I feel...

I feel...

... sad.

... weak.

... angry.

... depressed.

... embarrassed.

... hurt.

... betrayed.

... lost.

... despised.

... ignored.

... shy.

... discouraged.

... lonely.

... confused.

... revolted.

Yeah, so?

What really matters is not how you feel, but what you're going to do about the situation.

Be practical.

Distorted Thinking

I want your faith

How many times peo­ple come to us say­ing, “I pray to God but noth­ing hap­pens in my life. I want to have a faith like yours, please help me!”

Their mis­take is to think that they need a big faith to con­quer some­thing in life. The Lord Jesus Him­self said, “If you have faith as a mus­tard seed, you will say to this moun­tain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and noth­ing will be impos­si­ble for you” (Matthew 17:20).

You don’t need a big faith (size), but a great faith (qual­ity). And what does it mean to have a great faith? It’s sim­ply to obey the Word of God. That’s right, the kind of faith that brings results is the obe­di­ent faith, which works in our intel­lect, and not the emo­tional faith that comes from the heart, which is the cen­tre of our emotions.

It’s not by chance that Abra­ham is con­sid­ered the father of faith. He did not per­form any mir­a­cles, but he obeyed the voice and guid­ance of God.

An obe­di­ent faith is an intel­li­gent faith. If God tells me to do some­thing, I will do it. Why?

• Because He always wants what is best for me.

• Because He knows exactly what is going to hap­pen to me.

• Because He can do all things.

The faith that comes from the heart, on the other hand, makes peo­ple lift up their hands and stamp their feet, say­ing, “I am revolted against this sit­u­a­tion and ready for any­thing…” but when push comes to shove, they do not obey God’s voice. This kind of faith does not bring results, and even if they con­quer a few small things, they will not last long.

If you read Deuteron­omy 28, you will be able to under­stand this intel­li­gent faith. All God asks is that His peo­ple obey Him and all the bless­ings a per­son can think of are promised there; how­ever, all curses are also avail­able to those who opt to disobey.

The good news is to obey is a mat­ter of choice. It’s up to YOU to choose whether or not to obey the voice of God.

If you don’t know what the will of God is or what to do at this moment of your life, tell the Holy Spirit right now, “My God, show me Your will and give me strength to exe­cute it.” (I’ve learnt this with Bishop Macedo)

I can guar­an­tee you that your life will never be the same.

P.S. Don’t for­get: What we sow (when we chose to obey), we will also reap. This is why on Judge­ment Day no one will have excuses to give.

God bless you.
Bishop Celso Junior

Because you have seen Me, have you believed?

What the eyes do not see, the heart does not feel.
The less the heart feels, the more the intellect is utilized.
When the eyes see, the heart feels.
The more the heart feels, the less the intelligence is utilized.
The smarter you are, the less time you waste on feelings.
The spiritual life depends on spiritual eyes.
Jesus asked Thomas: "Because you have seen Me, have you believed?" (NASB)
Today, He would ask the same question of unbelievers believers: Because you feel, have you believed?
Is your belief in Me based on feelings?
Do the words that come out of My mouth have no value?
If so, pay attention to this advice:
"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed," John 20.29.
This is the reason for your unhappiness!
Your belief in Me has depended on the feelings of your heart.
That is why nothing works in your lives.
Like children, you live by your feelings.
Your body matures, but your reasoning remains that of a child.
"The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," Isaiah 11.2.
Can anyone detect a spirit of feelings in this passage?

Feelings Vs. What is Written

Emotional faith feels, rational faith thinks;

Emotional faith sees and is solely focused on the circumstances, rational faith believes in what is written;

Emotional faith trembles and fears at the sound of the war drums. Rational faith hears the outcry of war and, by faith, sees the Lord of hosts taking action;

Emotional faith decides with the heart, rational faith decides according to the Mind of Christ – the Holy Bible;

Emotional faith is inclined to the passions of the heart, especially because of what its eyes see and its ears hear. But rational faith is a servant of what is written;

Emotional faith is sometimes hot, warm or cold, but rational faith does not care about how its feeling. It simply believes, regardless of how it feels or does not feel;

Emotional faith longs to feel God's presence during meetings. On the other hand, rational faith is not concerned with feeling because it is certain of His presence.

Like it is written: "... where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them."Matthew 18:20

Emotional faith is hostage to the voice of the heart. However, rational faith is always attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit;

Emotional faith wants because it wants to feel something at any cost. This is why its love life is a complete failure. No one is able to satisfy its needs. It is like a bottomless pit. The more it has, the more it wants. Its void constantly gets bigger.

But a faith that thinks, reasons, and especially meditates on the Word of God, knows that sooner or later it will be fulfilled. Like the Lord, despite being hungry, did not surrender, faith in the Word of God awaits the fulfillment of what IS WRITTEN!

In conclusion, intelligent, rational or supernatural faith is the Power of God, the Breath of the Almighty, the Cloud of God leading His people in the desert, the Pillar of Fire during the dark desert nights, the Shadow of the Almighty, the Secret Place of the Most High, the Presence of God, the Spirit of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in Spirit among His people.

Those who possess it are blessed and filled with joy because they are permanently in communion with the Eternal.
Those who do not possess it are wretched and miserable.

To Know or Feel?

What do the heart and the devil have in common?
They are both deceitful and wicked.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?"Jeremiah 17.9.
While Jesus says the heart is a source of evil thoughts: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies,"Matthew 15.19, Paul suggests that the works of the flesh are the thoughts of the heart. "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God," Galatians 5.19-21.

Therefore, the heart and the flesh are one and the same.
Works of the flesh and thoughts of the heart are one and the same.
It is safe to say that those who were born of the flesh and born of the heart are the same.
Those who are born of the heart are controlled by emotions, the same way that those who are born of the flesh are controlled by feelings.
This kind of "Christian" likes messages that have a strong appeal to their emotions.
They like listening to smooth-talking pastors.
They like to show off, receive compliments, be recognized and receive praise.
When they stop receiving these things, their “fervent” heart gets sad and they abandon the faith...

Those who are born of the flesh are emotional.
In church they feel good, but once they leave, their faith gets cold.
Their choices depend on how they feel at the moment. This is why they are unable to overcome their own will, much less the world.
They are misled by a faith that originates in the heart. In time, their frustrations are revealed.
What guides their faith is his emotions, not the Bible.
Their faith is born in the heart and wrapped in warm feelings. That is where it was raised and where it continues to receive nourishment.
Feel-good advice, emotion-filled music, emotional services, praise showered with emotion—overall, their faith is the fruit of pure emotion.
They are never willing or ready to obey the Word of God, to face trials, obstacles, tribulations or deserts.
This kind of faith does not have the courage to lift up a sword and defend itself. They defend their denomination and pastor, but never their beliefs.
Because of their cowardice they accept anything, except a fight. They even make pacts with evil simply to avoid having to confront it.

Faith from the heart is like make-up, it melts it the heat of battle. It covers its ears at the sound of a trumpet and runs away from a war-cry.
How can the Spirit of God count on these people?
Religions and religious people are like this. Whether it’s conscious or nor, they work in partnership with hell.
Many keep their faith going with the warm blanket of emotions, while others choose the coldness of tradition.
There are still others who make no difference at all, they are lukewarm.

And yet, in contrast to the mindset of religious faith, there is intelligent faith. This kind of faith thinks, evaluates, meditates and considers.
This faith believes that God would never lie or go back what He has promised. He will do exactly as he has promised.
This quality of faith does not take circumstances into consideration. It does not look back nor does it look to the side. It always moves forward, no matter the cost.

Apostle Paul mixed intelligent faith with thoughts of God, and left us a valuable piece of advice:
"...one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize..." Philippians 3.13-14,
To Timothy, he said: "...I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day," 2 Timothy 1.12.

He did not feel, he knew in Who he believed.
And you? Do you know (intellect) or feel (heart) in Whom you have believed?

Prayer of Faith

What is a prayer of faith?
It has nothing to do with shouting out meaningless words.
Nor does it have to do with beautiful words, vain repetitions, eloquence or posture.

Because it is a sublime act, the prayer of faith requires a pure spirit and humbleness.
It requires a sincere expression of what is hidden deep down in your soul.
Total and complete transparency.
It requires faith, an absolute conviction.
A certainty that you were heard; a certainty of what you want.
"...for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11.6

When you lead a righteous life, you can easily demand that the Just Judge fulfills His promises.
Especially, since your faith gets a boost when you present Him with fair evidence.
The Lord God knows this.
Even if all of hell comes together to interrupt your answer, it would be in vain.
Say the word, and my servant will be healed - said to the Roman officer to Jesus.
One single word, sent from the Throne of God, is enough.
Imagine more than eight thousand promises!
However, we must trust. We must believe. We must obey.

The faithful have duties and responsibilities to the Word of God.
But they also have the right and privilege of His promises.
Therefore, they present their case through a sincere prayer.
From the justified by faith to the Just Judge: a prayer.
From the Just Judge to the obedient believer: the answer.

What happened to “Amen, thank God”?

What happened to “Amen, thank God”?

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Back when I was new to the faith, I learned that when I’m wronged, humiliated, ignored, misunderstood, judged, despised, passed over by a trickster, the target of gossip and malicious comments, given dirty looks, rebuked, disciplined, mocked, called this and that—my response should simply be “Amen, thank God. Let’s move on.” I mean, trust in God as the Righteous Judge, have the humility to learn whatever lessons from the situation, and move on. 

Nowadays, however, it is frustrating to see the reaction of many who call themselves people faith. They say: This is not over. Who does he think he is? Look what they did to me! She is going to pay for this! I’ll never forget this, revenge is patient… That’s not fair, I did nothing wrong! I can only take so much, now there’ll be payback… and things like that.

The attitude is often one of rebellion, self-defense, justification, bitterness, spare-no-words—always coupled with the victim seeking someone to empathize with his or her pain. If there's any prayer about it (that’s a big "if", because they often forget the most important response is to pray), it’s usually a prayer marked by hurt and revenge, which, of course, God does not hear.

The old "Amen, thank God," is full of meaning and significance. "Amen" means "so be it", "let it be done this way," "let it be" or "so be it." That is, I will not fight any of this. I will not defend myself before others, lest I make them my judges.

"Thank God" includes my recognition that everything that God allows is good for me. If He allowed the injustice, the slander, the rebuke etc. to happen to me, it’s because I can make good use of it. God is not evil. People can be evil, but not God. So I give thanks to Him, and ask for strength and wisdom to learn the lesson.

Amen, thank God.

There is a sentence that has become increasingly rare in Christian circles.


P.S. In anticipation of those comments from people who read but hardly understand, I clarify that there is a big difference between "defending oneself " and "fighting deception." I’ve argued above against defending ourselves from injustice, slander etc. for our own sake. Fighting deception, on the other hand, is to expose demonic lies that run loose and corrupt the innocent, naïve souls. It is the duty of every Christian to fight all deception, lies, and bad characters that corrupt the pure faith and our Lord’s name. That, however, should never be done for personal benefit, but for the benefit of people who have been or could be deceived.

Why haven’t you received the Holy Spirit?

Because you did not believe.
"The bishop does not know what is inside my heart."
Yes, I do. It is a wellspring of feelings, overflowing with emotions. Including faith, however it is emotional faith. 
This kind of faith is responsible for causing doubt in about 90% of believers and making them spiritually ill.

When you believe and use your reason, there is nothing that can stop you from receiving the Spirit of God.
Do you know why?
Because no one is more interested in sealing you with the Holy Spirit than the Son of God. He has already given Him to those who believe.
You must offer, surrender and submit your body, soul and spirit into seeking Him.
You have to really want it and you have to prove it!
Maybe you have considered it, but have not truly believed.
Considering is like dating. Having a one night stand or dating does not require any real commitment. Many find themselves in this situation. They are enamored of the Spirit.

On the other hand, believing involves serious commitment. It’s a marriage, an unconditional surrender. It’s a belief that takes on decisive commitment, even if that means sacrificing the good old single life.
This kind of belief touches the heart of God and brings immediate answers. The believer is committed and determined to abandon sin for Him.
Isn’t that what marriage requires?
The newlyweds give up the freedom of single life to start a new life of obligations, responsibilities and sacrifices.
If this does not exist, how will they be able to stay together?
A marriage and the receiving of the Spirit of God depends on the person willingly giving up their freedom to serve Him.

The unwillingness to give up the things that are in their heart, such as: children, parents, family, boyfriend, house, career, profession, material possessions, religion, everything to receive the Holy Spirit, proves they do not believe.
Those who do not have a bold faith like Abraham cannot expect more from God than what they give Him.

Evil’s Tactics

The Lord God said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
He immediately answered, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.” Job 1.7
What is the devil doing walking back and forth on the earth?

Enjoying his last days?
No, a thousand times, no! He is investing all of his remaining strength in the harvest of souls.
Surely, the Earth he is referring to is not planet Earth, because it already belongs to the darkness.
The Earth he walks back and forth on is the Church of Jesus Christ. That is where his focus lies.
While the servants of the Almighty fish for lost souls out there, the devil works inside the churches, fishing for souls that are saved.

Be careful shepherds and sheep!
The devil does not work outside the Church.
Be careful, members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The devil wants to catch you with his hook, more than you can ever imagine.

What have his tactics been?
The first thing he does is send "someone" to invite you to visit "his" church. This "someone" will be very kind, cordial and convincing.
In other words, he wants to separate you from the fire. Once you have been removed from the fire of faith (the Church), your faith will automatically begin to cool down.

Meaning, from the moment you are alone (even when you are among so-called “brethren”), your salvation, which depends on the embers of faith, is in serious danger of burning out.
Soon, you will notice that their topics are different and never produce faith. Instead, they produce doubts.
Internal doubts pile onto external doubts, which are sent from the messengers of hell. They bring malice to the doctrines you have learned and used with success in the past. They misuse biblical verses in order to build up your doubts. In conclusion, they do the same thing that the devil did to Jesus in the desert.
They try, try and try again by using sensitive words, filled with emotions and doubts.

Read carefully and meditate on the Word of God:
"And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3.15