Sister Tarciana Aranque at JMCIM worship venue at the Amoranto Stadium, Quezon Phils. (February 2012)
There is a Bible verse that our Church, JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY, holds onto like a fool-proof weapon far more powerful than any man-made ones. Many of the beloved brethren from the earlier years of JMCIM up to the present have completely believed and trusted in this verse literally, every word of it.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. (Is. 54:17)
I swear by God that in the almost-nine years that I have been serving the Lord in JMCIM, I have heard enough testimonies of brethren being saved by God from firearms, knives and other deadly weapons that could astound many believers around the world if they were all written and shared. There are many, I assure you, and the ones that stand above the rest are the testimonies of our beloved Hon. Pastor Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda and the twelve prayer warriors when they went up to the mountains of Talipao, Jolo, Sulu in the island of Mindanao and entered the camp of the Abu Sayyaf. You can read the whole story of the victorious peace mission here.
What I’m going to share to you now is the mighty deliverance of God in an ordinary day that He wrought to an ordinary believer.
Sister Tarciana Aranque and her family used to be very poor – no food, no home. When they received the Lord Jesus Christ and served Him faithfully in the ministry of Jesus Miracle Crusade, the Lord prospered them. He gave them a business from which they get their livelihood. Sis. Tarciana gives her tithes and love offering diligently and the Lord increased their business more. It is a “variety store” where they also serve cooked food. Variety stores or in our native tongue, Sari-sari stores with carinderia (canteen) on the side are a very popular kind of small business among Filipinos.
At dawn a few weeks ago, Sis. Tarciana and two of her store helpers were opening the store and putting merchandise outside. Suddenly, a motorcycle with three riders stopped in front of the store. Two of the three men quickly entered the store while Sis. Tarciana, knowing their evil plan, ran to the cash drawer. There, one of the men pointed a gun to her face but Sis. Tarciana shouted Halleluiah! with all her might. Because of this, the man wrenched Sis. Tarciana’s mouth and then put the gun inside her mouth but Sis. Tarciana was quick to push it away and again shouted Halleluiah! with all her might. The man shot her on the face but the gun didn’t fire. Nothing.
He then motioned his companion to be the one to shoot her which he did three times on her face but – nothing. There were just three clicks. The gun didn’t fire.
“Who are we that God would protect us so mightily? I didn’t have any weapon except my voice. My voice that was desperately calling to God for help. Thank you, Lord!” Sis. Tarciana sobbed uncontrollably in the pulpit.
Her two children came out and her 10-year old son shouted, “Mama! Hallelluiah!” He saw everything that happened. He heard how the gun clicked three times and his beloved mother was unhurt.
The two robbers panicked as they tried to amass as many change as they could from the drawer. Then they again pointed the gun at her, but Sis. Tarciana, emboldened now, held down their hands and again shouted Halleluiah! as loud as she could. The two robbers, in panic and visibly shaking, ran out of the store and escaped in their motorcycle.
The place where Sis. Tarciana keeps the bills and her cell phones was untouched. The robbers didn’t see it.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
~ Sis. Rina Peru
Sister Angie Letada at the Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City, Phils. Taken Feb, 2012.
Sis. Angie begins her testimony being barely able to control herself from crying freely. She testifies that on January 7, 2012, Saturday, at 7:00 in the evening, while they were celebrating her beloved mother’s birthday, she went out to buy barbecue at a street corner near their house. While she was standing along the street near Heritage Homes in Marilao, Bulacan, a red, tinted van without a plate number suddenly came speeding by and two hooded men picked her up.
They forcibly pushed her into the van. She fought with all her might until her clothes were ripped but she didn’t prevail. Inside the van, she saw three other women who were blindfolded, gagged, and their hands were tied behind them. As soon as she was inside the van, they also quickly blindfolded her and tied her hands behind her. They did not put a gag in her mouth.
She felt the van was going in circles. Although she was so scared, she desperately asked for forgiveness for all her sins and shortcomings to her family and to the Lord and began singing praises to Him. (Many times during her testimony, Sis. Angie would burst into tears just remembering the trauma she had gone through).
She testifies that they took their watches and other belongings. One of the kidnappers declared that they were going to kill them all because they couldn’t get anything of value from them. Sis. Angie continued to sing praises to the Lord much more desperately.
At 4:00 in the morning, she was praising relentlessly, proclaiming the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. She completely surrendered her life to His keeping. Then, the driver of the van ordered his companions to release the one in white (Sis. Angie was the only one wearing white among the victims). Sis. Angie continued to pray feverishly, begging the Lord to save her and let her live and she vowed that she will serve Him all her life. She also begged the kidnappers not to hurt her, telling them she has two little kids.
One of the kidnappers took her slippers telling her that he would give them to his wife. Sis. Angie answered that they could take everything as long as they wouldn’t hurt her. She could feel the Lord Jesus just standing by her side.
The kidnappers dropped her off at around 4:00 in the morning. It was dark and raining, and she didn’t know where she was. The place was like a forest and she couldn’t recognize it at all. She was barefoot. Surprisingly, she found 100 pesos somewhere in her pocket. She remembered her beloved husband giving her the money. She was so thankful to the Lord for this. She used the money for fare. Then, she met an old woman who let her use her cell phone.
She was able to contact her beloved mother. Her family finally found her at Tabang Exit in Bulacan. Later, they heard in the news that there were three women found dead in Balagtas, Bulacan. Sis. Angie didn’t want to think that these were the three women that were with her inside the van, but she was just so overwhelmingly thankful to the Lord Jesus for His GOODNESS! Balagtas is near Tabang Exit where she was found. And it was in Balagtas that the three bodies of women were thrown.
Sis. Angie almost couldn’t believe the miracle that happened to her – that she was delivered by the Lord from the certainty of death and she was brought home safe.
HALLELUIAH! THE HIGHEST PRAISES TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST! TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!
~ Sis. Rina Peru
- Bro. Bong Lorente at Amoranto Stadium, Dec. 2011.
In March 1992, Bro. Bong Lorente figured in a bus accident while traveling in Surigao del Norte. The bus he was riding on fell off a deep ravine and seven passengers died on-the-spot. Bro. Bong miraculously survived this tragic accident.
It was eight years later that Bro. Bong began to notice pain in his right leg. The pain worsened as the days went by, but he dismissed it, thinking that it was just rheumatism 0r arthritis. But when Bro. Bong began to experience difficulty in walking, he went to see a doctor. The doctor referred him to a bone specialist, an orthopedic doctor, for the doctor thought that he had a serious bone problem.
Bro. Bong went to see the orthopedic doctor, and after bone X-rays, it was found out that there’s a mass of blood clot in Bro. Bong’s right leg bone. The doctor told him that he needed to undergo immediate surgery to save his right leg. His affected bone will be removed and replaced with stainless steel.
Around this time, Bro. Bong was already unable to walk and his right leg had become violet in color.
The doctor told him that if this wasn’t removed immediately, it will be very dangerous and can develop into a malignant cancer. Bro. Bong asked if he would be able to walk after the surgery, and to this, the doctor answered that he might be able to walk after four years. And when Bro. Bong asked how much the surgery would cost, the doctor advised him to prepare 1.2 million pesos. When Bro. Bong heard this, he felt the whole world came crashing down on him. There was no way in the world that he could be able to afford it.
He told the doctor that he couldn’t put up even a 10% of it – it just wasn’t possible. The doctor told him that the amount is nothing if it would save his life, to which he answered him with these words:
“With that huge amount of money, it seems that my life has amounted to nothing. It has no more value.” (He meant that since he couldn’t afford the expensive surgery, he’ll just wait for death to come).
He and his wife signed a waiver and left the hospital, for he had been confined for five days and his bills were piling up. In fact, they weren’t able to pay his bills and just signed a promissory note. An ambulance brought him home. He was that ill.
At home, Bro. Bong began to count the passing of days in utter hopelessness. But at dawn five days after he left the hospital, his beloved wife opened the TV and she saw the program of JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY. As she watched and listened to the amazing testimonies of God’s healing miracles, she felt the powerful presence of God.
She woke up Bro. Bong and invited him to watch, too. She told him that this just might be the one that could help him – miraculous healing by the Lord Jesus Christ through this ministry. But Bro. Bong was doubtful.
They continued to watch anyway and during the mass healing where the beloved Hon. Pastor Wilde E. Almeda prayed and cast out the demons of incurable diseases, Bro. Bong felt as if there was a big powerful hand that squeezed his whole body and he felt great relief. He looked at his right leg and noticed that the violet color was gone and the color had gone back to normal. He felt very light, no more pain, so he attempted to stand. He and his wife were both amazed, as he began to walk slowly from their bedroom to the kitchen and back again.
Bro. Bong couldn’t believe that he was miraculously healed! He thought it was like a dream! The next morning, Bro. Bong continued to recover well. He was walking normally without pain or difficulty. His uncle came to visit and he was amazed at the great thing that happened to him. His uncle also believed in his miraculous healing, so together, they went to the worship service of JMCIM.
It was Friday overnight worship service at Cuneta Astrodome when Bro. Bong first attended. As he found himself walking and going up and down the stairs in the venue, exactly one week after he was brought home from the hospital in an ambulance, he couldn’t help but cry in great joy and deep gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Bro. Bong returned to the hospital to try to settle his bills by requesting for installment payment, he testified to the chief accountant who happened to be a nun, about his miraculous healing. The nun was so blessed by his testimony and expressed also her deep respect to the beloved Hon. Pastor Wilde E. Almeda after the victorious Talipao Peace Mission in 2003. She promptly marked Bro. Bong’s hospital bill as “cleared” without him paying a single cent.
This great miracle happened over ten years ago and Bro. Bong, together with his family, continues to serve the Lord faithfully to this day.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
Bro. Jun Villanueva in his Jesus Finest Generation Choir Sunday uniform. Taken at Amoranto Stadium, Novemebr 2011.
I have heard numerous testimonies in our Church, JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY, about God’s mighty deliverance in times of robbery hold-ups in public transport. Almost every week, there are fresh testimonies of this kind, which only proves two things, one is good, the other bad: God is faithful to His promise to protect His children in times of danger, and criminality in our country continues to be rampant.
Such testimonies about God’s powerful deliverance in times of great danger vary in each situation, but they have one thing in common: the victim’s unflinching exercise of faith during such times. Most of the testimonies I’ve heard tell how the robbers or hold-uppers assure the Christian that he or she is not included in their criminal act. Such statements as, “Be quiet, we will not include you or harm you.” For unbelievers and cynical people, they may find such testimonies as unbelievable or even amusing. But such is the testimony of God: incredible!
Brother Jun Villanueva has been serving the Lord faithfully in JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY for over two decades now, is a member of the Jesus Finest Generation Choir and is also a leader of the Youth Choir, teaching them in choir practices. Such rehearsals often end late at night.
Two Sundays ago about ten in the evening, Brother Jun was going home after choir practice. He rode a passenger jeepney in Cubao bound for Marikina. Immediately after he settled in his seat, exhaustion took over and he fell asleep.
Suddenly, he was awakened by a commotion inside the passenger jeepney he was riding in. He then realized that there were hold-uppers inside trying to rob the passengers. They were collecting their victims’ belongings such as cellphones and wallets while a sharp knife was being wielded towards each one. There were three of these hold-uppers.
Brother Jun, being filled with the Holy Spirit having come from an all-day worship service, rebuked one hold-upper that was near him. He shouted, “In Jesus’ name, you stop what you are doing right now!” The hold-upper was taken aback. For a moment, he hesitated and seemed like he didn’t know what to do. But he recovered from his momentary surprise and he became more aggressive, aiming to attack Brother Jun with his long, sharp knife. But Brother Jun was quick to shout with all power and authority, “I am a child of God and I command you to stop right now! Fear God, in Jesus’ name!” At this, the hold-upper was flung backwards as if by an invisible force. And together with his two other companions, they hurriedly scrambled out of the jeepney and fled in sheer panic.
Brother Jun went home safe and unharmed.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
Sister Jocelyn Pena in her Adults Choir Sunday uniform at Amoranto Stadium, Nov. 2011.
Sister Jocelyn “Jo” Pena was in and out of the hospital because of bronchial asthma. Soon, this had affected her heart, too, suffering from chest pains and difficulty in breathing. Because of these diseases, she rarely went out of their house, and spent her days mostly in bed.
One time while in bed recovering from another bout of asthma attack, she was feeling so weak and despondent. She thought, “Is this the life of a sick person, suffering daily in bed, no hope of healing? Is this my portion of life, just miserable like this? Is there more to life than being bed-bound?”
But there were no answers to her desperate questions, until she had to be brought to the hospital again because she had difficulty breathing. Her three kids would be left alone to fend for themselves while her beloved husband would juggle between work and hospital visits.
One day, she and her beloved husband just arrived home from the hospital after several days of confinement, but on the same day, she had another attack and she was struggling to breathe. In panic, she instructed her beloved husband to get a taxi for they were going back to the hospital. Before going out to get a taxi, her beloved husband rushed upstairs to get her bags.
While alone upstairs, great desperation drove him to the floor, and with his knees bent in total surrender, he prayed with all his being, tears pouring down his face. He cried out for help like he never prayed before. Then he heard a whisper, “Open the TV.” Without thinking or asking what it was, he opened the TV and the program of JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY came to view. He listened for a while and he felt hope bathed his whole being. He thought that this could help them, that this could be the answer to his prayer.
He hasted downstairs and called Sis. Jo to come check out a Christian program on TV. The two of them watched the whole program and Sis. Jo joined in the mass healing. Instantly, she felt great relief. Instead of going back to the hospital, they attended the worship service of JMCIM, received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and were baptized in water in His name.
When they got home that night, Sis. Jo threw all her medicines and began to live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him completely. It didn’t take long and Sis. Jo received her complete healing and recovered her health and strength. Because of this, she surrendered her life fully to the Lord. Since the time that they were saved in 1997 up to the present, Sis. Jo visits hospital wards weekly and shares her testimony of healing and the Gospel of salvation to the patients and their families.
She is continually blessed to witness many healing miracles in the hospital wards and homes that she visits after they have received the Gospel of salvation and been prayed for, and she has brought many souls to the feet of Jesus, and continues to do so.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
Sis. Jodie Mancera at JMCIM Worship Service, Amoranto Stadium, Oct. 2011
In December 1994, just two weeks after Sister Jodie Mancera delivered her second child via CS, she was operated twice due to infected intestines. But even after her last confinement and surgery, her situation did not improve. She suffered from fevers, intense stomach pains day and night, and couldn’t move out bowel. Within weeks, she was again back to the hospital. From December 1994 to June 1995, she had had four major surgeries.
On her fourth surgery, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Around this time, her beloved husband, Brother Joey Mancera, was already converted and was serving the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully in JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY.
According to Bro. Joey’s testimony, sometime between his bel. wife’s second or third surgery, he was so distraught about their situation – financially, emotionally, and spiritually – that he sank on his knees on the floor and cried out to God. He prayed and asked God where he must go to seek His face. He testifies that after his earnest prayer, he heard a voice – cool and powerful, and sounded like that of waterfalls. The voice told him to worship God in spirit and in truth in Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, that there, he will find the true pastor that will feed him with knowledge and understanding, and where God’s power is manifested. The voice further said that He abhors worship of graven images and idols.
Without wasting time, Bro. Joey attended the worship service of JMCIM and received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and baptism in water in Jesus’ name. Instantly, he received healing of all his diseases – enlargement of the heart, ulcer, and hypertension. He was also completely changed. He forsook his vices such as alcohol and cigarettes.
Even before Sis. Jodie’s fourth surgery, Bro. Joey was already trying to share the Gospel to her and the many amazing testimonies of God’s healing in the Church, but Sis. Jodie was hardhearted and instead, openly persecuted the Church.
While sick and weak in the hospital after her fourth surgery, Sis. Jodie remained unchanged in her belief and told her bel. husband that she would get well and fully recover because she had complete medicines. It was at this point that Bro. Joey disclosed to her that according to the doctors, she had only four months to live.
Sis. Jodie continued to suffer from excruciating pain in her stomach. She spent the nights crying in pain. One night, she dreamed that she went to a church where she saw all the graven images and idols fallen on the floor, she was so terrified she ran and ran. Then she saw a door open and the name of JMCIM written inside with the Jesus Finest Generation Choir singing.
Finally, Sis. Jodie surrendered her life to the Lord and after her water baptism, she received complete healing of her disease. This was 16 years ago, and she and her bel. husband continue to serve the Lord faithfully to this day. Bro. Joey became a preacher of the Church.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
A New Life , God's Deliverance , Healing Miracles
Healing Miracles and Deliverance: Testimony of Bro. Boy Manguera
Bro. Boy Manguera testifying during JMCIM Sunday service at Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City, Phils., Oct. 2011.
Brother Boy Manguera, a preacher of the JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY, was in tears as he thanked and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in his latest testimony. He was weeping in awe, amazement, and deep gratitude as he related the recent miracle that happened to him.
At dawn of Monday (October 3), just after the victorious celebration of the 11th Mindanao Peace Mission Anniversary and Thanksgiving Crusade, Bro. Boy, together with the other preachers from around the country, was sitting on a chair inside our beloved Hon. Pastor Wilde E. Almeda’s tent on the stage of the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta.
Then without minding his surroundings, Bro. Boy leaned back not knowing that the place where he was sitting had no barrier except a curtain, and so suddenly, he was on a free-fall. He fell backwards from a height of more or less ten feet and landed on the concrete floor head first.
He testifies that although the impact was so strong, he didn’t feel anything. He sustained a large gash on his head from which copious amount of blood spurted. But all the preachers did not delay in rushing to where he was lying and all-together prayed in faith with power and authority. After the prayer, the flow of blood instantly stopped and Bro. Boy was brought to a clinic where his wound was sewed up. Miraculously, he was well after his horrifying fall. Halleluiah!
Bro. Boy used to live in depravity, going out with evildoers and wallowing in vices. Because of this, he acquired sicknesses and diseases such as weak lungs and acute ulcer. He had no hope of a new life, but one day in 1986, he found the Lord Jesus Christ in a crusade of the Jesus Miracle Crusade Int’l. Ministry. That day, he received the Lord Jesus in his life as his Lord and Savior, was baptized in water in His name, and surrendered his life to Him.
His life was completely changed and all his diseases were healed. He became a preacher of the Church, and together with his whole family and relatives who were also saved later, pioneered the outreach in Lemery, Batangas. Their hard, miserable life before was blessed abundantly by the Lord.
In 2007, Bro. Boy’s faith was tested when he became sick of gallstones. He could no longer eat and so, he lost a lot of weight. He also couldn’t sleep for almost three months. The doctor who diagnosed him prescribed many medicines that he must take daily and advised that he must undergo immediate surgery. He was warned that if he wasn’t operated on immediately, he might die in just four months or become comatose.
But Bro. Boy refused surgery and also didn’t buy any of the medicines. He knew that his sickness was just “a reminder” from the Lord for he had been contemplating giving up preaching. He knew his plan wasn’t the will of God.
He sought counsel from the house of our beloved Hon. Pastor Wilde E. Almeda and he was told that he was called to preach and should never turn his back from God’s holy calling. Right then and there, Bro. Boy vowed to the Lord that he would go back to preach the Gospel with boldness. Instantly, he felt relief and was able to eat well and sleep soundly. He obtained complete healing without surgery or medicines!
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
To my beloved brethren-in-Christ, I included the recorded Tagalog testimony of Bro. Boy Manguera below. I pray that you will share it with others also.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
God bless us all!
Beloved Sis. Nitz de Guia at JMCIM Worship Service, Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City, Phils., Oct. 2011.
Before Sister Nitz de Guia surrendered her life to the Lord Jesus, she was a nurse in a big government hospital. Just after she and her beloved husband, Brother Lito, were married and Sis. Nitz became pregnant with their first child, she started to be sick. While two months pregnant, she underwent appendectomy. On that same year, she delivered her baby via caesarian section.
Immediately after this, she underwent exploratory laparotomy due to abdominal intussusception. Not long afterwards, she again suffered stomach pain that she was immediately brought to the hospital. While doctors attended to her, her bel. husband went home for a while to take a shower and get some change of clothes. When he returned, Sis. Nitz lay in bed with several instruments already attached to her. She was to be operated again for H. mole (Hydatidiform mole).
Bro. Lito, feeling so dejected because of their miserable situation, just looked out the window, tears streaming down his face. At one point during this emergency surgical procedure, Bro. Lito was asked to choose between his bel. wife or their unborn baby. It was a difficult and painful decision in which he chose his wife, but God was so merciful to save their baby also and he lived.
One of their children suffered from bronchial asthma from birth, due maybe to Sis. Nitz’ major surgery while pregnant.
After all her ordeal, the family had to deal also with the frequent asthma attacks of their child, having to bring him to the hospital often. Soon, Sis. Nitz gave up her work in the hospital as a nurse, but she was advised by her doctor to come for check-ups every two weeks. She was told that her disease may lead to cancer if not properly treated.
But about this time, a neighbor shared to them the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and they were brought to the worship service of the JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY. Their whole family willingly received the Lord Jesus and were baptized in water in His name.
Their child with asthma soon received complete healing and never suffered an attack again. Also, Sis. Nitz no longer returned to the hospital for her regular check-up, but focused on serving the Lord with her bel. husband. She no longer suffered from her disease as she claimed complete healing.
During those times, Bro. Lito was just an ordinary bank employee. But as they continued to serve the Lord faithfully and fervently, they were tremendously blessed financially and materially. They now own and manage a multi-million plastics company.
Over a decade of blissfully serving the Lord, their faith was tried. Sis. Nitz suffered a slipped (herniated) disc in the lumbar part of her spine. Because of this, she could no longer walk and do any work, not to mention the excruciating pain that she had to suffer night and day. Her legs and arms suffered atrophy, and she needed a wheelchair to go from one place to another.
She testifies that the pain was almost unbearable. She had to change position every hour, and she needed the assistance of her bel. husband to do so. They were both losing much-needed sleep and rest.
When the family went to the U.S. for a vacation, Sis. Nitz was on a wheelchair. Her relatives there offered to pay for all her surgery expenses, only that she had to undergo immediate operation to fix her spine. If not, her doctor warned her that she could become permanently paralyzed.
But the couple rejected surgery as an option and chose to put their complete trust in the Lord Jesus, that He would be the One to heal Sis. Nitz as He had done the first time and to their child. And so, they continued to serve the Lord, never missing a service, despite Sis. Nitz’ difficult condition.
After two years, she received complete healing, and her legs and arms went back to normal. Now, as their thanksgiving vow, Bro. Lito and Sis. Nitz support and attend crusades of the Church throughout the country. Whatever time of day or night, through whatever weather condition, they would be driving and racing to go to support the Lord’s crusades, even in far-flung and rebel-infested barangays (barrios) and provinces.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
~ Sis. Rina Peru
A New Life , God's Deliverance , Healing Miracles
Anniversary Special: From Suffering to Rejoicing
Bro. Arvin Arica at Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City, Phils., Sept. 2011.
By the amazing grace of our mighty God, Minister of Mercy is celebrating its 1st anniversary! Halleluiah! And to commemorate the occasion, I’m posting this wonderful testimony about God’s deliverance and healing.
Brother Arvin Arica received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in Catarman, Northern Samar in 2001. Before this, he was wasting away his life by daily dose of liquor and smoking 4 packs or more of cigarettes. He testifies that he couldn’t go through a day without indulging in his vices.
He also used to suffer from arthritis, asthma, and insomnia. For many years, these three diseases made him suffer greatly. But all these were taken away by the Lord Jesus and he was completely healed of them. He also forsook all his vices and his life was totally changed. He found the peace that he had been looking.
But on the same year, aside from his healing and new life, Bro. Arvin would further see the wondrous and mighty acts of God. Later after he was saved, he was accidentally electrocuted by 33,000 volts and he died on-the-spot. This happened in Tacloban, Leyte. His head, hands, stomach, and legs were badly burned. There was a big hole in his stomach that looked like it has been shot by a shotgun caused by the massive electric current that coursed through his body.
He testifies that upon his death, he went to heaven and he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. He fell on his knees before the Lord and asked His forgiveness. Weeping, he begged the Lord to let him go back. In response, the Lord squeezed his heart and he wept the more. But he pleaded with Him, reasoning out that his death would not give glory to God considering that his loved ones were still unsaved. And the Lord Jesus had mercy upon him and He let him go back.
When his spirit entered his lifeless body in the hospital, the doctors were preparing to bring him to the morgue. But he opened his eyes and at the same time, he shouted Halleluiah! Praise the Lord! three times to the doctors’ and nurses’ utter astonishment. They were so startled that their initial reaction was to run away from him. And they shouted, “Ang patay nabuhay!” (The dead lives!)
One doctor started questioning him to ascertain his mental state. The doctor said that a person who has been massively electrocuted and died for several minutes often sustains brain damage. But Bro. Arvin was able to answer all the questions correctly proving that he was mentally well.
The doctors couldn’t help saying that it was a miracle that he was alive. He was given medicines but he refused to take them, declaring that God alone would heal him, and he fasted instead. The doctors were exasperated at this so they made him sign a waiver. After only three days in the hospital, and in which he also spent fasting, he was discharged.
He left the hospital unable to walk. While he recuperated at home in a wheelchair, unable to move his legs and hands, he prayed and wept to the Lord, begging Him to heal him and make him stand and walk again. After two weeks, he received answer to his prayers and he regained the use of his legs.
Everyday, he washed and cleaned his open wounds with only water and alcohol, and covered them with fresh bandage. Looking at him suffer from his wounds, Bro. Arvin’s father told him that if he were the one in his place, he would rather die. But Bro. Arvin continued to humble himself before the Lord and completely trust in Him, praying and crying out to Him to heal his wounds.
A sister-in-Christ advised him to pour coconut oil into his wounds and he did. One Sunday afternoon while walking home after attending worship service, he felt stinging pain in his wounds. When he looked, maggots had swarmed his wounds and they were eating up his flesh. He wept helplessly and wanted to run to escape all the suffering, but he couldn’t, for he had not fully recovered his strength.
He bravely poured alcohol liberally into his wounds while shouting praises to God, and the maggots were killed by it, and he picked them one by one.
His mother advised him to bathe in the sea so that his wounds would dry up, and he did. But afterwards, sand filled his wounds and it took two months to completely remove it.
In all his suffering, Bro. Arvin remained faithful to the Lord, praying, fasting, praising, and attending worship services regularly. He believed and completely trusted that the Lord Jesus would turn his suffering into rejoicing and a glorious testimony of God’s power and great mercy.
After 7 months, Bro. Arvin received total healing of his wounds and complete recovery of his strength, and God blessed him with a good job that he had desired and fervently prayed for.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
~ Sis. Rina Peru
Bro. Erwin Advincula testifying in the pulpit during Sunday worship service of JMCIM at Amoranto Stadium, 2011.
Brother Erwin Advincula sings in the Jesus Finest Generation Choir. His amazing testimony truly inspires me and strengthens my faith.
Before He surrendered his life to the Lord, Bro. Erwin had huge dreams in life. He wanted to be successful, so he set his heart to follow his dreams. He knew he had the intellect, good health and strength to see him through in realizing his dreams.
But one day, he found himself afflicted with a terrible ailment – nervous breakdown. He began to lose sleep, and when he did sleep, he was hounded with nightmares. Indeed, Bro. Erwin lived in hellish nightmare even during the day.
He started to see a psychiatrist - one of the best in the field. But to Bro. Erwin’s great dismay, the psychiatrist was not able to help him. Distraught and hopeless, he desired to end his life.
One day, he took the pills that his doctor prescribed in a lethal dose, intending to kill himself. It was late when his mother discovered him. Fortunately, he was still breathing and so, his family rushed him to the hospital.
Upon checking him, the doctors declared that he didn’t stand a chance. The dose that he took was lethal and they didn’t have any medical remedy to purge it out. Although Bro. Erwin was in the throes of death, he was still conscious and he heard and understood the doctors’ words. He suddenly felt an overwhelming fear, an intense fear at the core of his being.
Then he remembered the piece of paper that he had put in his pocket. With a strength he didn’t know he still had, he fished it out, gave it to his mother, and barely whispered, “Mom, please call this number and ask for prayer. This is the number of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry that I have been watching.” When his mother left, Bro. Erwin was barely hanging on to life. He knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before he would breathe his last.
~~~***~~~
It turned out that Bro. Erwin had been following the TV program of the JESUS MIRACLE CRUSADE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY (JMCIM). He even copied the telephone number displayed on-screen. But according to his testimony, he didn’t think of going to the worship service for he wasn’t ready to give his life to the Lord. He had big dreams for himself.
But he got himself to copy their contact number. Was Bro. Erwin thinking of calling them for help when the psychiatrist failed? The day that he attempted to commit suicide, that blessed piece of paper was in his pocket – was he holding on it while he pondered on killing himself? As it turned out, the enemy won at that time…
~~~***~~~
When his mother returned, she told him that she was able to call the number and asked for urgent prayers. Upon hearing this, Bro. Erwin was instantly awashed with renewed strength, and he began to revive.
On that same day, he requested to be discharged from the hospital. While he waited near the nursing station, he overheard the nurses talking, and he learned that on that day, there were two of them with suicidal case that were admitted, and they all expected that the other patient would be the one to survive and Bro. Erwin would surely die. But by the wonderful workings of the awesome, merciful God, through the prayers and fasting of the beloved Honorable Pastor-Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda, Bro. Erwin lived.
Bro. Erwin attended the Luneta Crusade of JMCIM and there, he received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized in water in his name.
Bro. Erwin’s beloved younger sister, Sister Sarah Advincula, who also sings in the Jesus Finest Generation Choir, was also miraculously healed of stage 4 breast cancer in 2009.
Together, with the rest of their family, they continue to serve the Lord fervently and faithfully to this day.
If you’d like to listen to the testimony of Bro. Erwin Advincula, you may click on the audioplayer below. To my beloved brethren-in-Christ, I pray this has been a blessing to you and that you will share this testimony, and the other testimonies, to others as well.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Halleluiah! To God be the glory!
~ Sis. Rina Peru
Leave a Comment