Special Prayer Request For Pastor Freddy Cortez

TODAY I AM ASKING A SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST for a very special Christian brother and long time dear Friend, Pastor/Teacher Freddy Cortez.   In 2018 Pastor Freddy had a major health crisis and was given only a 20% chance to make it.  God brought him through that and he soon returned to the pulpit, to his teaching at Hope Bible Institute, locally and online, and to his online teaching in the Philippines and Africa. 

From 2013  to 2017 Pastor Freddy was leading a Bible Conference and teaching Seminary Level Classes in the Philippines once each year.  Since his illness in 2018, he has not been able to resume his travels but has continued his local and online teaching faithfully.

Just a little background:  In 1987, when I was saved in the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA), aka FACI, Pastor Freddy Cortez (Alfredo I. Cortez, Jr.) was a college student and youth leader, very active in our church services, Bible studies, and Sunday School.  He became a Youth Pastor in our Fil-Am Church of Long Beach.  Several years later, circa 1994, he was appointed as pastor of our Fil-Am Church of South Orange County in San Clemente.  I was honored to be there to hear his first sermon as pastor of that church and I considered it a blessing to work with him in that ministry.

Those churches were affiliated with the Baptist General Conference.  In 1998 Pastor Freddy founded the Church of Hope, an independent church fellowship with a Baptist flavor.  The church was incorporated in 2001 and is recognized by the State of California as an independent non-profit ministry. 

In 2003, he completed a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies at Tyndale Theological Seminary and graduated with highest honors.  He was pursuing his Th.M with Chafer Theological Seminary before the seminary relocated to Albuquerque, NM.  He attributes much of his exegetical and hermeneutical training to coursework taken at Chafer Theological Seminary - and that is reflected in his personal example that an effective pastor must also be a teaching pastor.

In 2004, Pastor Freddy started Hope Bible Institute, which trains and equips believers in third world countries as well as in Alicia Viejo, California, offering theological education at no cost.  HBI has two satellite schools in the Philippines, as well as one in Cameroon, Africa.  HBI equips pastors, deacons, church workers, and those interested in seminary level courses.   In September 2007, he finished his Doctor of Ministry degree. 

Pastor Freddy is a wonderful teacher of God's Word.  As you can see from the collage below, he puts his whole heart into sharing the Word of God and teaching others to be leaders and teachers.  Especially now, our world needs more apostle Paul type teachers such as Pastor Freddy.  I have known this man of God for over 30 years and know his heart for discipling and raising up new Bible teachers.

Let us all seek God's will that Pastor Freddy will be fully healed and fully restored to his Bible teaching ministry.  Please keep him and all his family in prayers of healing, peace, and blessed assurance.

Thank you and God bless, Bill Gray 

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Subject:  Prayer request
Date:     Fri, 21 Aug 2020 19:15:19 -0700
From:    Alfredo I. Cortez, Jr.

Brethren,

On August 26 I will have my annual check up with Dr. Colin Joyo to discuss the current condition of my aorta based upon what he sees on my CT Scan.  What I'm hoping for is "complete healing" which is why I'm asking for prayers.  Next week I will have the CT Scan taken on Monday the 24th, and then meet with Dr. Joyo on Wednesday to go over it. 

As it stands, I have multiple tears along the aorta extending down past my stomach.  My current b/p meds are preventing the tears from propagating and tearing open.  Scarring is what both my surgeon and cardiologist want to see over time which is why I'm scheduled for routine check-in with them every year or so.

My request for you is to pray that God will heal my aorta so that I would not have any more issues with it.  Wouldn't it be special if God would grant my request?  Both my surgeon and cardiologist said that an aorta never goes back to normal after it dissects, instead what they want to see happen is for scar tissue to form over time to bolster the weakened areas.

As you pray, please know the following:

That I have prayed to God about this even before I sent the request out to you.

That I am extremely grateful to be alive and with you, all my family, church family, and friends.  I have told God that my request does not mean that I am not grateful for what He has done.  I am grateful.  So why pray?  For the following reasons.

1. I would like (If God wills) to have a powerful testimony about what God has done in my life.  I would begin my HBI Conferences (or whatever speaking engagements I am to be a part of) with how God not only saved my life in March of 2018, but how He actually performed a miracle by healing my aorta.  I would have in my possession a "before and after image of my aorta" as evidence of the healing that transpired as a result of prayers to a God who can, and still does, heals today.

2  If completely healed, I would like to be involved in many more projects to advance the cause of Christ.  At the moment because I still have tears (in my aorta), so I really have to be extra careful with what I do.  Any mention of going to the Philippines to resume HBI Conferences have been met with concern and resistance (rightfully so) from several of you.  Which is another reason I'd like to see if God would be open to healing me completely.  This way no one has to worry about me having issues while being overseas, or wherever He sends me.

3. Should the Lord decide not to completely heal me, I will be at total peace with that.  His ways are higher than ours and I would not be upset in the least, nor would I be discouraged.  His power is perfected in (our) weakness the Bible says, so I'm open to what His final answer will be.

I've searched my soul to see if I could detect anything out of line with my request - and I cannot see anything that would be.  For sure I would not be able to take credit for a restored aorta - since the explanation goes beyond the realm of the normative and science - and can only be explained from the realm of the divine (so God gets all the credit).  I have spoken to several of you as well about this.

Lastly, the LCOTC (Lutheran Church of the Cross, Laguna Woods, CA - hosted Church of Hope for years before COH moved to Aliso Viejo) wants to pray for me on Sunday.  If a few of you would like to be there to pray for me with Pastor Roger, plan on being at the Laguna Woods campus by 12PM.  Pastor Roger wants to pray for me after their service is finished.  No problem if you can't be there.  if you would like to be there please bring a mask and remember to social distance.

Please share with ministries and others that are like minded who wouldn't mind adding me on their prayer list.

Steadfast in the Word,
Freddy Cortez, Pastor-Teacher

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