EXPERIENCE WITH GOD - HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM

I would like to share a great experience I had with God. About 11 years ago I had surgery on my vocal cords in Brazil, for misusing my voice and my former profession, I had a lesion on my vocal cords, but at that time I had no result, I went almost three months without speaking, and even the doctor who did the operation was a little scared, but I used my faith, and with the help of a good friend (Mrs. Janna) who helped me every day in prayer, my voice gradually returned, but with hoarseness.
Time passed, but I was not worried, I did not have the answer I wanted, but I left it in God's hands, and went on.
5 years after that surgery and being in another country, doing God's work in the United States, I went through another surgery, encouraged by a friend who had known someone who had this same kind of problem. I did another surgery with a doctor in Texas, but had no result, and it only improved a little but with time, the hoarseness continued.
I always spoke with God, revolted, because on several occasions when counseling or even evangelizing, people would ask me if that was my voice, if it was normal, or if I was sick, if I had the flu, and inside I was revolted. I always asked God for healing through faith, but it was not the case and gradually God gave me the condition to do his work, I had no illnesses, but it was something that bothered me.
I always remember this verse in the Bible, one that I heard a man of God say almost as soon as I entered the church: ¨Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this¨ (Psalm 37:5).
At the same time that it bothered me, I was sure that God was in charge, and the answer would come in some form.
Two and half years ago, I moved to another country (Argentina), not expecting it, because I had lived six years in the United States, so in the beginning, it was a shock... because I never thought I would change countries. To be honest, I was sad, I had thoughts and questions of why???... But always in the faith, I remembered this verse: "He will do this¨, and said: Amen, Jesus, if this is what the Lord wants, I'm going with this faith. And when I least expected it, even in losing, God created a whole situation where I was blessed in almost every aspect of my life, mainly in the spiritual aspect: I grew, I matured and my communion with God was strengthened as never before. And my vocal cords? God put me in Buenos Aires, where they have the best doctor in Argentina, in the best hospital in Argentina, in the hands of the best experts, and used him in a great way, that he could not believe the outcome of the development of my voice.
He made a minor correction, a minor surgery and treatment with a speech therapist, who was also placed by God, with much experience, who had also been in Germany, and six months of follow up sessions, and after these six months, she released me and said: Claudia your development is amazing, it is incredible to see hear your voice then and now, YOU ARE DIFFERENT, and I said: the HOLY SPIRIT IS DIFFERENT...
When we have him, we trust that He is truly the one in charge, who cares for us like the lilies that do nothing, but they are beautiful, perfect...
How wonderful to see the work of God in our lives, and today I can say that he did not do what I wanted, I wanted to attend a service and be healed at that moment, but He wanted to use a doctor, He created a situation that I least expected, took me to another country, but the answer came. No anxieties, no worries, but always using my Faith...
"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever."

Defeating Ourselves

That is one of the hardest things to do "defeat yourself"... Sounds pretty easy to say but it is much more difficult to do.
How can we defeat ourselves? It is precisely when we have self-control, not let ourselves be controlled by anything, not thoughts, emotions, feelings, acting only by faith that brings positive results. In daily practice we see many examples: When a friend comes to you to talk about someone else, knowing it's not good to gossip, that it is ugly, and told more than 1000 times that it will only bring more problems, but only to please your friend, you share it, in other words, you could not defeat yourself. When your thoughts wander, unpleasant thoughts, often bringing envy, jealousy, anxiety, even displeasing you, instead of changing your thinking and doing something beneficial, you feed those thoughts, leading to situations that exist only in your mind, a fixation between you and your thinking. Or, you are gaining weight every day, knowing you have to start a healthy diet, eat healthy, walk, run, do something to burn the fat you already have, but you always say you will start next week and time passes and still you do not defeat yourself. Another example is the organization of your home, your room needs to be thoroughly organized, and you always say not this week, I'll do it next week, another week comes and passes and the mess is still waiting. You live anxiously, worried about everything and everyone, not leaving anxiety in its place, in other words, out of your life.

These are some examples that we live every day and only in defeating ourselves do we get to change.

Remember:
Everything in life requires sacrifice,
To change any situation it is necessary to take action
Only when we change from the inside, the external changes appear
Victory is only for those who do not give up
We need to start in order to finish, if you don't start, you will never finish
Your success or failure depends only on you

STOP DOING AND START BEING

When we are chosen by God, we are chosen to bear fruit. However, many of those who do God's work, without realizing and in time, due to the difficulties, persecutions, sadness and injustices, no longer bear fruit because of bad eyes, bad thoughts, until the sad moment comes and they are cut off , because that tree which gave so much fruit in the beginning was left to dry until it is cut.

All the time we pass through difficult situations and stop looking at the cross, in other words, we do not look to Him who called us, we automatically cease to bear fruit. But when we have the spiritual eyes and maturity, we know that persecution, struggles and tribulations are allowed to make us stronger and to give even more fruit.

What helps us remain and bear fruit daily, is to keep our eyes good, even though our eyes try to show the contrary, keep our thoughts clean, even when evil tries to put doubts, fears, bad thoughts, or even judgements in relation to people, in other words, we must remain as in the beginning, because how our heart was in the beginning is what caught the eye of God, when He chose us to do his wonderful work.

I went through many situations a few years ago and could not see the fruits of our labor. So I made a prayer to God, I did not accept to be like a dry branch, did not accept to be in the work and not bear fruit for God, that is, I wanted to win souls, not only do the work. Time passed and God showed me that I had to change, I had to go back to the beginning and it was because of me that the fruit was not growing, I matured a lot, learned a lot through my own mistakes, but it was great to just rely on the Holy Spirit and He showed me how to bear fruit that lasts forever!

Today I experience a great joy, to see people who are born of God every day, I have been used by God for people to be born of Him, the fruit will certainly remain, but this only occurred after a complete and total change within me, allowing Jesus to cleanse me, returning to the same thoughts and pure heart of the beginning, renewing my mind to bear more fruit.

I stopped using only my physical talent, that was only concerned with DOING the work of GOD to use my spiritual talent and completely BE of GOD in daily practice and communion with the Holy Spirit, before I was worried about doing the work, today I worry about winning souls by BEING of God so that others can see my character, my behavior and being a fruit bearing tree instead of a dry branch.

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" John 15:16

Looking At The Soul of the Sinner

We live in a world in which at all times we can be influenced by things that are good for us or things that hurt us, and it is up to each one of us to know how to choose which path to follow and not be influenced by anything, and live only by faith.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector who cheated others, but at the same time Jesus was not concerned with his sin. When Jesus passed by, he looked out for him and climbed as high as he could in a tree to see Jesus. Seeing his attitude, He said He would be at his home that very same day, but those who saw him only as a sinner, did not accept the attitude of Jesus and murmured as if they were not in agreement that Jesus would go to the house of a sinner.
Jesus really is wonderful. He does not look at the exterior, but rather the interior. Because if it were not so, many of us would not have achieved our salvation.
Too many people are living wrong, committing robberies, prostitution, murder, but have not had that opportunity to receive a good influence to change their lives.
When Jesus did not look at the sinner, but looked at the soul of the sinner who was with Him, there was regret and he said: I will give half of my possessions to the poor and if I cheated anyone, I will restore it fourfold, or in other words, he regretted his actions and had an encounter with God.
And Jesus said: Today salvation has come to this house.
Many people are not seen as souls but as disturbed, murderers, liars, thieves, or said to live in the flesh, but only with a gesture of love and solidarity and influenced by the power of God in their lives, they can take a step and change the course of their lives.
I thank God because every day I learn the true love for souls, to love people on the inside, not the outside, not judging, but being a good influence with good attitudes and leading them to an encounter with God, and the results have been wonderful every day.

Time passes by quickly, and many people are dying and instead of being a good influence to others, by looking at the inside and not the outside, we lose the opportunity to win souls for the Kingdom of God with prejudice, with disfavor, and unfortunately this type of behavior only displeases God and gives pleasure to evil.
“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Characteristics of a Woman of God

Characteristics of a Woman of God

* Perseveres in prayer. (They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers) Acts 1:14.
* She has her eyes on the cross, just looking at her objective: the salvation of her soul. (Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other) Luke 6:37.
* Always gives without concern of receiving. (In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive') Acts 20:35.
* Always concerned with those by her side, treating everyone with love and dignity,
regardless of their position within a group or society. (A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity) Proverbs 17:17.
* She is happy, her smile is contagious to all and everyone always wants to be near her. (A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit) Proverbs 15:13.
* She seeks to act upon the Word of God and not just learn it, showing by example and taking to all the Lord's perfume. (Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock) Matthew 7:24.
* Lives in holiness, staying away from sin and seeking a daily communion with God. (Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord) Hebrews 12:14.
* She is honest, lies have no place in her life. (You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy) Psalms 45:7.
* Seeks to have a heart like a child and pleasing to God. (And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven) Matthew 18:3.
* Minds her words, uses them only to bless people and not to tear them down, she listens more than she speaks. (The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright) Proverbs 15:7.
* She has good eyes for all, deviating from judgments that produce bad eyes. (The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,your whole body will be full of light) Matthew 6:22.
* She is humble in spirit. (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven)Matthew 5:3.

Being a woman of God, aside from these characteristics, is fearing and obeying the Lord Jesus.

God Bless!

The Privileged Sinner

When Jesus was resurrected, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene. When I realized what I had read in this passage, I started thinking and wondered: Why? Should he not have first appeared to his disciples, who were always with him? His disciples spent all their time with him, they saw healings, miracles, they were his servants. But when Jesus was resurrected, where were his disciples? The Bible tells us in Matthew 16: "The disciples were very sad. Some were still crying," in other words, while they were being emotional, Mary Magdalene was taking action, acting on her faith, looking for something to offer the Lord, she went to the tomb, she was at the feet of Jesus, making the most of her time by looking for Him, even though everyone else said he was dead, she went to seek Him. What a wonderful passage!
Jesus appeared to her, even before his own disciples, and she went to tell them all of this wonderful miracle, but those disciples who had been with Jesus all the time, could not believe it.
Many people go to church, talk about Jesus, and serve God, but when the hard times, problems, humiliation and injustice come, instead of being at the feet of Jesus, depending on Him, pleasing God, unfortunately, they get sad and cry. Some even abandon their faith.
It is during these moments and many others, the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We will always make mistakes, but spiritual maturity comes with surrender, practicing the Word of God and with time. But on this journey of faith, we are certain that those who trust in the Lord will never be empty, they will run and not grow weary, they will remain forever, same as the mountains of Zion, because they are born of God himself and truly know him. Therefore, we cannot seek the glory of this world, everything in it passes, it is all vanity. But the glory that is to come cannot not even compare with anything that we have here.
The struggles and sufferings cannot make us give up. On the contrary, they should serve as a bridge to a wonderful life with God, looking for a perfect daily relationship, being filled with the Holy Spirit, because He is the greatest gift: heals wounds, molds us, makes us happy, makes us stronger, gives us a new life, comforts us, renews us... Ultimately, I have no words to express the importance of the Holy Spirit and what it does in the lives of those who are at his disposal, to receive him and serve him.

The Worst Problem

The worst problem

Everything that occurs in this world is transient, victories, defeats, good and bad experiences, these are all daily events of this world, but the real victory is in the greatest achievement: to enter the kingdom of God and remain there.
When God's presence is within us, He guides everything and everything changes: our thoughts, attitudes, our character, better said, we die and become a new creature.
Looking back at my life 16 years ago, what madness! Pride, deception, vanity, sadness, depression, anxiety, hurt, resentment, envy, etc ... Many feelings that only led me to an empty, meaningless life.
There are many problems that people suffer from, but unfortunately, they do not realize the need to solve their worst problem, which is not their love life, finances, family, children, health, but instead: THE LACK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. This is the worst problem for human beings. When I understood this, I became rich, rich in God, as if I could solve all my problems and did. Day by day, everything fell into place, day by day the Holy Spirit guided me and gave me a wonderful life in complete dependence on Him.
Every day I feel happy because I can help and show people that their worst problem is the emptiness they have inside, as I had before, and that it can only be solved when there is an encounter with God and the seal of the Holy Spirit.
When I sought after blessings, they did not come, but when I decided to seek the Lord, no longer did I have to chase behind the blessings because they came to me. And complete happiness occurred, something that had never existed for me before. Real change happens from the inside out and not from the outside-in.

Today, there is no more lies, only the truth, no more darkness, only the light and the true path came to me. I have no words to express the importance of the Holy Spirit within me because with Him all our problems are defeated, even ourselves. If you are suffering from any problem but do not have the Holy Spirit, know that this problem is not your worst problem, and if you have the Holy Spirit, be sure to remain in His dependence and the glory will surely come, because it is in the deserts of life where we are shaped for God.

As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:36-40)

Enemies of Marriage

Enemies of Marriage
Marriage is made up of a series of elements, joys, sorrows, successes and great victories. But when you think about how you want your marriage to be, the last thing that comes to mind is the image of a battlefield. However, there are some battles that you should be more than willing to face. Unfortunately, marriage has many external enemies. They appear in different ways and use different strategies, and certainly conspire only to destroy your marriage, unless you know how to stop them.
Some of these enemies are smart and attractive, with the sole purpose of undermining the love and appreciation for each other. Others try to seduce your heart, fueling it with fantasies and unrealistic comparisons. This is a battle we must wage and win every day, for example:

* The Internet and television can be productive and enjoyable additions in your life, but they can also bring destructive elements and deprive you of precious moments with your family
* Long working hours, which keep you apart from each other during precious hours. This will eventually destroy the couple who will never have time for one another, or will always be tired
* Relationships with the opposite sex - Beware! Friends of the opposite sex can cause jealousy, the best thing to do is walk away, because how can a "so called" friend be the cause for arguments?
* Wives - Beware not to be led by television, magazines and other media that is often a reality that does not exist and you may end up making improper and unfair comparisons with your husband
* Family - When a man and woman marry, they leave their family, their father and mother form another family. It is very important to have balance and to love your family, but never let it interfere in the couple's marriage

Fifth Step

Know When to Surrender To surrender is to back down (from what you know is right) = Desist, Give In.
This word is key to a happy marriage. If the two do not give in, the struggle will be constant and problems in the relationship will always exist,
because there will always be decisions that both will have to make,for example,
one wants to have more children, but not the other. One wants to spend the holidays with the relatives, but not the other.
One wants the children to attend private school, the other prefers they go to public school. One thinks it's time to seek couples' advice or become more involved in the church, while the other does not.
So how do you reach a solution? Or come to an agreement? The only consequence of the actual arguments is that both will remain stubborn. But the moment one of you decides to say "I give up my opinion to do your will today",
the discussion will be over. That's why the need to know how to surrender at the right moment. Many times we know we are right,
but giving in, with time, will show the true love between the two and certainly over time this will be much easier, and obviously one does not get married to be happy, but to make the other happy and surrendering is one of the key words to accomplish this.

The most wise and loving thing you can do is to start facing your disagreements with the inclination of not always having to do things your way.
This does not necessarily mean that your spouse is right or being wise about an issue, but it means that you will be taking their opinion into account,
it is a way to appreciate them.Instead of treating your spouse as an enemy or as someone you should beware of, start treating him/her as your best and dearest friend.
Give great importance to their words. Indeed, our greatest example of surrender and true love was our Lord Jesus himself, so
Why not give up our own desires, feelings and wishes for our loved one?
We have two options: being right or making our spouse happy, and more importantly, having a stable relationship or a relationship full of ups and downs.

Learn To Admire

In the beginning, every relationship is full of charm, dating is a beautiful and fascinating stage, our thoughts fly high, especially when we have defined this is the one person we want for our future, we cannot find any flaws, we only see their qualities. But when marriage becomes a daily routine, it is inevitable to see the flaws and there are couples who spend 24 hours a day together, as is the case for my husband and I, it is rare for us not to be together.
Even when we see the flaws, it is necessary to learn to admire our beloved one.
We must highlight a few points:
* Use words that show your love and admiration in order to maintain that initial charm
* Always flatter them, use positive words to give them strength every day
* Strengthen your marriage every day, thru friendship, companionship and understanding
* It is very important to resolve any dispute as quickly as possible to avoid the lack of communication
* Dialogue is very important in a marriage, always set aside time to talk, ask her how the work day went, ask if you can help with anything, any difficulties they encountered, etc ...
* Admire their talent, beauty, behavior, etc ... in other words, admire the qualities your spouse has.
* Try to think more about their positive attributes than their negative ones -
Wasting your time thinking about their insults, past mistakes, bad habits or bad decisions will only lead to a decay of your marriage, the person who has the presence of God will, in these times, make the right direction to act and avoid these thoughts, using wisdom and spiritual judgment to overcome all their differences.

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24)

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Ephesians 5:25-28)

Third step: Learn to Lose, Even If You Are Right

Differences between two people in a marriage will always exist, what will help you remain is for one person to give in. And in most cases, that person has to be the wife. Because men will hardly give in, this is human nature, he is in charge, the leader, and biblically speaking, man was not created from woman, but it was the woman who was created from the rib of man, in other words, man's position is and always will be the head. Often women, who do not have a daily relationship with God, lose the opportunity to avoid fights, arguments, unnecessary disagreements, just because they want to be in the same position as the man. Not that a woman should be stepped on, humiliated and remain silent, no... But maintain her position which should be: submissive.
Being submissive leads us to take actions that will help us in our daily relationship:
1) An important rule: Treat your spouse the way you want to be treated (see Luke 6:31).
2) Treat your husband the same way or better than others: Be as kind to your spouse as you are to strangers or to your coworkers.
3) Do what is asked: Consider what your husband or wife asks you to do or not to do. If in doubt, ask. But always do whatever is asked of you.

Love is not irritated under stress. Small problems do not become major conflicts. The truth is that love does not get angry or hurt unless there is a legitimate and righteous reason under God.
A loving husband remains calm and patient, showing mercy and control of his temper. Anger and violence are out of the question. A loving wife is not too sensitive or moody, but maintains control over her emotions. She prefers to be a flower among the thorns and responds calmly when facing difficult situations.
If you are in love, you are reason for joy, not pain. Ask yourself: "Am I a gentle breeze or a storm waiting to happen?"

"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge." Proverbs 23:12

The Second Step to Maintaining a Happy Marriage

Let us go to the second step that helps maintain a marriage:

Adaptation

Not only in marriage, but in everyday life we relate to people of different class, levels and education.

For example, in marriage, a husband marries his wife. He is 30 years old and she is 27 years old. For 30 years, he has his own customs, ways and habits. The same with her; she has a different upbringing, customs, habits, etc... Just imagine how it will be in the beginning?
Certainly with difficulties; discovering each other, depending on each other, learning to deal with their differences and habits.
* For example, before the money was only his, now he will need to divide it.
* The young woman who had someone do everything for her, will now have to do everything for her husband and herself
* Before the relationship was all flowers, he was romantic, had nice words for her, always gave her gifts, etc... Now the young man is more reasonable, and the young woman, as always, sentimental forgets that in time this will all change. It's not that it won’t happen again, but certainly less often than before.

And when you get to this point, a mistake tends to occur with some couples: They only see the flaws. They blame each other, say unpleasant things and eventually the marriage is destroyed. Only seeing each other’s mistakes, that’s how it starts and then it is hard to go back. That’s why it is very important for women to seek wisdom in God during the adaptation stage; to speak at the appropriate time, to be loving, to think more about giving than receiving, to look for the presence of God, and little by little, the adaptation is happening, and every day she will overcome a different situation and learn to depend on God.
If we look for flaws in others, we will surely find many, but will also find many qualities. In life, there are always situations and their analysis will depend on our vision and relationship with God. There are situations that exist only in our minds and in our eyes. When we try to look at things from another angle, everything changes and you have another perception, we have another point of view.
It is difficult to express love when there is little or no reason. But love, in its essence, is not based on feelings. Rather, it is the nature of love to be considerate and caring, even when it seems that there is no reward. Demonstrating affection when your spouse does not expect it, will awaken a lot of love in the relationship and undo all the negative that exists between the two, but you will need action.

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." (Proverbs 14:1)

Key Steps to Maintain a Marriage

I have received emails asking for guidance in relation to marriage, marital problems, married relationships, etc. Taking into account the need to address this issue because many people get married but have great difficulty in staying married. They love each other, but their daily relationship is compromised by the lack of some key steps that really helps us to maintain a happy marriage. Everyone knows it’s not hard to get married; it’s hard to stay married.

Before the first step, I wanted to share with you a phrase that I heard which blessed me:
"Do not get married to be happy, but to make someone else happy"

Several steps will be addressed:

First step: Patience

What does this mean?

Patience is the virtue that bears evil and wrongdoings without whining or rebellion, the quality of those who calmly wait. That is when you are patient with your spouse, you demonstrate discretion, instead of taking an eye for an eye, you take control of your emotions instead of them controlling you.
For example, most of the time when a spouse does something to displease the other, the will of the flesh is to get payback and do the same, for example: He cheated, so she then cheats, he doesn’t praise her, so she doesn’t praise him, he doesn’t pay attention to her, so she doesn’t pay attention to him, but we have discovered that patience is the best medicine, because taking an eye for an eye will not solve your problems, otherwise nobody would get married in this world.
On the other hand, patience makes us wise. She is not quick to judge, but listens to what the other person is saying. It is very important to learn to listen before reaching hasty conclusions that you will regret later. Be patient, listen first, and then talk. It is better to hold your tongue than to say something you might regret later. Because he who speaks sows and he who listens reaps. Many of the things you say today, you probably will forget by tomorrow, but the person who hears it from you, will never forget, and this will produce deep scars and disappointments that could lead to separation, i.e., our words can cause life or death depending on how we use them.
Same way the lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, the practice of patience will stimulate peace and harmony.
Wise men and women will see patience as an essential ingredient in marriage.
This is a good starting point to demonstrate true love.
The Bible says: "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but the one who is quick-tempered displays folly" (Proverbs 14:29). "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel" (Proverbs 15:18).

How to control evil thoughts

Throughout the day, our mind is always working, it never stops, and since our mind is always working, thoughts go beyond what we even think about, and if we take notice, they are often horrible thoughts. And we ask ourselves: Why did I think about this? Or think about that?
How can we keep our thoughts only on things that please God? How do we stop unpleasant thoughts? How do we stop agreeing with evil in our own minds?
The emptier our mind, the more it will become occupied, most likely by something that displeases God. Therefore, it’s important to occupy our minds with pleasant, good thoughts, with what unites us to God and not what separates us from him.
At all times, evil puts suggestions in our mind: You will not achieve this; Nobody likes you, You'd better give up, and uses insecurities and doubts all the time; they leave us sad and anxious believing in a lie, thus taking our strength and working to make us weak in relation to everyday situations.
How do we prevent this?
When we die to this world, we no longer live for it. We trust in God 100%, whom we serve and know we are under his protection all the time, we seek for a daily relationship and maintain our thoughts on his Word, which God’s power within us, our faith, and we overcome that evil thoughts that try to intimidate us every day, and actually practicing this every day, things begin to change. Everything becomes easier; we begin to see things we could not see before, as if we had been locked in a world that existed only in our minds.
Everyone goes through difficult situations in this world, problems, and challenges. It is during these moments that we must control our thoughts and not let evil come with its lies, and this is only possible when we have a relationship and total trust in the living God, whom we give our lives to; certain that he is in control of everything.
Do not be controlled by your thoughts, instead take control of them according to the word of God and everything will be easier...

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

The Death That Creates Life

When we stop acting like children and act like adults in Christ, we see how we can bear fruit for God.

We know we have to change every day, because human nature is sinful, and only with the Holy Spirit inside us, every day we can die to this world so that the Lord can live in us. And he lives in us when we are persecuted, but not defeated, when we know we are right but remain silent, when we are wronged but wait for the justice of God. We stop thinking about the things of this earthly world to elevate ourselves to the spiritual world.

Actually, it's not easy living in this world and being spiritual, but it becomes possible when we seek to live in Spirit and we are not only hearers but doers of the word of God, and so gradually, we conquer all that God has promised in our lives, and if we want victory, we must die to our will, desire and thoughts every day so that the Lord Jesus can live in us. Thus, spreading true love to this world, leading people to eternal lives and creating life, through the daily death of our flesh.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:11-13)

Being Holy to see God

When we are spiritual and seek less of the physical world, in other words, live in spirit, we seek holiness, which doesn’t mean being a good, kind, pleasant person, but a person who assumes her faith daily, throwing herself into the hands of the Lord Jesus, living by faith, that in which is not seen, but knows that through holiness, will see it in her life daily because the results will come, she is 100% certain that her greatest good in this world is him: The Holy Spirit.
Holiness brings us so close to God, that the results are wonderful. In all these 21 days, we were living in communion with the Holy Spirit; we have seen great results in our lives and the lives of others.
I had wonderful experiences. It had already been a few months that I was trying to use the internet only for essentials, and for awhile was barely watching television, because I was busy focusing on what I saw would bear good fruit, on what would make me please God and care for others. Since we have calling to the altar, we know that we have a great responsibility, in order to bring others to the Kingdom of God, and this requires a total commitment to God...
A few months ago, I was taking care of younger and older women who were depressed, anguished, lost, had no vision, no direction, spiritually destroyed, and in my daily tending of them, always trying to give my best, showing them that without the Holy Spirit or daily commitment to God, a person will go in circles, may even may accomplish, but will not have an established life and so will not stay with God and their daily problems will gradually destroy them. And as time passed, what a transformation! They were delivered, changing their behavior, their character, made a commitment to God and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Today they are servants of God, helping others with their own testimony. This is priceless, but it is our commitment that bears the fruit, without commitment, the results will not come.
Every day I learn that the blessings of God depend on our sincerity and our total commitment, to really trust that God is in control of everything, always respecting God’s will in our lives.
To see God in our lives, in other words, the results we want then we must strive for holiness.
As it is written:
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14

My life before and after to receive the Holy Spirit

My family had many problems: poverty, debt, fights, separation, a broken home. I was raised in an environment without love, without care and had many problems which were increasing every day.

In my teens, I was very immature, I believed anyone who said: "I love you." I was without direction, without love and sad at the same time. Without any malice, my life was horrible and in my youth it became worse. I started going out with guys and traveling. Some told me they were single but some time later, I would discover they were married men. Men claiming to be passionate, but who really just wanted to take advantage of my body. I entered a world of alcohol and drugs, which only had many disappointments and fake friends. It was all just jealousy, intrigues, and a big emptiness in my heart.

I remember when I would go out Saturday and return Sunday morning, still under the influence of alcohol, feeling an immense sadness in my heart. I had everything that many girls my age wanted: I was in college, I had a good job, my own car and at great sacrifice, I had financial independence. But in reality, I was an empty, unhappy person, something was missing.

On my own one day, I spoke to God: "If there is true happiness would it be possible for the Lord to show me where I can find it?"

One day at home, after returning from a trip to carnival, where I had been thru everything, I was so sad and on the radio I heard the testimony of a former prostitute who said that her life had changed: “I had many men, but was not happy” and she spoke of the change in her life. Then I thought, "If she has found happiness, why can’t I?" and the next day I went to church.

My God, now I remember my first day. After the meeting ended, I spoke to God: "I'm sure this is my place, I have sadness, anxiety, disappointment, emptiness, I am possessed by evil spirits who are doing whatever they want in my life”. Today I remember this with tears in my eyes. It was the beginning of a new life. A life that I had been searching for a long time, but could not find it. I listened to the pastor speak and saw so much love when he spoke. A love that no man showed before, it was the love of God for me.

I decided to give myself completely: body, soul and spirit. In a month I was baptized in the waters and left it all behind: clubs, parties, nightlife. I started going to church every day. I loved being there, I felt better than being at home. The helpers gave me a lot of attention, they were worried about my salvation, true servants who helped me and here I thank each of them.

I continued to persevere and seek a new life. I wanted the Holy Spirit more than anything in my life, with all my strength. Although there were many problems, at that time they did not bother me or upset me. I knew God was watching.

What I wanted most was to have the Spirit of God within me, and three months later I received the Holy Spirit in my life. It was something wonderful and unexpected, unexplainable, something that filled me, made me happy, and I started to realize that what I needed was not a man, or a house, or a wedding, or parents or a stable financial life. What I needed was the Spirit of God within me, it was what I was searching for a long time and I had just found it. It was the happiest day of my life! I left the church singing, wanting to tell everyone of the unconditional love I had found.

Next week, everyone who knew me asked me what was happening. Why was I like that? Why had I changed so much? And I said: "because I found my Lord."

The joy and fulfillment took over me and my only pleasure from that time was to seek his favor, to serve Him...

It was a true conversion, a total change of direction in my life.

The story is long. It is 15 years of service to God, because within six months, I became a helper and my greatest pleasure (which is still today) was to evangelize, care for and talk to those in need, helping people, and the love was growing so much every day until I decided to leave everything: my job, college, my family, everything.

One day I was reading the Bible and meditated on what I read: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise" so I asked myself: "What good is it that I graduate and become so wise in this world?, if what my God wants for me is that I win souls ..." So I dropped everything to serve my Lord in the altar, and what joy...
Aahhh, what a day!

All these years, there has not been a lack of reasons and struggles to make me give up. Walking with God is not living in a sea of roses, but to pass the sea and not be overwhelmed by it, it’s not looking back and remaining. It’s to look at the cross, to only see the origin of our faith and not at men. And only with this spirit that comes from God himself, can we stand firm and unshaken in any situation of this world. But I always try to live my first love. To me, this is one of the secrets to staying with the Lord Jesus. Love him with all your strength, thoughts and daily actions, exhaling his perfume to anyone who is around us.

First of all, I give thanks to the Lord with all my heart. The pastor who was there, living in sacrifice to save me. The helpers who left their homes and their lives to take care of me. Because if not for them, I don’t know what would have become of me and certainly I would have lost my salvation.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38)

-MULHERES VIRTUOSAS -HOMENAGEM AO DIA INTERNACIONAL DA MULHER -

International Day of Women

Women such as these daughters, wives and mothers receive the approval from your Lord.
The roads are many, the path is long, sometimes lonely and torturous,
but will always show the value of a life set apart to serve.
Your eyes will never deviate from your goal, the ideal of God for your life,
erecting monuments in songs of victory, lifting in light and holiness.
You will be a woman of faith, same as Anne.
Pleasant and faithful as Naomi and Ruth. Brave and wise as Esther.
Same as Jochebed with a spirit of sacrifice and renunciation.
From generation to generation, creating children, not physical but spiritual, serving the Lord.

Congratulations to all of you on this special day, for those of you who blessed me one day in some way, with an action, your eyes, your smile, your attention, your kindness, or just for being by my side at sometime.
Happy Women's Day!

The Gospel Preacher

Do you know what life is like for those who leave everything to go wherever the wind takes them?

They leave their job, career, home and family. All this so that many, through faith, can achieve a good job, a beautiful home and a united family.

They shed tears daily for those they don’t even know, but they know too well the suffering of those people.

While many are asleep, they cry at night for those who are contemplating suicide and have no one in their lives.

They are called crazy, because the word of the cross, which is to sacrifice, is crazy for this world. Their lives are a daily sacrifice.

They use their precious time to go to hospitals, through streets and dangerous neighborhoods, often listening to a hundred "no" and two "yes", but still believe that a least one soul will be won that day.

They stop having children of their own flesh, placing their own will and desire aside, so those who are infertile can have their own children, through the faith.

They have spiritual children, even though, these people are too old to be children again, but they are straggling in the faith, and are guided by these jewels that are the disciples of Jesus in this world.

They have an immeasurable love for people, to completely forget about their own lives and give themselves completely for others.

They know what God will do in the lives of his people, because they live what they preach, and have seen God’s will in their lives.

They bring the true fragrance of Christ to those who have no fragrance in their lives.

They become servants with no will, no desire, no future, with their trust completely in God, so that many may encounter the one true God.

Their greatest desire is to see many souls enter and remain in the kingdom of God, making disciples, because (s)he is saved and wants others to be saved.

They have nothing and no one can take anything from them, because they have given everything.

Nobody can kill them, because they are already dead to this world.
"Live as a foreigner, with no land, no direction, nor treasures, in the lands of the preachers of the gospel"

" Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."Mathew 16:24-25

A TRUE FRIEND

My friend has not returned from the battlefield, Sir. I request permission to go look for him", said a soldier to his lieutenant.
"Request denied", replied the officer, "I don't want you to risk your life for a man who's probably dead".
Ignoring his command, the soldier left and returned about an hour later, mortally wounded, carrying the corpse of his friend. The officer was furious: "Didn't I tell you he would be dead! Was it worth it to go there just to bring back a corpse?"
And the dying soldier replied:
"Yes, sir! When I found him, he was still alive and was able to tell me: I was sure you would come for me!"
'A FRIEND IS SOMEONE WHO ARRIVES WHEN EVERYONE ELSE HAS GONE'

The Woman of God vs. hardships of life

The Woman of God vs. hardships of life

What truly helps us in times of hardship is our relationship and trust in the one true God.

Who has not faced tribulations or crossed the deserts in this life? If your answer is 'no', unfortunately I have bad news for you: They will still happen and if your answer is 'yes', other news: Thank God for your strength to remain, but unfortunately, other deserts will come.

The truth is that while we have this body and live in this world, we are subject to a variety of problems, situations, injustices, humiliations, and many other things, but when we are in dependence on God, He strengthens us, renews us and prepares us to remain on this road until the end.

The true test of walking in the spirit is not the way we act, but how we react to the frustrations of everyday life, which is to show we are strong and never look back.

We see a great example of a woman who went through tribulations. Naomi lost her husband, her children, but kept her faith in the God of Israel and supported her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who also had a deep spiritual insight, following her mother-in-law to a land she did not know or had any relatives in, and said:
“Where you go I'll go. Where you stay I'll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. Where you die I'll die. And there my body will be buried. I won't let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly."
Imagine the wonderful witness of faith that this woman of God, Naomi, passed on to her daughter-in-law, to the point that she was willing to follow her to her land, and say "your God will be my God..." Even though, the first instance of blaming God for her suffering, but same as today, we see that we endure suffering and cross the deserts because they are necessary for God’s plan to be fulfilled in our lives, and when we pass the test of fire, we can exude a sweet aroma for the Lord.

Two women, facing great tribulations in life, who maintained an unwavering faith for years in the midst of difficult circumstances, which shows the wisdom and vision of their faith in their God.

God uses the loyalty of simple women to fulfill his extraordinary plans in the lives of those who need the power of God.

I always thought I would grow by learning with others, I have learned a lot, but to really remain, we must cross the deserts that make us strong as mountains.

It is only in the deserts, where great men and women of God are created who then become light to this world.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, in just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10:35-39)

Virtuous woman vs. Common Woman

When a virtuous woman is wrong, she says: "I was wrong" and learns her lesson. When a common woman is wrong or makes a mistake, she says: "Not my fault" and blames others.

A virtuous woman knows that adversity is the best teacher. A common woman will always feel victim to adversity.

A virtuous woman knows that the outcome of things depends on her sacrifice. The common woman feels helpless and always depends on others.

A virtuous woman works hard and always makes time for everything. The common woman is always "very busy" and never has time for anything.

A virtuous woman faces challenges one by one. A common woman is afraid of challenges and does not dare to face them.

A virtuous woman agrees, gives her word and delivers on what is promised. The common woman makes promises, but does not keep them and only knows how to justify herself when she fails.

A virtuous woman says: "I need to be more virtuous every day". The common woman says: "I'm not so bad, there are many worse than me."

A virtuous woman listens, understands and responds. A common woman does not wait for her turn to speak.

A virtuous woman respects those who know more than her and is always looking to learn something from them. A common woman resists all those who know more than her and is always looking for flaws in them.

A virtuous woman feels responsible for something and gives her all. A common woman is not compromised and says: "I do what I'm given".

A virtuous woman says: "There must be a better way to do this ...". A common woman says: "We always do this. There is no other way."

A virtuous woman always tries to see the good in others. A common woman only sees the negative side.

A virtuous woman builds her house because her attitudes are based on the thoughts of God. A common woman destroys her home with her own hands, through attitudes based on feelings.

A virtuous woman knows that "all things work for good for those who love the Lord". A common woman sees injustice and inequality whenever she is "affected."

A virtuous woman is PART OF THE SOLUTION. The common woman is PART OF THE PROBLEM.

A virtuous woman, like yourself, will read this, feel happy and try to improve. A common woman will read this and be indifferent because she thinks she is fine the way she is and does not need to change.

The Good Soil

Every day we go through situations that make us look more to the desires of our flesh than to those of our spirit, because we have ears but do not hear and we have eyes but do not see. This is why there is suffering in the lives of many people due to this main reason "they have ears but do not hear", "they have eyes but do not see". When the seed falls on good soil, it bears fruit and yields up to a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown, but only a part of those who have ears are able to hear, and those who have eyes able to see, that is only those born of God.
Sometimes God speaks to us through a message in the Bible, the Internet, or through people, at church, etc ... But often we do not hear and instead take actions that will later on make us sad or even make us suffer for lack of hearing God's will. This is due to a lack of the new birth, the reason why we walk in the flesh and not in the spirit.
When we have the Spirit of God within us, there is a new birth and the multiplication is inevitable, faith will always be in action and will certainly bear its fruit in time.
"But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Mathew 13:23

To be an instrument in God's hands

To be an instrument in God's hands

When we are guided by the Holy Spirit and accept God's purpose in our lives, we become a true instrument in his hands, making his children and bringing faith to this world. But when we show a bad behavior, when there is pride, rebellion and a lack of fear to accept the commandments of God, then we can even reign in this world and leave it, without making the slightest difference in the lives of people.
In the passage from the Bible, where Naaman was cured of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-15) we can see how wisdom and obedience to God changes situations and transforms lives.
The girl who was a prisoner, was at the service of Naaman's wife, and simply gave a word. One day the girl told her mistress: “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
Despite being captive and going through a difficult situation, she served her masters and therefore she kept her loyalty to God and not men. This girl kept the faith, put it into practice in her God and decided to demonstrate the superiority of God over the people of Israel. She simply used her faith but caused big changes in the life of Naaman, who later left his pride aside, was cured and returned to believe in the God of Israel. How wonderful! She became an instrument in the hands of God. She glorified him and made a difference, even in a such a simple manner, but it changed the life of a man.
In this new year, the most I ask of God is this: To be an instrument in his hands, make people know him, become a true disciple and bring light to this world.
It doesn't matter if our contribution is large or small in the work of God, or what part of the body we are, whether we are the hand, the foot or the head, what really matters is making a difference in the lives of every person by our side, carrying the aroma of our Lord.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)