The Mysteries of the Word of God

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Luís Alberto Alves

The Word of God is divine. It is something that frees us from the illusions the devil spreads throughout this world. Yet, few Christians truly grasp the messages the Lord sends us through His rich Word. Many people continue to accept the crumbs Satan drops from his filthy table. They fail to realize that Jesus offers us the best—not merely leftovers, as the forces of darkness do.

The Lord made it very clear that "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but His Word will not pass away." Therefore, He always fulfills what He promises. But why do Christians lose patience and return to the rubbish from which Jesus Christ once rescued them? A lack of wisdom! They do not understand that the Lord's best is attained through our own sacrifice.

In my thirty-year journey with Jesus Christ, I have witnessed many situations where a blessing was drawing near to people—moments when they were on the verge of smiling. But they failed to stay vigilant; the devil sent his demons, and that rich treasure was stolen. I tried to reason with them, but many refused to listen. The Holy Spirit used my lips to warn that a certain relationship would bring only sorrow, not happiness. Yet, they chose the seemingly easy path offered by darkness, and it led to their ruin.

The Bible

The problem is that people refuse to learn the Lord's Word correctly. They imagine the Bible to be just an ordinary book, unaware that it is something deeply spiritual. One must be attuned to Heaven to truly understand the message the Lord is sending. Take, for example, the verse in the Psalms stating: "May the Grace of the Lord be upon us all, and may He confirm the works of our hands; yes, confirm the works of our hands."

They fail to realize that the Lord's Grace breaks every yoke of darkness and establishes everything that person’s hands accomplish. But first, one must understand what Grace is. Unlike human beings, God holds no rancor in His heart. His Grace is the forgiveness we do not deserve. Thus, when blessing someone, the Lord does not scrutinize that person. God does not impose conditions for pouring out His Grace upon someone's life. How many Christians truly grasp this mystery?

Christians need to deepen their intimacy with God and correctly understand His mysteries. They must stop wasting their efforts—often blaming themselves for failing to savor the sweet taste of success. More often than not, it is a lack of understanding of God's Word that prevents us from attaining success. God is not to blame for our lack of faith. He is love, and in His hands, blessings abound—in such immense measure that we could never calculate them. Draw closer to Jesus Christ, and you will experience the best that God has in store for you.

Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor.

30 Years of Walking with God

                        Nilma Alves

*Luís Alberto Alves

It's not easy to complete a 30-year walk in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Along the way, there are countless temptations. The devil throws all sorts of lentil dishes on the road to try to pull you away from the company of Jesus Christ. The enemy hits hardest at the item you were enslaved to when you were far from God.

Satan tries to show that faithfulness to the Lord is something painful to maintain. He tries to sow the illusion that the dishes he offers are good. After all, pleasure is something enjoyable. I know what I'm talking about. When I planned to hold a Thanksgiving service for 30 years of walking alongside Jesus Christ, the devil hit me hard.

He sowed images of my past in my mind, showing only flashes of rare moments of pleasure, of my wanderings through the streets of São Paulo, usually at night, in search of pleasure. When I returned home, where I now reside with my beloved family, a gift from the Lord, he tried to sow sadness in my heart. Something terrible. Enough to drive me crazy. But I asked the Lord for strength to keep standing, serving the Lord through His Gospel. I managed to hold the Thanksgiving service and praised the Lord through a sermon, where I brought the Word that is written in Mark, chapter 2, verse 17, when Christ said that He came to call sinners, because those who need a doctor are the sick, not the healthy.

Time

I remembered the countless battles faced in these 30 years. In some, I imagined I would be crushed. From 2017 to 2024 I faced the pain caused by unemployment. During that time I counted on the help of my wife, through prayers and fasting, and of friends and brothers in Christ who shared their bread with me. A time when no job opportunities opened, not even to unload cargo from trucks. Everything was closed.

Something terrible. At the height of despair, I stopped in front of a double-articulated bus, hoping it would run me over and say goodbye to this world through death. The driver managed to brake. I tried to throw myself from the floor where I live, but something wouldn't let me plunge into space. At the beginning of 2025, the situation changed. Back in the job market, I had joy back in my heart.

I finally arrived at May 25th of this year, when I completed 30 years in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I reflected a lot. I remembered the people who didn't give up on me. They were by my side during the bad times. I realized how good the Lord is. When He pulled me out of the rot, I was someone with a lot of spiritual filth. A person who didn't deserve to be by God's side because of the countless sins I had committed. God accepted me anyway. He cleaned my soul and spirit, and today I am a new creature. Thank you, Lord.

*Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor and author of the book "The Empty Refrigerator Theory".