Holy Mountain

"You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones." Ezekiel 28:14-16

When we talk about sacrifice, we are talking about having your complete life on the altar.
When we talk about the altar, we are talking about the mountain and when we talk about the mountain, we are talking about material, physical, emotional and family success; above all, we are talking about a place where it doesn’t matter if you are a member, an assistant, a pastor or a bishop, you will be safe and shielded from every satanic attack.

On the mountain (the altar) we are powerful warriors; we can leap over walls and destroy great armies.

However, the devil is constantly trying to prevent people from climbing the mountain (the altar), and tirelessly working towards removing those who managed to make it up there one day and were able to establish their lives. Why?

It's simple. In the beginning, the devil lived on God’s holy mountain. But one day, he was expelled.
He knows what happens when SOMEONE sacrifices their whole life on the mountain.

Therefore, assistants, pastors, bishops, wives and members: the mountain is the place the Lord sanctified for His "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people..." (1 Peter 2:9)
It is a place where, even if all of hell joined forces, they couldn’t possibly defeat you.

Praise God!

Practical Lesson

There once lived a great warrior. Although he was quite old, he was still able to defeat any challenger.

His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land, and many students gathered to study under him.

One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master.

Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in his opponent. Then he would make fun of them until they lost their concentration.

He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then he’d strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

Against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge.

As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spat in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to man.

But the old warrior merely stood there quietly.
Finally, the young warrior became exhausted.
Knowing he had been defeated, he left feeling ashamed.

A bit disappointed that they did not get a chance to see their master fight the insolent young man, the students approached him and asked:

- How were you able to endure so many insults and humiliations? How did you beat him without even moving?

- When someone brings you a gift and you do not accept it, who will the gift be returned to? -Replied the master.

The sacrifice - Part 2

We cannot forget that sacrifice is the shortest distance between wanting and having what you want. No one will sacrifice unless he’s moved by an inner strength called faith.When God gave His Son to be sacrificed, He was setting an example, showing us the secret of conquering.

It’ very easy to understand this: when a person believes in the power of work, he’s able to conquer his own space, regardless of his belief in God. This is what has happened throughout the history of humankind. Take, for example, men and women who, despite being unbelievers, came up with extraordinary inventions that changed the world. A very simple example is the work of a farmer, who believes in the multiplication of the seed he sows in the soil.

Now, imagine what happens when a person, moved by his belief in the promises of God, takes an attitude and sacrifices! Obviously, this attitude leaves God no other option but to bless him. After all, He cannot lie nor can His promises be withdrawn.

Sacrifice is the narrow door that leads to great achievements.

The majority of Christians, however, do not believe that they need to sacrifice; instead, they choose to rely on the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Indeed, Jesus’ sacrifice is enough to save those who believe, but we also need to sacrifice, as the Lord Himself said to His apostles many times:

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38,39)

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24,25)

“For whoever desires to save his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35)

“Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33)

Note that this message is so important that the Lord Jesus repeated it on different occasions.

Matthew and Luke recorded it twice, whilst Mark recorded it once. And what does it mean to take up our cross and follow Him? What does it mean to lose our life for the Lord Jesus’ sake? To take up our cross and follow Him are clear examples of faith in action by means of self-sacrifice. To lose our life for the Lord’s sake is to renounce what the world has to offer in order to live a life dedicated to our communion with God.

Every time we present a perfect sacrifice to God, we leave Him no option—He has to bless us. Faith in the Lord Jesus breaks through all barriers.

Sacrifice is the most effective way of resisting the devil. It also shows that a Christian no longer belongs to evil, for his sacrifice is a sign that his entire life depends on God.

Remember: the life of a person who sacrifices is in his sacrifice!

Read more: The sacrifice – Part 1

Believe in God and alse in yourself

The Devil rips out ex-Assistant's heart

Ugliness is Unacceptable in the Work of God!

The title of this message might seem strange, but we are not talking about physical beauty!

We are referring to spiritual beauty, which is required by God, from those who want to do His Work. So that you may have a better understanding, I would like you to read the following verses. Then, you will definitely understand what God wants to teach us.

Keep in mind that what He said to Moses in the past must still be seen in our spiritual life today!

"For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch." (Leviticus 21:18-20).

This passage clearly tells us that any person who had a physical deformity could not serve as a priest.

Therefore, let’s put aside the physical problems and analyze the list God is giving us with our spiritual eyes:

BLIND – Was not suitable for work. In order to be good assistants, we need to be able to see with our spiritual eyes. Remember Elisha's servant, who came screaming into the house, saying: "Prophet! We are surrounded by the enemy’s army."

And what did the man of God do?
He prayed and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And behold, he could see God’s angels protecting them (2 Kings 6:17). For this reason, a good assistant must see things with their spiritual eyes, they cannot be blind.

LAME – Is someone who has a limp or walks with difficulty. Those who walk with a limp are unable to walk at the same pace as everyone else and end up falling behind. Therefore, God cannot use us if we are limping through life.

MARRED FACE – This refers to the look on the face of those who want to serve God. Unfortunately, many still don’t understand that a smile and a kind expression are worth a thousand words.

People come to our church because they are tired and disillusioned with the world. They’ve been mistreated, they’re full of problems and they’re being oppressed by the devil. Then, when they finally decide to seek God, they walk into a church where the assistants or the pastors have a frown on their face; they seem bitter and worried about their own problems!

UNPORPORTIONATE LIMBS - Unbalanced. Their actions are exaggerated ― their speech, their behavior, how they relate to family and friends, the way they dress, etc... ― they are always causing a scandal.

BROKEN FOOT - What happens when someone has a broken foot? They are unable to stand, right? There are many people who want to do the work of God, but they have a broken foot, they are unable to remain firm.

That is, first they’re here and then they’re over there, they start coming firmly and then they fall away again... "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord..." (1 Corinthians 15:58).

BROKEN HAND – When your hand is broken you are unable to grasp onto anything firmly. And the work of God requires lots of determination and persistence.

HUNCHBACK – Keep in mind that those who do the work of God cannot walk with their head held down. They should never bow down out of fear or shame. They should present themselves approved to God, someone who has nothing to be ashamed of (2 Timothy 2:15).

DWARF – Is someone who is of small stature. Many people who come to Church, find themselves under this category. Spiritually speaking, they are dwarfs because they have stopped growing.

DEFECTIVE EYE, ECZEMA OR SCAB - Our eyes and our expression, should reflect the Lord Jesus. You may be a serious person, but you should never be arrogant. You may smile a lot, but not to make a mockery of someone. You may rebuke someone, but with love and never in a spiteful manner.
Get rid of the arrogance, deceit, envy, fear and inferiority complex from your life. Certainly, you will look much kinder and approachable.

EUNUCH – Is someone who is unable to reproduce! A good assistant is someone who makes disciples. They must reproduce; they must win souls. A good assistant attracts everyone's attention and they will want to imitate him because of his good conduct.

Given these qualities, it is good that those who want to do the work of God, or those who are already doing it, take good care of their inward appearance, so that God may use you more and more.

I hope to have enlightened you somehow,
Bishop Julio Freitas

Don't you have an e-mail???

An unemployed man applied for a janitorial job at Microsoft.
The HR manager asks him to come in for an interview (sweep the floor) and says:

- You got the job. Give me your e-mail, so that I can send the job application for you to fill out and your schedule.

The man became very worried and explained that he didn’t own a computer, much less have an e-mail.
The HR manager says he regrets this unfortunate inconvenience, but if he didn’t have an e-mail, it meant he virtually didn’t exist, and if he didn’t exist, he couldn’t get hired for the job.

Without knowing what else to do, the man left, with only $10 in his pocket.
He decides to go to the supermarket and buy a crate with 10 pounds of tomatoes.

He goes out knocking from door to door, selling the tomatoes by the pound, and in less than two hours he was able to double his investment.
He did this three more times and returned home with $60.

The man realized that he would be able to survive by doing this, so he begins going out earlier in the morning and coming home later in the day. His earnings doubled and tripled every day.

Shortly after, he bought a van, which he later traded-in for a truck. Soon, he was able to buy his own small fleet of delivery vehicles.

Five years later, the man had become one of the largest food retailers.
Sometime later, he decided to get a life insurance policy.

He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. At the end of their conversation, the broker asked him for his e-mail to send over the proposal.
The man says he doesn’t have an e-mail.

The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have e-mail and you were able to build an empire, imagine what you would have accomplished if you had an e-mail!

The man thinks about this comment and says:
- I would have been a janitor at Microsoft!

* 1st Moral of the story: The Internet won’t solve all your problems. It may help you, but what brings great changes in your life is your commitment, dedication and, above all, your SACRIFICE!

* 2nd Moral of the story: If you want to be a "janitor" keep depending on others, don’t do your part!!!

* 3rd Moral of the story: Build your SACRIFICE.

Greetings to all of our friends and companions of war.

Collaboration: Bishop Julio Caesar L. Freitas