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A double blessing every week day!

Tune into the Worker’s Prayer at 5.55am AND

Drying Tears at 10.30pm on One Africa

You can also email your requests to tvprayer@gmail.com

… in a righteous revolt

Because of His spiritual nature, Jesus was a Man of Revolt. He couldn’t have been any different; after all, He was possessed by the Spirit of Righteousness and would never submit to the dominion of the spirit of unrighteousness.

Everyone who possesses the Spirit of God is revolted against moral and spiritual corruption. For such people, it is unacceptable to have the Spirit of God and at the same time be subject to the injustices that come from hell.

Although God allows these things to happen, it does not mean they are His will. On the contrary, God has allowed the enemies of righteousness to attack His children, the children of Righteousness, so they can revolt against, fight and overcome them. This will awaken the faith of those who are sincere, yet are being misled. It will allow them to see that there is a living, Almighty God ready to deliver them.

This happened in the past. The Promised Land was not a free gift. Although it was a guaranteed promise, it had to betaken by force, that is, its conquest cost many lives. However, as the children of Israel moved forward, they took possession of that territory. God’s presence with them did not mean their journey would be easy. Today, it is no different. It has not been any different in my life either. Just as God exists, I know He is with me. However, my journey has never ever been easy. I am sure that you know at least one person who hates me, don’t you?

One fine day, many years ago, I complained to the lord, “Why has everything been so difficult for me? You know what my goals are and whom I am fighting for. Why must I face so many unfair obstacles?” At that very moment, the Holy Spirit answered, “The battle may be fierce, but victory is certain.” I immediately regained my strength and gave it my all. After all, I did not have, nor do I have anything to lose.

So here is some advice for all those who persecute me: I will break through! And whatever laws try to stop me will serve as a stepping stool for me to climb even higher. And if my lord allows you to kill me, know that the seeds I have sown will bear much more fruit than when I was alive.

God bless those who have a living faith in the living God!

“God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11

Bishop Edir Macedo

bishopmacedo.com

The women’s gaffe

“So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely.  And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all people and also in the sight of Sauls’ servants.  Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments.  So the women sang as they danced, and said: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.  Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands.  Now what more can he have but the kingdom? So Saul eyed David from that day forward.” 1 Samuel 18:5-9

 Interesting, uh? When no one liked David, Saul would love him, but as soon as he heard the others comparing him to David, the anger took him over.  It had to be the women, who sometimes think that this kind of thing will bring any good to someone. That’s our nature.  We think that if we say ‘you could be more like so and so’, our husbands, children or friends will automatically say ‘it’s true, you’re right, I will change!’

In David’s story, the women only got into trouble.  I am sure that their objective was to give some support to David, they wanted to ‘thank him’ for what he was doing for the people or to call his attention.  Do you know that kind of thought? ‘We have to do something for him to know how much we admire him?’ What a gaffe! They created an enemy for David. In the next verse, Saul tries to kill him, just like that, in front of everyone.

We need to be careful with certain words and comments we like to make for the sake of saying‘I was just trying to help’. Many ladies, especially wives and mothers, get it wrong. They end up making their relatives sad.  If comparisons would make any good to someone we would have proofs of it, but I don’t know anyone who loves to be compared. Do you? Every time I would get compared to someone, a distance was immediately created in between that person and I. I would think: ‘I am not like you, I am far from it, I am so inferior that is better not to be even close!’

For those who are not well spiritually, the thing gets even worse.  That’s when the evil eyes and hatred start.

Does this tree look normal to you?

God teaches many truths through nature. Since nothing He does is by chance, the wise seeks and learns the hidden lessons in the works of Creation. 

One distinctive feature of nature isthat everything in it follows a natural process. In other words, everything follows certain laws and norms. It is a normal process of nature for example that if a seed is planted in good soil, it sprouts, grows, and bears fruit. It is abnormal if that process does not happen. And if it doesn’t happen, it clearly indicates there’s a problem somewhere.

If a child is born and develops physically and mentally as is common to a human being, that child is normal because it followed its natural process. If that doesn’t happen, he or she is an abnormal child. And so help is sought from doctors to try and find out the causes of that a trophy.

Therefore, in nature, it is normal to grow and develop. It is abnormal not to.

In life it’s no different. People naturally and instinctively seek happiness and well being, regardless of their religion. Being happy is (or should be) the natural outcome in a person’s life.

However, observe how much the human being has strayed from the original plan. Nowadays, happy people are considered the exception, while unhappy, unfulfilled people are considered “normal”. In other words, normal has become abnormal, and vice-versa.

Spiritual intelligence knows that if a person’s life doesn’t develop naturally, it’s because there’s something wrong. 

It’s very important that people take a good look at the way their lives have been developing. If something is bad, if there’s no growth or progress, then they must seek the root of the problem.

As we prepare for the ROOT Event, it’s extremely important that you prepare yourself spiritually and start putting into practice what God has been teaching us lately. It’s important that you think. It’s important that you use your intelligent faith – that’s the only way you will get rid of your problems for good.

In medicine, it’s easy to understand the difference between treating symptoms and curing a medical condition. Surely, when you’re in pain because you’ve broken your wrist, you want to have your symptoms treated – and you want it right now! However, taking painkillers won’t heal your wrist, and true healing is needed before the symptoms can disappear for good.

But when you have a problem in your life, how do you approach it? Do you jump in and start treating the symptoms? Or do you stop to consider whether there’s actually a deeper problem that needs your attention?

If you only fix the symptoms – what you see on the surface – the problem will almost certainly happen again, which will lead you to fix it, again, and again, and again.

If, instead, you look deeper to figure out why the problem is occurring, you can fix the underlying systems and processes that cause the problem.

We see many examples in the Bible when God actually led people to think and actually identify the root of their problems – He helped them, but they still had to think. An example that clearly shows this is when Joshua, after he had conquered one of the most fortified cities ever, Jericho, decided to take possession of the next city called Ai.

They were so confident that the victory would be easy that they only sent 3,000 soldiers to take possession of that place – but on that day they were really surprised. What was supposed to be just an easy win turned to be a very humiliating defeat.

‘Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few. So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.’

‘And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.’

Joshua could not understand it. How could they lose to such a small city after bringing down the huge walls of Jericho and overcoming its army?

He did what most of us would do; he decided to complain to God.

‘Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening… And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all – to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?’

Do you know what God’s answer was? Well, God showed Joshua where the root of the problem was. Do you want to know it? Please, don’t be angry with me, but you will have to open your Bible and read Joshua chapter 7 to find the answer.

At the end of the day, the only way for you to identify the root of your problem is to start thinking and putting into practice what He says.

May God bless you abundantly!

Bishop Celso Junior
bpcelsojunior.com
bishop@uckg.org

All children are given a name at birth that establishes their identity.

A child then becomes a citizen, and is protected by the Law. As long as he is alive, his name is included in the active file of the living. After death, his name is placed in the inactive file of the deceased, which has solely legal uses for his descendants.

But even though your name is in the file of the deceased, before God your soul continues to live and your name is written in one of two books: that of Life or that of the Second Death.

We did not choose to come into this world, but we have the right to choose where we will live for eternity.

If in life you did things to cause your name to be placed in the Book of Life, you will receive not only a glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:54) but also a new name. And, at that time, your old identity will once and for all disappear.

Like an angelic body, it will not have any memory of life on earth.

If your loved ones’ names are found in the Book of Life, they will have the same privilege.

But you will not remember each other, nor remember that one day you lived on earth.

“Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” (Revelation 21:5)

Bishop Edir Macedo
bishopmacedo.com

Things are not going as planned for you. You thought that by now, your family would have made some progress, that you would have found the perfect job, or that you would have reached a better point in life. And so you complain. Every single day, it’s a burden for you. Your face says it all.

I’M A FRUSTRATED WOMAN  -  the invisible sign on your forehead says.

But here’s what I see. I see a woman who’s in a never ending cycle. It’s like the dryer won’t stop working, the clothes are shrinking inside it, and there’s nothing you can do about it as the door won’t open. The machine won’t stop. The plug is too hidden behind it, you can’t reach it.

What do you do?

MOVE the machine, just PULL that plug!

It’s so simple and yet so hard at the same time. You want the cycle to stop by itself, even though you know, it’s not going to unless you do something drastic.

This is how you find women who are caught up in a rut. All they talk about is how miserable their life is. Every time they open their mouth, it’s to portray exactly how they feel. Let me tell you something: you think I don’t talk about my problems because I don’t have them?

I WISH!

I don’t talk about my problems because I decided to live beyond them. I won’t stop conquering, living, investing in myself and in others because of them – that’s all. I’ve learned to be insensitive, or better – numb. My faith taught me that.

One day I got fed up with all the emotions they brought out in me. I hated to see myself cry over them every time. I hated to find myself weakened because of them. I hated them, why would I stop my life because of them?

That day I pulled the plug on that never ending cycle.

Cristiane Cardoso
cristianecardoso.com

During this special celebration, you will take part in the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of the old life God took you from, and celebrate the new life you now have with Him.

The Word of God says that during the Passover, Jesus took the bread and told His disciples, “Take, eat; this is My body,” (Matthew 26:26) and then He took the cup and said to them “Drink from it all of you. For this is My blood…” As you eat the bread and drink the grape juice, the symbol of His “flesh” and of His “blood” you will receive strength in your soul and strength to confirm your faith in Him. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) If you have never experienced the power of God and feel that you have nothing to celebrate, you can take part determining that your life will begin to change after taking this supper.

You are invited to join us Wednesday 5th October, at 6pm (also at 7am, 10am and 3pm) at all Universal Churches. For more information call 081 141 33 22.