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Inside Story~ Part 1 & 2
"From Broken Promises to New Life-Part 1"
When Francisco was a child, his father took him to bars and to other places a child should never go. Once when Francisco didn't want to go with his father, the man held a gun to his head.
When Francisco was 14, his father died. But the abuse the boy had suffered left deep scars. He began drinking and taking drugs to help him forget the pain. His mother and sisters began attending the Adventist church, but Francisco was too drunk to notice.
By the time he was 18 he was living with his girlfriend, Neide, and her mother. He worked on oil rigs when he was sober.
When Francisco learned that Neide was pregnant, he was happy. But his new role had little influence on his life. Sometimes he beat Neide, as he had seen his father beat his mother. One day he beat her hard enough to cause her to lose the baby. When he realized what he had done, he rushed to the hospital to see her. On the way he prayed that God would help him get off drugs and alcohol. He promised Neide that he would change and treat her better. Neide believed him.
But nothing changed. The next time he beat her she told him to leave, that she never wanted to see him again. Francisco came to see her every day and promised that things would change. Eventually she took him back.
Things did change. Francisco sank more deeply into drugs. One day he almost died from an overdose. He awoke in the hospital. Neide told him to never come home. Francisco knew she meant it, and he sank deeper into depression.
One of his sisters brought him a religious book to read. One night when he couldn't sleep, he picked up the book and started reading. Once more he prayed that God would release him from the bondage of drugs.
When he opened his eyes, Francisco saw a tall man dressed in brilliant white standing near his bed. The man touched Francisco's forehead. It seemed that the touch penetrated to the depths of his mind. Francisco lay still for several moments, then he realized the being was gone. He sat up in bed, still able to feel the pressure on his forehead. For the first time in his life he felt peace and hope.
Moments later his mother walked into his room. He told her that God had touched him and had taken away the desire for drugs and alcohol. "I'm a new man," he told her. "I'm a child of God. I want to go to church."
But his mother had seen him break his promises too many times. "You make promises, but you don't change," she told him. Francisco knew that she was right. He thought how deeply he had hurt her, but he was sure that this time was different. He convinced her to return the next day and take him to church with her.
"From Broken Promises to New Life-Part 2"
Francisco knew that many of the people at his mother's church knew of his past life. He was embarrassed to be seen. That Sabbath the pastor spoke about the prodigal son. Following the sermon Francisco responded to the call to give his life to God. He knew that the only way to gain victory over Satan was to let Jesus fight his battles for him.
Francisco couldn't sleep, and his body craved the drugs, but he refused to give in. When the craving threatened to overpower him, he locked himself in his mother's house and sang praises to God and read his Bible until the craving passed.
Francisco drew great strength from fellowship with his new Christian friends, and he attended every church service he could. His former drinking friends teased him when they saw him walking to church carrying a Bible. Francisco began walking several blocks out of the way to avoid them. Then he told God, "For years I carried a liquor bottle without shame. Why am I ashamed to be seen carrying a Bible?" After that he walked by his friends, carrying his Bible. When they teased him, he said, "I realize my need for God; someday you will realize it too."
Francisco studied the Bible with a church member, and as its truths became more precious to him, he wanted to share his new love for God with Neide. He sent a message to tell her that he had become a Christian and asked if she would like to study the Bible too. Neide refused to believe him. But when she saw him one day, she realized that he truly had changed, so she agreed to study the Bible.
Francisco still loved Neide and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and soon after their baptism they were married. Francisco worked hard to earn enough money to buy a small piece of land and build a little one-room house.
He began searching for people in his neighborhood with whom he could study the Bible. Many of his neighbors had seen the remarkable change in Francisco's life and wanted to know more. Two months later his first convert was baptized.
The district pastor recognized Francisco's dedication and invited him to work full-time as a lay Bible worker. Since his first baptism several years ago, Francisco's zeal for Christ and his powerful testimony has led 1,000 people to Christ and helped establish six new Adventist churches. Sometimes he studies the Bible with up to 60 persons a day in small group settings.
He once asked his friends to pray for the owner of a dance hall, and a week later Francisco invited the owner to take Bible studies. The owner agreed, and eventually he was baptized. Now the dance club is a church.
The neighborhood in which Francisco and Neide live is filled with drugs and danger. But Francisco feels that God has called him to reach these people in a way most people cannot. And from the looks of it, he is.
By Francisco Helder Benicio, a lay Bible worker living in Fortaleza, Brazil.
"From Broken Promises to New Life-Part 1"
When Francisco was a child, his father took him to bars and to other places a child should never go. Once when Francisco didn't want to go with his father, the man held a gun to his head.
When Francisco was 14, his father died. But the abuse the boy had suffered left deep scars. He began drinking and taking drugs to help him forget the pain. His mother and sisters began attending the Adventist church, but Francisco was too drunk to notice.
By the time he was 18 he was living with his girlfriend, Neide, and her mother. He worked on oil rigs when he was sober.
When Francisco learned that Neide was pregnant, he was happy. But his new role had little influence on his life. Sometimes he beat Neide, as he had seen his father beat his mother. One day he beat her hard enough to cause her to lose the baby. When he realized what he had done, he rushed to the hospital to see her. On the way he prayed that God would help him get off drugs and alcohol. He promised Neide that he would change and treat her better. Neide believed him.
But nothing changed. The next time he beat her she told him to leave, that she never wanted to see him again. Francisco came to see her every day and promised that things would change. Eventually she took him back.
Things did change. Francisco sank more deeply into drugs. One day he almost died from an overdose. He awoke in the hospital. Neide told him to never come home. Francisco knew she meant it, and he sank deeper into depression.
One of his sisters brought him a religious book to read. One night when he couldn't sleep, he picked up the book and started reading. Once more he prayed that God would release him from the bondage of drugs.
When he opened his eyes, Francisco saw a tall man dressed in brilliant white standing near his bed. The man touched Francisco's forehead. It seemed that the touch penetrated to the depths of his mind. Francisco lay still for several moments, then he realized the being was gone. He sat up in bed, still able to feel the pressure on his forehead. For the first time in his life he felt peace and hope.
Moments later his mother walked into his room. He told her that God had touched him and had taken away the desire for drugs and alcohol. "I'm a new man," he told her. "I'm a child of God. I want to go to church."
But his mother had seen him break his promises too many times. "You make promises, but you don't change," she told him. Francisco knew that she was right. He thought how deeply he had hurt her, but he was sure that this time was different. He convinced her to return the next day and take him to church with her.
"From Broken Promises to New Life-Part 2"
Francisco knew that many of the people at his mother's church knew of his past life. He was embarrassed to be seen. That Sabbath the pastor spoke about the prodigal son. Following the sermon Francisco responded to the call to give his life to God. He knew that the only way to gain victory over Satan was to let Jesus fight his battles for him.
Francisco couldn't sleep, and his body craved the drugs, but he refused to give in. When the craving threatened to overpower him, he locked himself in his mother's house and sang praises to God and read his Bible until the craving passed.
Francisco drew great strength from fellowship with his new Christian friends, and he attended every church service he could. His former drinking friends teased him when they saw him walking to church carrying a Bible. Francisco began walking several blocks out of the way to avoid them. Then he told God, "For years I carried a liquor bottle without shame. Why am I ashamed to be seen carrying a Bible?" After that he walked by his friends, carrying his Bible. When they teased him, he said, "I realize my need for God; someday you will realize it too."
Francisco studied the Bible with a church member, and as its truths became more precious to him, he wanted to share his new love for God with Neide. He sent a message to tell her that he had become a Christian and asked if she would like to study the Bible too. Neide refused to believe him. But when she saw him one day, she realized that he truly had changed, so she agreed to study the Bible.
Francisco still loved Neide and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and soon after their baptism they were married. Francisco worked hard to earn enough money to buy a small piece of land and build a little one-room house.
He began searching for people in his neighborhood with whom he could study the Bible. Many of his neighbors had seen the remarkable change in Francisco's life and wanted to know more. Two months later his first convert was baptized.
The district pastor recognized Francisco's dedication and invited him to work full-time as a lay Bible worker. Since his first baptism several years ago, Francisco's zeal for Christ and his powerful testimony has led 1,000 people to Christ and helped establish six new Adventist churches. Sometimes he studies the Bible with up to 60 persons a day in small group settings.
He once asked his friends to pray for the owner of a dance hall, and a week later Francisco invited the owner to take Bible studies. The owner agreed, and eventually he was baptized. Now the dance club is a church.
The neighborhood in which Francisco and Neide live is filled with drugs and danger. But Francisco feels that God has called him to reach these people in a way most people cannot. And from the looks of it, he is.
By Francisco Helder Benicio, a lay Bible worker living in Fortaleza, Brazil.
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