Nikki and Aumar

In 2006, I prayed to God for a partner in ministry. I told God that it really didn’t matter what shape, size, color, or nationality she would have, just as long as I could serve the Lord with her in ministry. So, in February of 2007, He gave me Nikki, to whom I am now engaged to be married this year.

But there is an amazing story behind all this: chunks and pieces of different stories that would culminate in a grand story of faith and once again prove God’s sovereignty and faithfulness in my life.

You see, when I was in college, I started a business as a requirement for my course. But because of some difficulties, I ended up losing a lot of money. My mom, however, was gracious; she helped me shoulder my loss, which became a pay-when-able debt to her.

Fast forward to January of 2007. Burdened to give to the CCF building fund, I asked God, given my situation — entry-level income at the time and still in debt — how much I should pledge.

As I read God’s word one morning, He led me to a promise in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, which says,

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

I then computed my salary, minus my expenses, to see what’s left to give to the building fund. But I knew that I had to depend on God and not on my ability to save, so I doubled the amount that was left. To that, God said, “Double your double.” In obedience, I did, and pledged an impossible amount — way beyond my capacity to give.

Last year, 2008, I checked on how close I was to fulfilling my building fund pledge, and I realized how short I was to my commitment. I remember telling Nikki that I was way behind on my pledge, and I casually told her that maybe God will give me a commercial or something. And that He did. I landed a commercial for a multinational toothpaste company, and the talent fee they gave allowed me to give almost half of my building fund pledge — so, fifty percent more to go.

At the start of this year, 2009, I was still in debt, more than halfway to go in fulfilling my pledge, and two years in my relationship with Nikki. But God was preparing to reveal Himself in the most spectacular way.

You see, in seeking to honor God and honor my parents, I promised God that I would not get married until I was free from debt and had completed my building fund pledge. A wedding anytime soon was therefore impossible. But as I spent time reading His word, God taught me that with Him, nothing is impossible.

So assured that God will provide, I asked Nikki’s parents for their blessing on our marriage. This they enthusiastically gave.

At about the same time, however, my grandfather had a major heart attack. His hospital bill was so large, I was greatly burdened to help out financially. I had been able to save a substantial amount together with Nikki. I asked her if it would be okay for us to give what we had to my grandfather, and told her that I would try my best to bring back the amount we saved up.

What was I thinking?! That was the only money we had for our wedding! And besides, I had already talked to her parents and talked about marrying their daughter this year. Not to mention that I was still in debt and had not met my building fund pledge.

Nikki was gracious; she said that we should just give everything and that I didn’t have to give it back. But I still asked God and said, “Lord, are you sure you want us to give this money to my Lolo? I mean, we could use it for something else.”

To this, God asked me, “So if not for your Lolo, what will you use it for?”

I said, “For the wedding.” And then God made me realize that we would be using the money only for ourselves instead of for helping others. God also reminded me that it was His money and not mine. So in faith, Nikki and I gave practically all of our savings to help my Lolo.

With no money in the bank, still in debt, an incomplete building fund pledge, and a forthcoming wedding, I asked my mom to go with me to look for an engagement ring for Nikki. After looking at our options, my mom and I had dinner. I opened up to her and said, “Ma, to be honest, I don’t have money for the ring, I also don’t have money for the wedding, and I owe you this much…” and brought out an accounting of how much I owed her.

What she said next brought me to tears. She told me that she had been setting aside money for me, to help me out with my wedding. She told me how much she was giving me, and after a moment of disbelief, I computed everything in my head, and realized that the amount she was giving me was ten times what Nikki and I gave to my Lolo. With that amount, I could completely pay off my debt to her, buy Nikki a ring, complete my building fund pledge, and still have enough to cover some expenses for the wedding.

I am now debt-free. I have joyfully completed my building fund pledge, and I am now engaged to be married to my lovely partner in life and ministry.

God asked me what I had in my hands, and He said, “Bring it to me.” I did, and in His grace, He multiplied it and gave me back more than I could ever imagine. God truly is amazing!

Please pray for Nikki and me as we prepare for our wedding and our marriage. Pray that we would continue to live in faith and trust God, and that we would be able to give Him all the glory, honor and praise that He alone deserves.

by Anna Lei Locsin

An unforgettable encounter with the Lord took place in the three-day, live-out retreat held last April 9-11.

The retreat was originally intended for about 200 participants and to be held in the 4th floor Theater (Overflow Room). However, as God moved and touched the hearts of people, the number of registrants ballooned beyond the expected number. When the retreat began, 563 participants filled the 5th floor Worship Hall and needed 85 break out groups.

On the first day, participants learned about God the Father’s love through the testimony and message by Ptr. Danny Urquico. Ptr. Danny talked about about the different kinds of earthly fathers and the surpassing love of our Father in heaven.

While at times our earthly fathers may fail us, God’s love for us is always perfect.

This message was followed by the session, “What’s So Bad About Sin?” by Marc Villareal, with a testimony by former drug pusher Vic Gonzales. Marc talked about man’s sinful nature as opposed to God’s holiness. The nature of sin and its impact in our lives and our relationship with the Holy God was discussed.

The second day began with Ptr. Joey Geronimo’s message about the redeeming power of Christ’s death on the cross. Former Taoist priest Fidel Chua gave his testimony.

The participants witnessed Christ’s suffering in our behalf as they watched the movie “The Passion of Christ” during lunch.

Through the message of Denny Dinsay and the accompanying testimony by his wife Irene, the participants learned to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to live the supernatural Christian life. This was followed by the session on Spiritual Deliverance led by Ptr. Danny de Guzman and Thelma Reyes. (Read Irene’s testimony.)

The participants were amazed at the deliverance experienced by sharers Grace and Monique, who used to be involved in the occult. In the lectures, the participants were taught how to fight spiritual battles and break free from the stronghold of the enemy. (Read Monique’s testimony.)

After the session, the attendees attested to a distinct feeling of lightness in their beings.

On the third day, participants were taught about their vision and commitment as God’s people. It is important to take on the vision to bear fruit and share the gospel to different people groups, as well as commit to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives. In this regard, testimonies were given by Jean Geronimo, Ptr. Ito de Jesus, his wife Cata de Jesus, Girlie Cusio. During lunch, some of the attendees shared their own testimonies of how this event changed their lives. (Read Angie’s testimony.)

At the end of the retreat, 112 of the participants were baptized as a public declaration of their faith, 215 prayed to received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and 138 asked to be placed in D-Groups.

The retreat was indeed a testimony of God’s power. For some, it was a life-changing opportunity to know God’s amazing plan of salvation for the very first time. For others who have committed their lives to Jesus a long time ago, it reignites their passion for the Lord as they look back at what Christ has done for us. To God be the glory!

Irene with her family

I am Irene A. Dinsay, married to Denny and blessed with two wonderful girls. This is God’s story in my life.

My lifelong search for love and security began earlier than I can remember. Because of the pain my father inflicted upon me since I was a child, I found it difficult to trust God and believe that He loves me. My father was distant, absent, harsh and unable to express love. This is the reason I have never been close to him and always kept a distance.

At age five, I witnessed how my parents would always fight and my how my father physically hurt my mother. This went on for years. Later, I found out that the reason for their endless fights was my father’s womanizing and irresponsibility.

In July 1978, when I was 12, my father came home, told me to pack up my things, and without saying another word, brought me to my grandmother. Though I was very reluctant, I knew I had no choice. A year later, my grandmother told me the reason I was staying with her was to be a “pambayad utang” (payment for debt). She told me how my father would always borrow money from her. I then understood why my grandmother treated me not as a family member, but as household help. I also had to take care of my mentally-challenged uncle.

During my stay, there was not a time she wouldn’t say nasty things about my mother, insult her, and tell me how she disapproved of my father’s marriage to her – the reason she could not accept us in the family. Despite all these, I managed to continue my studies and even excelled in academics. But each day I headed home from school, I would dread the loneliness I knew was waiting for me. I was deprived of my childhood, and life was meaningless for me. For years, I seethed with anger, hatred and bitterness toward my father.

In 1981, after barely three years of living with my grandmother, I got very sick and was sent back home. I had severe asthma, was very pale, and had allergies all over my body. In my desperation, I prayed that God would take me because I didn’t find purpose in my life anymore. However, I was also scared of death.

One night, I dreamt of a person with a very bright light coming out from him. I believe He was Jesus, because I heard Him say, “Irene, I have loved you.” For the first time, I opened the Bible, and God led me to John 3:16 -

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.

The word “loved” in that verse really struck me. Though I didn’t completely understand what it meant, I felt loved for the first time. The next thing I knew, I was down on my knees. In that moment on 30 November 1981, I opened my heart to Jesus and invited Him to be my personal Lord and Savior.

I realized that this newfound relationship with God was all I ever needed. I started to hunger for God’s Word. When I went back to my grandmother, I knew that I still had to face the loneliness and my sickness, but this time, I would find my strength, joy, and hope from Jesus. I also started praying for my family’s salvation.

Finally, in 1985 – after seven years – I went home for good. I started to look for a church where I could grow in my relationship with God. In college, I joined the Campus Crusade for Christ, where I grew in my faith and learned to share the Gospel.

But there were times that the pain of the past would haunt me like an uninvited guest. I was still distant from my father .

In 1993, God gave me the second love of my life – my husband. I praise God for giving me such a loving and God-fearing partner in life. With my husband’s help, I had the courage to share the gospel with my family, and all except my father received Jesus Christ.

In 2001, I dreamt of my father weeping, and that really bothered me. I knew that God had been telling to me to forgive him, totally and completely, so that I would be healed. When I had the chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with my father, I humbly asked for his forgiveness – for being bitter towards him and for my rebellious attitude. I also told him how grateful I was to God that he was my father. His tears flowed as he knelt before me and asked for my forgiveness. He regretted the way he treated me, because he himself did not experience love from his parents. In an instant, healing took place.

God is so amazing! Right then and there, with the help of my husband, I shared the good news about Jesus with my father, and he made the decision to make Him His Lord and Savior. After that, a heavy load was taken off my shoulders. We both felt the peace of God, and all the bitterness and resentment just melted away. God is so good!

I will always be grateful to God for using those circumstances to bring me to where I am today. He restored me and my relationship with my family, and He gave my life a new beginning. I don’t have enough words to fully appreciate Gods’ display of his love, grace, goodness, and power in my life. I know that I am now living for Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, in Galatians 2:20 – my life verse:

I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I lived, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me.

To God, who has loved me with an everlasting love, I give all the glory!

Do you have a personal relationship with God?

Monique with her children

There is a dark side. It exists. I have seen it, and I have lived in it, so I know. This is my story. My name is Monique, and I was a slave of the dark side.

I vividly remember: when I was just 12 years old, a psychic knocked on our doors and offered to help us through our family problems. My grandfather had just died, and my great-grandfather followed. There were disputes in our family, and we were desperate for a solution. We thought that this man who entered our home was an answered prayer. Little did we know that he brought into our lives a curse that nearly led to my destruction. It was an awakening to the realm of the dark side.

We held several sessions of talking to our dead relatives through a medium, and we saw many paranormal manifestations such as a dancing Santo Niño and creepy movements in the house. On the third day, the medium became so tired that the psychic had to look for a replacement. He tried many of my family members, but I was the “chosen one.” He performed a ritual over me and, within minutes, I was in a trance, and the sessions began again.

I do not remember much about these sessions except the numbness and something like electricity running through my body. Every time I returned to my body, I would feel extremely exhausted and thirsty. In one session, I floated two inches off the floor and called myself another name. I would speak deep Tagalog fluently and was supposedly prophesying.

The psychic told me that I was gifted. I really thought I was extra special. So, there were times when, unsupervised, I would enter into a trance, invite a spirit, and just look for missing things. In the beginning, I really thought it was fun; only I could do it.

When the psychic left, he gave me a black Sto. Niño anting-anting (amulet) and told me of the scary consequences of what he had opened in my life. He told me that anytime a spirit wanted to enter my body, I had to just drop on the floor and get up as someone else, and I would have to “finish their mission in life.” I was devastated! True enough, these episodes came one after the other, and I could not stop it.

One night, a legion of them came and tried to enter my body. I could even hear them murmuring! Because I was paralyzed by their presence, I could not scream. I was able to cough, and that cough was strong enough to awaken my grandmother. When she saw me, I was unrecognizeable. They prayed over me – not looking at me – and brought me the very next day to a church for an exorcism.

When they asked me if the psychic had given me anything, I told them about the anting-anting Sto. Niño and gave it to the church. After praying over me, they threw the anting-anting into the air, and it burned up before our very eyes.

The psychic told me that if I gave up this so-called gift, I would lose it forever. So that’s exactly what I prayed for, but things got worse. I was opened to other things I could see and hear, and the episodes increased.

Because I was so lost, I joined a “spirited” group at the University of the Philippines and met many of my kind. They taught me to go deeper into the demonic realm. I learned tarot reading, palm reading, automatic writing, mind reading, witchcraft, and much more. We would go on missions to solve cases.

But I was very tired, doing all this. I truly felt like a slave – I was not living my own life; I was in BONDAGE. During one of our sessions, the teacher taught us how to open and close the gift. I chose to close the gift and close it forever. That was the end of a ten-year ordeal.

Four years later, I still felt normal. I met the Lord. I prayed to receive Christ here in CCF. I knew that I had Jesus in my heart. But as a work in progress, one thing I did not understand was that certain sins could still have power over me. I could never be victorious, because they were repetitive in nature.

Then, I joined the Deliverance Ministry. I realized that, though I had received Christ, I still had not confessed all my past sins, and this was hindering my spiritual walk. The Bible truths clearly spoke to me:

I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. So set yourself apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:6

Never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11

I also realized that all forms of evil manifestations – from duwende and kapre to bitterness and rage – are all operated by one and the same: the demon known as Satan. And it is possible for us to serve Jesus but still have footholds for sin and the devil.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (One day) the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house bleeding.

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear. And the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Acts 19:13-20

I confessed and truly turned my allegiance to Jesus Christ. Only then was I set free.

Jesus gave me a new life. Now, I am no longer in the dark side. I have seen the true light. In Jesus, I am free and alive.

… have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
Galatians 2:20

Have you asked God for deliverance?