I was an assistant of God.

I did His Work and walked in His ways.

I was in the light of my Lord, until one day, I fell away, when I was 19 years old.

I wanted to “enjoy life”, have fame, money, women.

In Church, I was a holy little lamb. Outside, I was a wolf.

I even denied my faith in front of my friends from school and work.

I was lost.

My life was all about late night parties.

I would move forward and then I would loose everything.

I had an emptiness, I felt like a fish out of water.

That is how I was.

I had fame, money, everything this world had to offer, but I was empty, sad, bitter, and alone, even though I was surrounded by many people.

During sad times, after sinning, I would cry when I was alone, I spoke to God. But they were empty screams, that at times, were words I pronounced while I was drunk.

Sin accused me all the time.

I would walk past the Church door, but when I was about to walk in, my phone rang, or one of my worldly friends walked by.

I would immediately walk the other way.

God called me back, He gave me chances, but I’d put this world in first place.

To me, God was only for moments of anguish and loneliness.

I had to lose everything: fame, health, friends, money, cars… Everything I put in first place in my life, I began losing.

I saw death pass me by.

I saw hell awaiting me.

I almost lost my life.

The only one that never left me was the One I had placed last.

Abandoned, with nothing, no reason to live, at rock bottom, Jesus saved me.

Today, my life is transformed, because Jesus became my first again, the only One and the Number One in my life.

I live a blessed life, that comes from the inside out.

Today, with tears in my eyes, I know that I don’t have anything.

Everything passes.

But, in my heart, I am certain that I have everything because I have Jesus in my heart!

Tavares

 

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Good afternoon, Bishop!

After reading this message, I thought about how much I suffered for leaving the presence of God. I was apart form God for 7 years, like a lost dog roaming the streets, sick, hungry, in misery and lost.

1 – The devil killed my younger brother when he was 33 years old;

2 – My father died with various illnesses;

3 – I began drinking and doing everything I did before, but a little worse;

4 – My home was falling apart: children, marriage, etc..;

5 – There was a void that I could not fill. I cried for no reason, and I grew up thinking that ‘A man does not cry’;

6 – I began to carry a gun, thinking it would protect me from the devil if he tried to use one of his children to kill me, because I’d kill him first;

7 – I was in a mental institution for 1 year, thinking that I was fooling the doctors;

8 – I visited other churches, but I was empty – there was no God like the One from the UCKG;

9 – I remember that my greatest pain was no longer being able to speak to God like I used to, and He would answer me. I cried and He would embrace me. I was happy about something and God would smile at me. I was the devil’s #2 enemy. I persecuted in the homes and families of the neighborhood where I was an assistant. I would start the meetings for the pastor – at that time, the Church didn’t have an auxiliary pastor. I did everything with the ease of a child that was loved by God. And I loved Him too;

10 – I fell away, because the devil succeeded in convincing me that God was not with me because my financial life had gone awry;

11 – When, a possible separation from my wife, with whom I was married during 22 years, suffered a ruptured aneurysm and doctors said that she would die. I was very scared. I suffered, cried, was floored. In my heart, I could hear a soft voice, saying: “You know who is the only One who can heal her and save her from hell, and knows your pain of being a widow. Go back and ask for help, because, there is no way that He will cast you out”;

12 – I ran back. I have been back for 1 year and six months and I never want to have the experience of being apart from my Eternal Father.

I want TO PUBLICLY THANK THE LORD JESUS FOR ACCEPTING ME BACK, HEALING ME AND CLEANSING AGAIN. NOW I’M IN THE FAITH, AND I AM ALMOST AN ASSISTANT AGAIN, TO FIGHT IN MY FATHER’S WAR.

HERE I AM, LORD.

USE ME!

Edson

 

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Just to think about how I felt when I was apart from my God-Father, my eyes fill up with tears.

One day, my mother told me something that happened to my father.

When I was little, when I was about 4 years old or so, I met my father here in Recife – Brazil, because he was from the rural area of Triunfo. He played with me, took me for a walk and even sat me on his lap. The only thing is that I didn’t know he was my father.

It was him, my mother and I – she had taken me to meet him.

Time passed.

Years later, my father died in Triunfo.

My mother told me that my father was “dead”, the one I had met as a child.

This hurt, I suffered. I cried a lot at the time because I remembered playing and walking with him, and how he took me up in his arms. I was so close to him, but I didn’t know he was my father.

I even remembered something he said: “That’s my daughter!”

Today, I remember and understand the meaning of his words, because at that time, I was only a child. I did not understand, but I kept all of those moments. It was hard!

But, it was truly sad after I left my Eternal Father (God).

It was painful to remember how I won souls in the Youth Group, evangelized outside on the streets, cleaned the Church, and sought the presence of God.

Oh, but I cried a lot!

I missed walking hand in hand with God, having a communion with Him, praying and knowing that He would immediately answer, because He took care of me and embraced me, saying: “That’s my daughter!”

I often remembered the life I had with God.

When I did something wrong, I felt like a fish out of water.

I had the impression that the Holy Spirit was watching me doing what did not please Him.

I felt like He was jealous of me.

I felt like He was very sad.

I would recall: …AND DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. Ephesians 4.25-32

I do not even know how to explain what I felt.

It was painful, because what hurt me the most was knowing that I was far from God the Father, and I had such a great desire to return to Him.

But I had no strength.

There was an unpronounced weakness in me.

Until one day I made a commitment with God.

I revolted against what I did wrong before Him.

I began hating and feel disgusted with those sins.

The pastor said, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former”.

That Word gave me strength.

I went ahead.

God received me with love, forgave me with mercy, and cleansed me with the blood of Jesus.

Now, I’m on the way towards Salvation.

Today, I have everything because I have God.

I am eternally grateful for everything He did for me.

There are no words to express how grateful I am to my Father.

I live for my Lord.

This Father, I know will never die. I will have this Father’s true love forever. Amen!

I love you, my Father

Edna Melo – Olinda (PE) – Atlantic Garden.

 

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Good evening, Bishop!

I would like to share a little bit of my story.

I was an only child, born into a simple and humble family, but lived a miserable life, full of addictions, arguments and even physical aggressed my father.

My parents did not have a good relationship.

There were many arguments. There was even a betrayal by my father.

Bishop, I was a very lonely boy, despised by my father and also by relatives.

Nobody thought I would ever amount to anything.

I was the ugly duckling in my family.

At the age of 12, I began to get a taste of the world of alcohol and I got addicted.

Then it started controlling my life.

I drank without stopping almost every day. I started to have bipolar disorder.

I became more aggressive, breaking everything in the house.

I even thought of killing my father.

I saw shadows, heard voices and had many nightmares.

I also got sucked into the world of pornography.

My life was a living hell. Even my mother became a victim to voodoo, which was done by her best friend.

But, one day a friend invited my mother to a meeting at the Universal Church. This was in 1999.

From that day on my life began to change.

I was delivered from an alcohol addiction.

My mother and I were baptized in water.

From that day on, my life was transformed, and the desire to do the Work of God was born in my heart.

I sought the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

I was baptized, and soon raised as an assistant.

Today, thank God, I stand in His presence.

I am married to a great woman of God and I can say that I am very happy!

Jose Carlos Peres