Daily Manna from Heaven

Freedom

Freedom! This is the cry of the people who are in prison, to be set free. I grew up in a strict family. As the only child, my parents were so strict in my studies, and friends I spend time with. They taught me to live a good life and do good works.

During my childhood, every time I was caught doing things that displeased them, my parents disciplined me through beatings. My parents didn’t permit me to go to far places to hang out with my friends. They always checked my activities and the people I’m with. That made me feel like a prisoner bound by the chains of do’s and don’ts. During my High School, they enrolled me in private school 10 kilometers away from our home.

From that on, I took the advantage and started to rebel with my parents. I started going home late and I learned to skip classes just to hang out with my friends playing computer games and strolling. I’ve learned to cheat, lust and did many things that even displeased God. It was because of my rebellion that, at one time, caused my father’s high blood pressure.

After that moment, I asked forgiveness from my parents and wanted to change myself. But when I went to college during our first semester, my life turned for the worse. I failed a subject but that did not stop me from always hanging out with my friend at night going to very compromising places which caused me to sin.

November 29, 2001, while I was cleaning my room, I found a booklet brought by my board mate that talks about Jesus and the things that He did on the cross for my sins. When I read that booklet, I realized that I need to receive Christ as my Lord and Savior for me to experience change from the inside out and experience freedom from sin. After that, I made a decision in my life and received Him, by faith through prayer, surrendering my life to Him.

My new life with Christ enabled me to cope with peer pressure, rebellion, lust and cheating. I hungered for God’s Word and desired to grow in my relationship with him. It was in my relationship with God that I experience true freedom – freedom from sin and freedom from do’s and don’ts. God assures me that I am forgiven through Christ’s death on the cross and I am set free from sin because of what He did. He helped me understand the process, not to live in performance to gain His favor and love, but to live in freedom in obedience to His Word out of love and gratitude for Him. Finally, I am truly FREE!

War Story #1 Spiritual Multiplication

Let me share the impact of Spiritual Multiplication. It was in 2001 that I received Christ. In 2002, one of the volunteer staff of CCC shared Christ in our classroom and one of my classmates, Albert, received Christ as his Lord and Savior. After that moment he expressed his desire to grow in his relationship with God. My discipler told me that I would help him grow in his relationship with God.

At first I was hesitant to handle him in our bible study because he was an idealistic man. He had an activist heart; he believed that change in the society will happen only through civil war. He had a rebellious heart towards the government. But God changed him. He realized that only God can change man from the inside out and in turn will result to a change in society.

In 2003, Albert shared the Gospel to Mark and discipled him. In 2004, Mark led Jan Michael to Christ and discipled him. Jan Michael became passionate to share Christ with other students. In 2006, he also led his father to Christ. His father became involved in a Church and is growing in his relationship with God. That is 3 generations of disciples in 4 years. To God be the glory!

War Story #2 Broken Man

I met a guy 2 years ago. His name is Christian. I shared my faith to him and discipled him. He came from a broken family. He was involved in different kinds of vices like drugs, liquor and premarital sex before he became a Christian. When I shared Christ to him, he received Him as his Lord and Savior. After that moment he still struggled with his identity and had a hard time understanding and experiencing God’s love because of his past.

At times doubts crept in his mind. He had difficulty trusting God about his struggles. After one year God changed him slowly. God mended his broken heart. God helped him to overcome his vices. He experienced God’s love and forgiveness and learned to trust God with his life. Last year he learned how to share his faith and how to help others grow in their relationship with God.

Through his experience he became passionate in helping students know Christ. He realized that there were some students like him that needed the Lord. He also had the opportunity to minister to one of the students that also came from a broken family.