In July 2011, a fire raged through a forest on the outskirts of Valencia, Spain. The fire lasted five days and consumed about 50,000 acres of forest. Surprisingly, 946 cypress trees, which were in that part of the forest, remained intact, while the gorse, oak and other kinds of trees were completely consumed by the flames.
This attracted the attention of botanists, since the cypress trees were exposed to the same conditions as the other trees: a year of low rainfall, temperatures above 85° F, low humidity and winds at 30 mph. After this incident, cypress is being studied as an ally to fight fire. They would act as barriers against fire, to block and protect forests from fires.
In the Bible, God compares Himself with a green cypress (Hosea 14.8), and also refers to His people as chosen cypress trees (Isaiah 37.24). Both the Father and His children are the focus of this analogy for a very strong reason. And, after reading about what happened to the cypress trees in Valencia, we can understand why.
Both, the children of God and the children of the devil are exposed to the same conditions: both are human, subject to mistakes, suffer temptations, receive illicit proposals, face problems and have limitations. But when the flames of sin come, only the chosen cypress trees remain intact. Meanwhile, the gorse and oak trees are completely consumed. After all, who can resist the destructive power of these flames, but those who have within them a greater Power? Only the children of the Most High can resist sin, because they have the same DNA as their Father who is The Green Cypress.
And the function of the chosen cypress trees does not stop there. They are not formed just to protect themselves, but to protect the entire forest, forming other cypress trees. There are many gorse and oak trees that need to become cypress trees, because they are not strong enough to withstand the flames of sin. They represent the souls that are still far from God and need the cypress trees to learn about His Word. Then, they may also be cypress trees, and develop the same resistance, like a cycle, to protect themselves, other trees and entire forests from large fires. Knowing the Word of God is what gives someone the ability to protect themselves against the destructive power of sin, and causes others to protect themselves as well.
What happens in the environment where the cypress trees are does not matter. It can be cold or hot, the humidity may be low or high, the winds can blow strong or not blow at all, the forest can be well preserved or up in flames. Cypress trees remain the same, because they resist all external influences. Nothing that happens on their outside affects their inside because what is inside is stronger than what is on the outside.
The question that remains is: are you a cypress tree – someone who resists the flames of sin and forms other cypress trees? Or are you a gorse tree, an oak tree – which is easily destroyed by the fire that spreads in this world?
Jerusalem - Holy Land
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Analogy for life after death
A Hungarian writer explained the existence of the invisible God using a great analogy:
In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replied, “Why? Of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”
The first said: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”
– Útmutató a Léleknek
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
The counterfeit garment
We are preparing for the King’s Feast, which will be held next Sunday. And we already know that the only requirement to attend this feast is to be dressed in faith, which is represented by the wedding garments mentioned in Matthew 22.11. Therefore, it is important that we pay attention to the condition of our wedding garments.
Many have worn a counterfeit garment; this is, they have been living a counterfeit faith. These people believe in Jesus, achieve some blessings, are assiduous in their attendance at church, but inside, they harbor things contrary to the Word of God. They aren’t harboring these things because they’re unaware they’re making a mistake, but simply because they prefer to continue making the same mistake.
In the eyes of those around them, they seem to have a pure faith – and, their garments seem perfectly original –, but God can see the grief that is in their heart, their evil eyes towards others, pride, selfishness, evil intentions, deceitful spirit, emotional faith, unfaithfulness, undefined and everything else that makes them unworthy of attending the feast hosted by God.
We must remember that the King’s Feast is not simply just another event in the Church, but an event that will also take place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Not everyone who enters the physical space of the Church will be able to enter the spiritual space of the Feast. Therefore, if you come with a counterfeit garment, you will be valuing a human experience and neglecting a spiritual experience. In the end, do not expect to enjoy the same benefits as those who come with true wedding garments. No bishop, pastor or assistant is going to remove you from the Church, but God Himself will certainly remove you from the banquet and the Kingdom He has prepared.
So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 22.12-13
And, if someone insists on trying to deceive the Organizer of the Feast, he cannot say he was removed by surprise.
Bishop Macedo
Many have worn a counterfeit garment; this is, they have been living a counterfeit faith. These people believe in Jesus, achieve some blessings, are assiduous in their attendance at church, but inside, they harbor things contrary to the Word of God. They aren’t harboring these things because they’re unaware they’re making a mistake, but simply because they prefer to continue making the same mistake.
In the eyes of those around them, they seem to have a pure faith – and, their garments seem perfectly original –, but God can see the grief that is in their heart, their evil eyes towards others, pride, selfishness, evil intentions, deceitful spirit, emotional faith, unfaithfulness, undefined and everything else that makes them unworthy of attending the feast hosted by God.
We must remember that the King’s Feast is not simply just another event in the Church, but an event that will also take place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Not everyone who enters the physical space of the Church will be able to enter the spiritual space of the Feast. Therefore, if you come with a counterfeit garment, you will be valuing a human experience and neglecting a spiritual experience. In the end, do not expect to enjoy the same benefits as those who come with true wedding garments. No bishop, pastor or assistant is going to remove you from the Church, but God Himself will certainly remove you from the banquet and the Kingdom He has prepared.
So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 22.12-13
And, if someone insists on trying to deceive the Organizer of the Feast, he cannot say he was removed by surprise.
Bishop Macedo
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
A dangerous mix
There are certain mixtures that are extremely harmful to us. Mixing certain medications with food, or even chemicals, can cause disastrous results. Each of these elements, by itself, can do no harm – on the contrary, food, medicine and chemical products help us in many ways and are essential in our lives – but the danger lies in combining them.
The same is true with faith and emotions. In their essence, none of them are harmful. What’s wrong with believing in something we do not see or feeling happy? However, the problem lies in mixing these two elements. When they fuse inside a person, the results are the worst possible.
The fusion between faith and emotions causes people to act irrationally, making bad decisions that will destroy them over time. The destructive effect of this mixture is long term.
It tastes sweet, but corrodes the stomach. At first, it resembles something special, holy and pure, but when the results begin to emerge, they prove it to be the exact opposite. In fact, faith and emotions, together, form something disgraceful, diabolical and extremely harmful.
In practice, this mixture causes its victims to rely on feeling or not feeling something to believe in the things of God; this is, it causes their faith to stop being faith. And, without a pure faith, it is impossible to have any connection with God, because, as it is written: …without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists… Hebrews 11.6 (HCSB)
We cannot turn to God or please Him through our heart. Those who have their faith annulled by emotions, no longer have anything to do with God, or please Him – even if they appear or think otherwise.
People who are constantly inebriated by this dangerous mix become weak, unstable and undefined. They are Christians during the good times, but turn away during the bad times; they are strong when everything is in their favor, but weak when faced with adversities; they are fervent in praise, but cold in trusting and obeying God. And, they are always – whether inside or outside of Church – lost: they are unable to see who they really are or where they are going.
If the effects of this mixture have been controlling you, there is still time to get rid of it. And here is the opportunity: from this moment on, ignore your emotions and live by true faith – a faith without mixtures –, which does not depend on a feeling to believe and be well.
Decide to live by what is written, instead of continuing to live by what your senses are processing. And, if you have been attracted to the false advertising of this mixture, don’t even try the first sip. It is strong enough to get you addicted, and suave enough to lead you straight to hell, while you still think that you’re on the path to heaven.
Bishop Macedo
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
Did you know that God suffers?
As I heard these words, I almost began crying. How could I not?
The truth is that I did not know or imagine this was true, but at that moment I felt so selfish. Just thinking about my parents crying because of me, makes me feel sad. Now imagine God, our Father.
Imagine God grieving for those who listen to the Word, know the Truth, but have not been born of Him yet. There are people who have been in Church for many years, but have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit. What else do they need to surrender everything? Weren’t the impossible blessings enough for them to completely surrender their lives?
This also makes me think of the souls that are not in Church. God also suffers for them. What proof do we have that God suffers?
My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches Me. Proverbs 27.11
We have to make the heart of God glad, because, like any father, He is suffering for those children who are not with Him. God is aware of EVERYTHING! He hears the cries of the souls in hell. I can’t even imagine the suffering God sees.
The truth is that, if we think in terms of numbers, the devil is winning the battle. And this is extremely sad!
It is written that many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22.14. Those who are not called are the majority! Now, think about the souls who don’t even know Jesus. There are people in hell right now because they did not know of Jesus.
Our duty, as children of God, isn’t only to go to Church and give offerings. Of course this is part of it, but it’s not the most important to God. The most important is to preach the good news to everyone. This is what makes the heart of God glad!
It does not matter whether they want to listen or not, we must give everyone a chance. We do not know who the chosen ones are, only God. However, we know what happens when a person does not accept Jesus, so how can we want this for anyone? Yet, this is what happens when we don’t do our part.
The Holy Spirit is in us so that we may have joy, peace and love for souls; besides, we have the Word of God as a weapon against the works of evil.
For this reason, we must honor the Spirit that dwells within us!
Bishop Macedo
The truth is that I did not know or imagine this was true, but at that moment I felt so selfish. Just thinking about my parents crying because of me, makes me feel sad. Now imagine God, our Father.
Imagine God grieving for those who listen to the Word, know the Truth, but have not been born of Him yet. There are people who have been in Church for many years, but have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit. What else do they need to surrender everything? Weren’t the impossible blessings enough for them to completely surrender their lives?
This also makes me think of the souls that are not in Church. God also suffers for them. What proof do we have that God suffers?
My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches Me. Proverbs 27.11
We have to make the heart of God glad, because, like any father, He is suffering for those children who are not with Him. God is aware of EVERYTHING! He hears the cries of the souls in hell. I can’t even imagine the suffering God sees.
The truth is that, if we think in terms of numbers, the devil is winning the battle. And this is extremely sad!
It is written that many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22.14. Those who are not called are the majority! Now, think about the souls who don’t even know Jesus. There are people in hell right now because they did not know of Jesus.
Our duty, as children of God, isn’t only to go to Church and give offerings. Of course this is part of it, but it’s not the most important to God. The most important is to preach the good news to everyone. This is what makes the heart of God glad!
It does not matter whether they want to listen or not, we must give everyone a chance. We do not know who the chosen ones are, only God. However, we know what happens when a person does not accept Jesus, so how can we want this for anyone? Yet, this is what happens when we don’t do our part.
The Holy Spirit is in us so that we may have joy, peace and love for souls; besides, we have the Word of God as a weapon against the works of evil.
For this reason, we must honor the Spirit that dwells within us!
Bishop Macedo
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The certain for the uncertain
How can someone, in their right mind, trade something they can see for something they cannot see? Something that exists for something that does not exist? Something tangible for something intangible? Only those who manifested their faith were able to do this, and only those who manifest it nowadays will be able to do the same.
Trading something certain for something uncertain was the specialty of the heroes of faith. Abraham traded his homeland for an unknown land; Moses traded the palace for the desert; Gideon traded the second bull for the help of a God he had only heard of; David traded the opportunity to kill the man persecuting him to wait for Divine justice; Ruth traded the comfort of her parents’ home to follow her mother-in-law; Daniel traded his physical integrity and position of authority for the lions’ den. In all cases, it was necessary for each one of these heroes to believe in the Word of God, instead of believing in what was before their eyes.
This is what distinguishes those who make a difference from those who don’t, those who succeed from those who fail: the first place their trust in God, while the others place their trust in what they can see. Those who use faith instead of their senses, are constantly trading what is certain for what is uncertain – and this is what allows them achieve what most do not achieve, and to be what most are not.
Those who do not manifest this unconditional faith always end up stuck in a life of limitations, made up of small and ordinary things. Imagine if the great heroes mentioned in the Bible had not traded the certain for the uncertain? Abraham would not be a father – not even of a boy, let alone a great nation –, Moses would not become a deliverer, Gideon and all the people of Israel would remain slaves of the Midianites, David would not be recognized as a man after God’s own heart, Ruth would serve other gods and Daniel would have been corrupted by the imposed decrees. They all knew this, but none was willing to have this future. Taking a risk was their only chance and the price to be paid for the life they wanted to live.
Therefore, trading what is certain for the uncertain is not for those who can afford to lose something, it is a necessity for those who are not content with small things. Remember: what is certain for the world is uncertain for God, and what is uncertain for the world is certain for God. This means that, in the end, you will be trading the uncertain for the certain – this is, what is human for what is godly. This trade is done all the time by those who manifest an intelligent faith, and it’s the only one that no one ever regretted and will never regret.
Maybe it is because you have never done this trade that you have regretted so many things in your life.
Bishop Macedo
Trading something certain for something uncertain was the specialty of the heroes of faith. Abraham traded his homeland for an unknown land; Moses traded the palace for the desert; Gideon traded the second bull for the help of a God he had only heard of; David traded the opportunity to kill the man persecuting him to wait for Divine justice; Ruth traded the comfort of her parents’ home to follow her mother-in-law; Daniel traded his physical integrity and position of authority for the lions’ den. In all cases, it was necessary for each one of these heroes to believe in the Word of God, instead of believing in what was before their eyes.
This is what distinguishes those who make a difference from those who don’t, those who succeed from those who fail: the first place their trust in God, while the others place their trust in what they can see. Those who use faith instead of their senses, are constantly trading what is certain for what is uncertain – and this is what allows them achieve what most do not achieve, and to be what most are not.
Those who do not manifest this unconditional faith always end up stuck in a life of limitations, made up of small and ordinary things. Imagine if the great heroes mentioned in the Bible had not traded the certain for the uncertain? Abraham would not be a father – not even of a boy, let alone a great nation –, Moses would not become a deliverer, Gideon and all the people of Israel would remain slaves of the Midianites, David would not be recognized as a man after God’s own heart, Ruth would serve other gods and Daniel would have been corrupted by the imposed decrees. They all knew this, but none was willing to have this future. Taking a risk was their only chance and the price to be paid for the life they wanted to live.
Therefore, trading what is certain for the uncertain is not for those who can afford to lose something, it is a necessity for those who are not content with small things. Remember: what is certain for the world is uncertain for God, and what is uncertain for the world is certain for God. This means that, in the end, you will be trading the uncertain for the certain – this is, what is human for what is godly. This trade is done all the time by those who manifest an intelligent faith, and it’s the only one that no one ever regretted and will never regret.
Maybe it is because you have never done this trade that you have regretted so many things in your life.
Bishop Macedo
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