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Colombian Teen Girl Finds Freedom From Gangs Through New Found Faith

by Rhoda Gayle May 22, 2022

written by Rhoda Gayle

A Colombian teen girl found freedom from gangs and criminal life through her newfound faith in Christ.

Colombian teen girl

When Ines was just 13-years-old, she was exposed to guns, gangs, and criminal life. The young girl from the Guaviare, a rural area in southern Colombia, wanted to find a way out of their family’s poverty. She thought the way out of it was through becoming part of a gang.

The rebellious girl showed an interest in the group and promises of a better life.

“I liked guns, always had, although I never told my parents,” Ines, now 16, told the Christian charity Open Doors. “My behavior towards my parents was terrible. Finally, there came the point where all I wanted to do was to leave and join an armed group.”

Guaviare

The region is full with criminal armed gangs and cocaine. It is alongside the main cocaine trafficking route where there are many coca crops. The most prominent armed group in the area is the now-inactive rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Aside from drug trafficking, they are also involved in illegal mining, kidnappings, and extortion.

Because of poverty, FARC uses money, food, and other luxuries to lure children into their group. Since the 1990s, they already have recruited almost 20,000 children. Ines was a witness to how this group recruits the young ones.

“I have friends who have fallen into this. The armed groups use a lot of things to attract young people. For example, they offer boys cell phones, money, nice things.”

Ines also came close to being a member of the armed rebel group.

“Sometimes they invited me to go out, wanting to treat me to something nice. There were times when I would say yes, and other times I said no. I wanted to be like them and to go with them because they had guns and a lot of other things.”

Open Doors

However, God saved her when her parents intervened with her plans of joining the groups. They sent her to Open Doors’ Children Center in Bogota, 400 kilometers away from their home, to teach her the right way.

“My parents wanted me to correct my behavior. They wanted the best for me, to have a career. So, they told me they had found a place for me to go and that is why I’m here today,” Ines shared.

There, she started to have a relationship with Jesus Christ after rebelling from her parents and God for a long time. Today, she is a devout Christian who wants to save the young ones from the criminal and illegal life of the armed groups.

“Being here in the Children’s Centre helped me a lot to change,” Ines says. “My behavior with my parents is better, and my spiritual life has also changed. Now I am very different.”

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Reference: Christian Today

May 22, 2022 0 comments

Articles

Notorious Gang Leader Becomes On-fire Preacher

by GOD TV December 12, 2018

written by GOD TV

Rene “Level” Martinez was living a dangerous life on the streets of Miami, where stealing, getting into fights and dealing drugs were his norm. He was a feared leader of a notorious and powerful gang.

But Rene’s life shifted dramatically when he encountered the unexplainable love of our Savior Jesus Christ. He started to live a life full of love, freedom, and redemption. He was now a bold follower of Christ – praying, preaching and baptizing people.

But before he experienced this drastic change in his life, Rene went through a lot of painful experiences. He found his mother attempting to commit suicide. Later, he discovered that his aunt, who hadn’t spoken to his mom for quite some time, had a vision from the Lord that would make a huge impact on Rene.

It was when Rene became a father that he began to want a better life, one that could provide for his daughter. He started to bare-knuckle fight and soon became a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

God blessed him and he became successful as a professional fighter. He had fame and money but still felt empty inside; he still felt angry.

One night, while he was in his studio, he felt demons all over him. But then he suddenly felt the presence of God protecting him.

Right after that, he repented and cried out to God and not long after that, he got baptized. His whole life changed, and he committed himself to sharing the love of God with others especially those from a life of gang violence and drug abuse.

His life is a powerful testimony that people can change – through the transformative power of God! If you are struggling to believe God can forgive your sins or under the lie that your life is too far gone, remember Rene’s story. If God could change his life, He can change yours too.

Watch and be inspired:

Watch this video on YouTube

Credits: THE WARRIOR LEVEL

This article was written by Kriza Jo Tanduyan.

December 12, 2018 0 comments

News

The Warrior Level: A Radical Soldier for God

by Jared Laskey December 11, 2018

written by Jared Laskey

Growing Up on the Streets

Rene Martinez, known on the streets as Level, grew up with the odds stacked against him. He became a gang leader where sex, drugs and violence were the norm for him. He told Fox News, “I lived a very crazy life, I did some horrible things in my life that I know it’s only by the grace of God and His mercy that I’m alive and free…I was gang affiliated from the 80’s to 2012. I’ve seen a lot of people die in front of me. And I’ve been through a lot.”

Continuing, he was talking about the demons that plagued his life. His mom sacrificed animals over him, and he said, “It’s just demonic. I started seeing demons when I was a kid. They haunted me my whole life.”

As he was combatting his own demons, one evening he found his mom attempting suicide. She was committed into a hospital and began healing. But then at a church retreat she accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Being born-again, she quit drinking and smoking marajauna, beginning to pray for her son. But he dismissed her new life in Christ as being crazy.

Joining a gang as a young teen, catching up to him at 14, he was in a coma after being shot. Then at the age of 15 on Halloween night 1989, he started the Latin Syndicate gang which grew to over 300 members, terrorizing the streets of Miami. Then at 16 years-old he was in jail for attempted murder. But things changed when he became a father.

The Fight for His Life

He told CBN News, “I saw a lot of my friends die and I got like close to 50 dead friends and the rest of them are doing life in prison. I mean like I was involved in gangs ever since I was a little kid. And I started gang banging in 1989 and I did it all the way until 2011.”

He continued telling CBN, “So my daughter was born and I was like man I gotta really like get my life together because all I ever did was rob drug dealers, that’s all I ever did and sold drugs…I was like man what am I going to do for my daughter? How am I going to provide for her?”

He turned to bare knuckle fighting and mixed martial arts to support his family. His professional bouts took him around the world, competing with the late Kimbo Slice. And fighting three-time world champion Ricardo Mayorga. But he knew something was missing in his life.

He then had a dramatic spiritual experience in his garage. Level said, “One night I was writing lyrics, cause I used to do gangsta music too, and I had this encounter with Jesus Christ…He told me, ‘I spared you for such a time as this; either you come to me now or I’m going to take my hedge of protection off you.'”

Seeing his entire life flash before his eyes, he saw the times he had guns in his face, when bullets whizzed by. And he saw all his friends that died. He then said, “God set me free for a reason. I repented right there.”

Instant Change Through the Waters of Baptism

Obeying Scripture, he was water baptized, believing everything changed in that moment. Level said, “When I went in the water, this was April 10, 2016, that day shifted my life. I ain’t never been the same. Something incredible in my life happened that I can’t explain. It was Jesus, only Jesus can do it.”

Now he goes from street to street, and hood to hood preaching the gospel. He also said, “I take the tub on top of my truck and I baptize them according to Acts 2:38 in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. And I do it right there in the projects.”

One of the first people he led to Jesus was a Latin Syndicate friend of his. He said, “I gave him the Word and he got baptized and I started discipling him. He’s on fire for God right now. He grew up in the projects, but now he’s in Washington State praising God in the mountains.”

The Warrior Level

Now, Level released a documentary on his life and ministry called, The Warrior Level. He told Fox News, “People used to call me the Notorious Level. No, I’m the Warrior Level. I’m a warrior Level for Christ.” Saying, “I was on the road to Damascus and Jesus showed up, Saul to Paul, that was me.”

He is currently planting a church and discipling people who are coming out of prisons and gangs. He said, “No matter what situation you’re going through, no matter how hard you think life is, there’s a way out. Because there’s a lot of people that didn’t wake up today, that are dying right now, and you have a chance to come out of the darkness right now and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Watch the preview:

Watch this video on YouTube

Watch the full documentary on the warriorlevel.com

December 11, 2018 0 comments

Articles News

Pray for London: Murder Rate Reaches New High

by Jim Leamon April 16, 2018

written by Jim Leamon

Pray for London

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps 23:4)

Traveling Where Evil Lives

Recently I was speaking to a friend about traveling. I shared how I was planning a business trip to London, England. He’s former military and has traveled through London frequently, so he shared how different the city has become. Parts of the city he explained are no longer considered safe. The conversation turned to how dangerous travel could be these days irrespective of geography. He explained in detail how the concealed weapons laws of each state dictate his travel route when he travels across state lines in the United States. Wherever he goes if the laws permit, he has a loaded handgun on his person or in the car. States that are more stringent are avoided, even if that precaution increases the overall distance he must travel. He jokingly said he’d strap an armed police officer on his back if it was legal.

The next morning he emailed me a news article to illustrate his point. It said that London had achieved the unlikely status of surpassing New York’s murder rate for the first time in history. And the rate of murders in the capital city show no signs of slowing. Knives and machetes are the primary weapons being used. Currently a stabbing occurs every ninety minutes with 12 victims murdered in less than three weeks in March. The crimes are occurring mostly among teenagers and young adults, many of whom are involved in gangs. Fear has gripped some communities, and some young people are now carrying knives for protection, which increases the likelihood of another stabbing if an altercation does ensue. The Mayor of London is increasing police patrols to specifically search for people carrying knives illegally on their person. Although the article was timely, I am not really overly concerned for my safety while traveling to London.

“Get out of your country…”

While doing devotions earlier that week, I read “Get out of your country and go to a place I will show you…” (Genesis 12:1). It was anointed so I asked, “Lord what are you telling me? Does country represent my work and You’re moving me to another industry? Or are You calling us to the mission field? ” I had no idea and completely forgot about it. That night another friend called and asked me to fly to London and I agreed. I didn’t remember my earlier conversation with the Lord. The next day as I began my devotions I realized that God Himself was sending me to England. God had told me to get out of the country and twelve hours later I had a ticket to London! So I have no reason to worry I explained to my former military friend. I’m taking much better than a police officer with me to London.

The Opposite of Fear is Faith

Although you may not be traveling anytime soon, you should ask yourself these questions. What opportunities do I have in my own life to operate in faith versus fear? Are there areas of my life where the enemy has roared in like a lion? Are you currently walking through the Shadow of the Valley of Death? If you’re operating in fear in any area of your life it’s time to activate your faith! Activated faith destroys the power of fear in your life. The two can not coexist for long in the life of the believer. Take a look back at where the Psalmist draws his comfort in Psalm 23. He will not fear because God is with him. So rejoice child of God! God is with you! You have no reason to fear! Like the psalmist David, get your focus off your giants and recognize when you come against your enemies in the name of the Lord of hosts, you will prevail! The battle is the Lord’s!

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”” (I Samuel 17:45)

“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (I Samuel 17:47)

April 16, 2018 0 comments