesick, and frustrated at life because nothing was going my way. Therefore, one day I decided to run away back to my neighborhood and live with one of my friends from the Mob.

After a few months, I turned myself in because I was broke and tired of always watching out for the police. My probation officer gave me 2 to 3 months in Los Padrinos and Sylmar Juvenile Hall and then sent me to the Palm Desert area to do another year in a boys institution called St.John's School For Boys in Whitewater, Ca.

The cycle of being in and out of juvenile institutions went on from the time I was 14 until I was 17 1/2 years old. Finally, at 17 1/2 years of age I was released from the system, so I thought. My plan was to go to Bishop Amat, play football and possibly get a scholarship to college.
Like always due to my rebellious ways and pressure of my friends to come hang out I was back in my neighborhood, only this time it was worse. I spent late nights smoking weed, fighting, robbing,selling crack cociane , and hanging out with women.

My dreams of football and the good life seemed to vanish like smoke. I remember thinking to myself, "The streets are my destiny, I can't change."

Paying The Price!

Six months after my release I turned eighteen years old. To leave my frustrating boyhood behind, I strove to get everything a young gangster lives for, a nice car, new clothes, money in my pocket, and the respect of my peers.

But to my surprise after the cars were bought, the money, and friends gone, I was left feeling miserable and empty as always. Making fast money didn't fulfill me, being with women didn't fulfill me, and partying didn't fulfill me. What was going on with me? Everything my friends, rappers and TV told me was fulfilling made me more hallow.

One day as I sat in a Travel Lodge Hotel room I remember feeling such a deep hallow emptiness in my heart that I turned to my girlfriend and said, "I am empty inside.There has to be more to life than this." She responded, "Is it me?" I said. "No, it isn't you, I don't know what it is?"

A few months later after that Hotel conversation with my girlfriend I was driving down a busy street in West Covina when suddenly a police officer pulled me over for tailgating the car in front of me.

When he realized that I had no license or identification he took me to the court building in West Covina until I could identify myself. When I got there the judge pulled out my file and realized that I was on probation for a previous cocaine case.

He asked me what I wanted to plead concerning the charge of no ID, I said, "No contest!" He gave me six months in the LA County Jail for violating my probation.

As the bailiff put me in the holding tank the most amazing feeling came upon me. I felt a deep peace and confidence that something good was going to happen to me (I could not explain it).

I Am Tired Of This!

When I got to the LA County Jail they processed me in as a gang member and they sent me to the Blood Gang Modules (Gang Protective Custody)

As I walked in the blood gang module, it was the scariest feeling of my life. When I looked down the hall and up at the second story row all I could see was young and old gangsters flashing their gang sign and yelling out their gang name and how much time they had received.

Some of them said they were doing life in prison. That troubled me. I am not kidding, as I walked by each cell it felt like I died and was in hell; looking at the devil himself when I pierced into their eyes.

As soon as I got into my tiny cell, I asked a Blood from Inglewood, Los Angles who was next to my cell, "When do we leave our cells?" He responded, "Once a week we go to the roof for recreation, phones, and a possible shower!"

When he told me that, my heart sank like there was a ton of iron placed on it. I became gripped with fear as if I was having a bad nightmare.

I knew from that moment on that I was trapped like a bird in cage and my life had come to a serious crossroads. In those lonely hours, I thought to myself, "Jack If you continue in the street game, you will either spend the rest of your life in prison, or end up murdered on the streets. Jack, look at your life, and look at the hole you dug for yourself that not even you can get out of. Jack, what are you going to do? "

That question echoed in my mind for eternity it seemed. It was there in that tiny cell that I cried out to God; the God that I had rejected all my life; the God that I made fun of; the God who I said was a crutch for weak punks, white Americans, and church kids.

I cried out to this God and said God, Jesus, if you're real please help me out of this tiny cell! If you do there is nothing I won't do for you, I promise!"

Try Something Different!

I called him and he came to me surprised and confused that I, the star tail back of the jr.pewee football team, was in the blood gang module looking like a wild animal. He looked at me and said, "Hakimian, what are you doing here?

Feeling ashamed, scared, and feeling like a wretch I turned to him and replied, "I blew it man, can you please help me get out of the blood module, I am going crazy in that cell!" He responded, "I will be there in one hour, don't tell anyone you know me for your own protection!"

An hour later, I was out of the tiny dungeon. He put me into a four-man cell with its own private phone. I was blown away. Had God heard my prayer? Was God real? Does God really care for me?

A few days later some pastors from who knows where were passing out pocket sized Gideon Bibles to the inmates so I took one. I went to my cell and started reading the Psalms, the Proverbs, and the Gospel stories that describe the life of Jesus Christ and how he died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day from the dead.

As I was reading these amazing stories and teachings of Jesus a miracle was happening in me, I could understand the Bible for the first time in my life. The words seemed to jump out and speak directly to me.

The scriptures and the Holy Spirit started filling my heart with a deep love for Jesus and for people of different races, gangs, and ages. I was being changed by God through the Bible and the reality of Jesus' love for rebels, criminals, and sinners like me.

I remember thinking to myself, "If Jesus could change and forgive these people in the Bible and give them meaning and purpose in life, He could do the same for me!"

Changing For The Good!

It has been since winter of 1992 that Jesus Christ touched my heart in the LA County Jail. Since than God has helped me to win the trust of my family.

He has enabled me to go back to the institutions I was jailed in and share His love and forgiveness. He has allowed me to share the Good News to my old friends from the gang and see a few of them come to know this new life.

I have had the opportunity to share Christ's power with hundreds of young and old people, get my GED, and go to a Christian College that equips people for ministry.

Jesus has blessed me with real friends that I can trust. He has given me a beautiful wife who loves and honors me with her whole heart. He has given us four beautiful sons, Jacob, Jeremiah, Josiah and Jo'el.

Most important of all Jesus Christ has made it possible for me through His death on the cross to have an intimate relationship with my Heavenly Father, even though I am a guilty sinner who really deserves eternal judgment in hell.

This relationship with God is what sustains me everyday as I encounter the trials of life and daily temptations .

I hope in reading my story you too will be motivated to experience a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of all your sins.

What Has Been My Experience Since 1992?

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Luke 11:41-42

41But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.42″Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

With the political campaigning you hear a lot about the differences between republicans and democrats. Supposedly the republicans are the party of the rich and rigid moral right and the democrats are the party of the common people and religious tolerant.