Your Preparations for 2012 begins HERE

 In the past, God spoke on various occasions and in different ways. He used dreams, visions and prophecies to convey His will to His dedicated and righteous servants.

Through His Son Jesus, He not only confirmed old prophecies, but also announced the coming of the Kingdom of God and how to take possession of it.

After His death, resurrection and ascension, the Lord Jesus sent the Helper to continue the work of bringing salvation.

Nowadays, the Spirit of God continues to speak, but not by dreams, visions or prophecies. He speaks through His Word – the Holy Bible.

So, the question is: Why did He give us the gift of prophecy?

“But he who prophesies speaks EDIFICATION and EXHORTATION and COMFORT to men.” (I Corinthians 14:03)

As you can see, the gift of prophecy is not to foresee or predict anyone’s future. Its purpose is to edify, exhort and comfort the Church.

How does the Holy Spirit speak? How can you be sure it’s His voice?
How can you be sure you’re not being deceived by other voices?

There’s only one way to be sure: By being born of water and the Spirit, obtaining His Divine nature and the power to understand His Word.

Only those who are born of the Spirit are able to recognize when His Spirit speaks to them through the Bible. Have you noticed how many Christians (born of the flesh) have been deceived by the spirit of the antichrist because of biblical interpretations!

We can see what kind of relationship exists between the Father and the Son, when Jesus said:

“No one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)

When the Holy Spirit’s voice, guidance or inspiration comes from the Word of God, its listener is left with no room for doubts.
Especially, when it’s His children.
The problem is that their ears aren’t always attentive and ready to hear His voice.

God speaks.
He speaks to His children and to others as well.
He speaks through His written Word.
He speaks through His true servants, while they’re preaching (prophecy) the Gospel.
He also uses the opportunity to speak to us when we’re dealing with our everyday problems.

His sweet gentle voice speaks loud and clear, when we find ourselves in the desert. The more alone we feel, the louder and clearer He speaks.

When you separate yourself from your family, friends and coworkers’ polluted words and when you disconnect yourself from the audiovisual pollution of television, internet, radio, newspapers and magazines, your full attention can be focused towards hearing God’s voice.
The audiovisual pollutions of this world have been the greatest enemy of God’s voice.

That is why we are going to be fasting during the last 21 days of the year, beginning on December 11, 2011. This will be our 3rd Fast of Daniel this year, for those who want to receive the Spirit of God.

During this fast, we will abstain from all kinds of audiovisual entertainment. We will focus our thoughts only on what comes from above. Those who believe move forward, those who don’t believe stay behind.

God bless those who believe.

I was Living in "Hell"

Bishop, I wasn’t supposed to be alive today...

Since birth, I’ve had a tough life. I’ve suffered through many problems; the first was when my father abandoned me, shortly after I was born.

I grew up with a lot of hatred bottled up inside. To make matters worse, my mother starting dating another man who would violently beat me. I suffered through a lot of physical abuse. There isn’t enough space here for me to write it all out in detail, but one day, he went as far as punishing me by tying my hands to a hot radiator until it burned me.

There was a lot of abuse and daily torment. I remember the first time this man attacked me in our own home. My mother didn’t hear anything. I don’t remember if it’s because she was under the influence of drugs at the time or if she was sedated from all the different kinds of pills she took every day. I might have been young, but I lived through many problems.

I didn’t like being at home and much less being around my family. I reached a point where I started cutting myself with blades. I even wrote ‘I hate u’ on my arm with a knife.

My world became darker after I got involved with some youths from the opposite side of the tracks. I joined a gang and dove deep into the criminal world. We robbed and attacked people just for fun and committed many other kinds of crimes. As you can see, I never had a childhood.

I started smoking marijuana at the age of 9 and at the age of 14, I started selling cocaine, heroin and ecstasy because I was looking for fast money. The problem was that I spent all my money getting drunk.

I was attacked by rival gangs several times. Once, they broke a glass bottle on my back.

One time, I was stabbed so bad that I went into a deep coma for two weeks. On another occasion, I got stabbed in the neck, the knife miss my artery by two centimeters. Overall, I was stabbed five times by different rival gangs.

My life was filled with one disaster after another. But I didn’t know any other way of living except this one. Ever since I was a small child, all I saw was violence, so I thought this was all life had to offer. I was so full of anger and hatred that I couldn’t think about ways to get out of that lifestyle.

My friend Ryan, who was also involved with gangs, invited me to a youth group meeting with the Victory Youth Group. At first, I rejected the invitation. But, because he insisted so much and I saw how much his life had totally changed, I decided to go.

The pastor spoke about the dangers of this world and mentioned about the Carnival. I paid attention, but I kept thinking that all this wasn’t meant for me. My friend gave me a small Bible and I put it in my jacket pocket.

The next day I went to party at Carnival with some of the boys from my gang. We ran into another gang that we had problems with and I ended up getting stabbed in the chest. I saw the knife going into my jacket, but I didn’t feel anything at the moment. My body was completely paralyzed with shock. I felt around my chest, but there was no blood.

That’s when I remembered that the Bible, the one I received from my friend, was still in my jacket breast pocket, from the day before. The knife pierced through and stopped in Psalm 27, but it was supposed to have gone all the way through my heart.

That day, the Word of God literally saved me. I finally understood that life isn’t a game and I had to do something to change.

The following day, I went to church and the bishop called forward those who would like to erase their past and start a new life by getting baptized in the water. I regretted wasting so many years living that awful life and I was baptized. Three months have passed and I am no longer the same person.

I gave it all up ― gangs, drugs, promiscuity, etc... Every youth group meeting I attend gives me the strength to continue with my new life. I'm learning how to be a true man and how to develop a relationship with God.

It’s not easy, Bishop. Today, I’m able to understand why my family carried such anger in their hearts. I know that a lot of the things that happen in our life are spiritual and they can only be solved spiritually. I pray for their change.

Now, I want to do the work of God. I want to save souls. I have an immense joy, which is something I never experienced before in my life. 

Today, I’m able to give others a sincere smile. I didn’t like talking about my past, but now I have no problem doing it. I use my past to help those living in the situation I used to live in, to show them that there is a way out.

I have gone back to school and I'm using all the possible resources to catch up with the time I wasted. I know God has much more in store for me. I'm only 16 years old and

I have a bright future ahead. 

Today, I can say that I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for God, the Cenacle of the Holy Spirit and the tireless work of the youth group.

God bless you, Bishop.

Lance Scott
London - England

7 Things to Remember in December

If you're not careful, December can be a disastrous month for you. Emotions, debts, family problems, depression... Here are 7 tips on how you can make the most out of the last month of the year and start the New Year better off than most people.



Got more ideas of your own? Post your comments below.

They don't want you to think!

I thought about my ways... Psalm 119.59
Here’s something rare. Reflection. Considering the results of our actions. Seeing if what we’ve been doing is working.

Today, more than ever, people are not encouraged to think. All the work is done and nicely presented to them. "This is what you should wear now." "This is the profession that makes a lot of money." "Study this." "Here is the latest news." "This is your religion."

Who dictates what is fashionable? And who gave them the authority to tell me what and how I should dress?

Latest news? You mean, from all that has happened and is happening today to more than 7 billion people in the entire world, those are the most important events that matter to me?

Unfortunately, when a young person finishes high school, he has been programed to be a robot. Schools, supposedly where kids are sent to learn how to think, have achieved the opposite. Do as you are told, don’t ask why.

But we can’t blame it all on the schools. It’s everywhere. At home, at work, in religions, on television, in music, and in our culture in general — people are not encouraged to think. And of the few who think, most don’t want everyone else thinking. Thinking is power. Obviously, those who hoard power want as few people thinking as possible.

God, on the other hand, wants you to think. "Consider your ways," He says in Haggai 1.5.

Only through a faith that thinks can one reach God, solve problems, and change one’s life.

Only by looking at the fruit of your actions, the results of your behaviors, can you change direction and follow a better path in life.

But as long as you remain a robot that exists to fulfill the interests of others, you won’t use the most powerful piece of you: your brain.

Thinking is power. Use it!

The judge inside

Jesus had a rule He lived by and taught:

Don't judge people, unless you want to be judged yourself. That judgmental and criticizing spirit has a way of coming back to haunt you. – Matthew 7.1,2 (BRCV)

I think He taught on that because He knew how easy it is to judge people. Human beings tend to feel superior to their neighbors, like they know better, or are indeed better. Of course the reality is very different.

Maybe sometimes you wonder why life treats you so badly; why things never work out for you; why you seem to make enemies so easily; why you become the target of hatred and injustice for nothing.

Well, perhaps the judge inside you may know why.

Be merciful as your Father is merciful. Luke 6.36

 

The judge inside

Jesus had a rule He lived by and taught:

Don't judge people, unless you want to be judged yourself. That judgmental and criticizing spirit has a way of coming back to haunt you. – Matthew 7.1,2 (BRCV)

I think He taught on that because He knew how easy it is to judge people. Human beings tend to feel superior to their neighbors, like they know better, or are indeed better. Of course the reality is very different.

Maybe sometimes you wonder why life treats you so badly; why things never work out for you; why you seem to make enemies so easily; why you become the target of hatred and injustice for nothing.

Well, perhaps the judge inside you may know why.

Be merciful as your Father is merciful. Luke 6.36

 

Mighty Hand

The greater the achievement, the harder the fight and the bigger the sacrifice.

The bigger the dream, the more demanding the sacrifice needed for it to be achieved.
This teaching comes from Above.

The deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt seemed like an impossible dream. The children of Israel were Egypt’s source of wealth and opulence. They were wealthy at the expense of their slavery.

Freeing them meant an irreparable loss.

Egypt is the world, Pharaoh is the devil, the Israelites are the enslaved people, Mount Sinai symbolizes Mount Calvary and Moses was sent by the Almighty.

When the Lord sent Moses, He warned him:

"But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand." Exodus 3:19

How would he free the slaves from the devil without using a Mighty Hand? That is, without putting up a fight, without going to war, without violence or without a sacrifice of faith?

Can you use your faith without violating religious customs?

Can you use faith without violating the will of your flesh?

Supernatural faith, alone, opposes everything that is natural.

Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, anointed the blind man's eyes, yet he was not healed. But, because he obeyed His command, even though it was very difficult, he was healed.

Who healed him: Jesus? His saliva? The mud? The waters of the pool of Siloam?

He was healed because of his obedience to Jesus’ Word. That is, by his own faith.

But the Lord had to use a mighty hand to awaken his faith.

Couldn’t Jesus have asked someone to fetch water from Siloam and wash his eyes? Wouldn’t it have been easier, simpler and more humane, instead of making the young man walk all the way across the valley in order to be healed?

"And 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 (NKJV)

Pure faith violates the principles of human nature. Who can understand it?

However, everybody knows that without sacrificing your natural faith, it’s impossible to conquer anything in this world?

Likewise, the benefits of the Supernatural World require the violence of supernatural faith.

Those who believe move forward; those who don’t believe stay behind.