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Peggy Rico

Life Testimony And Encounter with The Man of God Pastor Chris

 

Although we have different faith, I was blessed to have loving parents and 2 brothers and 4 sisters whom I adored. However, things started to go wrong for me around the age of 12. We moved to a different country, which meant moving to a different school. I found it hard to settle in. I remember people didn’t understand my accent. They made fun of my accent at first but later on, gained few good friends who helped me mingled along with some of their friends.

When I moved to high school, things did not get much better. Although I was famous in our school but I felt emptiness somehow, I was wrecked with insecurities and although I made some friends, I felt like I needed to be someone I was not. At age 15, while at the church, a pastor’s wife told me that she had a vision of me, that I was standing in front of thousands of people while I was worshiping God! I told her, really! But how, when and where?

At the age of 19 I went to a University here in the Phils. With this came the party lifestyle of going out with friends, meeting men, partying. God was the futherest thing from my mind, and although I thought I was happy during this time, looking back, I wasn’t really fulfilled.

When I turned 22, this was the start when I joined the world of entertainment thru stage plays, TV, Movie, modeling. I thought I was happy because at an early age, I was earning big money but still there was this emptiness inside of me. Eventually got a stable job with very good company where I worked as an executive assistant to the chairman and so on and so on….

My job as one of the top management at a young age was extremely successful but very very stressful and I developed anxiety attacks, depression. I drifted from several short term relationships with men, but was always left experiencing a lot of disappointment. I felt like this was another area of my life that I was a failure. I was happy outside but lonely inside. I continued to consult friends, always thinking the next one was going to give me the answers I needed. They never did.

For a while things did improve slightly. I got new jobs which I enjoyed, and I felt less stressed. However, I always felt like there was something missing — a void that couldn’t be filled no matter what I tried. At age 28, I married the man that nobody in my family or friends like, but still I pushed thru with the marriage. At the age of 31 I felt I had hit a crossroad in my life. I was looking around me comparing myself to others and wanting what they had. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t find happiness like they had, and felt very low about this. I felt like I was a failure in this marriage. Because I knew in my heart, that he was not God’s will for me. I was a very stubborn person then. I also had to stop showbiz because my husband requested me to stop and I just obeyed him for us not to fight about it.

My marriage with him was a mess, in short I cried and cried and cried to God to set me free by His will because I couldn’t leave him out of pity and God knows how I wanted a happy family but it was impossible that time. Then Dec. 30, 2011 my husband died. His family gave me such a hard time but I remained silent so as not to hurt them inspite of the lies they were spreading against me. Then after four months, my father died due to cancer and these really broke me and my family emotionally because he has always been the strongest, pillar, the comedian in the family. Inspite of this, I cried and cried to God for help and I just let God take full control of the situation. Then all these, I was receiving words from different pastors, God’s servants for me to get ready because God will use me mightily.

Despite all these trials, tribulations, I felt God’s hand is always with me, He is just giving me the time and not forcing me in any way. I must admit then, that I don’t count all the blessings He had given me and I care less then because my mind is not focus on the most important thing, to completely surrender to Him and just live to worship Him.

Then at that time, in order for me and my daughter to survive, had to sell all of my furniture, etc then settled down at my parents house and really felt their love towards me and my child. Tried also to sell my avida house and that’s how I met Ptr. Rey thru one of my Christian brothers in Christ because per brother JC, Ptr Rey has some connections who could somehow help me sell my house. I also went back to showbiz and I was just so blessed because I was surrounded with people who are really true to me and really helped me in every possible way they can. My friends from showbiz, from New Life church family, my family and most especially God. Then something wonderful happened. God intervened. He started convicting me of my sin, and orchestrated a series of events and put people in my way to bring me back to Him. Then I started to take more notice on small blessings and those people who truly stayed beside me during this dark moment of my life.
Then one day I was invited to sing and dance in one of the companies and that’s how Ptr Rey approached me asking me to call Ptr. Chris and just try to be interviewed over the phone because Ptr. Rey told me that Ptr Chris is looking for a lead vocalist for the Spirit Driven band. Ptr Chris and I talked for almost two hours over the phone. I got goose bumps all the time we were talking and at the back of my mind, a voice was telling me…Peggy it’s time…it’s time……I cried after talking to Ptr Chris because I felt God in my heart really that day. Also the lump on my throat cleared after talking to him esp when we met personally the following day at SM Fairview with his wonderful assistant named Favor.

God really sends people to guide us especially when things around us looked to dark and bleak. The passage went on to say that our faith must be in God and God alone. We cannot serve two masters and we can not expect to live peaceful, joy filled lives that He intended for us if we look to other sources. I was immediately convicted of my sin and was hit with the realization that for all these years, I had been willing to put my faith in my ability but not God. I also came to the realization that if Jesus came today I would not be certain I would be going to heaven. I was overcome with sadness at the realization that I had rejected and hurt Jesus all these years.

I couldn’t carry on another day with knowing this, and I got down on my hands and knees, repenting for my sins over and over again, and asked Jesus into my heart. Afterwards, I had a peace and assurance like I’d never experienced before.

I AM SPECIAL TO GOD

My life, however, did not change overnight. Whilst I continued to read the bible and pray, it took me awhile before I felt brave enough to tell people how God brought me back. But God continued to work in me during this time, and through reading His word. I was left in no doubt of how real HE is, and how much He loved me and how I was special to Him.

I started going to church with my daughter and began to get to know other Christians and found that this is really where God wants me to be! . He’s answered many prayers and turned situations around that I thought were impossible. I’m a lot calmer these days. I don’t worry as much as I used to and I am completely delivered from previous sins, depression, anxiety. I now have no need to worry or search from any answers from anyone other than God, as I know He has a plan for my life and is in complete control.
There are things that He is still working on in my life. Not everything has been easy. I have been going through some very challenging things recently with health, work and family issues. But God is carrying me through these things and I have faith that he will turn things around and I can rely on Him as He hasn’t let me down once when I have cried out for His help.

A few years ago – without God in my life – I would not have been able to cope with these things in the way that I have now. I was heading for a lifetime of misery and destruction and ultimately hell if I continued believing Satan’s lies and leading the sinful life.
I would just like to say one more thing about those people that are worried about loved ones that are not saved or have drifted away from God. Never give up praying for them! Even though I strayed for many years – being brought up in a loving home by my parents – without a doubt many spiritual seeds were planted in my mind from an early age. My parents own faith in God and how they have dealt with some of the difficult things in life has been a testimony in itself for me.

I thank God everyday that whilst I left him for many years, He never left me and He welcomed me back with open arms. I also thank Him that I had parents and family members, church family, and true friends who prayed for my salvation faithfully. God is so lovely and awesome and I just Love him.

My last words….. “It is only by the grace, power, and guidance from the Lord can we even begin to make it through some of these trials and tribulations in the first place – and the only thing that will get God to want to move on our behalf through some of these very trying circumstances is our total faith and belief in Him that He will actually help us fight some of these battles.

This is why our faith in God will be tested from time to time. One, to see if we hold fast to Him, and two, to increase the levels of faith we already have in Him to higher levels – as the Bible tells us that our faith is actually capable of growing in the Lord. And great fights and great trials is what will help increase our current levels of faith to these higher levels because we will be forced to rely on God and His supernatural help in a way that we may never done before.

I am now forty years old and these bible verses really struck my heart and cried to God because all these years, inspite of my being stubborn, He has always been there to carry me especially those times when I was in deep pain..

• For the Lord preserves the faithful …” (Psalm 31:23)
• “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” (Deuteronomy 2:7)

• “Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your feet swell these forty years.” (Deuteronomy 8:4)

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?”
My prayer for you the reader is that you may experience the full blessing of all that God has made available to you through the all inclusive work of our Lord Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection.

May God richly bless you with every spiritual blessing through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To God be all the glory, honor and power forever!! Lord, I am giving you my life completely to serve you and your people and those unsaved people around the world..just always check my heart to be humble and willing to obey all your commands for as long as I live…I love you Lord Jesus, my life and my Saviour.

Peggy Rico