I loved your testimony, Leandro.

Through it, I was able to see that I am empty of God’s presence and full of grammatical rules that do not help at all.

I grew up being pressured by my family to speak properly, walk with correct posture, sit like a lady, use silverware with elegance and be an educated woman, but I was not taught that I would only find true happiness in the Lord Jesus. They did not teach me that it wasn’t classes, college or a job that would make me truly happy.

But your testimony has shown me this.

It taught me that I have to truly give myself to the Lord Jesus; it taught me that it’s not worth being full of knowledge, wisdom and have an “erudite” education, if I continue to be empty of God’s presence. Your testimony made me think twice about my spiritual life.

After reading your testimony, I learned that God is not looking for prayers with beautiful words. God wants simplicity, sincerity and a genuine surrender. God used your testimony to help me and deliver me from all my pride.

May God bless you abundantly.

Fernanda

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Leandro, my family and I know very well what you mean about all that suffering. My husband has been in jail for about five months, and that is when we hit rock bottom. Only those who have lived or live in this situation know what it feels like to be on the other side of a prison wall: it’s a living hell. My husband is being accused of something he did not do. The pain is too great, but the presence of God, the belief in His Word, is all we have.

We are nothing, we are so defenseless and with no one to fight for us, we only have our FAITH.

We are totally dependent on God. Only HE can rescue us.

Maria Braga

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I am seeking God for the deliverance of my 19-year-old brother, who is involved with drug trafficking. I do not know if I’m wrong, but I pray to God that he does not get arrested. It would hurt too much to see him behind bars.

All of the purposes of faith that I do for my family are in his favor. I take his picture to Church and do daily prayers for him. My heart hurts when I think of what could happen. He is more than a brother to me; I love him like a son.

Sometimes I wonder why God allowed this to happen. Why am I going through this struggle?

I have brought him to Church several times, but why hasn’t God spoken to him? And if He did, why is he still in that lifestyle? There are so many ‘whys’.

But, above everything, I unconditionally trust in the Lord Jesus. God is my strength, my refuge and my fortress, He is my only Lord. Without Him, I would not have the strength to go through this. I love this God.

Wanderleia Lana

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This testimony is really strong.

Every time I speak to a mother that has a son or a loved one in prison, I say: “Thank God that your family member has been arrested, because in prison, he will have the opportunity to repent from his evil ways and turn to the Lord Jesus. Had he been released, he could have died and gone to hell, and there he wouldn’t have a chance to repent!”

Rosana Batista

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Bishop Macedo,

Today, I wanted to share with everyone my experience with God, the day when I said, “Oh, what a day!”

On Wednesday, I went to Church, here in Osorio- Brazil, feeling discouraged. For almost one year, I had been seeing everyone in Church receive the Holy Spirit except me. So, I came to Church feeling sad, and needing to vent.

The pastor called everyone forward, and he even started the meeting different from other Wednesdays. So we went, and as I prayed, I was able to vent with my God. And as I was opening up, I began crying with sadness and then with joy, I felt an assurance that God was with me. Without words, I spoke to God, and knew that I was being heard. That is when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit, I was born of God. It was not like I imagined it would be. There were no emotions involved, nothing at all!

It was all in the Spirit, a unique experience, I was speechless.

Sometimes, the thoughts come: “Did I really?”

But there is an assurance within me.

Today, I thank all those who helped me, especially God and the assistants that trusted me, believed I would receive Him.

Thank you, my God, for this change!

Jessica Marques – Bage (RS – Brazil)

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I am here to tell you about my experience with God. Though young, I was already a candidate to become an assistant, but I wasn’t sure if I had really been baptized with the Holy Spirit. I had fallen away and didn’t have the strength to go back, but on a Friday, I revolted against that situation. I must confess that before going to the meeting I had even used drugs. To be more specific, I had used marijuana because I thought the meetings were too long.

That’s when I went inside, and during the strong prayer, an assistant that was very used by God, prayed for me and said: “Be careful, the devil wants to shoot you and kill you! And you know I’m not the one who is saying this to you.”

At that very moment, I started shaking and something inside assured me that it was not the assistant who was talking to me, it was God Himself.

I left the Church and went to my friend’s girlfriend’s house. We got high on paint thinner. This friend was involved with evil spirits. My paint thinner had turned into water. That was when my faith began awakening. I found it strange. I took my friend’s thinner and inhaled it. He said: “The evil spirits do not want you to smell my thinner”, but I had already done it.

A terrible fear came over me, it seemed like I was going to hell and running back and forth around the house like I had gone crazy, asking God for mercy and compassion. I grabbed on to the arm of a girl who had a youth group ribbon tied to her wrist and came back to myself. What a nightmare, it was a bitter experience! I’ll never forget it. Today, I know how a soul feels when they lose their salvation. I returned by the mercy of God, and went to Church on Sunday, but this time with all of my strength, and when you raised your hands and told us to receive the HOLY SPIRIT, HE came with everything and flooded my entire being. I could not hold back the tears, because it was so strong. Now it was my turn to get even with the devil and give him everything he deserves!

Pedro Alan

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Hello, Bishop!

I was reading your blog, like I always do. And I can’t believe that I did not receive the Holy Spirit! I participated in the Fast, I did my vow and nothing! And then, here comes a person who only participated in the last days of the Fast and receives the Holy Spirit, and I simply got nothing…

I want the Holy Spirit more than anything, but He does not come! Why is that??

I’ve told God a million times that I give Him my whole life, but nothing happens!

I do everything right. I stay away from bad friendships, read the Bible, pray, and nothing. I would like for you to help me. I’m sure it will also help many other people.

Thank you.

A friend

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Hello, Bishop!

Since I was a small child, my father always taught me that the world was created by the Big Bang theory and that God was just a character created by people to deposit their problems.

I grew up thinking this way. Nobody ever spoke of God in my house. For this reason, when I grew up, my father was proud of me and said that I would follow in his footsteps – father and daughter, both atheists.

Our finances were always stable, but nothing explained the profound emptiness I felt in my soul, which made me walk around in black clothes, listen to depressing music and cry all night long.

One day, I lost a bet and ended up at the Universal Church. At first, my father did not think this would go very far, after all, it was just a one time thing. But when I started changing and going to Church on a regular basis, he stopped talking to me for 3 months.

Even with all of the battles and with no one at my side to give me support, I continued in the faith and had a real encounter with God!

The Fast of Daniel does this: it brings you away from the world and closer to God. You stop depending on your father, mother, pastor or bishop, but of God!

The Fast of Daniel has renewed me!

Oh, what a day!

Maira