There is great deception that causes the widespread acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle in almost all sectors of our society.

This is the reason why the CCF Living Free Ministry held a forum last Saturday, November 21, 2009 at Christ Commission Fellowship in St. Francis Square, Ortigas Center entitled: “THE CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO THE GAY TODAY”, which was aimed to increase awareness of this problem and how we as Christians ought to respond. Bro. Albit Rodriguez, head of the ministry, was the main speaker.
In his speech, Bro. Albit cited various research perspectives coming from medical, social and theological concepts and beliefs which were and still are being used to promote the acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle which run contrary to the Word of God. He said studies like the alleged evidence proving homosexuality’s constitutionality – existence of Xq28 x-chromosome and size difference in the hypothalamus brain region (INAH3) were never proven. He further explained how the men behind these findings later on even recanted their earlier declarations and attempted to correct the widespread deception that their work had caused. He also noted a number of determining factors as to how a person develops homosexual tendencies and desires and later on progress to embrace the so called “alternative lifestyle”. Dysfunctional family environments (such as, having an absentee, abusive or indifferent father or mother, etc.), traumatic and sexual influences, deception and lies of the enemy instigates the unmet need for love and affirmation of a child at a young age thus resulting to a misguided quest for love and affirmation which take parts in the formation of “hole in a child’s heart”. The so-called “hole in the heart syndrome” experienced by individuals due to improper child-development may lead to a reckless quest for love and understanding, which to some individuals result in a perverse and gay orientation and lifestyle.

Bro. Albit referred to Genesis 1:26 which clearly states “God created man and woman” period! He did not create a third sex or gender. “God clearly said that homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). It is a sin, having the same ultimate consequence as other sins (1 Cor. 6:9-12), which is eternal death,” he continued. “For whatever type of sin it may be, it is only through Jesus Christ that we can find a solution and a way out. We should not be disheartened. The Lord has plenty of promises to those who are near to Him and faithful to His word. It is only through Christ that we can overcome sin and temptation. First John 1:9 says ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’.” He further said that with man, changing a homosexual is impossible but “with God all things are possible.”

As the speaker closed the message, he concluded with an encouragement to follow the example that Jesus has set before us. The greatest gift we can give to people in need including those in the bondage to the homosexual, effeminate and lesbian lifestyle is our love. We also need to spend time with the Lord in prayer and fasting for the Spirit to change their hearts. And most importantly, we need to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to them in love.

An audience of 134 men and women from different churches and groups came to hear God’s message because of their burden to learn and know how to respond to a family member, a relative, a co-worker or a friend who are into the gay lifestyle. A series of questions came from the audience as the event closed with an open forum and were answered by the selected guest panels consisting of Bro. Albit Rodriguez, Paul Aquino, Marlyn Estrera, and Cel Dizon, headed by Pastor Bert Villa.

Windsong, together with an LFM member, Bro. Yette Valenzuela opened the event with a heartwarming and intimate praise and worship. Sister Marlyn Estrera and Brother Paul Aquino, both a part of the ministry’s core team shared their own testimonies of being delivered from the bondage to homosexuality through the working of Jesus Christ in their individual lives.

I am Shella, 39, married, and a mother to three wonderful children.

I first came to know the Lord in 1999, when my husband and I were having problems with our relationship. Having been married for just three years already seemed a lifetime. I was not enjoying being a wife to him. I was not happy.

My family background was not happy, either. My father was irresponsible; he spent his money and energy on women and also much of his time with his peers. My mother, who’s supposed to take care of us in my father’s absence, used most of her time playing a detective, finding his whereabouts and going after his conquests. My siblings and I watched and waited for their attention and never got it. They were too busy with their own lives, and for them we were just spectators, not a part of a so-called family.

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A dual testimony by husband and wife Alan and Milette.
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ALAN: As a teenager during the chaotic era of the hippies and Woodstock, I was part of a rock band. We experimented with drugs and alcohol, and it was common for us to binge on weekends.

After graduation I was hired by a company in shipping, airlines and manpower recruitment. My job called for a lot of entertaining, so I started drinking every night.

After several years in the corporate world, my father suggested that I take over the family business. But I soon sensed that my parents had no plans at all of relinquishing the control of the company to me. So began my feelings of betrayal, anger, bitterness, and frustration. I no longer cared about going to the office.

MILETTE: I was 22 when I met Alan. I noticed that he drank quite a lot but, I wasn’t worried because I considered his drinking a part of his job. Three years later, we got married. Two years after, I gave birth to our first child, Patrick.

Our first major trial came when we tried to have another child but failed. It did not help that my job required me to stay late in the office and sacrifice my weekends. Our marriage started to suffer.

On weekends I was pained by loneliness. Alan would be out playing golf and drinking with his buddies the whole day. I had no peace in my marriage, and our family life was in shambles. Realizing the delicate situation of our marriage, I decided to resign from my job to focus on my family.

In 1998 we adopted a beautiful baby girl.. Thea’s presence in our life helped to heal our indifference toward each other.

ALAN: But by 2005, my drinking was totally out of control. I was hospitalized several times for drinking-related problems. To make matters worse, Milette discovered that I had been carrying on an affair with a much younger woman for sometime. She was ready to give up on me. Instead of asking for her forgiveness, I abandoned my family and lived with the other woman for several months.

MILETTE: In 2005, my husband’s family business which thrived heavily on foreign exchange was adversely affected by the 9/11 tragedy in the US. It was during this difficult time, right before his father died in 2007, that Alan would often have misunderstandings with his parents.

It was also then that I learned about his affair. My heart was torn to pieces, but I had to be strong for the sake of our children. I praise God for the gift of family and friends in my darkest hour. My children gave me comfort, my sister fortified my faith with words from Scripture, friends in Penuel prayed over me, and colleagues at work helped me focus when I would just break down in self-pity.

Then, it got even scarier, when Alan’s liver  became cirrhotic.

ALAN: My doctors  advised my wife that if I didn’t seek help very soon, I wouldn’t be around by 2009. But, God had other plans for me. A close friend convinced my wife  to bring me to Penuel House (now Penuel U), a truly one-of-a-kind spiritual recovery sanctuary.

My first month in Penuel was a difficult time of adjustment, but I was introduced to the Bible. I learned that all my sins had been paid for by the death of Jesus on the cross. All I needed to do was to repent and receive the free gift of eternal life. I felt an extreme sense of joy; all along I thought that I had been condemned to hell because of all my sins.

MILETTE: Amazed at my husband’s transformation while in Penuel, I readily agreed when he invited me to the worship service here in CCF. That first service was unforgettable. I always thought that I was an A-one Christian, but I realized I was a “lukewarm” Christian, and I was humbled.

During Alan’s stay in Penuel, we got to attend a couples’ retreat. Then, we started attending midweek Bible Studies. An irresistible thirst to know God more came over me.

I used to be so proud, unforgiving, and uncaring. All that mattered was the big “I.” I was so judgmental; when people didn’t measure up to my standards, I would be upset and berate them. I had a bad temper, and I was materialistic.

After I accepted Jesus Christ, I felt the Lord gradually healing me. I began to bear the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

ALAN: When I surrendered myself completely to the Lord, miracles began happening in my life. I thought my family’s healing would take a long time, so I was shocked when God started healing them almost immediately. It began with my ten-year-old daughter who only months ago said, “I don’t have a daddy anymore; he’s dead.” During her visits to Penuel, she became Daddy’s little girl again. Now she’s part of NxtGen.

My son, on the other hand, gave me the best Christmas gift when he came to the Penuel Christmas Party after I wrote him a letter asking for forgiveness. We started bonding again, and it felt good to have him back.

Though I lost my mother while I was in Penuel, before she died, I was able to ask for her forgiveness and tell her how grateful I was to her for not giving up on me. Her passing away at dawn on New Year’s Day of this year was like God telling me, “For you, a new dawn, a new year, and a new life”.

In order to know God more, my wife and I now regularly attend Sunday worship, Bible Studies and D-group meetings. And in thanksgiving for all His blessings, we intend to join NxtGen as volunteers.

MILETTE: My marriage and family life has become a blessing. After learning about how God had forgiven me for all my sins, it became easier for me to forgive Alan and build again from the brokenness and bitterness that consumed me.

I cannot picture myself surviving this world without my newfound relationship with God. Ironically, it took my erstwhile alcoholic husband to bring me to the CCF family, where the seed of faith and love for Jesus was planted in my heart.  As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

ALAN: I close this testimony with a verse from Philippians 3:13-14 — “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

I am Marites, a single parent of six children.

I grew up in a dysfunctional family. I was sexually molested at the early age of 4, on top of being emotionally, verbally, and physically abused. As a result, I became jealous of good relationships. I was envious, covetous, insecure, self-centered, confused, selfish, gossipy, angry, and very bitter. I always thought that the world was so unfair and that I was always the victim.

My mom was a full-time nagger, my dad a 24/7 gambler and part-time womanizer. My mom was always in fight mode, so my dad was always in flight mode. As early as six years old, I was often left to take care of my two siblings. My mom had high expectations of me because I was the eldest, and I had to know how to perform all the household chores aside from caring for the other children. I never had a childhood myself, acting as the mother to my siblings and taking on all that responsibility. I had to think of my siblings’ needs before my own.

I was ten years old when our business went bankrupt. My mom suffered from depression, and my dad left us for another woman. I was forced to work in order to feed my siblings and face all my mom’s creditors. These creditors were enraged, cursing me for the bounced checks that my mom issued; I received many threats on her behalf.I

In school, my parents were always absent from parents’ meetings. I felt neglected and unloved. I tried to excel in academics, but my insecurities prevented me from having good relationships. I seldom smiled, tried to get attention through angry behavior, and wanted everyone to be miserable like me.

Even though I was studying, I was still forced to wake up before 4:00am to go out and work, or else a heated flat iron on my lap would wake me up on my lap, or lashes from a rubber rope would give me stripes all over my skin.

I rebelled by getting pregnant at 17 to escape from the responsibilities passed on to me and to avoid my molestors and my angry, abusive mom. I was forced to get married out of a superstition that staying unmarried would bring bad luck to the family, but I thought marriage would be my escape. I didn’t know it would be worse than I ever thought. I became a battered wife, beaten black and blue everyday by an irresponsible and alcoholic husband. I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed and tried to be strong. My family advised me to avoid having a broken home.

But after five years, I couldn’t take any more. I was hospitalized with almost broken spine and skull, hematoma (bruises) all over my body, and an X mark on my face. I almost lost all my fingers in self-defense, grabbing the knife that my husband had used to destroy my face.

I hid myself from him and lived in fear of being killed. Many guys offered me a good and comfortable life; I became dependent on relationships and jumped from one to another. Then, I gave in to a married man and became his mistress. He was a surgeon and so very able to provide. He was very gentle and took care of me. I thought we really loved each other; he considered me and the four children we had together his 2nd family. I thought everything was okay.

Although I knew it was immoral to become a mistress, I felt my actions were justified because my family was getting financial help. I believed that if I didn’t ask for counsel from anyone — who cared? Everyone makes mistakes.

I never prayed; I knew God as judgmental and perfectionist. He would just punish me for my sin and condemn me to hell. Why should I pray if it will just go to the trash? It was a waste of time and effort for me. I expected to just pray on my deathbed and confess to a priest with my last breath.

I used material things to pretend I was happy, but deep in myself, I was screaming for help. I tried everything to overcome my emptiness: going to casinos and bars, shopping, and engaging in sex and pornography. I also went to a psychiatrist because I suffered from depression.

But God loves me so much; he heard my silent cry. I heard the gospel in a moment of boredom and found myself thirsting for more. I attended Christian worship services and then accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

The problems did not end right there and then, though. I felt convicted and suddenly had the fear of death. It gave me sleepless nights. I became dependent on sleeping pills to buy just three hours of sleep.

And, I couldn’t give up my comfortable life. My greatest fear was to become poor again. I could afford to live simply, but I couldn’t compromise my four kids’ future. My two older children from my previous relationship came back to me, bringing the total to six kids.

One night, I had an anxiety attack. I couldn’t breathe. I knew I was dying. With my last breath, I cried out to God and begged for another chance to live. In return, I would straighten up my life.

God is good and listened to my prayer. I was so afraid and confused; I didn’t know how to start fulfilling my promise. God then talked to me by showing two roads in a dream. I had to choose. The first road was very pleasing to the eyes and filled with flowers. The second road was so dark. But there, Jesus would walk with me and uphold me each time I fell.

I talked to the surgeon and tried to end the relationship. I asked him to support the kids and set me free, but he refused because, he said, we were his second family. On God’s prompting, I called his wife, and he became extremely angry with me. He believed I had replaced him with another man and threatened to take our 4 kids from me. I was jobless then (2004) and had a four-month-old baby and children aged three, five, six, 12, and 14. I was financially incapable of raising them all. I cried and asked God to help me have the custody of my children; I would lose my mind if they would be taken from me.

I was already attending CCF then, and God spoke to me through Jeremiah 33:3 — “Call unto Me and I will answer and I will show you great and mighty things you do not know.”

One day, the surgeon and his wife visited the four younger kids and brought some stuff that they needed. I thought everything would go smoothly. On the contrary, it resulted in a heated argument and then violence. I was brutally battered in front of my five-year-old son. I was slapped, had my head hit against the wall, and almost choked me to death. The wife boxed, kicked, and poked my head. Thank God I was able to cry for help.

The couple escaped and filed a case against me to protect their reputation. They claimed I beat them both. I never thought of filing a case against them and just reported the incident to the police. God led me all throughout the process, from the police to the hospital, securing all the evidence I needed if anything happened.

It is not easy to follow Jesus. I asked God, “Why did You allow them to hurt me, when all I want is to follow your command to stop being a mistress?” I really couldn’t understand.

My five-year-old son blamed himself for being so small and unable to help me during the attack. My kids suddenly stopped talking and were all traumatized by the fear of losing their dad and the comfortable life they were used to.

At CCF, I learned to pray and read the bible. I drew my strength from the Scripture each time I felt low. I learned to sing praises all the time, even when we had nothing to eat. God said that life is more important than the food we eat and clothes we wear. I finished reading the entire bible in less than 6 months. I discovered the mighty works of God and that He is so forgiving, merciful, loving, and faithful to His promises. I applied the Word to my life.

Then, I tested God’s pomise in Malachi 3:10-12. He promised to return all my tithes and offerings pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and he would open the windows of heaven and bless my health, work, and home. People would call me blessed.

I gave my tithes from everything I received. I heard from Pastor Joby Soriano the story of a farmer crying while planting his very last seeds, trusting God for the outcome. I had my last ₱1000 with me at the time and put it in the tithe box. That meant my kids would have nothing to eat. But I planted it as a seed. I said to myself, “If I keep the ₱1000 in my wallet, it is not enough, even for a week. But I will plant this and trust God to provide for our needs.”

God’s promise is true. He opens the windows of heaven. If I prayed for milk for my baby, three months’ supply of milk for my six kids will arrive, specially delivered by a stranger. I even had some to share with the needy. I was jobless for two years, and God provided for me and for my kids. I never begged nor asked from anyone else. I just applied Philippians 4:6-7; I told God all my needs through prayer and thanked Him for His answers.

There was a time when four of the kids got sick almost every week. I begged for a bottle of medicine from their father, but he refused to help. I cried to God and said, “I know You can change his heart, but you hardened it. Although it’s so painful, I will still thank and praise You because I love You.” Then, my 4 kids were miraculuously healed! I realized that God was teaching me a very powerful prayer: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

God burdened me to give love to street children through the Backstreet Kids ministry. I believe teaching them about God’s love and loving them will help prevent them from becoming criminals someday. God also taught me to be compassionate and called me to become a caregiver for the sick. I volunteered in a hospital and shared the gospel at the same time. I also used to criticize men in uniform and call them names. God led me to participate in and volunteer for the first batch of the Philippine National Police – Purpose-Driven Life ministry. God opened my eyes and helped me to see that these men and women risked their lives for our safety in exchange for a small salary and few benefits. So now, I look at them with compassion and respect.

I was happy but not completely joyful. I still needed some healing.

Court proceedings troubled me. I shook in fear and couldn’t eat. The surgeon and his wife wanted my downfall. The court had decided in my favor before; now the couple was using their money and connections to reverse the decision. I trusted God to be my defender and lawyer. The case they filed against me was dismissed, but the cases filed by the police continued (the doctor was charged with violence against women and children. His wife was charged with physical injury). I could not afford to hire a good lawyer, so I was advised to dismiss the case in exchange for support for my kids. God told me to give up my rights, forgive them, and fully trust Him, so I obeyed.

I realized that if God had not allowed the couple to physically attack me, there would be no record of their violence, and I could have lost custody of the kids. Not only did God answer my prayer to keep my kids, but he also provided for them. The couple would be obliged to give support in exchange for the dismissal of the criminal cases.

God’s thoughts and ways are different from ours. The court order was delayed for two years because the couple had taken the documents. I kept quiet and handed it all to God. We were driven away from the house the surgeon had bought for his four kids with me. People advised me to fight for my kids’ rights and stay put in the house. But God said, “Let go and trust Me,” and I obeyed.

In 2006, I joined a D-Group, and soon, many people were praying for me and the kids. God blessed me w/ a good job. I learned many things about His faithfulness and how to be a good mother. My kids recovered from the trauma, by the grace of God, and with the help of Sunday school teachers who patiently and lovingly taught them about their loving Heavenly Father. My kids are now talking again and excelling in school. (God bless you, Sunday school teachers!)

I thought a tall and handsome guy would be the answer to my prayers, and I planned to remarry. But God said, “No,” so I obeyed. God himself provided for me and comforted me each time I longed for someone. God revealed Himself to me as the best Husband and Father of my fatherless children.

God said to me, “You cannot give what you don’t have,” and led me to join the Glorious Hope program. I knew there was something in me that needed healing and recovery. The program helped me to see my defects and strengths. All my life, I thought I was a victim. Now, I had learned to forgive and accept my past, not with bitterness, but with a thankful heart, allowing God to heal me. I prayed to God to make a way for me to be able to ask for forgiveness from the couple I had harmed by being a mistress.

But then, I was framed. The dismissed case had been reopened; the couple still wanted to reverse the court’s decision. Still, God is so good. I was able to attend the hearing and took the opportunity to humbly ask the couple for forgiveness. I was mocked, humiliated and unforgiven. But God covered me w/ His loving arms, comforted me, and kept me still; I didn’t fight back. By the grace of God, I was free from the curse of unforgiveness. I did my part; the battle was the Lord’s. Fear left me; I fully trusted God to defend me against all their plans to hurt me and my children. I simply chose to trust God and forgive.

Once again, the case was dismissed! And the couple has been compelled to give the kids financial support.

Now, I am happy and content serving God with pure joy. God’s plan and timing is perfect. I have no regrets. I thank God for those hardships. He is using me now to encourage the weak and the hurting. He is so faithful to His promises — he held me up each time I fell, just as he had promised in my dream — and His word shall stand forever.

I am still a work in progress and need a lot of prayers. My prayer is for God to use me, lead me, and guide me where to go and what to say. I pray that I can glorify God and do what he wants, that even after my death, I will never stop glorifying His name.

God is so good all the time! He revealed Himself to me as my provider, husband, Father of my fatherless, healer, defender, lawyer, peace, refuge, rock, strength, and comforter. He is my everything!

Truly, as Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.” To God be all the glory!