Good News from the Pematang Siantar Congregation - Angel

Sunday, March 3, 2019, was a very special day for Christine Angelina, as she made the decision to become a disciple of Jesus.

The eldest of two siblings, affectionately called Angel, was a sixth-semester student at a university in Pematang Siantar. Being born into a family that was less than harmonious and emotionally cold made Angel feel that she received little attention and affection from her parents.

Because her father worked in the administrative office of a private school, their family lived in the same area. During her childhood, Angel was often left behind while her parents worked until late at night. Being home alone so often, with no neighbors nearby, made Angel a quiet child who rarely socialized and often daydreamed.

Every night she had difficulty sleeping because she felt that something was calling her name. Her bed would shake on its own. When she slept, her body felt heavy, as if something was pressing on her. She even experienced spirit possession while she was in high school.

Angel’s condition made her parents worried, and they took her to a paranormal healer. According to him, Angel was often disturbed by evil spirits or the spirits of dead people, and because of that, she needed the protection of a kind of charm. However, by the time she was in college, her condition changed. Even though she was extremely stressed from being continually disturbed by strange voices, Angel did not know how to deal with it because she did not know what prayer and worship were.

One day, Angel met Sherly, who was studying the word of God (and later became a disciple of Jesus in December 2018). Sherly invited her to study the word and wanted to help Angel overcome the disturbances she was experiencing.

In April 2018, Angel was willing to receive help through discussions of the word. At the beginning of the study, she faced difficulties. Her hands felt hot when holding the Bible, and at that first meeting, she did not dare to read it.

However, the brothers and sisters keptpraying for Angel and assuring her that through the power of the word of God, she could be set free from the things that had been troubling her all this time. They accompanied her inprayer and reading the Bible, until in time Angel was able to do it on her own.

While studying the Bible, Angel had to struggle against the disturbances of evil spirits, her disappointment toward parents who had given her little attention, and her difficulty in worshiping and reading the word. With perseverance in prayer and a determination to break free from the unrighteousness in her life, Angel was willing to humble herself to learn submission and obedience.

Little by little, Angel began to be freed from the disturbances of evil spirits. In addition to growing in her Bible study, she also faithfully attended worship gatherings and even learned to love the parents she once hated.

After about a year of studying the word, Angel decided to become a disciple of Jesus. Praise God because the power of the word was able to destroy the power of the devil that had controlled Angel’s life for years.

“Now I know what my purpose in life is, which is to seek God with all my heart,” Angel said. “I feel relieved and have experienced extraordinary joy because I can read the word and feel the closeness of my relationship with God. What is more, I have been set free from the thing that bound me for years. I am very grateful because I have brothers and sisters in the congregation of God who love me.”

Angel is now giving her heart to helping others through evangelism. At present, one of her friends is studying the word because she was inspired by the change in Angel’s life. May Angel continue to be faithful and be used by God even more. All for the glory of God!