Cell Basics

by Joel Comiskey

(the actual events in this testimony took place in between 2000-2001)

“I robbed thousands of dollars from my company and they still don’t know it,” Nancy began [not her real name]. “My boss placed her confidence in me, and I deceived her.” Nancy, a brand new Christian, confessed this to our cell group one night. “I know I must now go to them and confess what I did. I’m willing to go to jail, if necessary. Yet, I know that even in jail, Jesus Christ will be with me.” She asked us to pray for her, knowing that the next day, she would confront her owners. We bore her burden, prayed for her that night, and dedicated ourselves to pray for her the next day.

She asked me to accompany her for moral support. As I sat and listened to Nancy confession the next day in front of the owners, my eyes filled with tears. “I stole money from you [$60,000.00] , and now that I’m a believer I need to right this wrong. I’m willing to go to jail,” she said.

It’s now been one year since Nancy confessed her sin. She faithfully attended our cell group, completed the nine-month training at the Republic Church (which includes baptism), and began leading her own cell group. She also found a job and is paying back her debt. Nancy is on fire for Jesus Christ. She wrote me the following testimony:

Opening my group was a key point in having complete communion with God. The greatest blessing has been to see how God can touch the hearts of my friends in the depths of their hearts. Every word that I speak in my cell group is a gift of God. My friends have their problems, dreams, and desires and I feel very privileged to be able to pray for them. Now I feel that God is in control of my life, and my life is so much better. I have a real joy, a happiness like none other, and an extreme confidence that God is with me and that every day is a new one. At times I can’t control my tears. I now feel like a useful person for my God and also for society. I’ve found in God the true strength in order to understand what He has done in my life. I now realize that I’m worth a lot because God rescued me and taught me how to obey Him. Yes, I committed a sin [thievery], but thanks to Christ, I could confess it, and this was very important. Today, I’m a new creature, free from my bondages, in order to give my life to the one who saved me. My Lord overcame and destroyed my chains. At the same time, I desire to pay back my dept. Today, I don’t have fear, because God is all powerful and the devil can only tempt me with the authority of my Father, and in this way I can overcome every temptation for my God.