Freedom Testimonies
These are testimonies from persons who went through a series of Freedom in Christ Ministries classes and the Steps to Freedom in Christ offered by The Children's Bread Ministries. The names of the persons in the testimonies have been changed. Numerous other Christians also received freedoms but have chosen not to provide us with their written testimonies.
2018, January 5
John my brother. I have been so busy with overtime working and starting a business that it has taken me some time to do any emails or phone calls on my own time. June and I wanted to tell you that we did benefit from FICM in many ways, some of which may not be known by us.
June can see clearly that she has been delivered of daily tormenting fear – fear of me getting in a car accident every day driving to and from work. Fear that she would find her dog dead, fear that her mother would die before she got to spend more time with her. Since we went through the fear section of the FICM material she has had none of that. This is a huge deal, the power of knowing that there is no fear in Love. Since Christ Jesus is love and we are in Him. We need not live in fear but in Love. Myself, I was very intrigued by the extended teaching on taking thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, and what that actually means. How do we continue in Christ and put these tools into practice. I would have sat through weeks of just this topic alone. It is essential to winning the battle for your mind on a daily basis. I feel like being around people who were open and honest, admitting that this spiritual attack on our minds is very real was helpful. So many times, folks think that this type of thing is just in their head. But it’s in everyone’s head, and with the help of this process we can stand on the truth of God, take thoughts captive, and expose the lies that have no place in the, lives of those whom God has rescued through Jesus His Son. I am still practicing taking thoughts captive. I am, very aware of this reality, however I, tend to flirt with thoughts a bit too long, and then stop. I need to allow myself to be so, consumed with my relationship with Christ and who He is...that the temptation to linger in an ungodly thought will be quickly replaced with Power to shut it down. This is a battle. But I have had better success as I remain in the Word of God, and in prayer. The class helped bring all this stuff out so as to expose it for what it is and have a place of reference when this, occurs.
I also think I had a spirit of jealousy and thoughts that plagued me concerning my wife and the devil, has been keeping me, in misery for years with this. Any relationship I had in the past I was always jealous of not being the first etc.... images and thoughts, unbearable. After the steps section on forgiveness as well as severing sexual ties I have experienced joy knowing that, we are new creatures in Christ and He has the power to renew us. I would say the jealous spirit will sometimes try to find a foothold even now. But I am 10 times more free from those thoughts than ever. Going through the steps in this department was hard for both June and I. However this is absolutely essential for all believers to do. I have had the opportunity to minister to another man and draw from the experience I had reading Doctor Anderson’s books. He is plagued with thoughts of murder, rape, homosexuality etc... and has had a bad past sexually...my freedom was further realized when hearing his description of voices and ideas that I once had but am now free from. Praise God.
The concept of the trick of the enemy keeping free people in bondage by lying to them, that they are not free, that sticks with me. Satan is a manipulator and liar. We must know that whom the Son sets free, he is free indeed. Also, renouncing unbelief as well as occult involvement - super important to do. Nobody talks about occult or past involvement. I was very happy to do this and hear it talked about. Basically I say that we, as the Body of Christ, should strive to live free in Him and these books and videos are practical biblical ways to train ourselves to be strong in the Lord in the strength of His Might. Put in the full armor of God and experience abundant life in Christ.
Thank you John for your patience and obedience to bring this wonderful tool set to us.
God bless.
Luke and June
2017, September 27
I wanted to write down my testimony of how much God has done for me in the past few years. During both years of grad school, I could feel God's blessing and nearness to me as I was away in England, but I also battled almost constant feelings of guilt and was terrified of rejection. The second year of grad school, on top of this and a huge workload, my skin started breaking out badly, and my self-esteem was basically destroyed. I had struggled for a long time with not believing God loved or even liked me, and felt that nothing I did was ever good enough for Him. All this happening at once brought me to the point where after praying and trying so hard for years to please Him and fix myself, I basically shut down spiritually. I wanted to die, and only the years of training that it would be very wrong kept me from dwelling on it or considering it. I thank God that I never actually doubted that He was real, but I doubted everything I ever knew about Him, and literally couldn't pray anything other than help me, and that He needed to do something if He wanted me back. After a month of this, He brought me to an older couple who were encouragers with FIC. I was really scared to talk with them, but was desperate enough to try. And God met me there. He brought up hurts and lies in my mind I had no clue were even there. Many times during the steps, He would stop me at a certain part, and I couldn't go on until I had talked with Theresa and figured out another thing I believed about Him that wasn't true. The most important things I came away with were forgiving someone who had hurt me very much by helping create my view of God as angry and disapproving, a list of good character qualities of God and the verses to back them up, and the truth that my self-worth wasn't based on my looks or performance, but on God's love and acceptance of me. I remember going to church a few days later, and being so full of joy that God actually loved me, and that I could praise Him freely without any guilt. It has been a long fight since then to renew my mind and replace these old ways of thinking, and to know deep down that they are true, but God has been faithful and I know that at some point the battles will be won, and I hope He may use me to help others who are hurting the way I was.
The first time I went thru the steps with Theresa, when I was praying thru forgiving people, I reached a point where I heard God say, that's enough for now. While things were a lot better, I was still very afraid of one person, and would freeze up or feel panic attacks coming on when certain words triggered memories of them. When we went thru the steps in the class, God showed me an area I still hadn't forgiven them for, and when I did, I felt a burden lifted off me and replaced with peace. Now, when I hear the words that used to trigger me, I feel like I have a choice of whether I panic or not, like I can choose to go back, or I can choose to stay in the new freedom I have.
- Rachael