Freedom in Christ
I became a born again Christian on December 25, 1999. I was incarcerated at the time, serving a sentence of 4 years for armed robbery. I was in my cell when another inmate named Michael asked me and my cellmate if we would like to have a Bible study with him. I was hesitant at first because I had never done this before. But since there was nothing else to do here in prison on Christmas day, I said, “Why not.”
During the Bible study, inmate Michael asked me if I would like to start off by reading from the book of John. I said, “Sure.” As I began to read I noticed that something amazing was happening to me. I was feeling an incredible love and joy that I had never felt in my entire life. I looked at Michael and my cellmate and asked them what was happening to me! I asked them if they were feeling what I was feeling. Michael looked at me and said, “It’s GOD.” I began to cry!
I felt embarrassed because we were in prison and around hard core criminals. But I could not hold it in—it was too powerful! They were tears of love and joy that I had never experienced before. It was a power of love that only Christ can give. I began to hug my cellmate as the tears were falling. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the power of the Holy Spirit that entered me. I was set free! I was born again!
After that moment I was in love with Christ. I was hungry to know the Word of God. I was reading His Word day and night up until the day of my release on July 15, 2001. I was released from prison and was back in the world living with my Dad who I hadn’t seen in years. I was living a great life with a good job installing heating and air. I got married and had two kids.
But after a while, I got caught up in the worldly things of life and soon forgot about the one who came into my life when I was in prison. By December 2004, my life was going downhill. I started taking Vicodin for pain and became addicted. My whole life I have been an alcohol and drug addict, and Vicodin was the trigger that led me back into the bondage of alcohol and drugs. I tried to stop Vicodin but the withdrawal symptoms made it too hard to stop. I figured if I started drinking I could overcome the withdrawal symptoms. So I started to drink. Drinking soon led to crystal meth. Before I knew it I was a full-blown alcoholic and drug addict again.
Within a few months I lost everything—my wife, my kids, my home, and my job! My dad disowned me. I was so mad at God for allowing this to happen to me. I was in a world of bondage by Satan. I was a suicidal walking time bomb wanting to hurt myself and others. I was seeking death but could not find it. Many times I sought help for my addiction but to no avail. I tried AA, NA, and sober living homes, but I spent most of my time in mental hospitals. I was able to stay clean for a few weeks but soon found myself right back in bondage.
Around June of 2010, I was staying in a sober living located in La Puente. My girlfriend Monica, who was staying with me, was looking for a Food Bank because we were in need of food. She found that there was a Food Bank located at Covina Assembly of God. So we both decided to make a trip down there to pick up some food.
After we received the food she mentioned that we should go inside to ask if there was any church service or some kind of bible study class that we could attend. We walked in and it looked pretty empty. I asked a lady walking down the hall if there was any church tonight, and she said there was but that it was in Spanish. I don’t speak Spanish, so I figured we would come back some other time. As we were walking out to head home we noticed the church’s coffee shop by the exit door. We decided to ask them if they knew of any Bible studies. The lady behind the counter told us about a Bible study across in the Adult Development Center across the street and offered to take us over to check it out. We followed her and waited as she went upstairs to check. She came down and said, “They’re having a study up there right now, go on up.” So we went upstairs to find Celebrate Recovery. That’s where I met Pastor Gabriel and my beloved brother Paul Lucero.
Gabriel, Paul, and another brother named Alfonso laid hands on me and prayed for me. They prayed for release from my addiction and many other wonderful things. After the prayer, I felt it. NO, I KNEW it! That prayer broke the bondage Satan had me in. I was set free again! God led me to my true family in Christ. I was carefully joined together with other members of the body of Christ. I started at the Food Bank, went to the Coffee Shop, then to Celebrate Recovery, and now I am a member of Canyon Breeze Church. My story is just one more reason why we should praise our God through Jesus Christ! Amen.