By Mark Ellis —
Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao grew up poor in the Philippines and went to work at an early age to support his mother after his parents separated. At 12 he began to fight, rising through the ranks to win 10 world titles. But the current WBO welterweight champion’s bold profession of faith in Jesus Christ is what sets him apart.
“God has a purpose,” he told Fox News. “He brought me back into his kingdom to use me to glorify his name, to let people know there is God who can raise the people from nothing to something.”
Surprisingly, he and noted quarterback Tim Tebow grew up in the same town on the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.
Raised Roman Catholic, Manny strayed from the church as he rose to fame in his boxing career. “I went to church on Sunday, but from Monday through Saturday I was in the bar drinking,” he told CBN. “I was gambling. Careless words came out of my mouth. I committed adultery. I didn’t care.”
But one day he read a letter that gripped his heart. “I received a letter from my mother saying my sister stopped going to school because I stopped sending them the money. I cried, blaming myself for spending all the money on alcohol.”
That same night in 2011, not long after his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, God visited Manny in a powerful dream. “I heard the voice of God in my dream. His voice was ten times louder than thunder. He said to me, “My child, my child, why have you gone astray?” he recounted to CBN.
In the dream, which unfolded in a beautiful forest amid flowers, he also saw two angels, according to an interview with The Blaze. “When I heard the voice of God I felt like I died. … I was in the middle of the forest and I was kneeling and praying with my face on the ground and then I saw a light, a very white light and I heard the voice.”
He said the angels had “white, long, big wings” and said that God revealed to him “about the end of time.”
“I felt I was melting when I heard the voice of God. It was the turning point in my life. God spoke to me and he told me what He wanted me to do and I had to follow (Him).”
For a while, Manny tried to ignore the dream. But one day he felt compelled to pick up the Bible and begin reading it for himself. “I forgot about that dream, but when I started reading the Bible, the first verse I read said that God talked to a man through dreams. I realized, wow, my dream was real,” he told CBN.
As a result of the power of God’s Word, the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart and the compelling dream, Manny surrendered his life to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
“I’m happy because I found the right way, salvation, born again,” he told The Blaze. “We are required to be born again, all of us. Christ said unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God. So it’s very important to me. Jesus Christ said: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ There is no other way. The only way is through Jesus.”
“When you accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, you have eternal life.”
Many changes unfolded in his life as he began to follow Jesus, according to Manny’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “Manny has made a lot of changes in his life. He’s more disciplined in his life. He sold his nightclub. He doesn’t drink anymore. He doesn’t chase girls anymore. Him and his wife are getting along a lot better now, him and his family. He’s become a much better person,” Roach told the Wall Street Journal.
The most important thing to Manny has become his faith in Jesus. “When you have Jesus in your life, when you have God in your life, the things in this world are not important to your heart. What is important is God in your heart.”
Manny stays in God’s Word with daily Bible study. “Keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it and be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and satisfied,” he told CBN. “When you keep the words of God in your mouth and your lips and your heart and your mind you will be guided by the Holy Spirit.’
Manny won a seat in the House of Representatives a few years ago, representing the province of Sarangani. He was re-elected in 2013 to the 16th Congress of the Philippines. Some believe he may be a candidate for president of the Philippines one day.
“The Lord has blessed me [with] everything I have … [my] political career and serving the Lord and being a boxer — and I believe God has a purpose,” he told The Blaze. “It is behind my expectation and imagination. I think it’s time to proclaim his name, not mine.”
“This is my life’s work, to spread the Word.”
If you want to know more about following Jesus, go here
This is soooo good. Great job, Mark!
This is what GOD does in the heart of men through the Cross of Christ Jesus wow wonderful testimony indeed
Very encouraging to read your testimony. May you continue to be a blessing to many more.
Manny,
I just read about your dream and your accepting Christ into your life. You can have no HIGHER calling than the Lord asking you to join His family. He is a mighty and powerful Lord and we are now His ambassadors for Christ while on this earth.
I work with young people all around this globe because we see young men and women looking to be loved and cared about and Christ is the answer.
What is really amazing is how our Lord chose you to represent Him on this piece of ground and we both know that most young people look for a HERO in their lives and now you are one of them. This is an awesome responsibility placed on your shoulders and I will pray that you continue to witness for Christ and that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide you and your family. Stay the course my brother and Christ will always be there for us.
In Christ,
Dan
Awesome testimony……a Godly example of HIS goodness for those that believe!
In the name of our Lord, you will win the fight against Maeweather, but you must retire the same night to follow God´s will for the rest of your life. Blessings for you an your entire family, AMEN.
And he still takes his clothes off and punches people in the face in the name of Jesus? Am I surprised at this point? Not really.
Manny, years ago I had the Holy Spirit hit me in the middle of the night when I was in total despondency. A ball of light the size of a golf ball started in the corner of the bedroom where I was sleeping by the time it reached me it was the size of a softball and looked liked the Sun. It was beautiful . It hit me in the chest and and I got this real warm feeling . HE has been with me every since. We all go astray but all we need to do is ask for HIS forgive us. Keep up THE LORD’S WORK
Manny, we admire you not only because of your sportsmanship but because of your faith. Your faith in God is bright shining like the sun. May God continue use you to help spread the message of salvation to the lost world. God has made you a true ambassador in the world of sports. We believe God will give you victory wherever you go. Your fight tomorrow will definitely be in your favour. God will be glorified through you tomorrow. We are with you in our prayers.
We pray that our Lord may give you the strength of Samson so that you may tear into pieces your opponents in boxing rings. You will do this only for God’s glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Manny,
Jesus is real and his mercy & grace exceeds our expectation. Im glad that Jesus dies for our sins & He loves us so! To Him all the glory and praise forevermore!
@KingsAdvocate <
In an article in http://www.christiantoday.com/article/manny.pacquiao.confident.the.lord.will.deliver.mayweather.into.his.hands/52310.htm
Our boxing hero who is now a preacher said;
““I believe, God will deliver him into my hands. His defeat would make him realize that fame, money and material possessions are nothing without God in our life,”
Just now, Pacquiao lost to Mayweather.
What does the real God want us to learn from this?
Let us read His word in:
22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Deut.18:22 NIV
” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously.”-
This is the real God’s message to us regarding our boxing hero’s claim. Our hero’s claim that God will deliver his opponent into his hand is not from God but just his own belief. Our hero has spoken presumptuously about God.
May our hero learn his lesson, lest he be branded as one of the false prophets
Who are the real false prophets? Click this link to read this revelation:
http://www.thenameonline.info/thename/revelations/falseprophets-en.html
Manny,
I thank God Almighty for your life. Some people never realise their real purpose in life; but for you, God has given you the purpose, and the Road Map on how to achieve it. Step out and shine , to the glory of His Holy Name, amen.
This is the 2nd most important thing I read today. Thank Jesus for your life. He’ll keep you to the end. Regards to those wonderful children and their mama.
John 3:5-7 KJV
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Acts 2:38-39 KJV
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ(born of the water) for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.(born of the Spirit) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Yeah sure! He bribed the voters and won the seat in Congress. He also has the record low for number of attendance – 7 out of 70 sessions.
And yeah, he also said God told him to stop boxing…and that was few years ago…did he listen?
What a “holy” “God-fearing” man?
God is still keep speaking to his people. like what he does in the bible.
Praise the lord!
but the sad thing is that many people thinks it is just a manmade story.
they dont know at the end of the day, how they close their ears, God will do also.
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