Dr. J Show | June 26, 2024 - Marco Casanova

Marco Casanova was addicted to pornography and acted out homosexually while also attending a seminary to become a priest. "I was maintaining a duplicitous life that I needed saving from," he said.

Fortunately, seminary leaders helped him. He discerned out of the priesthood, left his gay identity thanks to Desert Streams Living Waters, and is now married to a woman.

"I don't believe people are born gay. I do think homosexuality is emblematic of a psychological wound," Marco said.

As we've heard from other ex-gay male guests, an early father wound led to a desire for male attention becoming eroticized at puberty. And is also so often the case, exposure to pornography negatively sexualized Marco at a young age.

He is now part of the international group Desert Streams Living Waters, which helps men and women "coming out of a host of starting points of sexual and relational brokenness" find healing.

Watch to find out what Living Waters group meetings are like and how to find one near you. Also, on Locals, hear Marco explain the problem with people labeling themselves "gay," and how this affects the "gay Christian" concept.

Learn more by watching the full episode on Locals, or find the first part only on YouTube, Bitchute, or Odysee.

Watch the full episode on Locals

Watch the first half on YouTube

This is Sean from South Africa. When he saw our Ex-Gay Visibility campaign, he shared this story with us:

"For as long as I can recall, I had desires that conflicted with my conscience and later my faith in Jesus – I experience same sex attraction. In my teenage years I gave my heart to Jesus but the desires didn't vanish just by saying a prayer.

When laws in South Africa changed in 1995, I encountered pornography and it set me on fire. My life split into two – wanting to please God and please my flesh, its desires now released from my Pandora's box closet, fueled by pornography and later drugs. Addiction has its own power and it caused me to choose to rebel against God, the Bible and church.

I became very promiscuous, very angry and sought to destroy God by dabbling in outright Satanic worship. I burned Bibles, vandalized churches and continued raving my false identity despite growing sicker with HIV and then AIDS.

After years of fire, lust and drugs, my world finally collapsed where I lost my career, my friends, my lifestyle, my drugs, my dignity and almost my life. Social services intervened and arranged that I would spend my last months at a frail care facility and die in a bed and not on the pavement.

But God had other plans. The Gospel came to me again after all my excuses in running and fighting had been spent. Jesus invited me back into the Father's presence and offered forgiveness. He extended mercy and faithfulness despite all I had done. None of my old friends or dealers or devils where there to pull me back – Jesus did. And now I live my life, my new life, for Him.

He is worth saying "no" to still present sinful desires, He is the basis of my identity, not that which tempts me and will ruin me if I follow it. I would rather follow Him. He is better and far more beautiful, my Strength and Stay."

Sean is one of many who disprove "once gay always gay." Those who feel trapped in a life they no longer want to live need to know they've been lied to by the LGBT community.

They were not "born gay." They can change.

We give them hope.

We didn't reach our $25,000 goal, but it's not too late to push us closer. We're incredibly grateful for your donations to keep the Ruth Institute going and to spread the word that ex-gays exist and deserve our praise for their bravery.

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Prayer Corner for:

(If you have a prayer intention, please reply to this email.)

a woman with chronic kidney illness and who lost her job.
the repose of the soul of Mary, who was 102.
a couple attending a retreat to try to save their marriage.
a family who may lose their home.
our general intention for June:

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