Are you afraid of the fight?

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Luis Alberto Alves

Fight! This word sends shivers down the spine of any Christian. Throughout our lives, we are conditioned to live in the shadows. When difficulties arise, many give up the battle and accept the negative result of defeat. Insisting on changing the situation is something that only a few people can do.

Currently, with the emergence of social networks, millions of Christians make the mistake of believing that the ideal model of life is the one that exists on the internet. There, men over 35 years old show off “six-pack abs,” and wrinkles do not exist on women’s faces. Everything is beautiful.

Few remember the Word described in John 16:33 (In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world, and you will overcome it). The rule is to ignore the warning of Jesus Christ and try to overcome situations with the strength of your arm, or by resorting to the tools used by the world.

Effects

The problem is that many people do not see the opportunities that exist within the fight. They focus only on the fight. They refuse to think about how that battle came about, and what the negative and positive effects are after the fights come to an end.

Imagine someone who has the habit of talking to everyone about their life projects. Instead of holding back, they decide to share their strategies and even future projects. They fail to see that many people will not be happy with our victories. On the contrary, they secretly root for our defeat.

Like a teenager who believes that everyone wants us to be happy, they refuse to use caution. They are malicious. They are quick-witted and never offer gold to the bandit. They never count on the chicken to give them an egg before they lay it. It is in this context that the fight arises, with God's permission, to give us experience and to learn how to see life from another perspective.

War

Jesus Christ knows us. He will never allow His servant to enter a war to die. To emerge from that conflict annihilated, spiritually quadriplegic. The proposal is for this person to evolve. Climb a higher step to glorify and exalt the name of the Lord. There are people who get used to the environment of war, of suffering and being beaten.

When the day comes to sing, to celebrate victory, they become suspicious. They refuse to accept the blessing. It is like someone whose life the Lord places in their life a very handsome man or woman, full of anointing, and this person refuses. They say they do not deserve a person of this stature. They will not be able to be by their side.

It is like the Christian who has gotten used to eating fried eggs for lunch every day, which is normal during wartime, and when he goes to the butcher he buys poor quality meat that takes a long time to cook, in addition to being tough to eat. They refuse to buy a good fish to grill or even take their family out for lunch.

Time

They are servants of God who did not have the wisdom to take advantage of the time they spent on the battlefield. They focused only on combat, leaving aside any learning from those dark days.

For example: someone who lived through a horrible marriage that resulted in divorce needs to analyze what caused that situation.

It is necessary to undertake a long process of meditation. Analyze coldly how they behaved financially, sexually, professionally. Were they supportive of their partner? Did they try to help or did the tasks fall only to one of them? How was the money divided? Did they always humiliate the other? When illness struck, were they supportive enough to take their partner to the doctor?

Was their sex life only to satisfy one of the parties or was there solidarity in thinking about the other? What were the moments of affection like? Was it intense or just formal? Was there sacrifice for the sake of the union? To keep quiet when the temperature was high or the argument was something normal, including swearing and verbal and physical aggression?

Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor.

Have you taken possession of the power granted by God?

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Luís Alberto Alves

In Luke 10:19 Jesus Christ makes it very clear that He grants us the power to trample on serpents and scorpions and all the power of the enemy and nothing will harm us. How many Christians take possession of this Word of the Lord? Few! Many continue to tremble in fear of the fury of darkness.

Some refuse to go through a crossroads where there is a witchcraft den. They claim to be afraid that those evil entities will accompany them.

As a pastor, through the mercy of Jesus Christ, I have heard servants of God confess to being afraid of being near someone possessed by evil spirits. In other words, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to cast demons out of someone, the first decision to make is to call the pastor to take on this mission.

With this gesture, they refuse the power granted to them by God. They literally tell Jesus that this Word does not apply to them. Is Jesus Christ a liar? In this type of situation, we need to observe the behavior of children. Most of the time, some of them are more converted than many adults. They pray with the authority that Jesus Christ granted. Struggle Currently, several evangelical denominations offer a distorted Gospel, full of lies and heresies. They insist that we should be happy here in this world, because, in their view, no one knows what it will be like in Glory. 

They encourage consumerism. The ideal is to fill the pockets of businessmen with money and leave the work of the Lord out in the open. On some occasions, I have come across pastor friends working out to pay rent, water, electricity and internet bills without any support from their members. Many of them do the work and work outside, needing to put money out of their own pockets so as not to tarnish the name of the church. It is sad. People who are in Christ need to take possession of the Word of God once and for all. 

Stop playing at being Christian. Take up the banner of struggle that is to combat the darkness led by Satan. They must understand that the Gospel of the Lord is not child's play. Stop with the illusion that the devil feels sorry for anyone. He will always be evil. Word The strategy of darkness is to discredit the Word of God. It is to try to put into our minds that it is not worth serving the Lord. That we need to fight to be happy here in this dark world, where the evil one lies, because no one knows what our life will be like in Heaven. 

This group of Christians forgets that Jesus Christ himself said that there is “no mourning, hunger, death, sadness”. That we will walk on streets of gold and praise the Lord eternally. In this world we only have flashes of happiness. God allowed this situation so that Christians would not get used to this world we are passing through. We need to remember what is written in Ecclesiastes 12:7: “And the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” 

Since many people read the Word without paying attention to the details, few are able to understand what the Lord is saying in this part of the text. We were all made from the dust of the earth, and science itself has already proven all of this by describing that all the minerals found in the soil are present in our bodies. Exhumation It is a grim scene, but I suggest that people watch an exhumation and have the eyes and emotional structure to see what is left of us, three years after our burial. 

The flesh turns to dust, leaving only hair, bones, and nails intact. The human being returns to the dust from which he came. The spirit is no longer there, it has departed into the hands of the Lord, as described in Ecclesiastes 12/7. This text makes it very clear that we are not of this world. However, why do many Christians insist on ignoring this Word of the Lord, clinging to the passing pleasures that exist on Earth? Do they not accept to faithfully obey the commandments of God? 

Do they cling to the false theology of prosperity, putting money first and leaving Jesus Christ aside? The time has come for the servants of the Lord, those who are still wavering between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, to decide which side they are on. Either they accept the authority granted by Jesus Christ or they dive once and for all into the sea of ​​​​mud of darkness. Jesus Christ made it very clear that no person can serve two masters. Either they please one or the other. No one is a Corinthians fan and a Palmeiras fan at the same time. Enough with playing with the Lord. 

Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor.

imagine #God the enemy of your enemies!!!

Luís Alberto Alves/Hourpress

Learn how to use the #weapon of #spiritual warfare described in Deuteronomy 28

Luís Alberto Alves

Secrets of Prayer

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Luís Alberto Alves

The forces of darkness are defeated through prayer. In other words, it is when the Christian enters into battle against demons. But to destroy these evil works, one must know how to pray. It is like an elite soldier who hits the target without wasting much ammunition. In one of the verses of Psalm 121, it is written that the light of the sun will not bother us, nor will the light of the moon torment us.

This means that the offerings given to demons during the day will lose their effect when you pray saying: “In the Name of Jesus Christ, every work of Satan, done against me in the light of the sun, will lose its effect now, and everything that was taken from me will be returned from now on, just like the offerings given during the night, under the light of the moon.”

In Psalm 91, it is written in verses 4 and 5 that the servants of the Lord “shall not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that destroys at noonday.” What God is saying through these two verses is that we should not be afraid of the terror imposed by demons during the night, nor the arrow that flies by day (situations created by darkness to try to destabilize us, such as arguments over insignificant matters to take away the peace of the Christian).

Darkness

In this prayer of intercession, the Christian needs to pray this word firmly, because there are spells that strike people through arrows and through diseases, which are the pestilences that stalk in darkness (spirits of infirmity), and also the spirits of death that attack through the offerings delivered at noonday. The war against demons takes place in the heavenly realms, as written in Ephesians 6:12, where Paul describes that the fight is against the hosts of evil that inhabit the heavenly realms.

These realms are spiritual dimensions where demons and the angels of the Lord circulate. It is there that the attacks against demons occur. In Daniel 10/13, this context is very clear, when an angel tells Daniel that since the first day, the Lord had heard his prayers, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia (a demon with the rank of principality to act over a certain region of a country) resisted for 21 days, but the archangel Michael came to the rescue to help the other angels of the Lord who were in this war and defeated the forces of darkness.

Christians need to understand that Satan and his demons will always be defeated through prayer, but they need to know how to put this reaction into practice. To do so, it is essential to know the Word of God. One must pray the correct words that will transform into bombs over the kingdom of darkness. There is a prayer of thanksgiving, which we should say when we go to bed and wake up, or when God has granted us a long-awaited victory. It is necessary to separate these two types of prayers.

Evil

In Psalm 35, verses 4 to 6, it is described how Christians should pray when they are in the midst of terrible battle against demons. Remember that Satan and his demons will use people or situations to harm you. The fight is against evil spirits, do not turn the people used by him into targets. Be discerning about this. In the verses quoted above it is written: “Let those be ashamed and put to shame who seek my life; let those who plot against me be turned back and put to shame. Let them be like chaff before the wind; the angel of the Lord will make them flee. Let their way be dark and slippery, and the angel of the Lord will pursue them.”

God is saying that the forces of Satan who are using someone to attack your life will be ashamed and put to shame. These demons, through that person, will be put to shame, because the angel of the Lord (in this case Jesus Christ himself) will make them flee, making their way dark and slippery during this persecution.

Do not forget that demons act in a certain hierarchy. If it is a spirit of misery, the angel of the Lord will pursue it; if it is a spirit of intrigue, addiction, theft, confusion, perversion (demons that act on people's psychology, inverting their values ​​by attacking their thoughts, their way of behaving and acting), or sickness, then it is necessary to name the specific evil spirit that is acting in that situation. This is called knowing how to pray the Word correctly.

Crying Out

All types of offerings to demons are delivered in certain places: riverbanks or beaches, crossroads of streets and avenues, gardens in squares (for demons who pretend to behave like children), forests, near waterfalls, high mountains, cemetery gates, on top of tombs, places where a lot of garbage is thrown (when the aim is to turn someone into a wretch). The serum to kill this poison of darkness is through the prayer written in Jeremiah 22/29.

In this text it is written: “O earth, earth, earth hear the Word of the Lord”. It is God Himself ordering the earth to hear the cry of someone who is praying the Word of the Lord. This is when one should pray crying out that all types of offerings that the demons received on the beaches and riverbanks to destroy someone's life and everything they stole through these spells be returned in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Through this prayer, the servant of God, covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, is giving orders for the demons to restore everything that was taken away through that spell, which materialized through the offerings given there. This same prayer should be made in relation to streets and avenues, crossroads, squares and gardens, waterfalls, forests, mountaintops, cemetery gates, tombs, etc.

Church

Another example of a prayer of war is Psalm 142/7, where one asks that someone's soul be freed from prison so that they may praise the Lord. In this case, one must pray like this: "In the Name of Jesus Christ, free from prison (name the problem, be it addiction, illness, bankruptcy, destruction of marriage, prostitution, confusion, perversion, etc.) the soul of so-and-so so that he may praise the Lord. The secret of the spell is to immobilize the person, which is why someone who is bewitched loses their spirit, no longer has the desire to fight, to go to church, to pray, to fast, feels very sleepy, loses their appetite, tries to bathe less often, starts wearing dirty clothes, stops shaving, leaves their hair very long and does not comb it; in the case of women, they no longer worry about personal hygiene.

By immobilizing the soul, one soon dies spiritually, opening the door to physical death. That is why it is necessary to pray for the soul of this person to be freed from this prison. However, always taking care to mention that God's will prevails so that the intercessor does not enter into a war that is not His, it is something that the Lord allowed so that this person may awaken.

Burden

In 1 Timothy 5/22 the Lord warns us not to lay hands hastily on someone's head, nor to participate in the sins of others, but that we should talk to each other in purity. God is warning us that there are cases in which we must carefully evaluate the situation. So as not to take someone else's burden and bring it onto our shoulders.

As described in chapter 1 of Job, the devil was ordered by God to attack Job and take away all his possessions, but he was prevented from killing him. In other words, Satan's strength is limited by God. He does not have total control of the situation. In this specific case, God allowed this attack. But as described in chapter 42, everything that the devil took away he had to give back seven times more.

In this context of warfare prayers, we cannot forget to pray thanking the Lord at bedtime: “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety,” Psalm 4/8.

If you get up in the morning for another day of work or study, pray Psalm 90/17. "May the Lord our God be gracious to us; may he establish the work of our hands upon us, yes, establish the work of our hands." In this case, you will be presenting to God what you are going to do today. It is so that the Lord may keep you in everything you do. This is a long subject, and I will write more about it later.

Luis Alberto Alves, pastor at the Evangelical Prayer Ministry.

Pray intensely

Luís Alberto Alves

The Peace of the Lord to all. Today is a day when every Christian needs to redouble their prayers. It is like a boxing match, when the boxer keeps his guard up to avoid being knocked out.

"But why? If I pray every day", some people will answer. On these two days (30 and 31) in the southern hemisphere, Satanists gather to offer sacrifices to the devil in search of more power. Unfortunately, these sacrifices will include children up to 7 years old who will be offered to the darkness.

On February 2nd, this ritual will be repeated in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, set aside some time today and pray, rebuking all the spiritual garbage that Satanists will dump on the heavenly regions.

Light

Pray especially for your family. Satanists are everywhere. They do not wear black clothes, do not wear upside-down crucifixes and do not have an evil appearance.

Some even have angelic features to sow deception. Jesus Christ said that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light. Perhaps you will answer me with the standard phrase of every Christian: "the blood of Jesus Christ has power".

I agree, but why did Jesus Christ order us to pray without ceasing? The kingdom of darkness works with misinformation to lead Christians away from the paths of the Lord. They say that Satanism does not exist, that it is just talk from fanatical Christians, etc.

Enemy

The Chinese thinker Sun Tzu, author of the book "The Art of War", says that when you know your enemy, the chances of defeating him are great.

You already know that the devil exists and his fight is to keep you away from Jesus. You can only avoid this when you know and practice the Word of God. There is no point in having a firearm if you do not know how to use it. Therefore, today, on this day of great spiritual warfare, present your projects, your family, your life to the Lord and pray verse 1 of Psalm 67.

It is only God's mercy that can destroy all the devil's projects against the servants of Jesus Christ. Also present the leaders of all the churches that honor the Word of God. They are the favorite targets of Satanists.

If you think this text is nonsense and a waste of time, I respect your opinion. But I warn you: the devil exists and has never played at being the devil. Some Christians play at being Christians until they are faced with a trial.

Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

God is a master at transforming sterility into fertility

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Luís Alberto Alves

According to Medicine, sterility is the impossibility of a couple being unable to have children. But there are other types of sterility. Businessmen, even those who are skilled and have great knowledge of their market, can never get out of the rut of a negative balance in their cash book.

In the sports field, there are excellent soccer, volleyball and basketball players who have never felt the sweet taste of wearing the national team jersey, much less lived the wonderful experience of participating in the Olympic Games.

The world of music is full of artists, male and female singers with beautiful voices, but they never took off. Even though they recorded refined albums, success eluded them, trapping them in the terrible prison of oblivion.

Society

Life is full of people locked in the prison of sterility, even those endowed with great knowledge and vast experience. In the Bible, the testimony of the Word of God, some people are described as sterile, in a society where women unable to get pregnant were classified as cursed.

However, our God, creator of Heaven and Earth, and everything that exists in the invisible and visible world, is a master at transforming a scene of sterility into a landscape of fertility. After all, He does not know the word impossible, which only exists in the dictionaries of men.

The book of Genesis, 21, 2-7, tells the story of Sarah, Abraham's wife, who gave birth to a son when her husband was already an old man and she was already elderly, in addition to being sterile. Sarah was the mother of Isaac, the son of the promise, whom the Lord had told Abraham that he would be the father of multitudes, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands on the beaches of the whole world.

Father

It is estimated that there are 2.3 billion Christians in the world (including Evangelicals, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics), 1.57 billion Muslims and 13 million Jews. The sum of this multitude comes close to 3.8 billion people who have Abraham as their father of faith. God said that he would be the father of multitudes when he was 75 years old and Sarah was a barren wife.

It takes a lot of faith in God to hold on to this promise. To look at a desolate scene and believe that the dry grass will give way to a beautiful green plantation, with trees full of sweet fruits. Something visionary. Or someone completely crazy, to the point of seeing water where there is only desert.

But God granted Sarah the condition to become pregnant at the age of 90, reversing the situation of sterility into fertility. Already old, she felt the joy of breastfeeding her long-awaited and beloved son Isaac. A few years later, this young man would marry Rebekah, as described in Genesis 25/27, another barren wife, to whom the Lord gave the joy of giving birth to the twins Esau and Jacob.

Joy

During the journey of life, in Genesis 46/19, Jacob would fall in love with Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban. Unfortunately, his wife's beauty did not immediately guarantee him the joy of being a father, as happened several times with Leah, for whom Jacob felt no love. God allowed Rachel to be the mother of Joseph and then Benjamin. Once again, the Lord transforms sterility into fertility.

But this story does not end there. In 2 Kings, 4:8/32, we have the drama of the Shunammite woman, already old, next to her husband, without children. And the prophet announces that this couple will have a son in their home. Because of the situation, the Shunammite called the prophet a liar. However, the Lord transformed her into a fertile womb and changed the family's sterility.

In 1 Samuel 1:9/4, Elkanah's wife Hannah, desperately crying out to God for 25 years to have a child, had her request granted. She was the mother of the boy Samuel, who later became a prophet, judge and priest, responsible for anointing the boy David as the future king of Israel. God went further by allowing Hannah to be the mother of more children.

Desert

In Luke 1:6/7, another elderly couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, are blessed by God, with a woman, without medical conditions, becoming pregnant and from her womb coming John the Baptist, who became known as the Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness. A cousin of Jesus Christ, she had the honor of baptizing him and paving the way for his short ministry of 3.5 years, but which impacted the world.

All of the texts cited above demonstrate that God is an expert in transforming a desert into an area full of fresh water. Situations that, in the eyes of men, cannot be reversed. In other words, it is impossible to present any picture of change.

Christians need to have faith that Jesus Christ likes to take situations of sterility and transform them into fertility in any area of ​​our lives. Perhaps you are classified as sterile in some segment and have even thought about throwing in the towel, giving up following the Lord and returning to the rotten world from which Christ once rescued you. Believe me, your sterility will be transformed into fertility for the Glory of God.

Luis Alberto Alves is a pastor