FINDING FREEDOM FRUITFUL BELIEVERS GROW THROUGH FINDING THEIR FREEDOM IN CHRIST

by Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner

Freedom In Christ is a straightforward way to implement effective foundational Biblical truths. By starting our discipleship journeys rooted in the positional truth of who we are in Christ, and understanding the nature of the spiritual battle we’re in, we give people the tools to turn to God and away from all that holds them back through repentance, and pursue transformation by the renewal of their minds through stronghold-busting.

Jocelyn Anguiano has experienced true freedom in Christ. Here’s her story,

“I'm a mother of four children. I'm the oldest of three children. I grew up in a Christian home, but at the age of 14 my parents got divorced. When my family pulled apart, so did I… from God. I knew He was real and there for me, I just decided not to trust Him or keep on believing. My faith vanished.

At a very young age, I was sexually abused as a child. I thought that by getting married I would escape reality, so I did. At the age of 15, I married a man who was very verbally abusive and very controlling. At that time I was very immature and I decided to walk out of that relationship and that’s when I became a single parent. Throughout the years there were times I had to live in my car. My family relationships were just not the greatest. I thought that the farther I lived from my family and the less I knew about them, and them about me, it would be better. But now I know that’s how the enemy tries to keep us isolated from people and in the dark about God’s truth about our identity in Christ and what it means to forgive from the heart.

I had two car accidents in less than six months. In the second car accident, only God knows how I survived. The truck that I was driving was jammed up in between two charter busses and I survived with no scratches at all. During that time, I became a workaholic, I partied a lot, and I was very unstable. I moved from Los Angeles to San Diego, to Tijuana, Mexico, to Visalia and eventually, here to Bakersfield.

Sadly, I discovered that my daughters had been sexually molested. When I found out, I felt worse than I did when I had been sexually violated. I felt like I had failed as a parent. I remember praying to God and giving Him control of the problem, but not of my life. I continued going about the same life style.

A couple of years later, my son was born. His father and I were not in a stable relationship, and as things started to get more serious, my husband’s parents’ health declined. He walked out of our relationship to move back to Mexico. Once again, I was a single parent.

My father's side of the family had dabbled in witchcraft and the occult for generations. Exposure to it began to have negative effects on my son. They taught me that it was the answer and that I didn't need God, but God had a different plan for my life. You see, through Freedom in Christ teaching, I learned the truth. What the enemy tries to use to make our lives uncomfortable or worse off, our Lord can use for victory when we reject the lies and believe God’s truth. That's how my household and I became free, free indeed.

Freedom in Christ has helped me with my spiritual growth. I’ve been able to offer forgiveness to those who don’t deserve it, and that helped me let go of my anger, bitterness, hurt and hate. I have broken free from strongholds of fear and my faith has been renewed. Last year, my newborn son had a seizure. He stopped breathing. I was talking to the 911 operator. I had no idea what to do. I started praying and I was thanking the Lord. I was saying, “Jesus He's yours not mine. Let it be Your will. As I was praying, I felt how the Holy Spirit made me understand that if I was ready for those little moments that will challenge my faith and trust Him, He would keep His promises to me as His child. In that moment, I said, “Yes, you are my Lord.” As I said my prayer, my son started breathing again. The paramedics were amazed and so was the operator. I have an amazing testimony of understanding God’s truth. No matter what the enemy tries to do, or to make me believe, I can remember that God has won the victory.

Freedom in Christ has helped me in many ways to grasp onto my faith even more and also to let go of baggage I had been carrying around. As a Christian, forgiving others and letting the Fruit of the Spirit bloom in my life makes me strong. I have realized that we as Christians are not perfect, but our Jesus is, and we are being molded by the Potter’s hands in every situation that we release to Him. Remember that God gives us many promises. Here’s one of my favorite promises, one I cling to, I hope you will cling to it, too!

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your ways; submit to him, and He will make your paths straight.”

No matter how long or short a time you have been a Christian, or how far you are on your journey, you will find Freedom In Christ is a wonderfully refreshing spiritual check-up. It will help you clear away spiritual cobwebs and connect with Jesus in a deeper way. Don’t wait, the time is now! RSVP for our next class at canyonhills.com/rsvp

Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner, Author of It'll Be Okay: Finding God When Doubt Hides the Truth, and Get Back Up: Trusting God When Life Knocks You Down fromashestobeauty.com