The Investor and the Adventurer

The investor is not afraid of sowing because he is certain of what he will reap. He does not consider the risks because he believes that "he who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap...," Ecclesiastes 11.4. This is the faith of the investor. His faith, his spirit.

Contrary to the investor, the adventurer is a gambler, who likes to push his luck. He trusts in the power of luck and doubts that it can fail.

Both of them have one thing in common: they are not afraid to go after what they want. The only difference lies in having assurance.

The investor does not have a problem with insecurities, because the foundation of his actions is established over the Word of the Creator.

As an adventurer, the gambler depends on his intuition. Because his mentality is set on riches, his dreams are moved by fantasy-filled emotions. He thinks that his day will come, he was born to be rich and sooner or later his luck will change. He lives by how he thinks his life should be. His dreams are based on what "he thinks", inspired by his heart.

The investor is different; he thinks differently, acts differently and has another Spirit. He absorbs the thoughts of the Almighty and applies them with absolute assurance. This assurance flows from the Throne of the Almighty.

This is called supernatural faith or the power of God that flows from his interior in the form of conviction.

Those who want to find out if they are an investor or an adventurer need to evaluate themselves when it comes to investing in the Word of God. When there is the slightest bit of fear or doubt about the outcome, it is because you are not ready to take possession of the Promises.

The investor does not pay attention to the circumstances and does not observe the winds of the market. Instead, inside himself, there is an assurance that the worst circumstances make for the best opportunities.

Inside, he is convicted that regardless of how things may appear, the Word of God is the power of God for those who believe.

Like it is written: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...," Romans 1.16.

Not only is it is the power of God for the salvation of the soul, but also for all other difficult situations.

The investor knows this and goes for it with all his might because he likes challenges. His aggressive character is persistent because of his personal conviction.

He believes that the Greatness of God is not for those who think small.

He knows that God does not need His partner to be physically strong in order to do great things. However, He requires him to think like He does. This is the minimum He requires.

Is it possible for two people to become partners if they are in disagreement?

God is infinitely Great, however, He is looking for people that will embrace His ideas and put them into practice, so that His glory can be manifested in this world.

It does not matter who you are, if you are highly knowledgeable or illiterate, man or woman, deserving or not of God’s attention, godly or ungodly.

God is willing to partner up with you, as long as you forget about your own abilities and depend on Him.

Guarantee of the Spirit

Using an inheritance as a promissory note is common in today’s society. And yet, it was also common in the time of Paul who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used this custom to help Christians in Ephesus better understand their promised, eternal future.

“… after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the Guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1.13,14

Putting this in plain English we could say:

…after hearing the message of the Good News you believed in the Lord Jesus, were saved and then were given the Holy Spirit as a promise. The Holy Spirit is the Promissory Note of our salvation until the day that His property is Restored to the praise of His glory.

Obviously this text is not referring to bootleg or fleshly Christians, but only to those who are born of the Spirit.

It is glorious to live by the faith and know that sacrificing the will of our flesh for the Lord Jesus has such immediate rewards.

We haven’t seen Jesus, haven’t felt or touched Him, haven’t seen Heaven or the angels, nothing…

All we have is an inner conviction that guarantees our eternal life.

Jesus prophesied about this certainty when He said: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”John 20.29

Those who are born of the Spirit, as God’s Treasured Possession, have this Guarantee. As long as they are on loan to this world for His work of saving souls, they have the Holy Spirit of Promise that testifies to their spirits that they will be rescued when the Lord Jesus returns.

They exist for His glory.

The mindset of practical faith

“The LORD of Hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand’” Isaiah 14.24

God swore.

It’s hard to understand why God swore.

Did He need to?

Isn’t His Word enough?

Why did He swear?

The Bible states that God swore on various occasions.

He swore to give the Promised Land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Exodus 6.8;

He swore that the rebellious Israelites would not enter the Promised Land, Numbers 14.30;

He swore to the house of Eli that its guilt would never be forgiven, I Samuel 3.14;

He swore to David that his descendants would forever sit on his throne, Psalm 132.11.

Here, the prophet records one more oath.

I believe it to be one more recipe for conquest: Firmness of thought in your objective. Determination and certainty that, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, it will come to pass.

What I think will come to pass.

I believe He sworn to show us the path of supernatural faith: Positive thoughts, positive words and an inner conviction of success.

In other words, Jesus also taught the formula of practical faith: "But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”Matthew 5.37

When the children of God have this behavior, their character matches that of their Eternal Father.

Faith and religion

Faith and religion do not mix.

They do not mix when you’re dealing with supernatural faith.

Like the heavens are higher than the Earth, so is supernatural faith when compared to religion.

But when it comes to natural faith, faith walks hand-in-hand with religion.

When an atheist ignores faith, in reality, and without realizing it, he’s ignoring supernatural faith.

In his case, it makes sense.

But when it comes to natural faith, everyone has it, even the most sceptical.

It is impossible to live without it; it comes from the cradle.

Who would work when there’s no certainty of being paid?

Who would sow when there’s no certainty of reaping fruit?

Who would study when there’s no certainty of a better future?

This certainty is natural faith, which is built-in to human nature.

Religion considers natural faith an easy sell and takes advantage of it.

This is why thousands of religions exist in the world, millions of gods and billions of religious people.

And the worst part is that no one understands anyone else.

If they belonged to God, they would not cause division or promote prejudice.

In contrast to natural faith, which comes from the cradle, supernatural faith comes from on High.

It is God's gift to the poor in spirit.

It is infinitely superior to natural faith.

It is the single direct channel to God, without middlemen.

Similar to a School of Faith, the UCKG teaches this kind of faith...

That engenders a close relationship between created and Creator, one that does away with middlemen;

That causes the dreams of those who have it to materialize;

That turns the cruel, and the most harmful to society, into good individuals;

That heals the physical and spiritual wounds of those who believe;

That "gives power to the weak, and increases the strength of those who have no might" Isaiah 40.29…

That fosters a life that’s different from unbelievers.

Supernatural faith frees people from religious burdens, half-truths and everything else that stifles our ability to reason and make the best choice.

It delivers from the deceptions of the heart, from empty, self-centered feelings that enslave the human mind.

Finally, supernatural faith restores the image and likeness of the Almighty, since the Spirit of Creation operates through it.

"So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."  Malachi 3.18 (HCSB)

The mind of life

The Holy Spirit, through His Word, says that we must have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2.16

If a person wants to know what type of mind he has, he need only look as far as his life.

We cannot forget that there are two masters in life: Light and darkness, and they are vastly different. You cannot compare one mind to the other.

The mind of the Lord Jesus is represented by His Word that promises new life to those who believe. The Word of God gives life to the dead, heals the sick, restores families, prospers and, above all, promises eternity with God.

Just think: if people were already doing well, there would have been no need for the Lord Jesus bring another life of abundance, as He promises in John 10.10.

But the mind of the devil is represented by his word that kills, destroys, separates and brings misery. Those who insist on holding on to the mind of evil will live with him for eternity.

Our life is a reflection of the mind we have, and it materializes in the form of success or failure. Those who want a different life must reject the devil's mind right away and surrender themselves completely to God.

This is the first step, since the difference begins with surrender.

Bishop Romualdo Panceiro

Why there is no difference? 

In the world of believers, our relationship with God is based on words, listening as well as speaking to Him. Most people are addicted to asking, receiving prayers and worship in the illusion that these alone will solve their problems, or they believe that saying, "Amen, hallelujah, glory to God, it’s agreed", when they hear a promise from the Bible, will bring the solution.

But in the world of the spiritists, especially those who practice the occult, there is no such a thing as prayer. Faith is practiced. People know that if they want to "benefit" or harm someone, they have to show their faith by making sacrifices, going through a secret ceremony in a cemetery, or giving their own blood, etc.

Now, let's look at the world of faith that pleases God and leads to the difference that’s promised:
"So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." Malachi 3.18 (HCSB)

This means, if I want to see a difference I have to leave the realm of words and do what He has determined is serving Him, that is, I have to show that I believe.

"But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ SHOW ME your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2.18

Here is the secret!
The key that opens the door to a different life: SHOWING who we are!
But we need to show who we are in the way God has determined.

Look at what He’s determined: "And now entreat the favor of God, that He may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will He show favor to any of you?, says the LORD of hosts." Malachi 1.9 (ESV)

Because of this, on the 23rd, we will enter the Holy of Holies with an offering in our hands, SHOWING God that we believe.

IF I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING, I HAVE TO SHOW SOMETHING!

Bishop Clodomir Santos

A letter to Bishop's Blog

Bishop,

I have never written to your blog before, but I read it every single day, watch the IURD-TV programs and am a recent member of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.

My life was transformed after starting to attend the church. Besides the benefits that faith has had on my personal life and career, the way I view the world is different, it is changed, as if a veil had been removed from my eyes. I will not dwell on these changes because they have been a constant occurrence over the UCKG’s 35 years.

What moves me to write this letter is the outrage I feel at the way I’ve been treated since I chose to live by faith—from the instant that I chose to connect with God. I am not referring to my family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances. I have been attacked on a daily basis by the same media that I trusted for information for over 20 years.

You may ask…

How are newspapers, magazines and TV stations attacking a simple believer like you?

Though I’m sure you already know the answer, I will explain. When my faith is daily vilified in various ways, I am being slapped in the face— I along with millions of people who embrace evangelical beliefs and have chosen to follow the Lord Jesus.

I have been living in São Paulo for 24 years and have been a subscriber to Folha de Sao Paulo (one of the largest newspapers in Brazil) for exactly two decades. Today I decided to cancel my subscription. I no longer want to open the door to my house every morning and pick up a newspaper that is planned, written and printed with the goal of attacking me. I do not need this. I have witnessed the Folha’s attacks on you and the UCKG for quite a while now, but the veil before my eyes blocked me from seeing the ulterior motives of the leaders of that group.

They try to destroy our faith with constant and varying arguments. Now it is the upcoming elections. What has candidate Celso Russomanno, a Catholic, done to these gentlemen at the newspaper? Why does the Universal Church appear in more than half of the stories about his campaign for mayor? Is it because the leaders and some members of his party are members of the UCKG? How often are Catholics, Protestants, Spiritists, Buddhists and people of other religious beliefs associated with political parties and people in positions of power?

What does my faith have to do with the election? Never, I repeat, never have I seen politics or voter manipulation by any bishop, pastor, assistant or member of the UCKG in any of the temples that I have attend. Never, I repeat, never have I heard a message of how we should vote on Church programs on TV, radio or internet.

I am in church every Wednesday and Sunday. On other days, I stay in touch with the church through other means of communication. I am a living witness that what is being said in the newspapers, especially the Folha de Sao Paulo, is a lie, and am personally affected by it.

I am only one person, but as I cancel my 20-year subscription, I choose to keep truth as the cornerstone of my new life since joining the UCKG.

May our Lord Jesus Christ direct those who attack us, and may the Holy Spirit remove the blinders that cover the eyes of those whose sole reason for life seems to be to attack us for no reason. Unlike the vote, which is secret, all our actions are clearly seen and will be judged by our God.

Thank you and God bless.

A Friend