Recently, we had the opportunity to interview Cash Luna for the August edition of Daystar’s monthly newsletter. Only part of the interview was included in the newsletter, but you can read the rest of it right here!
Briefly share your testimony with us.
God has been present in my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a family where it was just my Mom and me. Thus she became my example, my role model and my support in everything. I recall my first encounter with the Lord when I was ten years old. It was nighttime, and He was standing right at the foot of my bed. I couldn’t see His Face, but His Presence overwhelmed me, and I could literally feel Him looking right at me. I woke up my Mom so she could see Him, but she couldn’t see him. Only I could. It was mind-blowing and wonderful.
Ever since, I’ve always felt Him right by me. He’d sometimes be asking me things and other times He would give me real clear instructions to follow. He’s led me and counseled me; even before the day when at twenty-years old a friend invited me to church and I gave my life to the Lord. I remember so clearly walking towards the altar in a pair of men’s clogs; they were in fashion back then. I had torn-up jeans and a pack of cigarettes in my back pocket. And as of that moment, He’s had my total and undivided commitment. The Lord just made me fall in love with Him. He filled me with His enthusiasm and passion for souls. I’ve dedicated my life to serving Him, and honestly, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
Some of my biggest influences have been my Mom and my pastor, Jorge H. Lopez, as well as Joel Osteen, Luis Palau and believe it or not Mother Teresa of Calcutta. My wife and children have also been a great influence in my life, because of their unconditional love and wholehearted commitment that always encourages me to press on.
hen did you first realize that you wanted to go into full-time ministry?
Even as a young child, I’d always tell my Mom I wanted to be a missionary. Though, I really didn’t understand what that meant. But my desire was always to serve God and mankind. However, time went on, and I just hit the books, like any young man wanting to get ahead in life. Then, in 1982, I was invited to church, and I gave my life to the Lord. This is how I embraced my calling once again, and I haven’t stopped serving Him since. Throughout the years, I’ve integrated my life of serving with my life as a husband, father and businessman. But around 1996, my wife and I decided to focus entirely on the ministry since so many invitations to minister the Word of God and for healing crusades started to fill up my time. Going full-time into ministry was a wonderful challenge because we knew that once we obeyed God’s command of making disciples, everything else would be added unto us. And that’s how it’s always been.
Tell us a little more about how you started your church in Guatemala.
Casa de Dios started with 3 families that were friends of ours, right there in one of their homes, in March 1994. God’s Presence was so strong and anointing so tangible that soon there wasn’t any room in the house because of the amount of people that kept coming. And that’s how our exodus started through various parts of Guatemala City. In September of that same year, we started meeting in a hotel, followed by a building’s hall-room, then afterwards a venue we lovingly call “la bodeguita” (the warehouse), since it was just a large, old storehouse and not very comfortable. But little by little, we started fixing it up to receive the people that started attending any of our six services every Sunday. We were there for a few years, and during our steady and continual growth, in May 1999, we started our healing and miracle nights otherwise known as “Nights of Glory.” Of course, we held the first ones in Guatemala, but soon they started spreading quickly throughout South and North America.
A number of other important things took place that year. As fruit of the vision God had given us, we started our work of discipling people. Little by little, we started developing what is now known as the “Jesus Model,” a system by which we develop Life or Friendship Groups to shepherd others and disciple them just like our Lord Jesus did. We also started the construction of our new sanctuary, which we opened in 2001. Our first television program went on the air that year, on ENLACE in Latin America. From then on, multiplication has been nothing short of exponential. This is why we started construction of our second sanctuary, inaugurated on April 2013, which is where we gather now.
Ever since those first meetings in the home of our friends, the Lord has told us that our congregation wasn’t born in the heart of man but in the heart of God. He said it would be known by the manifest Power and Presence of the Lord. That was His promise then, and He’s always kept it. That’s the reason why I’ll never grow tired of giving Him all the praise and all the glory!
What’s the one message you want people to take away from you ministry?
That Jesus Christ IS the Son of God, and He’s our Savior. That’s the most important message of all. We also share that God is our loving Father. He loves us and yearns to have an intimate relationship with each and every one of us. His love, grace, mercy and blessings will always be with us if we just believe His Word and act on it.
Do you have any interesting hobbies?
Well, I love sports in general. If I’m not lounging around playing bingo online real money, I always make time in my busy schedule to practice a sport with my family, and we all usually exercise together.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice I’ve ever received is that without faith it’s impossible to please God, and also love is a determining factor. Always love, love and love some more no matter the situation.
How has Daystar, and Christian Television in general, impacted your ministry?
Daystar has been a wonderful opportunity to take the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessing of His Holy Spirit to many other nations, for it is He that works in the lives of those that really believe. At the same time, Christian television, especially Daystar, has been a blessing to my life allowing me to meet other ministries that I have learned from and have edified me greatly.
What is your favorite thing about being in ministry?
I guess you can say it’s the intimate relationship I enjoy with God. When we give Him first place in every aspect of our lives, He starts fulfilling the loving work He’s designed for us.