

life

and

Ministry

JOEL PERDOMO

________________________________

Copyright © 2016 by Joel Perdomo

NOTE

THIS IS AN ENGLISH TRANSLATIÓN FROM THE ORIGINAL BOOK: "VIDA Y MINISTERIO",

WRITEN IN SPANISH BY JOEL PERDOMO.

WE APOLOGIZE IF ANY UNVOLUNTARY MISTAKE WAS MADE IN THIS TRANSLATION.

IMPORTANT

THIS BOOK IS AN OFFERING TO GOD AND COPYRIGHT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ON EARTH.

SO:

  * IT CAN BE SHARED FREE OF CHARGE BY ANY POSSIBLE WAY.

  * CAN BE PRINTED - NON-PROFIT.

  * IT CAN BE TRANSLATED TO ANY LANGUAGE - WITHOUT ALTERING ITS ORIGINAL CONTENT.

  * IT IS A GIFT FROM JOEL PERDOMO TO THE BELOVED CHURCH OF CHRIST. GIVING BY GRACE, WHAT BY GRACE HAS RECEIVED.

GOD BLESS YOU!

JOEL PERDOMO

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I dedicate this book to my dear parents, Marina Paz and Conrado Perdomo, who were the architects of the human part of this story.

To my beloved brothers Onil, Geovanny and Nelson, whom I carry in my heart.

To my beloved wife and faithful companion, Rhodimari Guzmán, and to my beloved in-laws, the pastors Basilio Guzmán and Sonia Pintor.

To the members of the Firm Foundation Church and to all the pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers and ministries that have been participants in the benefits of this ministry, thank you for your support and prayers.

To all the brothers and friends who have collaborated with this ministry since its beginings to this day, and to the eyewitnesses of the miracles here narrated.

Above all, to the Holy Spirit who in the name of Jesus has made me see his great wonders and has given me the privilege of being a partaker of his abundant Grace, for the glory of our heavenly Father. Amen.

May God bless you all!

Joel Perdomo

INDEX

Chapter - 1 - BEFORE YOU ARE BORN, YOU KNEW ME ................................13

a. God! in your hands it's my son

b. Life in the fields

c. The mysterious ways of God

Chapter - 2 - BRIEF FAMILY HISTORY .............................. .............. 17

a. Sir: What is the true religion?

b. Test time

c. Resurrected power manifested

d. The exodus

e. Example of love

Chapter - 3 - UNDER THE POWER OF GOD .......................................... .29

a. My experience with God

b. The baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit

c. Knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit

d. Fasting and prayer

II. OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE WILL .................................... ... 41

a. The formation of Christian character

b. Obedience to the will of God

c. Obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit

d. Faith in action

e. The ministration of the angels

Chapter - 4 - THE BEGINNING OF THE MINISTRY ................................. .... 59

a. God hastens his plans

b. The service in the local church

c. Training time and wait

d. The Holy Spirit confirms what the Bible teaches

Chapter - 5 \- THE POWER OF GOD ................................................ 67

I. TESTIMONIES OF THE POWER OF GOD

a. The demon attacked him in the water and in the fire

b. In the name of Jesus: Get up and walk!

II. SALVATION AND HEALTH ................................................ 71

a. Why aren´t all sick people healed?

b. The salvation of the soul and the healing of the body

c. You have to ask correctly

III. UNDER THE FIRE OF PROOF ............................................. .... 77

a. God's dealings with his children

b. Testimonies of God's treatment

IV. A FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS ......................................................... ..82

a. Faith without limits

b. Operations of the power of God

V. THE LIBERATION ............................................................... ..85

a. Enclosed for eight years

b. Delete me from the book

c. Learning from the ministry of liberation

SAW. THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY ................................................... .91

a. Beginnings of the prophetic ministry

b. Word for singles

c. Personal experience

Chapter - 6 - PROMISE OF TRAVELING ............................................. .97

a. The trip to Puerto Rico

b. God keeps his promises

c. A wish fulfilled

Chapter - 7 - TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES ....................................... .103

a. The call to the United States

b. Beginning of the work in the United States

c. The church without a name

d. The testimony of the house

Chapter - 8 - WE LIVE IN FINAL TIMES ................................. ..113

a. The worst storm of heresies is looming

b. The mix with the world

c. The mix with the false religion

ATTACHMENT..................................................................119

PREFACE

This book gathers an accumulation of instructive experiences during my life and as well as my ministry. In no way they seek to exalt the figure of man. The goal is the opposite, to make known my experiences in the ways of God, in order to help others build their spiritual life.

The purpose is for the new generations to awaken interest in the search for God, regardless of the historical moment in which they live. That they may understand that God is the same as yesterday, today and always:

8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Hb. 13:8).

God doesn´t change and whoever seeks for him will undoubtedly find him. Jesus said:

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Mt. 7:7-8).

The bible says: 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jr. 29:12-13).

It is my hope that at the end of the reading of this book, God is exalted, that all honor and praise be attributed only to Him, for his great love and kindness to make us partakers in his power, his glory and his kingdom. Poul said:

6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Cor. 6-7).

Through this book no attempt is made to receive any personal praise, it is more important that readers obey what the Lord says in his Word and that God is known, even if we are unknown.

I also recognize that there are innumerable servants of God who have experienced great manifestations of God's power in their lives and ministries, but may not have the means to translate those experiences into practical learning and that is the value of this experience.

I am pleased to have the valuable opportunity to share in life, what God has allowed me to live in his ways so that no more is said, no less than what is written.

It is well known to those who write that the reader can correctly interpret the meaning of what is written or can interpret it wrong, starting from their own signifiers, that is, judging things by experiences and knowledge acquired during their life, whether they are correct or incorrect. It implies that the best-intentioned writings can be an object for misinterpretation on the part of the one who reads or hears. A true Christian teacher, would never wish to be misinterpreted by his readers.

In my case, and according to my limited scope, I have tried to close the nooks by which the little foxes could sneak out, who pretend to destroy the healthy vineyards of the pure knowledge of the Bible, written in my books. Even so, and resorting to the words of Jesus, who said that; worse things thry would do with us: 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? (Lc. 23:31).

I recognize that there will always be those who distort the sound biblical doctrine for their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16).

Any personal interpretation of the biblical doctrine that is made of my writings will be the fault of the one who misinterprets them and remains under the divine anathema, if he doesn´t repent in time, as the Apostle Paul warns: 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gá. 1:8).

If Satan and his demons have misrepresented the words of Jesus and his holy apostles written in the Bible, from which innumerable heresies have arisen, anything could be misinterpret from us. However, the privilege of being able to write this autobiography in my own hand, minimizes the opportunities for true biblical knowledge to be obscured.

With all sincerity and love in Christ... God bless you!

Joel Perdomo

INTRODUCTION

Our family was chosen by God with a very special purpose on Earth. My mother was a faithful witness of Christ for her generation, in the midst of a community that flatly rejected the gospel. She was a merchant and God showed her that He had better things for her life, that didn´t compare with all the riches of this Earth.

My mother was the one who opened her heart to Jesus Christ and brought the light of the gospel to my family. She reached that her parents knew Jesus as savior, before they departed to the presence of the Lord.

My parents separated when we were very young. They didn´t remarry, my mother decided to consecrate herself to Christ and my father was left alone, but we always count on his love. Since childhood, my mother highlighted the virtues of our father and that made us love him as if he had been by our side, always.

God got involved in the history of my family. My father was a very successful man in his military career and admired in his youth for his talents, but God truncated his personal plans in order to save his family from sin.

My mother, on the other hand, had achieved material success, but suddenly, she lost everything. There God began to take control of the situation and I thank God, because we lost the material, to win heaven.

!God bless you! It is my great desire. Joel Perdomo

Chapter 1 – BEFORE I WERE BORN, YOU KNEW ME

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly (Psalm 22:9-10).

a. God! in your hands it is my son

¡Dad, dad! -the girl insisted-, come and see a child. She was the daughter of Dr. Diaz, my mother's friend. He had a clinic in a distant city and was passing through our town for business reasons. At the insistence of the girl, the Doctor decided to see the child whose his daughter was talking about.

The girl had entered the room, without warning, and found the boy in his bed. Perhaps he had heard his cry, which had been very continuous in recent months or was her childhood curiosity. The truth is that God was in the middle of that chance.

The night before, my mother had asked God (in her own way, since she was a religious), telling Him that she didn´tknow what to do with her son, because he was very sick. This had spread after his birth, until many months later. Desperate, my mother told God to do his will, if He left him alive, to heal him; If not, take him to heaven.

When the doctor asked my mother about the child, she explained his condition. He knew immediately what was happening and promised that the next day would bring a special milk, which he would improve with that. The doctor arrived at our house with what was promised and the boy recovered.

God used the curiosity of the child to give health to the baby, so that he could fulfill the destiny that God had set for him. That child, my mother told me, who for many months was torn between life and death because of an infection. That child is your server, Joel Perdomo.

Satan can try to hinder God's plans, but he can´t interrupt them, because God is sovereign and what he determines is fulfilled. He told the prophet Jeremiah: 5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

(Jr. 1:5).

After hearing from my mother this crisis that I experienced as a child, my faith has been strengthened and I have had the full conviction that, since my birth, God had a purpose with my life in order to serve him in his kingdom.

After knowing Jesus as my savior (in my youth) my only longing and purpose in life has been to obey and fully comply with that divine plan for my life. The goal has been to make the best use of the gifts and talents that God has entrusted to me to carry out my mission in this earth, in order to not present myself before his presence empty handed.

b. Life in the fields

These were difficult times for my family, my father, Conrado Perdomo, served in the Honduran army. The comunication in those days were slow, and sometimes, he had no first-hand information about his family.

I was born in the fields of Honduras, in the years where life was simple and practical. Where there wasn´t much technology, but life was healthier.

In front of my house, my grandparents lived and next to their land lived their relatives. All that stretch of land served as a park for me. I enjoyed the nature, the fruit trees, I could appreciate the birds and the animals of the field. My childhood was splendid.

My father emphasized to my mom, that he wanted his children to study; therefore, he instilled in us the desire for study, although we didnt achieve all the professional goals for different circumstances, which God then turned all for the good of our soul, as the Bible shows:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Ro. 8:28-31).

c. The mysterious ways of God

8 For my thoughts aren´t your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is. 55:8-9).

At about six years old, sitting on a rock by the river where we were bathing, I said to my mother: When I grow up I will have a lot of money. How? she replied surprised. Moving my little feet, I told her, with this. The longing of my life was to be a professional soccer player, but my mom didnt like the idea.

I loved football and as a teenager I had the opportunity to achieve that goal, because my father, Conrado Perdomo, had friends in football. This was the opportunity to practice in a second division club in my country.

The coach was happy with my practice; but precisely, on that date I got sick and lost the opportunity. Later, as a Christian, I understood that God had opposed me on the way, because he had other more beautiful plans for my life.

In relation to the infinite wisdom of God Paul says: 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Ro. 11:33).
Chapter 2 - BRIEF FAMILY HISTORY

a. LORD: What is the true religion?

I was born in Honduras, in a Catholic home, traditional religion of Latin American families of the last century. My mother was very devoted to an idol, an image that my grandmother also venerated.

My mother had a real need for God, but she looked for it in her own way, in the religion she had inherited from her parents, because that was all she knew about God, since she had not had the experience of knowing Jesus as her personal savior.

What is the difference between having a religion and a relationship with God? In Latin America, religion has been used as an excuse to live life in their own way, because an idol do not speak and can´t exhort sin.

Idolatry is one of the serious sins mentioned in the Bible and was the reason why the Canaanite people and Israel received great punishments from God.

The prohibition of idolatry is the first commandment that God gave to Moses:

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the water under the Earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me (Éx. 20: 3-5).

Some religious people fall into the satanic deception of the idolatry sin. The sin is that people stop asking God and ask the image. This sin has tried to be nuanced by the Catholic Church, pointing out that the images only represent a media figure, such as a photo or a family memory; but the divine commandment is categorical in jealously pointing out that no image or similarity of the created should be made in order to be venerated:

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the water under the Earth (Éx. 20: 4).

My mom had a business and it was common to be visited by different people preaching different religions. Faced with this dilemma, she prayed to God asking: Lord, what is the truth among so many religions that preach to me? Jesus appeared to her in a vision and said: You asked what is the truth among so many religions? I am the truth, "Jesus told her," and showed her his hands pierced by the nails.

Finally, my mother gave her life and that of her four children to the service of Jesus, at the age of 29. That experience was different from being a religious. The gospel completely changed her life.

Some Pentecostal brothers who had preached to my mother knew the news of their conversion to Christ and began to disciple her in the knowledge of the Gospel.

My mother left the business of alcoholic beverages, knowing that it would take away a lot of customers from her food business. She also stopped participating in the festivities of her town and began to change the way she dressed, changing the pants for women's dresses and throwing out all vanity garments. From that date until today, my mother hasnt stopped serving Jesus Christ.

In her search for God, she had another vision in which God told her that she had plans to move to the United States and that wasn´t convinient for her. This surprised her more, because she hadn´t told anyone about her trip, which she had secretly planned.

Also, in that vision she saw a river of crystal clear water in the sky and my mother asked God, what that meant, because it was the second time she saw that vision. God told her to wait three days to see what would happen.

My mom didn´t know what the three days were about. She thought that maybe she would die or that another event would happen. Three days later, while kneeling to pray with her brother-in-law, Cristóbal Flores, who was the first to preach the gospel, the Holy Spirit baptized her in other tongues and spent several hours under the anointing of the Spirit. Event in which her family were witnesses.

Some understood the experience, others said she was out of herself. The truth is that all of them were witnesses of the power of God.

b. Test time

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him (James 1:12).

The typical joy that accompanies the conversion to Christ came to our home, however, the test of faith that we had to face was just beginning.

In the fields of Honduras and in many Latin American countries the arrival of the gospel generates much violence and a hostile environment against evangelicals. This is due, in part, to the myths that are created around evangelicals and that were common from the primitive Church.

When the first Christians met to eat the Lord's Supper, they were maliciously accused of eating human flesh, that is, of children. That kind of myth, driven by hell, has created great aversion to Christianity, whose end is the opposite, do good to humanity as taught by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The front pages of the media are full of scenes of violence; but no one is given the task of visiting an evangelical church to witness the thousands of people who have abandoned their vices to reintegrate into their communities and be useful to society.

On Earth there is no community that has been so persecuted and unjustly pointed (from its beginnings until today) as Christianity. Despite its great social work as an agent of change.

In our villages there were rumors that the evangelicals buried their dead with a candle between their buttocks and because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit they were accused of speaking diabolical tongues.

Additionally, the persecution against Christians in many Latin American countries is directly related to the training that the leaders of the Catholic Church do against the evangelicals, taking advantage of the naivety of those who don´tknow the true gospel.

After the persecution of the primitive Church, the greatest massacre against Christians took place in the last millennium, during the so-called holy inquisition, order that the Catholic Church took advantage of to unleash the most atrocious hunt of evangelical Christians who died by millions, being persecuted and tortured with instruments created for suffering. The only crime of these saints was to be Christians.

In many towns of my country there was no police presence and the law of the strongest prevailed. That was our case. My father - for involuntary reasons – didn´t live with us and my mother alone, had started a church in her house, because at that time she was one of the first Christians of that community.

After the church began to grow violence broke out. We began to receive constant threats because of the Gospel. There came a time when attending the meetings became a true challenge of faith for the converts.

Everything ended in a flurry of gunfire during a vigil in which the night evangelist turned away from the ways of God, for he was on the verge of death.

A shotgun shot at the assembled ones crashed into the wall, a short distance over the head of my younger brother, Nelson. The boy was left with his head covered in dust, while he was sleeping on a bench in the church.

After this event the church began to decay and my mother was practically alone, assembling in a family reunion with her four children, for many years.

About twenty years after this event, the evangelist that night (already reconciled with God) upon hearing that the person who had shot him years before was sick and on the verge of death, went to his home and preached the message of the Divine love together with my mother.

In another related incident my mother had to forgive a man who arrived armed to our home, who shot an employee causing her death, but my mother prayed for her and came back to life.

The shots also hit the arm of my brother who happened to be crossing behind the victim. My mother decided to forgive the aggressor and this prevented quarrels that later had affected the whole family.

Because of the army, my father had left home. However, he was a responsible man who had left a house and some savings to my mother. With that money, my mother managed to establish a restaurant, clothing store and grocery store. She also bought cattle.

In that humble community there seemed to be nothing missing in our home; but, from the conversion of my mother to the gospel, a series of tests of our faith began, which we had to face.

The clients of the restaurant moved to another place. And just as it happened to Job, the business began to decline and even the animals began to die of a rare disease. My mother lost all the money and possessions she had.

That test was incomprehensible at that moment. With the passage of time, my mother was forced by circumstances to move to the capital, with her hands empty. My mother would later understand that God's purpose was to get her out of that place, so that she and her children would better serve the cause of the Gospel.

c. Resurrecting power manifested

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (Mt. 10:8).

I was going to the village store when I met Purita's brother, a loving name they used to call his sister. Where is your mother going? -The young man asked me-, because he had met my mother on the way. She is going to your home to pray for your sick sister, "I replied. It's too late, "the young man replied." I'm going to buy the candles, because my sister is dead.

I was speechless. But my mother had been fasting and praying for about a week asking God to manifest his resurrection power, so that people would believe in Him. When my mother arrive to the house, the whole family was grieving for Purita.

My mother, on seeing the mother of the young woman in despair, asked: Ms. Mencha, do you believe that God can resuscitate your daughter? She replied, Yes I do! My mom extended her hands in prayer towards the inert body and the young girl sighed, got up and said: I'm hungry! That was the first miracle of resurrection that we experienced in my family.

d. The exodus

Little by little, my mother was losing everything she had, at the end, her economic condition was so precarious that she just wanted to flee from that place. People accused her that the evangelicals had left her with nothing. Finally, my mother moved from that town to the capital, with nothing else in her hand, than her faith.

In those years it was very typical for people from the countryside to move to the capital in search of better living conditions; but, generally they moved without any material possession.

This constant group of new people emigrating to the capital, usually located on vacant land and manufactured houses of cardboard or wood waste to live. Over time, if they weren´t evicted and an agreement was reached with the owners, they would sell the land to the invaders at low prices.

Just when my mother came to the capital through a sister in Christ, two brothers in Christ had separated two small plots of land on a hillside in Tegucigalpa. The brothers gave the land to my mother and helped her build a small house.

In those conditions my mother sent for us and we arrived at our new home. In that humble house the floor was made of dirt, the water had to be looked for in buckets that we carried on our shoulders with my younger brother. While, my two older brothers entered the army to perform their military service. This was a long period of living in a very difficult economic condition.

From the conversion of my mother to Christ, during our childhood, she instilled in us the gospel and the love of God. However, when we get to the capital we turn away from God and get more involved in the things of the world.

Like many teenagers of the time, I became entangled in parties and football. The music of the world and the festivities became a bond that I couldn´t leave by myself. At that time I was studying Spanish at the University, my goal was to write books. That longing God granted me later, in his ways.

Miraculously, about three months before my conversion, the desire for the parties disappeared. God was preparing the way for my conversion.

My mother persevered fervently in the ways of God and made a covenant to serve him and that He would take charge of saving her childrens. God granted it and her four childrens became to the gospel in our youth. From our conversion to the gospel, things improved and God didn´t lack us.

e. Example of love

Someone said that: "Nobody is a product of the nothing". In that sense, I want to highlight the beautiful things that my mother taught me. As a child it was forbidden to use offensive words in my house and my mother told us that all her children were intelligent, in order to create a good self-esteem.

In my home we wouldn´t be on the look of our neighbor´s life. When someone told my mother that they had spoken badly about her, she answered in a joking tone that she was famous, because everyone talked about her.

My mother taught me the power of prayer. She has been an intercessor. I saw her praying all night, until dawn. That allowed her to have great experiences of manifestations of the power of Jesus Christ. When my mother came from any issue on the street, the first thing she did on entering her house was to kneel and thank God. That became a practice in my home.

Within that legacy that my mother left us, we must highlight love. The Bible points out that love is the greatest of all gifts (1 Co. 13).

I remember that on one occasion my mother was falsely accused by some of her co-workers. Subsequently, these two young people were dismissed from their work. They had nowhere to go and my mother offered to house them in her house. One of them came with her son and my mother gave her an inn in her house. Then they became good friends.

The Bible points out that love covers a multitude of sins and is the most powerful weapon that Christians possess against our enemies.

Chapter 3 - UNDER THE POWER OF GOD

a. My experience with God

My mom converted in the 70's, and she taught us about God since childhood, but in adolescence we turn away from God. My mother prayed incessantly for my salvation, since I had become very involved in the parties. But, days before my conversion, I no longer felt the desire to go to parties. In those days, God spoke to my mother in a vision and said: You don´t pray for him anymore, he is in my hands.

It was in an evangelistic campaign of Br. Estanislao Marino, in the Plaza los Dolores of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on August 9, 1986, where I made public confession of Jesus as my savior.

Actually, I repeated the prayer of repentance because I felt alluded to by the message. However, I put my hand in my mouth so that people wouldn´t notice it, because I was afraid to go back and certain insecurity that I could comply to God. To my surprise, I felt the desire to congregate in the church and persevere in the gospel.

b. The baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit

In the first week of my conversion to Christ, a brother in the faith, Leon Fernández, who had been incarcerated in psychiatric hospitals and to whom God had miraculously healed him, told me: I want you to come to church tomorrow night to pray for you, so that you may receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was willing to receive everything the Lord had for me; but maybe without fully understanding what that implied \- I replied that the next day would be there.

I arrived at the appointment, in the temple there was no meeting that day, but it was open for other activities. Brother Leon Fernández took me to the basemant of the church, I only remember that he put his hands on me and I began to feel the power of God. Suddenly I began to speak in strange languages that I didn´t understand, a huge joy began to flow in my heart that I had never experienced and a dance that spread throughout the wide hall where we were. The joy was so impressive that it attracted the attention of some brothers who entered that place and without qualms I embraced them with tears in my eyes, full of joy. Some time later, the Lord made me understand that this manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit was necessary to strengthen me in his ways.

That early experience with the power of God, totally changed my life and my vision about God, because it was a confirmation of the presence of God in my life. The Bible points out that the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, just as Christ told his disciples to expect it: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts 1:4-5), it is a confirmation (not the only one) of the presence of Christ in the life of the Christian: 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13-14).

The earnest, refers to a stamp that was formerly placed to certify a document or as a guarantee signal, during a purchase. This implies that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a seal that confirms and anticipates that we belong to the Lord. At the same time, it empowers the Christian to fulfill his evangelizing mission on Earth: 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The Bible points out that this manifestation of God's power is for all Christians, not only for the primitive church. That is what Peter responded to those who questioned the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:38-39).

The baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit, with its manifestation of speaking in other tongues, is valid for Christians of all times, as the Apostle Peter explained on the day of Pentecost:"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Historical evidence shows that, although the devil has tried to stop the power of God of the Church; he hasn´t been able to. Christian history shows that Christians have been baptized with the fire of the power of the Holy Spirit around the world for two continuous centuries, from the day of Pentecost, until today. And he keeps doing it, even though there are still Christians who try to stop it, for not understanding it.

Be warned that there is a danger of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, which is the only sin that won´t be forgiven, who mock the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and make fun of the divine tongues that God imparts to those who believe ( Mt. 12:31). Before that divine warning of an unforgivable judgment to the blasphemers and mockers of the Holy Spirit, it would be better not to judge, what is unknown.

For those of us who have experienced the power of God in our lives, these manifestations are unquestionable, because we don´t seek them. God manifested it without us having thought or planned, that was my case.

The only thing I can say is that once I was converted to Christ, the Holy Spirit baptized me with tongues of fire and from there I began to experience miracles, healings, liberations, spiritual gifts, visions and the power of God manifested in my life.

Perhaps millions of Pentecostal brothers around the world, who aren´t guilty of having experienced the power of God, can only say as the Apostle Peter said, when the Pharisees questioned the power of God: 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).

c. Knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit

If God is real and created the voice, it is to be supposed that He speaks by means of His Holy Spirit (Psalm 94: 9). The first time I heard that voice of the Holy Spirit, I would only have converted weeks. During a service of the church, before they made the call to receive Jesus as savior, I heard that voice that told me: Today eight people will be converted. Without hesitation, I began to thank God in faith for those eight converts, believing that it would be so.

When the call to receive Jesus began I closed my eyes and in the end I opened them, I counted the converts, but there were only seven. Very sad, I closed my eyes and thought that voice wasnt God's. But when I opened my eyes again I counted again and there were eight converts. One more person had passed after the end of the call. Now I was sad to have doubted God, and with tears in my eyes, I confessed to a brother my doubt.

Although this experience may seem insignificant, it was the beginning of a life of faith that would unleash great prodigies from God for my life.

The Holy Spirit and the Bible always go together, they are like the two wings of a bird, that without one of them, the bird can´t get the perfect flight. The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, therefore, it can´t deny or contradict it; He can only confirm it. That means that no one who speaks by the Holy Spirit contradicts the Bible.

Learning to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit is a blessing in the Christian's life and is only achieved through the search for God and consecration.

If someone asks, how is the voice of God or doesn´t believe, it only shows that he has to look for more of God. It isn´t only about seeking it in fasting and prayer, that is indispensable, it is necessary to know the character of God (revealed in the Bible) to learn to relate well with Him. This derives, to a great extent, from our obedience to the Bible and then to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Christian:

3 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (Jn. 16:13).

It is to be noted that there is no other truth; if not the one revealed in the Bible. Through the Bible God speaks to mankind about his saving plan. The Holy Spirit only confirms to the Christian what Christ has already taught in the Bible; without adding it, nor taking it away. However, the Christian needs guidance from God for his personal, ministerial life, etc., and that is where the Holy Spirit directs us. Always in obedience to the Bible and never out of it.

d. Fasting and prayer

Our generation was marked by people of fasting and prayer, one of those examples was the evangelist Yiye Avila, who fasted for forty days.

The Bible states that Moses fasted for forty days (Exodus 34:28); Elijah also fasted forty days (1 Kings 19: 7-8); Jesus fasted forty days (Mt. 4: 2). Fasting is necessary to intensify prayer in order to unleash the power of God. Jesus said that there are unclean spirits that don´t come out of possessed people, except through fasting and prayer:

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Mt. 17: 20-21).

Faith is the first thing that is needed to unleash the power of God; but faith requires action. If someone believes that God has the power to heal and liberate, then he must cry out to grant them those miracles. Fasting and prayer is the way to intensify our communion with God in order to receive greater anointing to pray for miracles.

The value of fasting is that we refuse what we like and need it most, our food. In that way we show God that he has the first place in our life. Jesus said that when he wasn´t on Earth his disciples should fast:

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days (Mr. 2:18-20).

When Jesus was on Earth he guided his disciples during his ministry, but after his departure the disciples, under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, had to continue preaching the gospel on Earth, and for that they needed to fast and pray. Fasting and prayer was a practice of the early church (Acts 13: 2, 14: 23) and remains so for the entire church of the Lord today.

The great victories that God has given to my life have been accompanied by those essential periods of fasting and prayer. As we go deeper into the practice of fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit guides us when we must fast. Fasting must have a specific purpose, but sometimes we do it only in obedience, without knowing why, until God shows us his purpose.

At the beginning of my Christian life, when I had learned to fast for many days, God called me to fast forty days, giving fasting daily. These fasts were complete, delivered at nightfall. Later, God told me that the fasts should not be given until after three o'clock in the afternoon, so that they would be pleasing to him.

God gave me a promise to leave my country and after many years of waiting, as the date of fulfillment approached, God put it in my heart to again fasten for forty days and the answer arrived. To my brother Nelson, God also gave him the same promise, and by that time it had been fulfilled, he lived in Puerto Rico.

In that period of fasting and prayer, my brother said that he began to listen to the voice of God who constantly told him, help your brother; but he was wondering how he could help me, because he didn´t have the way to do it.

One day, while he was passing by a Christian university and to getting rid of that voice, he came to see the possibility that I would study there. He spoke with the president of the university and told him that for many years they had taken away the study program for foreigners, but that they had reactivated it a week ago and that I would be the first foreign student on the program.

In the year 2000, God opened the door to leave Honduras, towards Puerto Rico. While in Puerto Rico, God had spoken to me personally and had confirmed it through prophets that I would leave for the United States.

When the date of the fulfillment of the promise approached, it occurred in the midst of difficult circumstances, because the more we trust in God, He test our faith and sometimes everything seems contrary. But I began again a period of fasting and prayer which unleashed the blessing and the door opened miraculously to travel from Puerto Rico to the United States.

The brother and friend José Perdomo, who lived in Charleston, S.C., says that he began to feel the desire to call me to support me in order to begin a Church in Charleston. I had been praying and waiting for two years, but in those days, I was in an intense period of fasting and prayer for God direction to the right place, because I felt that God's time had come, but I had no idea to what place of the United States, the Lord would guide me. The plan to go out to serve the Lord was only through faith. I know that God got Brother Joseph desperate to call me.

Before this opportunity, they had already made an offer to pastor in Texas, which I rejected because it was all about money and not about saving souls. It is possible that during the time that it is expected the fulfillment of God's promises, false offers appear. It must be emphasized that in order to see the promises of God fulfilled, the faith must be maintained during the waiting period. It is essential to see results. Faith can wane, but it should not be lost completely. God keeps his promises in his own time and honors those who believe him until the end, although the circumstances aren´t the best and the conditions are contrary. We just have to make sure that God guides us and not our own emotions.

God had told me that within the ministerial facets, I would be a pastor. When Brother Ricardo Castillo gave me that word, I thought he was speaking out of emotion, because I was more attracted to the evangelistic ministry.

After many years of waiting, God fulfilled his promise and in 2008, I went to the pastoral ministry to the United States, only guided by the Holy Spirit, without the financial support of any Christian mission. God had also told me that the ministry would be independent, just as all councils began.

All the people who started a council, did it independently. Thus the councils or denominations were born. I communicated this call to my pastor. It is worthwhile to clarify that I did it guided by the Holy Spirit, not because of lack of submission, since I was obedient with my pastor.

Sometimes the independent ministers are criticized, who start a new council. If it is done without God's direction it can end in failure. There are many who do it because they are rebellious and don´t want to submit to anyone. Others do it led by the Holy Spirit.

In our case, God gave us the statutes of the mission, before beginning the ministry. One of the great failures of some independent ministries is that they don´t know what they believe in and they don´t have a written statute either. That is the basis of a solid ministry based on the Bible, because it will avoid the heresies incurred by some incipient ministries.

To start an independent ministry, it must be under a divine call. No one should do it, unless he is sure he has been called by God. Otherwise, they run the risk of failing. There are those who work independently, under the cover of another ministry. If that means that a council of pure doctrine supports that ministry, there isn´t anything wrong. But, if that coverage refers to the need of a spiritual father (apostle) to be able to carry out his ministry, it is heresy.

II. OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE WILL

a. The formation of Christian character

One of the greatest tasks that God has to perform in the life of the new convert to Christ, is the formation of character. The Holy Spirit helps the Christian in this task, since, otherwise, God wouldn´t be able to use him in his kingdom to carry out his plans. Jesus said:

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.(Mt. 16:24).

It is a requirement to bend our will to accept God's will. Jesus said that if someone wants to follow him, he must deny himself. That means refusing to do his own will. Then he must take his cross or accept the will of God. First, the one that is written in the Bible and then the specific plan of God for his life on Earth.

Growth in the process of surrendering the will to God and letting Him form character will depend on each Christian. But it is determinant for spiritual growth. The Christian commonly comes from a world where he is used to doing his own will. Paul says:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ef. 4:22).

In this character formation, God was dealing with me from the beginning of my Christian life. I remember that just days after I converted, I arrived at the temple and there were two young people there. One of them, who had been converted for some time, told me that the pastor had ordered me to carry a huge bench to the carpenter's house, to repair it. The place was somewhat distant from the temple.

I asked him if he was sure that the pastor had given such an order, because it seemed strange to me. But he said yes and no intention to help me carrying it. Without hesitation, I loaded the bench to the right place, because I understood that I had to obey my pastor, with a little embarrassment because I was in my youth and all my friends were walking along that street.

Upon returning to the temple the young man told me that it wasn´t true, that the order had been given to him. I remained calm, because I wanted to act like a Christian, even though they were young boys with more time in the gospel. From there I was learning what humiliation is, because God was forming my character.

In the Christian life we have to focus more on what God has to teach us and not on the condition of others. It would have been easy for me that day to complain with the brother, but I knew that God was training me and it was more important to overcome my own pride than to fight with my brother, who should´ve served as an example.

When I converted to the gospel, I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and God used a brother in Christ, but I didn´t know that the brother had problems of character and that had created a situation with the pastor. I loved my brother, just as I loved and respected my pastor. But I was in the middle of the situation.

Due to that situation the pastor distanced himself from me and I didn´tunderstand, because I was new to the faith. The situation endured for many months, until I felt the desire to go to the pastor's house and apologize if I had offended him. He kindly apologized and I accepted the apology.

It wasn´t easy for me to understand the situation because in the first seven months of conversion there was no good communication with him. But, God taught me that all things would help me for good; if he took them with humility and meekness.

Another test of my character was when a brother in Christ who ran a security company offered me a job. He told me that I would work in the sales department. When I showed up for the appointment he explained that I didn´thave a job in that position, that if I wanted to work in security. I was surprised, because the security work at that time, was taken by the person who had no studies, I had studied at the university and although I wasn´t graduated, I didn´t expect that position.

But God had put me in the middle of that crossroads and told me to take the job. In a matter of hours I was with a security gun at my waist, taking care of a company. They were seven months of submission to the divine will. Sometimes, I felt the desire to give up everything, but I heard the subtle voice of God, that it was necessary for me to stay there, until He said it.

Thanks to the Lord I passed the test untill the end with the promise that nothing would happen there and it was fulfilled.

During that time they sent me to different places to work and sometimes I opened the door to my ex-companions of study, who were amazed to see me there. Some had been classmates in a private school where I had studied for some time and simply changed their face to another side and ignored me.

The formation process during this time was one of the strongest I experienced as a Christian, but it must be emphasized that without the formation of character, God can´t deposit gifts and ministries in his children.

That early formation in my character helped me to be a reservoir of the power and glory of God. God can´t use people who don´t submit their will to Him, in order to perfectionate their characters.

b. Obedience to God´s will

The greatest challenge a Christian has is to align his will with God's will. In the model prayer Jesus taught that this must be one of our longings and prayers: 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven Matthew (6:10).

In heaven the perfect will of God is made. Likewise, we should yearn for it to be done on Earth. This obedience that God demands from each Christian, refers first to obedience to the Bible and then to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It can´t be the other way around.

No one who claims to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit can contradict the teachings of the Bible. There is a danger of believing that spiritual gifts (by themselves) authorize the Christian to act in an absolute manner. Without recognizing the authority of the Bible and of the authorities delegated by God (pastors or leaders).

The Bible points out that Christians should still respect secular authorities:

13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well (1 Peter 2:13-14).

The obedience that we owe to God as his beloved children, is without reservations. God will lead us on the right path to his blessings, if we are obedient to his will. Once the Christian knows and practices God´s will revealed in the Bible, he can aspire to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit in his personal life.

I remember that in my first years of conversion, I longed to continue my university studies, but God had other plans for my life. He called me to be supportive in my mother's pastoral ministry.

It wasn´t easy, because I was young and I was afraid to go to that place that kept me away from the lights of the city and the contact with the comforts of the modern world. It was a strong sacrifice, but I obeyed the Lord's call.

At first we lived in rented houses with my mother and we didn´t have many resources to sustain ourselves; but, over time, our condition improved.

God allowed my mom to be the pioneer to raise many works in that place. She preached most of the time on horseback and on foot in the area of Lepaterique, F.M., and its surroundings. This was in Honduras.

I remember that at that time there was no electricity in the town and I used to leave a small battery light under my pillow. One night, while I was sleeping, the angel of God guided my hand towards the lantern, I took it and lit it. Without realizing it, because I was asleep, I pointed to a specific place on the wall. I woke up and opened my eyes and realized that I was lighting a poisonous scorpion that was on the wall and was coming towards me. It was a miracle because I made everything asleep. Obviously, I killed the scorpion. God saved me from being stung that night.

On another occasion there was a party near where I lived. The music was loud and it was late at night, I couldn´t sleep. I remember that an angel appeared showing me an album of family photographs that is only in heaven, because I never saw those photos here on Earth. The miracle was greater, because while I was looking at the pictures, the noise of the music disappeared and I fell asleep until the next day.

c. Obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide the Christian to all righteousness and all truth:

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (Jn. 16:13).

It should be clarified that this guidance of the Holy Spirit is for the daily life of the Christian. As for the will of God in his plan of salvation for humanity, it has been revealed in the Bible. The Bible was inspired by the same Spirit, so the Holy Spirit will only confirm what the Bible teaches. It is worth clarifying because many fall into the error of ignoring the biblical teachings, with the excuse that the Spirit will tell them everything they should do, without understanding that the Holy Spirit will always say amen to the Bible. These are filled with arrogance and belittle the authorities that God has established everywhere. When Jesus was on Earth, he led his disciples: 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (John 16:12).

But, before leaving for heaven, Jesus told his disciples that he wouldn´t leave them alone; If not, he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them on Earth:

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (Jn. 14:15-17).

The Holy Spirit dwels in the Christian from the moment of his conversion to Christ, and if the Christian remains in obedience, he won´t turn away from Him. Jesus told his disciples that: If they kept his commandments, He would ask the Father to send them His Holy Spirit on them.

The Holy Spirit dwelt in the apostles, before they received the baptism of fire on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told them: 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (Jn. 20:22).

That implies that every Christian who lives in obedience to the Bible and is saved in holiness has the Holy Spirit dwelling in his life. However, the baptism of fire is an anointing of power promised to Christians at all times of the Church (Acts 2: 38-39).

From the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the early church began to experience a revival, guided by the Holy Spirit. That same day, the apostles were baptized with tongues of fire and spoke in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak (Acts 2: 4).

The interesting thing is that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had the purpose of empowering the Church to carry out its evangelistic mission throughout the world.

On that day, God spoke in his own language to those present from all the nations that were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the day of Pentecost. The disciples didn´t know the languages of foreigners, but the Holy Spirit used their lips to preach to them in their own languages the wonders of the Gospel: 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? (Acts 2:7-8).

Due to the persecutions, the primitive Church left Jerusalem to preach to the nations, because that was the purpose of the Holy Spirit: 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The Holy Spirit was guiding Philip to Samaria. He heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling him to approach the carriage of an officer: 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot (Acts 8:29).

Peter was also guided by the Holy Spirit, who told him to go to Cornelius's house, to preach the Gospel to him:

19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them (Acts 10:19-20).

The prophets of the early Church were also led by the Spirit of God, once confirmed by the Spirit to Barnabas and Paul in their ministries:

1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:1-3).

Previously, I have told some of my first experiences with the voice of the Holy Spirit, the first was newly converted to Christ, when I heard the voice of the Spirit telling me that that night eight souls would be converted, which was the case. On another occasion, the Holy Spirit told me to ask a sister for her tithes, which she wasn´t offering to God.

Again, being in the cult, the Holy Spirit told me: Ask me for some boots. I didn´t like boots, because it wasn´t a style that was used in my youth. But I obeyed and I asked them, giving thanks.

When I got home from the cult, I found a neighbor and he asked me: Do you like boots? I told him, yes. I have some for you, "he said." And he gave them to me. They were very beautiful, but God had a greater purpose with the boots.

At that time I was a national leader and I was assigned to visit a very remote town. I went to preach in a church and many people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the manifestation of speaking in other languages. The interesting thing is that in that place the use of boots was very common and they felt identified with me.

During that visit, I didn´t know the town and didn´t know who to visit during the day. I prayed to the Lord and I heard the voice of God telling me that a very fervent child of the Church would guide me in the visits. The next day the boy arrived at the house where I was staying and he had the agenda, I just obeyed. I believe that God proves our obedience and ability to humble ourselves. The visits were successful.

On this trip another miracle happened. Before leaving to the trip, I prepared the clothes to wash them, but while they were in soaking in the outside part of my house, they disappeared. I knew it was an enemy attack, because he came to steal, kill and destroy. But I began to pray to God to supply me with clothes, because I didn´t have any to go to the trip.

I began to pray intensely, for the Bible says that if we long for answers from God, we should pray with insistence (Luke 18: 1-8). The day of the journey was approaching and I had prayed with all my faith, but I hadnt received an answer.

I asked God why he didn´t answer me. And he told me: You must pray more. Then I stayed long in prayer at night and the answer came down. God told me that the next day a sister would come to my house, we would call her sister Tula.

Our house had two floors, I went to the top floor where my mother was and I told her that the next day in the morning, Sister Tula would come, to attend her and tell her to wait for me if I was still asleep. Precisely, the sister came to my house very early, but she didn´t bring clothes or money, because she was very poor.

However, I activated my faith, because when God opens a door it is because he is going to act. I asked her if she knew where I could buy American clothes, which are very common in our countries. She told me that there was a store near her house that I didn´t know about. It was close to my house, so I decided to go in faith. When I got there, I started to see the clothes; but I didn´t have any money. Suddenly I found myself facing a sister in Christ. She greeted me kindly and told me that if I needed anything from the store she would pay for it. That is how God worked and I had the clothes I needed for the trip.

d. Faith in action

When working in security, we were paid in an office, which was usually far from the workplace. On one occasion, I only had the money to go to my house or to collect at the office. There were rumors that they would pay that day, but it wasn´t safe and I had no way to communicate. I had to decide what to do, but if I went to the office I didn´t have the money to go home.

I prayed to God and I gave him a signal. If on arriving at the bus station, the first one went to my house they wouldnt pay; but if the bus went to the payment office route, then I would go to the office because they would pay.

When I approached the station there was a bus that went to my house, but when I got closer it was gone, so, the next bus went by the office and I went to collect. I was there waiting, but they weren´t paying. I decided to wait because I had prayed to God and trusted his direction. I decided to read the Bible and after a few hours, the person in charge said: Since we will pay tomorrow, why don´t we pay this young man. Glory to God!

In the same job, a colleague asked me to be his endorsement on a loan. The endorsement pays in case the lender fails to pay. I told him I wasn´t doing anything without consulting with my father. He was surprised and told me that it was very strange to consult with my father, if I was an adult. I explained that he had a lot of experience.

He didn´t understand that he was my heavenly Father. I asked God and he told me not to do it. I just obeyed and the next day I told him I couldn´t . He got angry with me. But another co-worker served as his endorsement. That fellow told me later he had to repay the loan because the man failed to make payments and he didn´t appear anywhere.

The time came when God called me to live by faith; not from the faith, because it is different. He who lives by faith doesn´t ask; but he expects God to supply his needs.

During this time, sometimes I didn´t have money, nor what to eat, but God told me, be prepared that I will invite you to eat. I bathed, changed clothes and sat on the furniture in my house, waiting. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and told me he was on the street and God had told him to invite me to eat. I only replied that I was already waiting for them. Glory to God!

Whenever God calls a ministry or individual to live by faith, others will try to do the same; without having been called and will fail. Many people wanted to imitate my life of faith, but without a legitimate call and they did very badly.

e. The ministration of the angels

I have heard some experiences that some Christians have had with angels of the Lord. Some are very real; but others are the product of the imagination. From the outset, it should be noted the following:

• The angels are there to help the people of God:

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (psalm 91:11).

• Christians will one day be like angels:

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven (Mt. 22:30).

• Angels don´t admit adoration, nor should they be worshiped:

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).

• The Bible condemns the worship of angels:

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind (Col. 2:18).

It is important to understand that according to the Bible, angels don´t receive, nor obey, orders from Christians, only from God. God may be asked to send angels, but orders can´t be given directly to the angels. It is wrong and they won´t obey either, since they only fulfill God's will.

There are Christians who in prayer take the attribution of supposedly, give orders to the angels; but that is arrogance. That order won´t be fulfilled.

You have to ask God to send them, not to give orders to the angels, because they won´t listen. Even Jesus being on Earth didn´t give orders to the angels, but that they should be asked of the Father in prayer:

53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (Mt. 26:53).

Having said that, I will tell you some experiences that God has allowed me to have with angels. During a sickness in which I was alone, the Lord Jesus visited me surrounded by five angels. Instantly and while He departed to heaven, He took my hand and my soul left my body. I started to see the clouds, the Earth down and then the galaxies. Suddenly, I felt fear of losing myself in infinite space and exclaimed: No! At that moment my soul returned to my body. On another occasion, that experience happened to me again.

The presence of the angels began to be evident in my life. One day while praying in the temple, an angel of the Lord appeared to me with a sword in his hand. I had my eyes open and before his glare I had to lower my eyes, because I couldn´t stand the light that radiated from the angel. That day he brought me a message from heaven about ministerial work.

On another occasion, while resting, I had just arrived from a job, an angel touched my feet and moved them. Suddenly, I heard someone shouting my name outside my house; It was a brother whom they had sent for me to conduct an evangelistic activity. Maybe that day I wouldnt have been able to reach the evangelistic campaign because of the fatigue, but the touch of the angel made me understand that God wanted me there and I went to direct the event.

It should be noted that these experiences with angels weren´t visions, they were real experiences.

Chapter -4 - THE BEGINNING OF THE MINISTRY

a. God hastens his plans

My first public preaching experience was given, only months after I was converted. Some brothers of the church where I attended used to preach in the public squares of the city. One of them asked me to accompany him to one of those preachings.

He began to preach in the central plaza, but the busy people didn´t stop to listen to him. Noticing that there was no audience, he immediately told those present: Brother Joel will give a testimony.

I was really surprised, because when I was studying at the university and had to expose in front of my classmates, I preferred to lose the notes because of shyness to speak in public. But that day was different. Something prompted me to testify of what God had done in my life, people stopped and when making the call to salvation, some people fell on their knees in that public place to receive Jesus as their personal savior. From then on, I became more involved in personal evangelism, in homes, buses, public squares, etc.

Over time the Lord extended the evangelistic ministry and began to open doors to preach in different churches and then in some radio programs.

b. The service in the local church

The period of classes for water baptism in the church was six months, but God allowed me to be baptized after three months of conversion. Five months after my conversion, the youth leader of my church was elected, a list that included all the baptized young people. Within that list of young people with many years of belonging to the church, the Lord was pleased to choose me as a youth leader, to the amazement of the church itself.

That same year, I began to teach in a discipleship group from which leaders emerged, work that God has allowed me to continue to this day in different ways.

The desire to teach others about the real power of God and his word has led me to study and write fundamental biblical themes that have been published in more than a dozen books.

In that period of youth leadership, we launched into a commitment to evangelize through the different neighborhoods surrounding the church, where God allowed us to preach.

That time of service in the local church was decisive in my Christian formation, since God allowed me to participate in different positions within the church from which I learned a lot. God can´t put in authority to those who don´t know how to submit to authority.

c. Training time and waiting

One day, while I was retired in fasting and prayer in the temple, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling me to leave that place. I didn´t know where I was going, because I was doing it just in obedience to God.

I had walked about a hundred meters when, in front of the house of a sister in Christ, there were two people outside that I didn´t know. One of them told me: We were waiting for you. I was surprised, since I wasn´t summoned to the meeting. She said: Let's go, let's pray. During that prayer, God spoke to me through those prophetesses, about the ministerial call He had placed in my life.

On another occasion I was in prayer and fasting in the temple. My pastor was at home and he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling him to go to the Church and that he would anoint people for the service of the ministry. I remember we had about five people praying. At least three of us who were there, we are pastors.

During that time, God spoke to me in various ways confirming the ministerial call through different manifestations of the Holy Spirit: In the evangelistic, prophetic and teaching ministry. In gifts of healing, liberation of unclean spirits, imposition of hands to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as pastor and writer.

In the first days of my conversion, I didn´t have a secular job. So, most of my time was spent reading the Bible for long hours. Sometimes, I read the whole book of Acts, without stopping; or some letters from Paul or a whole gospel. God's hunger was insatiable.

During that time I would shut myself up to pray in the church where I would congregate. When I finished the service I stayed in the temple praying at night and dawning praying all night.

For a period of almost seven months I was crying out to God telling him that I was fine if I didn´t have a job or to eat, but I asked him to give me the wisdom to stay in his ways. Not in order to compete or show off; if not to persevere in his ways.

d. The Holy Spirit confirms what the Bible teaches

As I grew in the ways of God, I learned to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. However, at the beginning it was difficult and frustrating.

I don´t mean with this, that once you learn to know and distinguish the voice of the Spirit of God, of other voices (that of man and that of Satan) you no longer need to seek for God. On the contrary, once you learn to know the voice of the Holy Spirit, you must live in obedience, communion and holiness to continue listening to it. But there is a time that can be distinguished.

The young prophet Samuel, had that experience. At first, he didn´t know who was speaking to him (1 S. 3), but later he learned to listen to the voice of God. Samuel managed to sharpen his spiritual ear so much that the Bible points out that God didn´t drop any word of himself on the ground (1 S. 3: 9). That means that his prophecies were accurate, they were fulfilled.

One day I was sitting at the desk of an office where I worked. This place was in front of a street where people were passing by. Suddenly, I saw a sister in Christ who was attending the church that passed in front of the office.

The Holy Spirit told me: Ask her about the tithe. I got up from the chair and called her, then I greeted her and asked her where she came from. She replied that she came from her job. I asked her where she worked and she explained to me. Then I said affirmatively: Oh sister! You must give a good tithe to the church with that work. She was honest and confessed that she wasn´t tithing.

At that moment I explained to her that that was the reason why I had stopped her, to ask her about the tithe. But, while we were talking, the Holy Spirit spoke to me again and told me that she was thinking that the pastor of the church had sent me to tell her. Without explaining, I warned her that the pastor hadn´t told me anything about his tithe and that I didn´t know anything about it, nor did I receive any of that money. I share this experience because the Holy Spirit confirms what the Bible teaches.

My second experience about tithing was when someone sent for me to pray for a woman who was delirious at home. I was accompanied by a brother in Christ. Upon entering the house, the lady spoke incoherently, like someone who had no control over what is saying. It seemed that she had lost her memory.

Her husband was the person who called me to pray for her. Before praying, the Holy Spirit spoke to my life and told me to ask the brother for tithes. He, astonished, replied that, how I talk about the tithe at a time when his wife had lost her mind. All that mattered to him at that moment was that we prayed for his wife. I told him I wouldnt pray until we talked about the tithe because that was the word that God had spoken to me. Then he told me that he was tithing.

I answered again that the Lord was telling me to talk about the tithe. Then he said that he was giving some offerings to the church. There is the problem, "I answered. God doesn´t want just offerings, that he wants his fidelity in the tithe. Then I asked the brother who was accompanying me to explain about the tithe. He replied that he had already understood. Next, we prayed and the woman was healed instantly.

Sometimes God deals with his children in ways we don´t understand. God had to allow that circumstances or He used it for the good of that couple.

The Bible says that not giving the tithe is a robbery, and robbery is a sin of condemnation. Whoever doesn´t tithe is a thief before God. I share these experiences so that they know that the Holy Spirit confirms what the Bible teaches.

Some time later I found the brother very happy in the streets, and he shared that he just came from paying a very high receipt and they told him that he owed almost nothing. He shared that the money would be donated as a voluntary offering for his church. Praise God! Apart from understanding the tithe, the brother was also being generous in his offerings to the church.

Chapter 5 - THE POWER OF GOD

I. TESTIMONIES OF THE POWER OF GOD

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us (Mr. 9:21-22).

a. The demon attacked her in the water and in the fire

It was very early morning, I had just woken up when I heard to people talking outside, in front of the house. When I opened the door, I found an old woman with her son who had turn to Christ. The old woman was on the ground shaking her body. Surprised, I asked his son, What happened to her? He couldn´t answer. I inlined, and loudly I replied, Oh! This always happens to her true, because I had seen other cases of people who usually faint. Yes, he told me, it always happens to her, always. But the Holy Spirit spoke to me immediately saying: rebuke! because they are demons. I rebuke all the strength of the evil of that body and we carried her in our arms inside the house where she was lying for about ten minutes. Upon waking, the old woman confessed that she felt weak, as if she had been beaten, typical of people who are liberated from demons.

The old woman pointed out that she had suffered from such attacks for more than twenty years. The demon attacked her when she washed her clothes in the rivers and when she was next to the stove or fire. There I understood the case that is mentioned in the Bible (Mt 17: 14-15). The plan of the demons when attacking her in the water, was for her to drown; and that of attacking her by the stove was to burn her, and thus kill her.

The old woman lived many more years from the day she was released. From that day of her liberation and conversion to Christ, she never suffered the attacks again. The Lord freed her forever, and she went free to heaven, because she departed in the presence of God, in Christ.

These experiences have taught me that Satan has different ways of deceiving the human being. In some cases, doctors attribute diseases only to physical causes; without knowing that these can have at the same time, spiritual causes.

I have seen people being attacked by unclean spirits of epilepsy because of anger, repressed sexual desires or after an accident that not necessarily affected the brain. Science says that epilepsy is caused by an increase in electrical activity in brain neurons. What they don´t know is that demons have the power to alter, affect and even take control of any part of the human body.

In the Bible is the case of a young man whom Jesus liberated from a mute and deaf spirit. In addition, he tormented him with epileptic seizures and tried to throw him in the water to drown him or throw him into the fire to kill him:

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose (Mr. 9:20, 25-27).

Jesus attributed the youth's muteness and deafness to the demons. Doctors believe that these are conditions caused by only physical aspects. By not believing in the spiritual world, they only observe the physical effects on the bodies of people; not the causes. The physical evidence they show is real, the issue is that they can´t identify the demons because they are spirits.

Science only believes in the tangible, although the effects of demons can sometimes be noticed, as in this case, where the demon made the young man shake his body violently and foam through his mouth.

b. In the name of Jesus: Get up and walk!

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment (Mr. 5:41-42).

An evangelistic campaign had ended. Crowds of us were leaving that activity. Suddenly, a child, whom I didn´t know, approached me saying: Brother! They need you to pray for a person. I thought, if there is any need it has to be the Lord who sends me, because among so many people the child addressed me without knowing me. When arriving at the place there was a group of people surrounding a young woman who was without vital signs, thrown in the street.

I approached the group and asked: What happened? People cried and said that the girl didn´t respond, had no vital signs. I asked them what her name was and they told me her name. I called her name and ordered the soul, in the name of Jesus, to return to her body. I took her by the hands and in the name of Jesus I told her to get up. She got up and ran out into the crowd. I continued on my way to my house. I never saw her again, but everyone who saw her came out happy after her.

II. SALVATION AND DIVINE HEALING

a. Why aren´t all sick people healed?

Perhaps this is one of the most intriguing and frequent questions that many Christians ask themselves during the course of their lives. We will never have a total response to all our concerns on Earth; However, the Bible governs the Christian life and can help us to understand why sometimes what we expect doesn´t happen, even if we have faith.

At the outset, it should be noted that if any request isn´t answered or doesn´t go as expected, it isn´t God's fault. Secondly, when the desired results aren´t obtained in the requests, it is possible to a large extent that the reason that prevents the answer lies in ourselves or in the way we do things. Third, God always answers, whether it is a yes, a no or wait.

Here it is a matter of giving some light on this subject, taking into account the truths revealed in the Bible that govern the Christian life, along with personal knowledge in the ministration of healing and divine liberation. Taking into account that there have been innumerable miracles that the Lord has allowed us to see.

Before beginning with the testimonies, it is necessary to point out some aspects that, according to the Bible, impede the answers of the Lord.

• Lack of faith:

On one occasion the disciples of the Lord couldn´t cast out a demon from the life of a young man:

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Mt. 17:18-20).

The main reason why the disciples couldn´t cast out the young man's demon is found in Jesus' response, because of the lack of faith of the disciples. However, one must also prepare in fasting and prayer to receive anointing of the power of God.

• Prayer and fasting

The first reason why the disciples couldn´t cast out the devil was because of their lack of faith. But faith also has to be accompanied by an action. That is why Jesus told them later that to cast out that kind of demon, it is necessary to fast and pray:

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Mt. 17:21).

• Request wrong

One more reason why God doesn´t work miracles is because sometimes we request wrong and that includes all the things we do wrong:

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3).

If we don´t know how to ask God correctly in prayer we will have great frustration in our requests and this could cause our faith to decrease.

• Lack of forgiveness

The lack of forgiveness and anything that affects our relationship with God and other people are obstacles that prevent God from working on our behalf. The Bible says:

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Mt. 5:23-24).

It is imperative to be at peace with ourselves, with our neighbor and with God so that God can work miracles.

If we don´t receive answers to certain prayers, we should look for the reason that hinders them, which could be the way we request or our spiritual condition when requesting. God wants his children to ask him (Luke 11: 9); He just waits for them to ask correctly, according to his will.

b. The salvation of the soul and the healing of the body

3 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour (Mt. 8:13).

As youth president of my church an evangelism plan was developed in the communities surrounding the church where I was attending. A neighbor of that community who attended my church, told me that in the last home that I had evangelized on a Sunday, there was a young man with a terminal illness. The strange thing is that on the first visit the family didn´t tell me about the young man's case.

The next week I returned that home and told the young man's mother to please allow me to pray for him. She told me that the young man had been evicted by the doctors and had brought him home to die with her.

When I insisted her to give me the opportunity to pray for him, she answered that she was afraid to get him out of bed, since the young man had three months that he ate little and the last three days he hadn´t eaten. However, at my insistence, she went with other family members and they took him to the living room. The young man looked like a skull, with his extremities inflamed. What is your name? –I asked-. Luis, he answered. Luis, do you believe that Jesus Christ can heal you? I asked. He answered me with faith: Yes, I believe it. As you thought it was done to you, "I answered. We prayed for healing and at the end of the prayer, he said: I am hungry!

From that day, Luis was healed and didn´t stop eating. Luis was attending church for a while, but then he left and I didn´t see him anymore. A few years passed and one day a tall, athletic, very robust young man greeted me in the street, I didn´t know who he was. I told him to forgive me for not remembering him, that I didn´t know who he was. He replied: I'm Luis. It was the young man who had been healed.

From this early experience in my Christian life I learned a great lesson that has marked my life: God is more interested in saving than in healing. If a healing doesn´t lead to the salvation of the soul, it is sterile.

The Holy Spirit spoke to my life of this experience, pointing out to me: What is the use of healing them, if they don´t want to follow me? I understood that the emphasis on evangelization should be the salvation of souls, not healing, nor just miracles. That doesn´t imply that God doesn´t want to heal, but the soul is in the first place in the order of divine priorities.

c. You have to ask correctly

I remember that in another faith experience, my aunt was sick and she came to the city where we lived to have a surgery, but my mother had faith that God could heal her. We began to pray and my mother took my hand and put it on her so that I would pray for her to be healed, but I withdrow it. She insisted, but I didn´t pray because I understood that she had to reconcile with God first, because she was separated from Him.

When we finished praying I made the call to my aunt and she was reconciled. Then we made a prayer for healing and when she went to the hospital the illness had disappeared. You have to learn to pray correctly. In the order of priorities, for God the soul is above the body.

In this early stage of my life and due to experiences in divine healing, I had learned to pray guided by the Holy Spirit, not emotionally. I learned that only then could I be effective in praying for miracles.

On another occasion, a young man who suffered from epilepsy came to the church. I remember that the brothers prayed with great fervor for the young man to be healed, but when they sow theh I didn´t pray they asked me why I didn´t get involved in prayer.

I told them that the Holy Spirit had shown me that the young man was only interested in the healing of his body, not the salvation of his soul. After some weeks, not receiving healing, he left the church.

It is important to be guided by the Holy Spirit when praying for any miracle, otherwise we will find great obstacles and frustrations.

III. UNDER THE FIRE OF PROOF

a. God's dealings with his children

On some specific occasions, God deals with his children through many situations, one of which may be illness. It is clear that every disease comes from Satan, but in some occasions (and this would be an exceptional case) God can give Satan permission to touch us in order to perfectionate us. This is biblical.

The most outstanding case in the Bible is that of Job. This man was righteous and God fearing, but God allowed Satan to touch him to show his faithfulness, but it is obvious that Job learned many lessons and God perfected his life in the process (Job, 1).

Peter also was allowed by God to live an experience in which he was buffeted by Satan (Luke 22:31). The purpose was to show him his own weakness so that he would perfect his life in the fear of God.

It is necessary to clarify that Satan can only touch the children of God with His permission and as far as he allows it, because the purpose is the perfection of the Christian not the destruction of the soul. In these two cases, God placed limits on Satan.

This deal of God with his children isn´t necessarily a rule. It happens when God determines it, in his sovereign wisdom. They can´t be attributed to God all diseases and problems that happen to us. That would be to ignore our duty to faithfully obey God in order to drive Satan away from our side, as the Bible points out:

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

The first thing to do is submit to God (obey him) and then resist Satan (fight with spiritual weapons), so that he flees from our life.

These cases have been mentioned because sometimes we pray with all our faith for healing, even though being Christians and we don´t heal. In specific cases the answer could be in a deal with God so that they may be perfected.

b. Testimonies of God's treatment

When we pray with all faith for sick people, what we hope is that they get healed. But there are times when the truth is different, we pray and nothing happens. The limitations that can impede healing are that people don´t want anything with God, only their healing or that they are lack of faith in God's power to heal or liberate them.

In my experience, I have found these exceptional cases in which I prayed with all my faith, but at the end God made me understand that the reason why they didn´t heal was because He had a deal with those people.

I remember that Brother Vicente invited me to pray for his wife. He was a fervent Christian who believed in the power of God, but his wife didn´t congregate in the church, she visited only casually because of her material desire, since she had a small business.

I went with all my faith to pray for her, but nothing happened. I went back the second time and as I prayed, God gave me a strong message that I communicated separately to him. I told him that it was God's dealings with her, because she didn´t want to shed materialism to follow Christ. Besides, she was a great stumbling block to him, since she opposed him in his life of service to God. I told him that the deal would be very long because of her pride, and it did.

She had a facial stroke and in a period of seven years had two more attacks that left her paraplegic and then she died. I understand that God deals with some people in that way because He loves them and doesn´t want their souls to be lost in an eternity of condemnation.

This sister occasionally visited the church and perhaps she wanted to be a Christian, but her materialism and her pride had her bound. During this process, God took away the pride of her life and she humbled herself before God, because he received her as her savior. When there is a deal of this nature it is because God prefers that the body be destroyed in order to save the soul (1 Cor. 5: 5).

It is necessary to be warn that the patients shouldnt be judged lightly because sometimes it is a test, like the one of Job, that at the end God will take them victorious from their bed. But there are specific cases that are to purify certain people because otherwise, they wouldn´t be saved.

It should be noted that, before God enters into a harsh treatment with someone, first He gives them an opportunity to affirm themselves in the faith; But sometimes people don´t listen to the voice of God, they turn their backs on it and that is when the Lord's firm hand comes into action. Even if we don´t understand it, He does it becouse He loves us. Jesus spoke of the importance of the soul, above the body:

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mr. 9:43-48).

Jesus isn´t inviting to mutilate the body in this verses, his purpose is to make us understand that the body isn´t so important, when it comes to saving the soul.

When there is a strong deal from God with someone or with ourselves, the difficult thing isn´t to understand God; but to accept our condition. As humans we think that a loving God can´t allow anything that is difficult in our lives, even if it is to perfect us. Sometimes we even justify being good Christians; but He knows the heart and condition of each one of his children.

God doesn´t see things like us. We see the temporal and postpone the spiritual for passing things of this world. God sees the danger that a soul may fall into hell for an eternity.

Our mercy can blind us when God has a strong relationship with one of his children. There is a danger that we justify some people claiming to know them or even justify ourselves in the process. In this case, it is better to humble oneself before God, because human beings see external appearances; but only God knows the heart of each person. He isn´t wrong. The Bible points out that the human heart is deceitful, although we believe we know it: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jr. 17:9).

Only God knows perfectly the heart of the human being: 10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jr. 17:10).

IV. FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS

a. Faith without limits

I was ministering in a church, the Lord increased my faith and told me that night I wouldn´t pray for the sick; but when they came to the front, if the people had faith, they would be healed along the way. When they came forward I thanked God and declared them healed.

Time passed and one day in the street, I found a sister who testified to me that she was in that service that night and that the Lord had healed her from a tumor, which had disappeared instantly. She went to the hospital, she had an appointment for a sergury and they found nothing.

Again, while on a radio program we gave a word of healing and a woman called crying, her tumor had disappeared instantly. Before the prayer, she could touch her tumor; but, after the prayer, it was gone.

On another occasion, I found a sister in the street, she felt bad health and asked me to pray for her. I told her that it wasn´t necessary, that we had to talk about her situation and that God was going to heal her while we talked. At the end of the conversation she didn´t have the symptoms.

It is important to learn from other people's faith, but it isn´t good to imitate others. The minister must learn that God manifests himself when he wants, as he wants, and we should not imitate stereotypes or other people's patterns.

b. Operations of the power of God

The brother, Santos Palacios, invited me to pray for his wife, whom was going to get a surgery. While we were praying, she fell to the ground. I told her husband not to touch her, she was on the floor for a few minutes and then I told her to get her up. I asked her, what had happened to her. She told me that while she was on the ground, Jesus had appeared to her as a doctor, who had operated on her, because she felt the whole operation. When she went to the doctor, her illness had miraculously disappeared.

On another occasion I was invited to pray for a young man, he had been the victim of a spell. He had forty days that he barely ate, he was very thin. When I entered the house of Brother Arturo Sierra, where he was with his mother, I asked him: Do you have faith that God can heal you? Yes, I believe it, "he replied. By the Spirit, I knew that his mother didn´t have enouhg faith, but seeing the faith of the young man I prayed for his salvation and then putting my hands on his stomach I declared him free in the name of Jesus and I said: I wait for you in the church.

At night, the young man accompanied us in the church meeting and testified that he had eaten that afternoon without any problem. Praise God!

When there is faith and people seek God from the heart miracles happen; but when they are incredulous or seek petty interests they aren´t healed.

Only the Holy Spirit can reveal what is in the hearts of people. It is important to pray guided by the Spirit of God in order to be effective in prayer and to know when to minister healing or divine liberation.

But our faith can´t be based only on seeing miracles. It is dangerous that we become addicted to the power of God, and that at the same time, we forget God. Miracles are only manifestations of God's power, but they pass.

God wants us to learn to love Him for what He is, not for what He does. Christians or ministers who experience the power of God must learn that God doesn´t have to work miracles every day to show that He is with them. The just shall live by faith.

God manifests his power according to need and circumstances, but he does it out of love. He isn´t obligated to perform miracles when man demands it. It is dangerous that our relationship with God is based on seeing his power manifested.

At the beginning of my Christian life I began to experience miracles of God's power, but there was a period of almost seven months that the source ceased. Worried, I asked God why he didn´t show up. He told me that he didn´t want me to depend on miracles to serve and love him, that I should follow him for what He is; not for miracles, nor for what he gives me.

V. THE LIBERATION

a. Chained for eight years

35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed (Lc. 8:35-36).

I had been many days in the fast of the Lord, that fast that begins when God wants and ends when the Holy Spirit indicates it. I didn´t know the purpose, I just had to obey. Lord: What is the purpose? I asked. The Lord directed me to pray for a home, a family that I didn´t know. Someone told me that in that home there was a young man who had locked himself in his room for eight years and didn´t leave his house.

I arrived at the home and the young man was in the living room, lying on the furniture, face down, he was petrified, like dead and when I spoke to him he didn´t answer me. By the Spirit I told him, I know you're conscious and you know I'll be back to talk to you.

I returned the home another day and the young man was locked in his room. From outside I read a passage from the Bible and ordered the unclean spirit to let him go free. He opened the door and started talking normally and I asked him why he had been locked up for years. He confessed to me that he used to eat fruits from someone else's property with other children and one day the owner of the farm shoot them with a firearm. From that day he was panicked and didn´t leave his house again.

I told him that God had made him free and that he had three alternatives. The first was to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, this was the divine plan. Second, that he would redo his life again and integrate into a normal life. Third, he could return to the state he was in. The days passed and that young man was free, but decided to return to his state of confinement, choosing the lifestyle to which he had clung to.

Another lesson learned. Sometimes we wish with all our heart that people are healed and freed, but we forget that in the end it doesn´t depend so much on God or on us; but of the will and the decision of each individual. God respects personal decisions.

b. Delete me from the book

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Rev. 3:5).

We had prepared in prayer and fasting with a group of brothers to pray for a man who was dying in his bed and he asked us for prayer. Upon entering the house, the Holy Spirit warned me that this man only sought healing, but he didn´t want commitments with God. From experience, I had learned that I could pray with great faith, but if the sick man wasn´t willing to commit himself to God, how would the eternity of his soul benefit?

I left his room and communicated to the brothers who accompanied me what God had shown me. However, I urged them to pray for him. Nothing really happened, the man wasn´t healed, then he asked to be taken to another church because he believed that there was power there.

Finally, upon not receiving the healing, he asked the brothers to erase him from the book where they had written him down (referring to the book of life) and he died in that condition. Proving that he wasn´t interested in the eternity of his soul; but the healing of his body. There are those who want to be healed to continue practicing sin.

From those experiences, God has taught me to pray led by the Holy Spirit and to focus on the salvation of the soul; more than in the healing of the body.

c. Learning from the ministry of liberation

One of the ministerial facets in which God allowed me to experience his power, has been in the liberation of unclean spirits. At the beginning of my Christian life I was excited to see how the spirits came out from people. But God was showing me how to minister this anointing. The key to having discernment and power to cast out demons, lies in faith and the search for God in fasting and prayer. Jesus said: 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Mt. 17:21).

Obviously, this search must be accompanied by a holy life and obedience to the word of God, otherwise, it won´t make sense as the Bible states:

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Mt. 7:22-23).

There isn´t anything wrong with casting out demons (Mark 9: 38-41). The problem with these people is that they used the name of Jesus, but they practiced evil.

The most important thing in our Christian life isn´t to see the power of God manifested; but that our names are written down in the book of life. Jesus said:

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven (Lc. 10: 20).

It is dangerous to obsess over the subject of demons, this has led many people to be filled with fear. I remember an experience during a preaching, a woman began to scream, possessed by demons. I left the pulpit and went where she was, I prayed for her and she was released.

At the end of the meeting I looked for her and asked what happened to her. I was curious because it seemed to me that she was a Christian. She explained to me that for twenty years she saw demons manifest in her house. I explained that I believed her, but the bad thing was that she had followed the game.

I remember that during the time I began to experience more the power of God in the demonic liberation, I suffered great attacks from hell. The demons attacked me directly, they took off my sheet and threw it on the ground. They tried to grab me by the neck at night and I couldn´t talk. That put me into a crisis, because I didn´t know how to get rid of them. As much as I prayed and rebuked them in the name of Jesus, they didn´t stop manifesting.

In desperation, I spoke with my pastor and he told me that he had experienced the same thing in which he couldn´t sleep. He gave me the key. He told me that another minister had experienced the same thing and had given him the solution.

It turns out that what demons they like is that the Christians give them attention. There lies the problem. They know they are defeated, if they could kill the Christian they would, but they can´t. Then they dedicate themselves to making life difficult for the Christian. There faith comes into action. Every Christian must decide whether he will believe the word of God or the lies of Satan and his demons.

The pastor gave me the recipe and I practiced it that same night and got a great victory. It was simple. I only told the demons: If you want to stay awake tonight that's your problem, I'll sleep peacefully, so good night. They always wanted to annoy me, but I simply ignored them, because I had learned that they couldn´t harm me. On the contrary, God has given us power over all evil forces:

9 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Lc. 10:19).

I have shared this recipe with many friends and it has worked for them. It seems simple, but it is charged with the truth revealed in the Bible. Praise God!

VI. THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY

a. Beginnings of the prophetic ministry

Within the ministries that God has allowed me to participate, there is the prophetic one. It should be noted that the prophetic ministry is one of the most delicate, suffered and it requires a lot of courage and knowledge. I recommend that for a broad explanation of the subject refer to my book: "Prophecy as a ministry of the Church."

I remember that in one of my first experiences in this prophetic ministry, God gave me a message for a person; but it wasn´t anyone in my environment, she was the founder of the church in which I congregated and the message, it wasn´t pleasant at all.

For two days I returned from the door of his house. The third day I decided to obey God and fulfill the message. I knocked on the door and she received me kindly. I didn´t know her, I had only seen her on the street. I told her I was there for a simple reason, God had given me a message for her. I explained to her that God was telling me that she was in a sin of adultery. She admitted it and I left happily to have fulfilled the Lord and confirm that the message was genuine. It came from God.

b. Word for singles

All holy things must be done with a pure heart, without second intentions. I remember that God began to give me a word for singles. On one occasion I told a friend of mine to pray for a girl. He told me he didn´t like it. However, I kept telling him to pray for her. One day I told him about the subject, he told me that she already had a boyfriend and in fact that day they were holding hands getting to the temple. I said: Keep praying, she is your wife and that relationship she has won´t last. And so it was, she turned away from that young man and then my friend fell in love with her and they got married.

I want to clarify that this word can only be given when it is certain that it comes from God. It isn´t something that can be learned or speculated. Please don´t do it if God hasn´t called you to do it, it could cause a lot of damage.

On another occasion I told a brother to pray for a girl. He told me he didn´t want anything with that girl because she had been his girlfriend when he wasn´t a Christian. I didn´t know that. Besides, he told me that he didn´t like her because he is very tall and she is very short. He argued that he wanted to serve God, that he didn´t want to get married. I replied that he had no call to the ministry and if he didn´t try to get married, what could happen is that he would fall into sin. So it was, he fell into sin, but afterwards he reconciled with God and married the girl I had told him. Not because I told him; but because then he fell in love with her.

This type of prophecy occurred many times in my life. Some young people God warned them not to marry, but they disobeyed and suffered consequences of failed Christian lives and even some turned away from God. God gets into every detail of our life to help us, if we give permission. He is a gentleman.

I must clarify that God doesn´t impose with whom one should marry; but if you ask him to do his will, you must prepare to obey, because only he knows the hearts of the people and what suits you. Obviously, God will give you love for that person, before you get married. You just have to be careful that it is God, because many prophets speak of their own heart and deceive singles.

Each person should pray and ask God to confirm it personally. Ultimately, the decision must be made personally and not by imposition.

The bad thing would be to allow yourself to impose something by force. If you notice, in the previous cases, I didn´t impose these people to get marry, I just told them to pray to know what God was saying. The true prophet doesn´t impose, because God respects the will of the human being, even that of his children.

The feelings blind people and don´t allow them to think clearly when they fall in love. If you want God to guide you to that person that God has for you, the correct thing and my advice is that you don´t establish a friendship or courtship, without first praying to God about that relationship. Once in love, you won´t know if it is God's will.

c. Personal experience

I remember that in my personal experience, the waiting was long. I wondered why God gave me a word for other people and he didn´t give me my wife? But I can say that He freed me from those that weren´t on the road.

I remember that as a preacher, young and single, many young girls fell in love with the gifts, not with me. So I didn´t believe them. At that stage young people who dreamed, had visions and even gave me prophecies that I would marry them, but my God didn´t tell me anything and that is what matters most. May God speak to you personally, not to others or through other people. It doesn´t matter if he is a great prophet or the title he has, only you must decide at the end.

I remember that in my bachelorhood, I noticed that a young lady was interested in me. In group conversations, she said she wanted to marry a pastor. I prayed to God, before talking to her and God gave me a dream in which He told me that she said she wanted to serve him, but that it wasn´t true. I was surprised, because God knows all things, he knows the heart and he isn´t wrong. I kept praying and in the second dream, God told me that she liked to boss men. Later I learned that her last relationship was over because she wanted to boss her boyfriend. God speaks so plainly when he is prayed from the heart.

I must clarify that not every dream is from God. Sometimes when a man falls in love with a woman or vice versa, they have all kinds of dreams. I took this dream from God because I prayed to him, before speaking to that young woman.

When God closed all the doors in my country, I concluded that God would give me my wife abroad. But I had spent more than four years living in Puerto Rico and I thought it wouldn´t be there either. I prayed to God about this and one day preaching in a church and with plans to return to Honduras, the pastor of the Church gave me a prophetic word by the Spirit and told me that my request was already answered, that I wouldn´t return to Honduras. But time passed and I despaired. I prayed again to God and he spoke to me personally, that he could do things in six months. So clear. I remember that from the time I met my wife Rhodimari, it was exactly six months before my wedding day. God fulfills what he promises.

One day visiting a sister in Christ, she simply took us by the hand and said: I like the wedding cake, invite me. We were surprised by that word and although we didn´t let ourselves be carried away by that prophecy, it was fulfilled in due time. By this time, I already had a friendship with my wife, because God had spoken to me about her

Chapter 6 - PROMISE OF TRAVELING

a. The trip to Puerto Rico

The first time God told me that I would leave my country, it was when I was newly converted, through a sister in Christ in a fast and prayer time. In another time of fasting and prayer that I made alone with God, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. At that time a plane was flying through the air and the Holy Spirit confirmed me by telling me, so you will get out on a plane.

God continued to confirm me through the Holy Spirit that I would leave my country to preach the Gospel. I remember that during that time many brothers dreamed that I was leaving my country. Brothers came to my house or sent me messages saying that I would leave the country.

One of the last prophecies was through one of the true Pentecostal prophets, Ricardo Castillo. While traveling with my brother Nelson, in a taxi, the Holy Spirit spoke for the prophet and told my brother that he would go to Puerto Rico and that he would be the channel for me to leave as well.

The time of waiting for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise wasn´t easy. I remember that people made fun of my wait and I received a lot of criticism, to the degree that a sister phoned me at home and mocking me, she said: How are things in Puerto Rico? I concealed the offense; but for her surprise, almost two months later, the door opened to travel to Puerto Rico.

My brother left in 1997 to Puerto Rico. I expected the promise, but it was getting late. I came to ask God not to open the door for me through my brother, because I thought he had forgotten me.

I started a forty-day fasting campaign, delivering each day in the afternoon, and I highlight this because whenever I needed a response from God for important decisions, that has been the recipe.

My brother says that he began to hear the voice of God saying to him: Help your brother. He argued with God and said: Do I give visas? But one day, to show God that it wasn´t a lack of will, while passing a Christian university, he decided to enter and ask for scholarships for students. He interviewed the president and told him that the program had been suspended for many years, but had been restored a week ago. His literal words were: Your brother will be the first foreign student of the program.

My brother sent me the documents for the approval of the scholarship to Honduras, but I didn´t want to go to the embassy, until I was sure that God wanted me to go. I waited more than a month, before the deadline expired, and one day, while I was passing by the airport, I began to speak in other languages and the Holy Spirit confirmed that it was his will. I went to the embassy and the visa was approved.

The only detail was that I didn´t have the ticket and at that time there wasn´t anyone who would disburse the money for a ticket. But I filled myself with faith to say that the one who did one thing, would do the other, because the one who invites pays.

A brother, well-intentioned, suggested me that he will write a work letter so that I could present it to the embassy. The Spirit of God told me to reject that bad offer, because I didn´t work for him and I would be lying.

I remember that José had a brother who lived in the United States and he had asked me for prayer because he wanted to know if it was God's will to travel to Honduras. The Lord confirmed the trip. But the most amazing thing is that a lot of time had passed and he arrived just in the days I was supposed to travel.

I remember that the young man came to Honduras and asked me to keep some money that he brought from the United States. When I returned it, he set aside a quantity and told me: This money is yours. Just what I needed to buy the ticket, because I had a saved an amount, although it was only about twenty percent of the total. Hallelujah!

b. God keeps his promises

It was in August 2000 that God allowed me to travel to the Island of Puerto Rico, where I did theological studies. During this period I alternated the preaching of the Word of God in different churches with studies.

After having studied for a period of four years, I met my wife Rhodimari, in a service in her house, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, with whom I married in 2005.

I had waited for more than ten years for God to give me my wife and fulfill his ministerial promises. It was a stage of many renunciations, because I was waiting for someone to be confirmed by God to be his will.

During the time of waiting I dedicated myself to serving God in my youth, with the firm hope that God would put the right woman on my path, to work together in the ministry. God fulfilled my wish, because Rhodimari knew what ministerial service was. She had also received the pastoral call. In addition, she knew what it was like to work in the ministry because her parents were pastors and she worked together with them in the ministry.

God had told her that her husband was a foreigner and it was fulfilled in due time, because I traveled from Honduras to Puerto Rico, where I met her.

c. A wish fulfilled

When I arrived in Puerto Rico (in the year 2000), I didn´t know how to use the computer. My brother Nelson, graciously gave me a disused laptop, which at that time was a treasure, and that's where I started writing. Nelson explained to me some writing techniques. Little by little I was learning and improving to be able to write.

After four years of working on the first books, God finally allowed me to publish the first book: "There is no curse for Christians", in response to many confused doctrines that swarmed in relation to demonology. This was in Puerto Rico, in the printing office of the "Cristo Viene" Ministry of Br. Yiye Avila.

From the beginning, all my books have been designed to disciple and help Christians in general, responding to issues of general interest to the Church.

The purpose of my books is simply to convey what God has allowed me to know about the Bible. They weren´t written for profit, nor to pretend; but to edify the people of God. I have tried that all the brothers who wish to read the books can acquire them at no cost or at the cost of printing. That has been my longing.

The call to write the books was confirmed to me by the Lord in different ways. One of them was that, at the beginning, I asked a person to write the prologue of the first book, but he refused because I wasn´t known, although he wasn´t recognized either.

I also had a vision in which I asked an important minister to do the same prologue, but he refused. I replied that he was the second person who refused, but I told him that I already had someone who would. In the vision he responded with curiosity who he was. I answered him: Jesus of Nazareth, He approved my books. I took that as a sign that they were pleasing to God.

Most of my books are biblical (theological) subjects, they don´t have personal experiences narrated; except this book so far, which is an autobiography. I clarify that because when writing biblical subjects I didn´t do it because of human knowledge. The Lord was the one who guided me to write each topic.

Another confirmation about the biblical knowledge that God allowed me to know was given to me in a vision. I saw a young woman in vision, she was like an angel who told me: You know that God has revealed to me the whole Bible. The whole Bible, "I answered, amazed. Yes, she told me. Including the book of Revelation, -I asked-. Yes, he answered me. If so, I asked: What does the 666 mean? She told me that it was the mark of the Antichrist and that this would be clearer in the time of the tribulation. I replied that her answer was Ok, but that she lacked some experience.

At the end of the vision, God showed me that the vision was for me, because the girl didn´t exist. And I wouldn´t have put her to the test either, without having that knowledge.

In fact, I didn´t know that God could reveal the whole Bible, that was a new concept for me. That doesn´t imply knowing the Bible by memory; but knowing it with the ability to interpret each passage. I don´t think this is just for me, I just would refer to tell the vision.

I must clarify that I don´t believe in all vision or dream, but there are messages that are from God. The Bible confirms that God speaks in that way:

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions (Jl. 2:28). See, Job 33:14-16.

However, it is in the Christian's capacity to discern with the Bible and by the Spirit, when God speaks.

Chapter 7 - TRIP TO UNITED STATES

a. The call to the United States.

God had told me that I would leave my country to serve in the ministry. The reason I left was because of a call from God. The doors in the ministry in my country didn´t open; in those days I wanted someone, at least, to rent me a small place to start a church; but nobody supported me and I didn´t have the resources. This motivated me to help other ministers later, when I was already in the ministry. In that way I was understanding that my ministry wouldn´t develop in my native country. However, during that time I served the Lord as an evangelist and in the pastoral ministry with my mother.

The time came that God confirmed it to me and I even communicated it to my pastor and God fulfilled it in his time. In the year 2000, I left Honduras to Puerto Rico. I believe that God called me independently, so that the ministerial vision wasn´t limited.

Sometimes it is pointed out to people that God calls them to build a ministry independently. I agree that not every minister is qualified for that, unless God calls him genuinely. But, we mustn´t forget that the great Christian councils also started with a person who decided to obey the voice of God. It is important to understand that not every minister is prepared to work in an independent ministry. Most fail because they don´t have a firm structure in their doctrines and they lack a regulation.

Almost four years before starting in the ministry, God led me to work on a general regulation, which is necessary in any ministry.

b. Beginning of the church in the United States

The first time I traveled from Honduras to Puerto Rico, God spoke to me on the plane telling me that the same faith I had used in Honduras, I would need in Puerto Rico.

In 2001, I had traveled to my country and didn´t want to return to Puerto Rico, because I felt happy serving God in my country, but God told me again that I should return to Puerto Rico and I did.

I remember that on another occasion I wanted to return to Honduras, because the situation was difficult in Puerto Rico, because I had nobody, except my brother Nelson who did the best he could to support me in my goal of serving Jesus. He believed in my call when nothing could be seen.

After being married, God had promised us (with my wife) that we would go to the ministry outside of Puerto Rico, to the United States. In 2007 I traveled again from Puerto Rico to Honduras and I thought once back there to stay in the city of Charleston, S.C., to work in the ministry, because there were some known brothers and I thought about visiting them. But being in Honduras a prophet gave me a word from God and told me that I had plans to build a new church, but that it wasn´t God's plan yet and I had to wait. He didn´t know anything about the plan and then, God confirmed it to me personally. It was difficult to wait another year, but I obeyed and returned to Puerto Rico.

After seven years living in Puerto Rico, where God allowed me to write the first books and publishing it. On February 5, 2008, I left for the city of Charleston (South Carolina) with the purpose of building a church with two brothers settled there and the family that lent me their house.

After a period of twenty-five days of fasting and prayer for God to direct me to the place I had to go, I received a call from Charleston, SC from Brother José Perdomo saying that while on a theological study trip from Charleston, SC, towards Falcon, North Carolina, he felt the desire to call me and there he invited me to go to Charleston, in order to start the church with his support. Without a doubt, I knew that this was the answer to my prayer, because he was suffocated by God to call me.

Brother José Perdomo opened the doors of his house to start the church. There we began the first meeting on February 9 of the same year and thus we were seven months with a single meeting on Saturday nights. One day, nobody came to the meeting. But I stayed there as if there was someone, fulfilling the divine call.

c. The church without a name

At the end of 2008, we started to rent a room for hours, that means that at the end of each meeting we had to dismantle all the equipment and load it in the car.

So we were in that place in Goose Creek, about six years. There were options to move, but God didn´t give me the go-ahead. Like everything I undertook, the mission was to make no movement that God wouldn´t confirm.

Israel didn´t move in the desert, if the cloud of Jehovah didn´t move (Num 9: 17-19). Moses once said that if God didn´t go with him, he wouldn´t move (Exodus 33:15). But when we decide to move under divine direction, we must be prepared for criticism.

In this place the work was taking shape, but at the beginning, it wasn´t easy. First, we started in a small room and the meetings continued the same, only on Saturdays. Then the Lord allowed us to move to a larger room, in the same place, and then we added the Thursday service for teaching, then the Tuesday for the prayer meeting.

In that waiting, the moment arrived when we didn´t fit, and it was there that God opened the door for us to meet in a temple with an approximate capacity of a thousand people.

At this moment of the Church, mega-churches were booming. All the ministers wanted an immense temple to fill it with people, but sometimes regardless of the quality of the members.

The Firm Foundation Church has been characterized by having its firm foundation in the Bible, as its name indicates. That has led us to preach a gospel of holiness inside and outside (soul and body). The Lord made us understand that the most important thing of a church is that those members, be holy inside and out, so they can see the Lord, not just the number of members.

God will honor each minister for the way they did his work, with one or a thousand. Not because of the number of members; but for his dedication and integrity in the ministry. But this way of thinking is a brave challenge, because you have to be willing to mock and belittle those who think they know something, although they know nothing, as the apostle Paul points out (1 Cor. 8: 2).

We are in the time of apostasy and the ministers are dizzy with the issue of fame, false prosperity and only numerical growth. This has produced great heresies, because the ministers aren´t servants of God, but idols. The temples aren´t places of prayer; but entertainment centers.

We decided to listen to the voice of God from heaven demanding holiness from his people. Preaching and living in a pure doctrine is a challenge today. For one who accommodates himself to his sin is a great burden. For those who love the Lord, it is a privilege to share in his holiness.

d. The testimony about the house

When I moved to Charleston, S.C., in 2008 to begin the the church, I lived at my friend's house, José Perdomo. They had kindly received me, but the rooms were occupied, so I prepared my bed in the living room.

Sometimes I had to carry my clothes and personal belongings in the car.

My wife worked as a teacher in Puerto Rico and had to wait some time to come to Charleston. When it came time to move here, I had nowhere to live, nor money to rent an apartment. I went to see an apartment, but it was very expensive for my budget. In desperation I thought about selling a sound equipment I had bought, but they offer me very little money and I lost the opportunity to take the apartment.

I got the other part of the money and called the owner of the apartments and he gave me another chance. I was able to pay for the apartment and the next day my wife arrived. When she arrived she was surprised, because she didn´t see furniture, except for some chairs that a sister had given me. Thus we begin.

I didn´t ask God for a house, I just didn´t like being locked in an apartment and I was sorry to pay for an apartment that wasn´t mine.

One day, when leaving the church on a Sunday, some brothers in Christ invited us to their home. Usually on Sundays after the service, I don´t visit, because one gets tired of the preaching, but I thought some of them weren´t Christians and I had the wish to visit them.

In those days we wanted to rent a house, I was observing the ones that were on the way. When we were near our friends' house, my astonished wife told me: What a strange feeling I feel. What happened? I replied. I don´t know why, I feel like I'm going to my house, she answered a little surprised. What a coincidence, I said, I'm also looking at the houses to see if we rent any. I saw a house for sale and we stop to take the phone number. Then we arrived at the brothers' home.

About a year ago my wife had visited this family and had said that, if God gave her a house, she wanted one like that. At that time the owner said that he wanted to sell it, but we didn´t receive any specific response.

Upon arriving at the brothers' house, my wife jokingly told one of the relatives, that since they had not wanted to sell the house, she would buy the neighbor's. There the subject arose again and he said that precisely, his mother had decided to sell the house. It was a shock to us.

We started the purchase process that took like six months, but at last God fulfilled that feeling that my wife had. About a month before closing the house, two angels appeared in a vision to my wife and they gave her some papers saying: The house is yours. Praeise God! It was fulfilled. I clarify that I never asked God for a home, or anything personal. I had a motto in my Christian life and that is, if I served God, he would supply all my needs, based on the words of Jesus:

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Mt. 6:33).

I want to add that for many years, serving the Lord, I suffered great needs, that isn´t bad, because suffering for the cause of God is a privilege (1 Pet. 2:20); but it should be noted that God began to pour out blessings in my life, from the moment I committed myself to tithe thoroughly as a pastor.

That implies that I did it, but since I dedicated myself to the evangelistic ministry and didn´t have a secular job, so I didn´t tithe completely. Sometimes Christians believe that God is more interested in quantity than in fidelity. We forget that the Lord said that the widow gave more than all the rich of her time:

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all (Lk. 21:3).

The rich gave what was left over, but she gave the best offering, because she gave everything she had.

When I started in the pastoral ministry, I heard the testimony of a pastor that his father is a Jew and he told him that he should tithe. From there, God began to bless that pastor. At that time I committed myself with God to tithe the tithes and since then the doors of heaven began to open for my life and ministry.

The Bible states that the Levites didn´t have land to cultivate, but they had to tithe and God would count them as if it were field work or livestock:

25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. 27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress (Num. 18:25-27).

I hope that this testimony will serve all Christians and ministers so that they understand that it isn´t the little or much of their tithes that pleases God; if not faithfulness in giving exactly ten percent of everything we receive from the hand of God. Praise God!

Chapter 8 - WE LIVE IN FINAL TIMES

a. The worst storm of heresies is looming

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1).

The greatest attack against the gospel will be given as the second coming of Christ approaches (preceded by the Rapture of the Church).

The church of the last times will have lack of power for having abandoned its life of hollyness. But there will be a fervent desire in true Christians to return to the root of the true gospel. I had the joy of being born in a glorious era for the church of Christ in Latin America. This made me know a Church that is pure in its faith and doctrine. The Bible says that we ave to ask about the old paths and that we have to walk on them:

16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein (Jr. 6: 16).

The new generations seem to ignore these ancient paths. But there were times when they way how the Church of Christ on Earth should be conducted wasn´t questioned.

The Christians of the last times must be warned that, the Church of Christ has been changing for evil in its pilgrimage on Earth. As the world was modernized, the Christians themselves adopted the fashions and customs of the world. These were introduced little by little into the Church, with the excuse of not judging anyone. There were times when there was a lot of abuse in the world and society became aware of this, but tolerance was taken to an aberrant extreme.

Satan does his work subtly and it has been during this last generation (40 years) that the Church has modernized and introduced so many heresies.

There were times that Christians knew that they should live consecrated to God, in an internal and external holliness. Even non-Christians knew that if they visited any Christian church they should dress honestly, and they did it out of respect. To the new generations that couldn´t see how the Church was years ago, I remind you that the Church was holy inside and out, until the other days.

Christ founded a holy Church, but men full of ambition and panders have allowed Satan to put his heresies and worldliness into the Church. But there is always a holy remnant on Earth, who doesn´t bow to false idols and heresies that harm pure doctrine.

b. The mix with the world

From the technological and cybernetic revolution the churches were influenced by the world and began to change their way of thinking about holiness.

Decades ago people didn´t question how a Christian woman and man should dress. The ministries began to say that the light had to be led into darkness and it turned out that the darkness turned the lights off of many people. These verses are used to mix with the world, something that the Bible condemns, as the following verse shows:

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).

Most ministers who have been involved in mundane events lost their fear of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Their lives are as empty as that of the unconverted.

c. The mix with the false religion

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (2 Cor. 6:14-18).

In recent times there will be a boom in the theme of the unity of the churches. This will be a false unity of all religions. Most evangelical churches will fall into that apostasy, denying the true gospel they once knew. Only a faithful remnant will remain, who will be despised for keeping himself in holiness. These will be labeled as being behind, for not accommodating the heresies and sins of the false churches.

Don´t forget that the true prophets of God weren´t behind the currents of the world, nor were the pleasures of the multitudes. They seemed to run against the current trends. Elijah was one of the great prophets who lived in a time of spiritual crisis in Israel. He felt alone, but God reserved seven thousand faithful who didn´t bend their knees before the idols of this world (1 Kings 19:18).

The church will also be only a remnant on Earth, as the end of times approaches. The Church will be bifurcated into a mostly apostate current and a small herd that will feel zeal for pure biblical doctrine.

This will create confusion among Christians. Millions of Christians will be accommodated to their sins, deceived by false doctrines. These will remain on Earth and suffer the tribulation of the Antichrist, while the faithful will be caught up to heaven to escape the coming judgment.

As the end times approach, there will be a movement against the preaching of the rapture of the Church and the coming of Christ. Modernized Christians will believe that this is a backward message, because they don´t want to wait for Jesus to establish his kingdom. They want to establish their own kingdom based on materialism.

People won´t want to hear the message of the coming of Christ, because even Christians will get tired of waiting for it. Jesus said that when he returned, there would be no faith on Earth:

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the Earth? (Lc. 18:8b).

It is known from the Bible that when God asks something, it isn´t because he doesn´t know; but because he wants to teach us something. Without a doubt, the faith of the people will diminish in the last times and this will happen to a great extent because the Church will mix with the world and will lose its power.

The people of the world won´t respect the Church of the Lord, for they will see it as a religious institution that has the same ambitions for political power in the world. The Church of the end times will be in a general way, like the Church of Laodicea that is prophetic and the last one of Revelation, lukewarm and worldly.

ATTACHMENT

  * A LIFE OF FAITH

The most amazing victories of all biblical ministries and of Christian history begin with a divine call and with the faith of those who attend and obey their voice. That formula of faith has never changed. God keeps calling workers to his vineyard, but it is necessary to believe Him.

In my Christian life this call has been a wonderful experience and an adventure of faith. Everything God has done with my life, down to the smallest detail, has been realized through faith. That implies that there was no one in the way to tell me, here is a temple, a microphone, a chair and less a church. I didn´t receive financial support before starting, only God's direction.

Nor do I mean that it is a merit of my own, except for the decision to believe God, which is voluntary. God determined that everything was throuhg faith, so that all glory be attributed to His name. Whoever decides to obey God's call must go through a process where their faith will be tested.

Friends and brothers, I can tell you with sincerity that, during the period of formation, before the pastoral ministry, I crossed difficult moments in which no hope was glimpsed to the ministry. I experienced the power and glory of God by seeing miracles of healing, deliverance, prophetic word, visions, manifestations of angels and spiritual experiences typical of a true minister of God, but I had to live daily asking for food like manna in Israel.

It was more than ten years that I was waiting for God to give me my wife and the pastoral ministry that he had promised me, which determined where my life would go in the land that until that moment was full of uncertainties, although I maintained an unshakeable faith.

From the beginning, God called me to live by faith. It wasn´t an easy decision because of the criticism and disbelief of those who didn´t see a physical structure in my ministry. Nevertheless, I didn´t stop believing God, even though he tested my faith in those long years of waiting. I had to keep looking at the invisible (Hb 2: 7) and wait for his promise.

In that time I experienced long periods of fasting, lack of food, clothing, and need of the most basic needs. I was strengthened by the words of the Apostle Paul:

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need (Phi. 4:12).

These experiences of suffering for the cause of Christ taught me to live by faith and always depend on God; have or don´t have something material, because in this world everything fails, except God.

Many ministers believe that when they reach some material blessing, they no longer need the help of the Lord. It is a farce, to trust in materialism. The minister of God must trust only in God on this Earth, until the day of his departure in the presence of the Lord.

  * PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

There are certain principles of life, which God in his wisdom gave me to practice in order to take care of the heart. The Bible says: 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Pr. 4:23).

Here I share some of them:

  * Personal:

  1. Don´t buy expensive outfits to wear.

  2. Don´t carry more than thirty dollars a day in your pocket (dependence on God).

  3. Don´t accept in the heart the praise of the people, or any homage (give all the glory to God).

  4. Examine that every word of my mouth and action of my life, seek only to exalt God, not my life.

  5. Know that all things work for the good of those who love God. That means giving thanks to God for everything, even if I don´t understand or is out of my control.

  6. Ignore harmful comments, because you can´t be good with people and with God at the same time.

  7. Think that this could be the last day of my life (take advantage of time and consider others).

  8. Consider that all people, no matter their condition or circumstances, are better than me in something and I must learn from them.

  9. Learn not only from good examples to do the right thing; but also of the bad ones, so as not to repeat the mistakes of others.

  10. Consider being a disciple, more than a teacher; no matter what God has taught me.

  11. Discern what is the limit between, respect towards others, and the fear of preaching the truth.

  12. Don´t expect recognition or honors on Earth; but look for rewards in heaven. That implies accepting to be ignored, as long as Jesus is exalted.

  13. Don´t respond lightly to provocations. Sometimes the problem doesn´t arise because of what others tell us or do; but for our response.

  14. Pride is the silent enemy of the Christian; he speaks when we are alone and makes us believe that things happen because of our abilities or talents. The worst pride that exists is false humility.

  15. True humility is tested in abundance, not in scarcity.

  16. The greatest attacks of the Christian, they happen after a great victory.

  * Ministry

  1. Pray at dawn. Don´t neglect the prayer, on which our daily victory depends, in the Christian life.

  2. Fasting two or three days a week. Obey the voice of God if it leads us to an even longer fast.

  3. Don´t preach in a place where God won´t confirm it (the purpose is to be effective in evangelization, dependence on God).

  4. Look for each preaching in prayer, even if you have a thousand topics to preach.

  5. Pray to know the will of God, before making any decision.

  6. Don´t expect God to work today, the way he did yesterday. The power of God works according to the need of the people or the circumstances.

  7. Don´t persist in asking something in prayer to what God doesn´t answer, always seek his will.

  8. Consider that circumstances, at times, could be used by God to speak to us.

  9. Watch no gift compromises my Christian convictions. That means rejecting those that could compromise me or limit me to preaching the truth (Ecclesiastes 7: 7).

  10. Don´t judge myself (I can be very tolerant or very stern with myself); let God judge me through his Spirit and his Word (Bible). To come before his presence without prejudice and in humiliation every day, so that he can tell me how I am before him.

  11. Try not to reject an outside opinion or a prophecy (unless you are very sure); analyze everything and retain the good, as the Bible teaches.

  12. My life of faith consists in obeying the voice of God (based on the Bible); not in understanding or questioning his ways.

  13. Demons will use thousands of ways to attack Christians; but they can only hurt them, if the door is opened. The Christian's worst enemy isn´t Satan, but his own will.

  14. Don´t go beyond what is written in the Bible in order to avoid heresies. Where the Bible speaks, I speak; Where the Bible is silent, I am silent.

CHRISTIAN BOOKS WRITTEN BY

JOEL PERDOMO

1. THERE IS NO CURSE FOR CHRISTIANS

2. THE TITHE FROM ABRAHAM TO CHRIST

3. THE PROPHECY AS A MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

4. EFFECTIVE PRAYER

5. LAW AND GRACE

6. THE CALL TO THE MINISTRY

7. THE MINISTRIES OF THE CHURCH

8. ADORADODES IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

9. FAITH WITHOUT LIMITS

10. WITHOUT HOLINESS, NOBODY WILL SEE THE LORD

11. LIFE AND MINISTRY, AUTOBIOGRAPHY

12. THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL AS SIGNS OF THE END

13. THE AUTHORITY \- THE CHRISTIAN CHALLENGE

14.HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION OF THE CHRISTIAN

(Look for them on internet).

