The Assistant of God

When someone arrives at the Universal Church for the first time seeking help, this person is normally greeted by an assistant. The assistant then listens with attention to the person’s story and right after that prays to set the person free from the claws of the devil. After the person is taught about the chains of prayers and how he or she should use his or her faith so that his or her life can be transformed.

Who is the assistant?

The assistant is the one who is always ready to present himself in the very best way. Whether the assistant is a male or female, both of them have in common the same characteristic which is to be always clean and dressed in an adequate way with a true character. He or she is polite when he or she speaks to those who are going through a difficult situation. He or she never try to solve a person’s problems according to his or her own ideas, but always using the Word of God.

The duties of the assistant

One of the example of the activities performed by the assistant is receiving the people who come to the church lost and in need of help.  When an Assistant is raised to do the Work of God, they are dealing with souls and declares war against the devil. They in turn will fight with all their weapons to not allow someone to be taken from their clutches. Therefore, the assistant is aware that they have to always be right with God, being faithful to Him in every way.

The assistant helps in the Church by assisting the pastors in the meetings and are always willing to help when asked. There are  those who look out of the assistant work judge it as a simple and easy activity. However it really is not. The Assistant sacrifices his life to give the best of himself because he knows he has a key role in the work of God.

 Where are the Assistant?

Being an assistant is not only to be in the Church at the time of the meeting to fulfill their calling to save souls. However, they are always where there are troubled souls. They are available to visit hospitals, rehabilitation homes, on the streets and evangelizing squares, practicing social work, always taking the message of life for those who are suffering.

The assistants are the heroes of the Universal church

They are men and women who are always willing to go the extra mile. They do not look for trouble, carry within them the Most High seal the Holy Spirit. They are considered for this society as nothing but to God, they are true warriors, ready for battle to save a soul. For these heroes of faith there is no barrier, they are always ready and when called to perform God's will they always say:
HERE I Am.

The difference between a dream of the heart and a dream of the mind

The difference between a dream of the heart and a dream of the mind

The dream projected in the mind does not depend on any circumstances. Why, then is it that the majority of dreams do not come true? Why do so many people feel depressed and frustrated when their dreams do not become a reality? Because their dreams have been projected in the heart, and therefore they are subject to their own feelings and this is the reason why they do not come true.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17.9

The heart is just a fountain of emotions and feelings, fantasies and illusions. This is how every dream is projected in it.

Every one knows that for a dream come true is necessary that person faces struggles and difficulties. There are several obstacles to be overcome so that a person can see the realization of his dream. Can we expect that out of the fountain of emotions, the heart, there will come out a perseverance faith to conquer a dream come true if in this fountain there's only useless and deceitful feelings? Definitely not! It would be the same as preparing a child for a war.

The heart is impotent and unprepared to face any type of difficulties because it was not made to fight but to feel. It is incapable of giving the right direction or something realizable. It is incapable of fighting and make the right choice. It depends exclusively on the circumstances to keep its dreams and hope alive.

Every time that a dream is projected in the heart, a person has to count on “luck” to make it come true. This is when small and growing problems appear and make a person to give up.

However, when the dream is projected by the spirit, in the mind and supported by the Word of God, it is impossible for this dream not to come true. Why? Because the dream projected in the mind always remain despite the circumstances. There is a conscience that the realization of a dream depends on the person perseverance.

As the farmer depends on the land to plant and to reap its fruits, he who has a Christian mind depends on the Word of God to accomplish his projects and he will never give up before the problems.

As a matter of fact, independently of what your physical eyes see, the dream will remain firm. Your eyes are spiritual, so you can see the invisible and believe in the impossible. The true Christian believes in the fulfillment of the Word of God.

Sonho da Mente e do Coração

O sonho projetado na mente não depende das circunstâncias. Por que, então, a maioria dos sonhos não se realiza? Por que muitos se sentem deprimidos e fracassados quando um sonho não se cumpre? Porque esses sonhos são projetados no coração e, por isso, estão sujeitos aos próprios sentimentos, e aí esta a razão porque não se realizam.

”Enganoso é o coração, mais do que todas as coisas, e desesperadamente corrupto; quem o conhecerá?” Jeremias (17:9).

O coração é só uma fonte de emoções e sentimentos; de fantasias e ilusões. Assim, também todo sonho nele projetado.

Todos sabem que, para que um sonho se torne realidade, é necessário enfrentar lutas e dificuldades. Há milhares de barreiras a vencer para a conquista de um sonho. No entanto, pode-se esperar que, da fonte de todas as emoções – o coração – surja uma fé perseverante para conquistar um sonho se essa fonte só tem sentimentos inúteis e ilusórios? Claro que não! Seria o mesmo que preparar uma criança para a guerra.

O coração é impotente e impróprio para enfrentar qualquer tipo de dificuldade, pois não foi feito para lutar, mas para sentir. É incapaz de inspirar a melhor direção, de inspirar algo realizável. É incapaz de lutar e de fazer a escolha certa. Ele depende exclusivamente das circunstâncias para manter vivos seus sonhos e esperanças.

Toda vez que um sonho é projetado dentro dele, conta-se com a “sorte” para realizá-lo, surgem logo pequenos e crescentes problemas que o leva a desanimar.

Entretanto, quando os sonhos são projetados no espírito, na mente, no intelecto, apoiados na Palavra de Deus, é impossível não se tornarem realidade. Por que? Porque o sonho projetado na mente jamais deixa de existir por causa das circunstâncias, pois há uma consciência de que sua realização dependerá da sua perseverança.

Assim como o agricultor depende da terra para plantar e colher os seus frutos, quem tem uma mente cristã depende da Palavra de Deus para realizar seus projetos e jamais desanimará diante dos problemas.

Enfim, independentemente do que os seus olhos físicos vêem, o sonho se mantém firme. Os seus olhos são espirituais, por isso vêem o invisível e crêem no impossível. Ainda que as condições sejam desfavoráveis, o verdadeiro cristão crê no cumprimento da Palavra de Deus.

Deus abençoe a todos.

The Pillars of our Ministry

The three pillars of our ministry

The Ministry of the Lord Jesus was based upon three very important pillars:

1 – Teaching

2 -  Preaching

3 -  Healing/deliverance

Teaching – “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their is the Kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 5.1-3

Every servant of God in order to be considered as complete and approved one has to work with these 3 arms. He has to know how to teach people about the things they should do and things they shouldn't do. He has to teach them about the discipline of faith, how to put their faith into action before situations that they go through every day. Also, he should teach them how to resist evil, how to walk in holiness and rectitude before God… There are several passages especially in the four gospels showing the Lord Jesus teaching in the synagogues, mountains and in the temples.

Preaching – “immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.” Mark 2.2

The servant of God should also be ready to preach about the Kingdom of God, the importance of repentance and why people should be baptized in water. He has to be well capable of preaching about the plan of salvation that God has for every human being, also to lead people into having an encounter with God. He should preach about the baptism with the Holy Spirit and its importance in the life of every Christian.

Healing/deliverance – “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with the word, and healed all who were sick…” Matthew 8.16

 It’s very common for those who do the Work of God to focus on healing and deliverance the most, more than the other two pillars of the Ministry of the Lord Jesus. There's no doubt that if people do not get healed, nor delivered, then whatever other thing that we try to do is not going to work because something is impeding them from receiving their lives transformation. However, we have to work with the three pillars as the Lord Jesus did. Then, you will be considered as a complete and approved servant.

‘Be diligent to present yourself to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ II Timothy 2.15

Bishop Carlos da Costa

You only get old, if you wanto to.

And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Joel 2.28

One of the things that caught my attention in this verse is “your old men shall dream dreams”. Why is this? What does God want to tell us? To better understand, we have to think like most “old” people.

What perspective do people that are considered “old” have for their future? What goals do they have? What are their plans? The truth is: NONE!!!

People that are advanced in age completely lose their objectives. Many become bitter, upset, irritable; every day becomes a burden because most are ill and depend on others. In addition, many children, who can no longer handle their parents’ old age, opt to put them in nursing homes. Therefore, many of these so-called “old people” end up thinking it would just be better to die.

However, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, this perspective changes, because He brings hope to these so-called “old people”. He changes their mindset and gives them what they never had, because when He descends upon their lives, He fills them with vigor, restores their faith and gives them dreams. This is, they start to make plans again and stop thinking about dying. Instead, they begin to plan, fight, take action and make decisions they weren’t doing before. Also, they no longer depend on their children, grandchildren or anyone else!

They manage to do in their old age what they didn’t do in their youth. I am referring to unfulfilled dreams, because they are strengthened by the power the Holy Spirit brings and become new people. This is extraordinary because the “old man” becomes a “young man”! Though he has wrinkles on the outside, on the inside he is full of life, dreams, projects, ideas and best of all: the Holy Spirit Himself, who placed a dream in him, will not let him die without seeing these dreams come true. THIS IS VERY STRONG!!!!!

Therefore, only those who want to get “old” will get old!!! Those who do not want to get old should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God's dream

God's dream
God’s dream for man is something unattainable in man’s eyes, but this is why He is the author of faith. He materializes dreams in the life of those who believe, those who are willing to manifest their faith.

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” Genesis 37.9
If the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed before him, could there possibly be anything else on earth that would not bow down? God used something great, immense, to show Joseph the greatness of what He wanted to do.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh my, look how you’ve changed”? Well, this is what happened with Joseph, to the point where his brothers did not recognize him, because he was clothed in God’s dream. However, Joseph recognized his brothers, because they remained the same after so many years.
Though Joseph had been through so many problems, he carried within himself the conviction that sooner or later God’s dream would be fulfilled, because God does not reveal His dream to a person, so that he may die without seeing it fulfilled.

The sign that a dream is of God is an assurance, a conviction given by the Spirit of faith; therefore, nothing or nobody can rob it from you!

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2.13
God gives the dream and the power, which is faith, for the dream to be fulfilled. Without faith it is impossible to materialize the Dream of God!

Are you sure of this dream? So GO FORWARD BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF FAITH IS WITH YOU!!!!

Do not be envious

Do not be envious

There are people who haven't developed in the faith, even though they have been in the church for years they aren't born of God. Spiritually speaking they are still babies. Others, who came after them have already conquered the new birth. The Psalm 73 shows the reason why many pastors, members and assistants have failed.

Asaph served God in the Temple! He was faithful in his conduct, but he went through a great conflict within his heart. It was so tremendous that according to his own words his feet almost slipped. He almost lost his faith. Just because he set his eyes where he should not have, because he started to observe the prosperity of the wicked. This brought into his heart a cruel and terrible feeling, envy.

Sometimes the assistant has a correct life, but he fails because he starts to focus on others. Then he thinks; I am faithful to God and my life is like this. While there are people who are unfaithful to God and they are conquering. How can a person serve God in His Temple and at the same time be envious of other people? Asaph served God but accepted feelings of the devil.

There's no greater glory than serve God! The problem was not with the wicked but inside of him. When we face a problem we always look for someone to blame, but we should blame ourselves. The devil works the following arguments: you have been serving God for such a long time but look at how  your life is? Then the father says to his daughter, "Your sister has already got married but you have been single until today! What's the use of being inside of the church?" Satan tries to convince the person that he or she is wasting his or her time by serving God.

There is no greater wealth than ours! We have the power of God within us through the Holy Spirit. Our wealth is unmeasurable. He who have received the Holy Spirit, has received everything.

He who serves the Lord Jesus will be honored by God. “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
  John   12:26  

Assistant, serve God with all your heart. Honor the Lord Jesus and you will be honored by the Father.