Day 2 of the Fast of Daniel

An Immediate Answer
The greatest honor we can give a loved one is to offer our whole life to them forever: marriage.
The Lord Jesus Christ did this on the cross. He gave His last drop of blood for those who honor Him.
He gave Himself 2,000 years ago and continues doing so nowadays through His Spirit.
A communion with Him requires the same complete commitment from those who believe in Him.
Theoretically, this is what happens the most in evangelical churches.
They accept Jesus, offer a vow of eternal love and dedication to Him before the Altar and even subject themselves to being baptized in water, but...
Outside, when it’s time to put things into practice, they are lovers of this world.
When a person truly honors Him, He honors them back in the same proportion with the seal of the Spirit.
If a person sincerely and completely surrenders their life, then the baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs immediately. Right there and then! It does not depend on a fast or anything else...
... for those who honor Me I will honor... I Samuel 2.30
The response from God is immediate.
But most believers in Jesus have not seen His Greatness in their lives.
Why is that?
Because... those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2.30
These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me, Jesus declared. (Matthew 15.8, Mark 7.6)
On the other hand, those who sacrifice loved ones, family, relatives, worldly friendships, the world and, above all, their lives for the Lord Jesus, the promise is that He will show Himself Almighty on their behalf.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him... 2 Chronicles 16.9

Day 1 of the Fast of Daniel

What is your choice?
The condition set by the Lord to save the Hebrews from the angel of death in Egypt was unconditional obedience.
They had to sacrifice a lamb and spread its blood on the doorposts and lintel, roast the meat on a fire and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. Exodus 12.11
The life of each family depended on their obedience to this commandment.
Nothing else.
Obedience: life;
Disobedience: death.
The same conditions apply to receiving the Holy Spirit.
Those who want to receive Him must first give up their sinful ways.
After demonstrating this effort of faith, they will receive a visit from the Lord Jesus, who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live…… Ezekiel 37.13-14
Jesus has already opened the graves.
Those who are buried in sin must leave it behind and Run away quickly!
While on their way, they will find the Lord Jesus.
Do your part and then the LORD will do His.
Obedience to the Word of God means deliverance from the angel of death and the receiving of the Angel of Life;
What is your choice?

What do they think of me

What people think of you is not what’s important; it’s what you think of them that’s important.
You will never have control over what people think. They are free to develop whatever thought that comes to mind which pleases them. To worry with the opinion of others in regards to you, said or not, is like worrying with what the fishes at the bottom of the sea are doing right now, in this exact moment. It won’t change anything. The fishes are just going to keep swimming and people are going to keep thinking what they want.
What you think of them – now that’s what matters. It matters because it affects the way that you behave. You can act timidly or avoid taking an attitude because you fear what they’re going to think of you. It matters because your heart can become dirty with bad thoughts about them. Envy, grudges, bad eyes, are simply some of the things that surge as a result of what you think about them.
So, learn to take care of what you’ve thought about people and not what they think of you.

Eternal Mansions

The devil knows that his future is already determined. Nothing can change his condition of being condemned.
Now his job and all of his time is dedicated to keep mankind, who was created in the image and likeness of the Almighty, from having a different ending from his.
The Lord Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you." John 14.1-2
There are many reasons that may trouble your heart: the end of a relationship, financial problems, health and family problems, a death, etc.
The devil and his demons use everything to penetrate inside a person and install chaos (a troubled heart).
When someone believes in the Lord Jesus, his problems do not disappear like magic. Everyone has their struggles and challenges – the difference is in the faith, the quality of faith.
If I think that I will only live a measly 70, 80 years or a little more, then my mind will groan with the pain of my problems.
The mansions of the Father's house were not made-up by our Lord to settle us down, so that we have something to occupy our minds, because if this were so, he would not have said it.
The mansions exist and are ready for those who remain firm, who do not give up because of the battles, but always come out of them stronger. Those who understand that they are in this world but do not belong to it. Their greatest connection is not with the things or the people of this world, but with the One who came, sacrificed His life on the cross, and went to prepare the place where we will spend eternity.

Straight to the point!

There are only two sides: The good side and the evil side.
The side of light and the side of darkness.
The side of those who do the will of God by obeying His Word, and the side of those who do not do His Will by turning their back on His Word.
Those who are part of the Army of the Lord of Hosts, and those who are part of the enemy’s army.
Which side are you on?
By directly obeying the Word of God without beating around the bush, I will show which side I am on. It’s yes, yes or no, no!
There will be no need to speak or try to show something that I am not.
No way!
My behavior, my character and my testimony will allow everyone, including the devil, to see which side I am on.
As a consequence, my life will be a mirror that reflects which side that I am on.
If I am on the wrong side, I can’t expect to happen what would happen if I were on the right side.
If I am on the wrong side solely because of my decision and evil comes, would it be God’s fault or my fault because of my poor choice?
My choices today will determine what will happen tomorrow!
Those who choose to stay on God's side, IMMEDIATELY turn their back on lying, stealing, adultery, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery and so many other things that will never be found on God’s side.
"Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side – come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him…" Exodus 32.25-26
Moses was DIRECT, STRAIGHT TO THE POINT!
God always separated those who are part of His army.
Those who are, from those who are not.
How can you belong to His army without obeying His Word?
Leading a reckless lifestyle?
It is impossible!

The opponent won because of his mistake

In sports, in business and in almost everything else in life, the adversary wins, not because he is stronger, but because of a mistake committed by the opponent.
A recent example of this was the fight between Anderson Silva and American Chris Weidman. Even if you do not like or understand anything about UFC, you can easily learn from this lesson.
Eight seconds into the video above, Silva is seen provoking his opponent – something he had been doing since the beginning of the fight. And in a split second, Weidman took advantage of this situation and knocked out the Brazilian. Not only was this knockout the first in Silva’s 38 fight career, but it cost him the world title he held record for since 2006.
If you study the victories of a sport, business, politics or any other area of life, you will find the same thing. The enemy wins, not necessarily because he is better, stronger or smarter. He wins because the opponent slipped up during or prior to the competition. Someone had already said this in a nutshell about two thousand years ago:
Nor give place to the devil, Ephesians 4.27
1^st lesson: Be careful with your mistakes. They are the main reason for your losses.
2^nd lesson: If you want to win, identify your opponent’s mistakes and weaknesses, and take advantage of them. But remember that playing dirty is proof you did not learn the first lesson.

The soul

I never thought about the existence of the soul, said the atheist to himself.

But, one day, while playing chess with the computer, I noticed that when the computer wins it does not show any kind of happiness; nor does it show any reaction when it loses.

Which is the exact opposite of me.

When I win, I cannot hide my joy;

But when I lose, I’m unable to hide my anger as well.

What is the difference between me and the computer?

The soul.

It does not have a soul like me.

It does not feel what I feel.

Which means that this invisible being named "soul" lives in my body while I'm alive. But it disappears when my body dies.

And what happens to it after it leaves the body?

Where does it go?

Who has control over the soul after we die?

…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment... Hebrews 9.27

But, meanwhile judgment does not begin, what is the fate of the soul after death?

In peace in heaven or in torment in hell?

It depends on who you served while you were on earth.

If you served the Lord of Righteousness, it will go to a place of righteousness;

If you served sin (unrighteousness) while you were on earth, you will await judgment in a place of unrighteousness (hell).

As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death. Proverbs 11.19

Because of this, the Lord Jesus says:

For what profit is it to man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16.26

The evil that enters through the eyes

Man has the gift of finding flaws in others. However, this may be more of a sickness than a gift. There are even those who find flaws in God, like the men who found fault in Jesus when he walked the earth. He warned us about the dangers of this disease:

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:23

I may not know if you have ‘evil eyes’ towards me. Yet, your evil eyes won’t make a difference in my life. They will affect you. How is that so?

When we have evil eyes towards someone, we start to look for their flaws. The command we send to our brain is: “This person is bad. I’m going to find evidence to prove this.” Then we start to see everything in a distorted way:

The person arrived late? They are lazy. The person is early? They’re just showing off for the boss.

She’s pretty? She’s so full of herself. She’s ugly? She deserves it.

He has money? What a thief. He’s broke? What a loser.

She works hard? What a brownnoser. She’s a bad employee? How selfish.

He stands out amongst the rest? What a show off.  He makes no difference? What a waste of space.

The search for flaws is endless. You become a bitter, hateful, spiteful person, whose tongue drips venom. If you have evil eyes towards someone, there’s no way that person can please you. But the problem is with you, not the person.

Your condition is so serious that the victims of your evil eyes don’t even need to punish or criticize you; they don’t even need to defend themselves. You already punish yourself: the darkness that’s there inside of you does that. Carrying anger that never ends, you’re a bitter person that only attracts friends like you – those who hate the same people. You somehow live off the feeling that you’re the only “perfect” person, even though you know such a thing doesn’t exist.

How can you not see this?

Sorry for asking, I forgot. You’re in darkness.

Righteousness be done

Just like someone’s biological growth does not depend on the human eye, it’s pointless for a parent to stare at their child to try to help him. What they should do is fulfill their obligations, feed them properly, protect them from danger etc.
The same goes for the growth of a person that hopes to achieve something in their personal life. The Lord Jesus said: "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6.1
How many people become despaired, as they see time pass and they have been in Church for a few years, yet their lives are still small? They are unable to understand why some people have been in Church for such a short period of time, yet the greatness of God can already be seen in their lives.
After reading what the Lord Jesus said, it is not very difficult to understand what happens. Many only devote themselves when there's someone around, when they are doing something for someone important or when they think that they will receive some type of recognition for their work?
They are always very generous, caring and helpful to those who, in some way, they can benefit from. They may even obtain a prominent position, but after a while something will happen which will reveal who they really are to everyone.
Now, those who really perform their duties with righteousness before God do not care about who is watching: they work when they’re alone, as if they were among a crowd; they always do their job, as if it were the most important job in this world; they serve those below them, as if they were above them; and their character does not change according to the circumstances. They are who they are and that’s it.
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere. If a person is faithful, then they have no reason to worry. Even if everyone is against them, these people are nothing in the eyes of the Lord, but a tiny drop falling from a bucket. The solution to something that seems to be taking too long is Faith in the Word of God.
Do not get angry, do not fret because of those who do evil and thrive, you do not know what will happen to them. Do not be discouraged: your reward is coming.

The success of a lie

"So he went to his father and said, ‘My father.’ And he said, ‘Here I am. Who are you, my son?’ Jacob said to his father, ‘I am Esau your firstborn…’
So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Genesis 27.18-19,22
Jacob’s accomplishments were based on lies. Although he formed a family and obtained many goods, he carried, for about 20 years, the mark of his mistake because he was an empty man, insecure and clinging to what he conquered, to the point of being tormented by the fear of seeing his brother again and having him take everything he acquired throughout his journey.
There are also assistants, who began their ministry with a lie, when, during their interview, the pastor asked: "Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit?" And he says "yes", but he knows that he wasn’t, or he has doubts about it. At this moment, the most perverse spirit of hell, which is the "DECEIVER", began acting in his life in a sneaky way, pretending to be the Holy Spirit. Take a look at something interesting:
"The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Genesis 27.22
Isaac doubted if the voice truly belonged to Jacob, but the hands, which were fake, seemed to belong to Esau. Today I would say that there are assistants whose uniforms are true, but their attitude and behavior underneath the fabric is fake.
We have to be very careful with the spirit of deceit, because it used at least three people in the Bible: Jacob, Peter and Judas, and today it continues to act in the lives of many who are part of the various ministries out there.
We can see the deceiver acting in Peter's life:
"Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16.22-23
We can also see the deceiver acting in the life of Judas:
"And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him..." John 13.2
The difference with Jacob and Peter is that they no longer accepted to be victims of the spirit of deceit. Peter, after hearing the rooster crow, ran desperately and repented, and cried bitterly.
Jacob did not pass up the opportunity to be face to face with the Angel and wrestled with Him all night, in exchange for a new identity, this is, deliverance from the spirit of deceit and his own ego. But Judas did not want to change, and the spirit of deceit took him to hell.
And you assistant, evangelist, youth, member, pastor, wife, and us, bishops, what lesson can we learn from all this?
The Angel responsible for bringing the blessing of transformation in the Israel Challenge has been on the Altar every day. Are we going to let Him go without blessing us?
I will not let Him go, how about you?
God bless you.

Can someone imitate God?

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." Ephesians 5.1-2

I was meditating on these verses, about what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us through Apostle Paul, and I thought about those who say: "It is not necessary to sacrifice", "God is not pleased with sacrifices" or, "That was in the Old Testament, those who live under Grace do not need to sacrifice..."

Of course, some say these things because they do not know any better; others, because they do not believe; others, because they do not want to…

But my first question is: Is there a person who lives under Grace more than Paul was when he wrote this epistle?

Here's what he tells us, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children..."

He is referring to God the Father.

The second question is: How can we imitate God?

Lucifer wanted to be like God and was cursed forever. Adam ate the fruit because he was told that if he did, he would know as much as God, and lost all his authority, opening the door to sin.

The only way that we can be imitators of God is through Sacrifice. He gave the greatest good He had, His beloved Son. He did not sacrifice a star, a planet or an angel. God gave the most valuable thing He possessed, and all this was to achieve His goal, which is the salvation of many souls.

To be imitators of God, and achieve our goals, we should do the same: place what we hold most valuable on the Altar, which is a physical and material sacrifice.

In the second verse, he speaks of total and personal surrender, inviting us to imitate the Lord Jesus, who gave Himself as a sacrifice of sweet and pleasing aroma to God.

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."

Anyone who does these two things will be making the perfect sacrifice. It is impossible to have an unsuccessful outcome, because God does not fail. The devil will not be able to touch this person, because the Altar sanctifies him and, consequently, all the doors that were once closed will open.

May the God of Abraham, Isaac, Israel and the Universal Church bless you all!

Why is money important in a sacrifice?

Another meaning of the word SACRIFICE is the surrender of something prized.
In Church, it is very common for us to hear people saying that they have surrendered their body, soul and spirit on the Altar. However, in most cases, we do not see God's answer materialize in their lives. Why is this? It’s simple. We have two legs to help us get where we want to go. When we walk, we put all of our weight over the left leg, while the right leg moves forward. Then we put all of our weight on the right leg, while the left leg moves forward, right? The same happens when we sacrifice: one leg represents the spiritual part and the other leg represents the material part. Many place all of their strength on the spiritual part – they fast, pray, turn away from sin – but are afraid to act on their faith, rejecting the Altar, which belongs to the body, soul and spirit, this is, the material sacrifice.
"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14.33
The surrender on the Altar means that we are aware that everything we have: house, car, money, children, husband, wife etc., does not belong to us – it is only with us as a loan that God may ask us for at anytime and we should be ready to surrender it to Him on the Altar, even though it may cost us to sacrifice.
"O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own." 1 Chronicles 29.16
You may ask me: Why is money important in a sacrifice?
We have often seen in the news, mothers giving their children up for adoption because they claim that they are unable to raise them, but have you ever seen a mother give a box filled with millions of dollars to someone, claiming that she can no longer take care of that "poor" green paper? That’s right. It is possible to live without children, a husband, family, but not without money because we need it to survive. What we had, what we have and we will have, once surrendered on the Altar, in the hands of God, symbolizes what we were, what we are and what we will be on the Altar.
If you do not want to depend on anyone like a crutch, just on yourself and God, in order to obtain your accomplishments, whatever they may be, then use your faith on the Altar with both legs of sacrifice - spiritual and material. This way, you will not only walk, but you will run in the direction of your successes.
Think!
God bless you.

Photo of the soul

The story of Cain and Abel repeats itself everyday inside Christian churches.
Every day, Christians – good or bad – present their offerings.
Most deposit the fruit of their labor before the Altar, while the minority deposits their first fruits along with the fat on the Altar.
Apparently, Cain's offering had more value because it was voluntary. God did not ask for anything. In the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
It is likely that he attributed the miracle of multiplication to the Lord and wanted to thank Him for it
Offerings given with contempt, offerings given with disdain, offerings given unwillingly, unclean offerings, and all other offerings reflect what is in the heart of the offering giver.
The offering is a colored picture of the heart of the offering giver before God.
If the offering is unclean (wounded), Jesus teaches:
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5.23-24
Very few people know this.
God did not go into detail about the kind of fruit or its quality, like He did for Abel’s offering. He just rejected it due to the heart of the offering giver.
It was brought before the altar and rotted there, the same way that Cain’s life did.
All this because there was something bad in him:
If you do well, will you not be accepted?
If he had proceeded well, it would have been accepted.
Unlike Cain, Abel, a shepherd, brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.
Nothing random or given without thought.
He sought and chose from among his enormous flock something that demonstrated faith, love, gratitude and fear.
It was something that reflected his surrender.
He really wanted to please the Lord...
No wonder that, on account of his offering, God testified that he was righteous.
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Hebrews 11.4

The easy way out

Just like it is impossible to have a successful marriage without sacrifice, it is also impossible to keep a pact with God without sacrifice.
You have to sacrifice your will, sacrifice to carry the weight of the cross and sacrifice to walk in the footsteps of Jesus day after day until death.
A Pact, alliance, partnership or marriage requires surrender, dedication and loyalty.
In other words, faith and love.
Besides Calvary, the Lord Jesus continues sacrificing, by tolerating our daily mistakes and weaknesses.
The renunciation of our free will should exist on our part, we should bear the cross of rejection from the children of the world and walk in His footsteps day after day.
Is it easy?
No, it is not.
But who said anything about it being easy to conquer the Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus warns that narrow is gate, difficult is the way and few will find it. Matthew 7.14
He also said that from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11.12
Therefore, whoever thinks that Jesus has already sacrificed and they no longer need to sacrifice is also going to hell, even though they believe in Jesus.
The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the indolent, lazy or those looking for the easy way out.

Keep your faith pure

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" Jeremiah 18.3-6
Meditating on the fact that the vessel was marred in the "hands" of the Potter (God), I understand that the only thing that limits His power is our free will.
One of the biggest obstacles that has hindered the fulfillment of God's purpose in the past generations is the idea, which has become increasingly global, that "we have the right to do whatever pleases us, and it’s nobody's business." Those who have this attitude towards others will inevitably have the same attitude towards God.
In fact, haven’t we treated Him like this sometimes?
When we are young and our faith is "pure”, we think that we have a clear picture of what God wants to do with us and through us. Now that we are older, we realize how far we are from this, and it's all our fault. God has not able to do for us and through us what He "wanted and had planned" because we have resisted His power and allowed other influences to shape us into something much less useful and valuable. Certainly, the altar is where we should keep our "free will". In other words, this is where we should SACRIFICE it.
But there is still hope for those who "want" to be molded by God, regardless of how long they have resisted Him. Saul of Tarsus was a marred vessel while he resisted the power of the Word of God and "kicked against the goads*", but when he asked trembling, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" God turned him into a vessel of honor.
No matter how rotten our lives are, or how long they have been this way, if we "want" this change with ALL our being and strength, God will do this in our lives.
God bless you.
*A goad was a long metal rod with a sharp pointed end, which was used to cause discomfort and pain to animals, making them obey their owner. It was only used on stubborn and obstinate animals.

Proud to be humble

I doubt that the cruelest, most bloodthirsty, biggest thug or greatest pedophile on earth could not move the heart of God when, with sincerity and faith, they humble themselves and cry out for His compassion.
On the other hand, I also doubt that the most religious, biggest tithe giver, most charitable, ardent and religious person could obtain compassion when they try to justify themselves before the Almighty.
Those who want to come before the Lord must be humble and use their faith.
Otherwise, nothing can be done.
No one who is proud, arrogant, pretentious, authoritarian, an oppressor or a tyrant will have a chance to come before the Almighty.
The Syrian Army Commander, who was covered in medals of honor and full of pride, contracted leprosy. His servant suggested that he seek the help of the prophet Elisha.
Loaded with gold, silver and fine clothes to pay for the miracle, Naaman stood at the door of the prophet’s house. The prophet did not receive him, instead, he sent him to bathe seven times in the Jordan River. At first he resisted, but his servant convinced him, so he removed his robes of pride and obeyed. Only after he went into the polluted waters of the Jordan River seven times, his illness disappeared.
Why do so many people have faith in God, yet they haven’t received His favor?
Because their faith does not match their arrogance.
Much less with their pride of being humble.
"Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight’." Luke 10.21
God is not against the wisdom and knowledge of the wise and prudent. But, He is against arrogance, pride and the sense of superiority that many carry with themselves.
On the other hand, babes does not mean ignorant or stupid. It refers to the poor in spirit, who are therefore able to hear and obey His Word. The Kingdom of God is only going to be revealed to them.

A Living Sacrifice

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12.1
Now we can understand why we there are assistants who are active, tireless in the Work of God, evangelizing, counseling people and even casting out demons during many years in the Church, and when we least expect it, they grow cold, suddenly fall away from the faith and stop coming to Church. The main reason why this happens is that these people never surrendered their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Among other meanings, A LIVING SACRIFICE means:
Depriving yourself from something for the benefit of others. When we deprive ourselves of the customs and attitudes of sin, whatever they may be, we are sacrificing (killing) the desires of our flesh. So we become numb to this world and alive on the altar, in perfect communion with God.
HOLY means to be set apart. Do you remember what is written?
"For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?" Matthew 23.19

When we present our bodies as a living sacrifice on the altar, God sets us apart from this world, its sufferings and, in the future, from hell, if we endure until the end, because He wants us to be with Him for all eternity, praise God!
ACCEPTABLE means pleasing, satisfactory. When we present our bodies as living sacrifices; in other words, each time you resist promiscuity, adultery, lying, stealing and all other kinds of sin, God inhales our attitude as a pleasant aroma. He is happy to have us as children, as a living offering on His altar. Do you remember what He said about the Lord Jesus?
"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3.17
Lets make an internal analysis: Who among us, assistants, can God say the same thing to?
THINK!
God bless you.

The Secret Place of the Most High

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91.1-2
With so many tragedies, violence, death plaguing mankind, "the love of many growing cold”, insecurities, fear, despair and the feeling of blatant helplessness on people's faces, the question that refuses to keep quiet is: how can you protect yourself from the attacks of evil?
There is only one place that can protect us, a place where we can feel safe: the "secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty”. There, we are surrounded by the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What harm can befall us? Not even all of hell can touch us, only if they can manage to get over the bodies of these three loyal Guardians.
There is only one way for a person to be affected by the devil in this situation: when he draws them out of the secret place. The devil cannot defeat God, but he can exploit human weakness, like a mother would do with a child when she wants to take his picture. She shakes the rattle behind the camera to attract the baby’s attention.
The devil does the same with those who abide in the secret place of the Most High: he shakes the rattle called sex, need of love, corruption to achieve financial gain, colorful world, internet impurities, etc.
This is what he did with Adam and Eve: he shook the rattle, which attracted their attention to the tree, which was a kind of "tithe" that belonged to the Lord. Adam and Eve lived in the secret place of the Most High, and the devil could not touch them, but he could make suggestions. They were lured by satanic suggestions, and disobeyed God.
When we look back, we see millions of bodies lying in the desert: former members, former assistants, former pastors and former bishops that once lived under the "shadow of the Almighty" and today are spiritually dead, simply waiting for the time when they’ll be brought to the kingdom of darkness – unless they sincerely repent.
It is time to reflect and invest more and more in our communion with God, so that we may develop our salvation with "fear and trembling", Philippians 2.12.
God bless you.

A  place chosen by God

Israel’s first mission in the Promised Land was:
"You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
destroy their altars, and
break their sacred pillars, and
burn their wooden images, and
cut down the carved images of their gods, and
destroy their names from that place." Deuteronomy 12.2-3
God will never accept to share His Altar with pagan altars. Because of this, before finding a chosen place by God, the people of Israel had to get rid of everything that was not good.
It's like a marriage. Those who get married, do it for love and want to be exclusive with their loved one. There is no way that they will bring past lovers into their new home.
The Lord Jesus does not accept to share someone’s life or heart with someone else. It's all or nothing.
Before He enters into a partnership with someone, first they must put into second place their first love, such as: children, parents, husband, wife, family;
They have to put their personal ideals in second place, such as reputation, career, money, properties, everything that has occupied first place in their life.
Israel’s second mission in the Promised Land was:
Look for a place chosen by God...
What Place was Chosen by God?
The Altar.
For what?
"to put His name for His dwelling..." Deuteronomy 12.5
What is the purpose of the Altar?
"There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks." Deuteronomy 12.6
Why are tithes and offerings placed on the Altar, if God is Spirit?
Tithes and offerings represent the life of the tithe giver and offering giver on the Altar.
Jesus teaches that the altar sanctifies the gift, this is, the Altar separates or consecrates the tithe giver and offering giver to God. Matthew 23.19
If the Altar did not represent God on earth, certainly it would not have the power to consecrate tithes and offerings.
Because He is strictly a Spiritual Being (He is Spirit), God does not get involved with material things. Only with spiritual and eternal things. In other words, because He is represented by the Altar, the souls of men are represented by tithes and offerings.

The perfume

To enter a Universal Church is like entering my own home. The smell of wood and oil, mixed with the grape juice smell coming from the campaign room is always the same. At least for me it is. I have a very clear memory of that smell, as soon as I smell it, I get transported back to my safe place. It reminds me of all the strength and peace I've received when I ran to the altar, during times of need.
At times, I cannot tell you how much this scent has become symbolic to me. The wood representing the cross, sacrifice, my relationship with God, my relationship with my husband, the two bars that are vital to my foundation. The grape juice, which represents the blood of Jesus and reminds me that I was bought for a price and that if I make a mistake, I won’t be condemned because He now lives in me. And finally, the oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, who comforts and guides me, transforms me into an important part of the Altar. When this scent involves me, it reminds me that I am not alone, that I am at home with my Father. Anywhere I go, I feel like I am at home. Whenever I’m in His presence, I'm at home. And as long as the Universal Church keeps its doors open, I will be at home. Wherever I smell that unique scent, I feel like I'm at home.
It is not a religion, it is not a place to keep certain customs, or a temple where I feel good. It is something completely spiritual. At the Universal Church, I do not feel at home, I am at home. And the love I have for the God I found here, I also have for this place. Not the physical building, because all this will remain here when we're gone. It’s the love I have for what this place represents. The Altar. The sacrifice. A life with God, with constant sacrifice. Day after day. I have never seen this anywhere else, especially in any other church. Before, I did not understand.
It's what David meant when he said: "Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells" (Psalm 26.8) And we begin to understand him when he says in Psalm 84.1-3: "How lovely is Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young – even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!" The swallow's nest is where she finds the security to keep the things she holds most precious: her young.
These are the Lord’s Altars for those who are truly His children. The security, peace, strength... The world may be falling apart outside, you may be judged for every word you say, you can be threatened, ridiculed, trampled on and torn down, but you are safe on the Altar. Our nest, our security, our home is the Altar. The Altars are represented by each Universal Church that is opened, throughout the world. Altars are places of sacrifice. This is where we find our strength, our safety. This is where we receive Life and many others are led to receive Life. The wellspring flows from the Altar.
We surrender our life, for love, but that is because He laid down His life for us first. On the Altar. On the cross. Wood that exudes the perfume mixed with oil and grape juice which, for me, is the Universal Perfume. It is the best scent in the world, which reminds me of sacrifice. It reminds me that everything, absolutely everything, even what seems to be most difficult (because doing what is right is never easy), is worth.

Three phases of the dry bones

First phase: dry bones exposed to the sun in an open valley, Ezekiel 37.1
They are the people of this world, dead in trespasses and sins.
"...you who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience..." Ephesians 2.1-2

Second phase: the servant announces the Word of his Master. Then, the bones come together according to their DNA. Many skeletons are formed. Then comes the flesh, tendons and skin. Everything is new. And the skeletons are transformed into bodies, but they do not have life.
They are the people who have benefited from the miracles of faith. Healed, free from addictions, had their family restored, their finances transformed, etc. They have joined as members of institutions (Christian denominations), but because they have no spirit, this is, the Holy Spirit, they have no life. They are a part of the body of members of a denomination, but they are not a part of the Body of Christ.
"He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence..." Colossians 1.18
Although such believers have received a few crumbs (miracles), they are still without the countenance of God's image. Because of this, their faith is limited. Not everything is possible for them.
They are thought to be living, but they are just bodies lying in the valley of this world.

Third phase: The bodies receive the Spirit of God. His breath causes the to get up and form a great army. The army of the Living God on Earth. The Holy Spirit counts on them to prophesy and save the others.
It is not difficult to get from the first phase to the second phase. Many are called. But to get from the second phase to the third phase, you need to sacrifice, sacrifice and sacrifice. This is, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus (obey His Word), day after day. These are the chosen ones.
Note:
This Sunday, at 7am and 6pm, the "Great Challenge of the offering and tithe givers”. We will also be consecrating the tithe givers. If you are a tithe giver or offering giver, please bring your Bible. We can only claim what is rightfully ours, with the promises of Almighty God’s Word in hand.

Counterfeit faith

It is one thing to have faith, and it is another to live by faith.
Having faith for a certain period of time does not guarantee the fulfillment of His Promises.
This kind of faith is insufficient, counterfeit and uncompromising.
Having faith at certain times or when the situation calls can even bring you some kind of blessing. But not the right to be a blessing.
It is as if a married man only remembers his wife when she is near. However, when they are apart, he sees it as an opportunity to betray her.
In other words: your married but you do not live like a married man.
The same goes for those who have faith, but do not live by faith.
To live by faith is to be dependent of God;
It is believing that He will do what He promised that He would do;
It is knowing that He will fulfill the Promises He left in His Word;
Like Abraham, who kept the faith even when there was no hope – Sarah, his wife, was barren and too advanced in age to be a mother. Romans 4.18
But, because he lived by faith in the Promise, Abraham was still relying on the Author of that Promise.
How can I live by faith?
This will only be possible after you receive the Holy Spirit.
Because He is the Ardent Flame that does not allow your faith to fade away.
Note:
This is why I am here on Sundays at 7am and 6pm, Av João Dias, 1800 - Santo Amaro Brazil, persevering in prayer so that the sincere and fervent can receive the Seal of God.

Under pressure

Many times we are "pressured" – either because of persecutions, struggles or difficulties. I think that this, often happens, most of the time. And many people complain because they do not understand why God allows us to be "pressed".
If you go to Israel, you will see some interesting places that demonstrate how oil was extracted from olives.
There was a big press, which had large round stones. In the middle, there was a main axis tied to a trunk, connected to the stone, which rolled over the olives, causing pressure.
There were four stones that caused four different kinds of pressure. Each kind extracted oil for a specific use.
First pressure - With the pressure of the first stone, the anointing oil was extracted, which was used in the Temple.
In the anointing, God empowers and gives wisdom.
"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
"... But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14.26
Second pressure – Shortly after the first pressure, the second stone is put into place. With its weight, the oil used for food was extracted.
When we seek to nourish ourselves with the Word of God, which possesses Spirit, our strength is renewed and we can move forward, even during difficult times – even if the Word does not please us. Because, it may not be what we want to hear, but its what we need. And hearing the truth often hurts, but it is for our own good.
"So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, or did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord..." 1 Kings 17.15- 16
Third Pressure - With the pressure from the third stone, the oil that was used in the Temple lamps was extracted, so that the Lamp of God would never go out.
The Bible says that we are a sanctuary, a temple of God. And you could not, in any way, allow the lamp of the Temple to go out. There were periodic shifts to insure that there was always oil in the lamp.
"...And before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” 1 Samuel 3.3-4
We also see this in the parable of the ten virgins:
"Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." Matthew 25.3-4
We should never let the Lamp of God go out within us because of sin or spiritual accommodation.
Fourth pressure – The fourth stone had the strongest pressure. It weighs four times more than the others and it causes the olive oil to produce a pasty slush that mixes in with the olives. The people of Israel used this oil to make soap. And what is soap used for? When you wash your hands or take a bath using soap, how do you feel afterwards? Clean! Without impurities, right?
This is also how God wants us to be: clean and purified.
"...Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit..." Titus 3.5
So don’t be disheartened when you are faced with the pressures of persecution, struggles and difficulties. This is God extracting the best from you to anoint you, strengthen you, keep your flame alive and purify you for Him.
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1.2-4