Soul Food

The Fast of Daniel: Peace of the Holy Spirit (Day 2)

July 19, 2024 Bishop Bira Joshua Season 10 Episode 6

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Have you ever felt that peace was just a fleeting moment during your Sunday service, only to vanish when you step outside? On this episode of the Soul Food Podcast, co-hosted by Pastor Quincy, we journey alongside Amber as she shares her incredible transformation from a life dominated by negativity and violence to one filled with the peace and assurance brought by the Holy Spirit. Amber’s story is not just about finding hope within the church walls but embracing a continuous inner peace that transcends any environment.

Amber recounts the days when her life was marred by fear and aggression. She opens up about a harrowing incident where her circumstances led her to assault a pregnant woman physically. With the guidance of Bishop and Pastor Quincy, we unpack the powerful misconception that true peace is location-based and explore how the Holy Spirit can bring lasting transformation and protection, no matter where you are. Amber’s testimony serves as a compelling illustration of how deeply the Holy Spirit can work in our lives when genuinely received.

We also hear from Mr. Brian, who highlights the crucial difference between merely attending church and having a personal, transformative encounter with God. Through heartfelt testimonies and practical advice, we underscore the necessity of receiving the Holy Spirit to achieve true inner peace. As we wrap up the episode, we invite you to join the 21-day Fast of Daniel, a spiritual practice designed to deepen your faith in the Holy Spirit. Don't miss out on a journey that promises to leave you with hope, joy, and a renewed spiritual life.

Speaker 1:

Mmm, what's cooking up in the kitchen? Am I smelling that soul food?

Speaker 2:

Oh yes, it is soul food, the spiritual food for your spiritual nourishment. And you know what? This food will never expire. Never expire. I need this food every day.

Speaker 2:

You are listening to these spiritual-based podcasts. There are many podcasts, but this one here is to satisfy your soul, to feed your spiritual hunger. Are you hungry for God? Don't let your soul be hungry, no matter where you are. Whatever you are doing now, at work, home or on the go, you can still listen here and right now, the Soul Food Podcast. Don't let ever your soul to go hungry.

Speaker 4:

It's time for some soul food in our busy lives, we strive to please many people the family, the boss, spouse and friends. However, we often forget the most important relationship our relationship with God. Join us now for the moment of the Holy Spirit 21 days to please the Holy Spirit More than usual.

Speaker 2:

Hello, dear friends, the Lord Jesus bless you with His peace. Well, yesterday, in the first program of the 21 day, the moment of the Holy Spirit, I promised to talk today about peace. What is peace all about? How to achieve this peace, what to do, how to have this peace within you. You are going to stay tuned because in a few I am going to discuss about that. I have here with me Pastor Quincy and he's going to be co-hosting this show. Moment of the Holy Spirit Pleasing the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 5:

Good evening to you Good evening, bishop Biro, and good evening to all the listeners out there, and tonight we are going to be here together to show you how you can obtain this peace as well.

Speaker 2:

All right, amber is here with us Because she was a young lady and grew up doing many kinds of evil stuff, because your mind is your spirit. When we talk about the mind of Christ, we are talking about the spirit of Christ. Amber, good evening to you, good evening.

Speaker 6:

Bishop.

Speaker 2:

Good evening Bishop, good evening everybody, amber when you grew up in a neighborhood that was full of evil and violence.

Speaker 6:

Yes, so growing up I was in this situation. I was living this type of life, where around me was very negative, was evil surroundings, and my mindset came like this as well.

Speaker 2:

Is it true what people say, that you are the result of your environment? You are fruit of the environment you live in.

Speaker 6:

That's 100% correct of the environment you live in. That's a hundred percent correct because, um, when it was just myself and my mother, you know, everything was okay. But as I started to hang out with the company around me in that area, in that neighborhood, then that's when things started to get negative. My mindset changed to start to have evil thoughts, to start doing things that I knew was wrong because I saw others doing it around me. I heard in the music that I started listening to these bad influences.

Speaker 2:

You are going to listen more about her story. You know what Call a friend of yours and tell your friends to tune in to I Hope Radio. If you are in Houston, texas, you can listen to a regular radio, but if you are outside Texas, you can still listen to us online. This is IHopeRadioorg. You can check us online or you can download the app of this radio. You can do it. You can download from Apple Store, you can download it from iTunes, from Google Play. You can listen to us daily online as well. Let us listen to this beautiful song. My Help Comes From the Lord and I'll be back talking about the real peace.

Speaker 3:

From whence cometh my help?

Speaker 3:

My help cometh from the Lord, the Lord which made heaven and earth.

Speaker 3:

He said he will not suffer thy foot, thy foot, to be moved.

Speaker 3:

The Lord which keepeth thee.

Speaker 3:

He will not slumber nor sleep.

Speaker 3:

O, the Lord is thy keeper.

Speaker 3:

The Lord is thy shade Upon thy right hand, upon thy right hand. Know the sun shall dance mightily by day. Know the moon by night. He shall preserve thy soul, even forevermore. My help, my help, my help, all of my help cometh from the Lord. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills.

Speaker 3:

From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord, the Lord which made heaven and earth. He said he will not suffer thy foot, thy foot, to be moved. The Lord which keepeth thee. He will not slumber nor sleep. Oh, the Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade Upon thy right hand, upon thy right hand, upon Thy right hand. Oh, the sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. He shall preserve Thy soul, even forever, even forever, even forevermore. My help, my help, my help coming from the Lord, who is my keeper. The Lord is my shield. Upon my right hand, upon my right hand. The sun shall not spike in my face, nor the moon by night. He shall preserve Thy soul Even forevermore. Even forevermore. My help, my help, oh Lord, my help Coming from the Lord, I can call on Jesus, cause I know my help, all of my help coming from the Lord, all of my help will live for all the Lord.

Speaker 4:

Repentance is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It has nothing to do with remorse. No one is forgiven based on their feelings. Besides, there is no sacrifice when it comes to remorse. Peter gave us the recipe for salvation repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Fast of Daniel 21 days pleasing God to receive the Holy Spirit. For more information about the Fast of Daniel, come to a universal church with you.

Speaker 2:

My peace I give to you. You know, when a person receives the Holy Spirit, person receives the Holy Spirit. The first sign that the Holy Spirit is there is peace. What is amazing is that many people, so-called Christians, believers, born-again Christians, people that say I have the Holy Ghost, but they do not have any peace. They don't have peace to sleep, they don't have peace in their house. Their house is like a living hell and they say that they have the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit. The first sign of the Holy Spirit is peace. When you have peace to lie down and sleep, when you have peace of a free, clean conscience, when you have peace, you don't need to look over your shoulders. You have inside of you not the feeling or a good moment of peace. But even when you are facing troubles because problems come for everybody it came to Jesus. It is impossible that it will not come to us, but even though you have the troubled waters around you, within you, you have this peace.

Speaker 5:

You know they have a peace of mind, have that assurance that everything will work out. What we see today is that a lot of believers, so-called Christians, committing suicide. So-called Christians because they don't have no peace inside. They drink, they smoke, they party, they do all sorts of evil things trying to find that peace. But when a person has the Spirit of God inside of them, they have that peace of mind, they have that assurance, no matter what goes on around them. Problems will come, situations will arise, they know that they will overcome because within they have that peace.

Speaker 2:

We are helping now many people. We are helping now many people that think or thought they had the Holy Spirit, but now you know this is not the Holy Spirit. But now you know this is not the Holy Spirit. Now, pastor, queens, how is the life of a person that is demon-possessed? Tell us, show me some signs of a person that is demon-possessed.

Speaker 5:

Well, Bishop, we have depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts, insomnia. You know, everything that person try to do goes wrong. They hear voices, they see shadows. All of this are signs, and there are many more. There are some of them. They go to doctors many doctors, but there's no diagnosed for the problem that they have. But they call themselves Christian, they call themselves being filled with the Holy Ghost. If a person have the Spirit of God inside of them, there is no way for this problem to exist in their life.

Speaker 2:

You are listening to us, you are watching us right now. And if you say, this is me. I go to a church, I sing in the choir, I preach, I read the Bible, but I have no peace Inside of church. I feel good, but when I go back home, I feel this pressure upon me, I feel this something squeezing my heart, my soul, and I feel like killing myself. You need deliverance. You need deliverance because something is evil in your life. There is something evil. As I promised to talk about peace, I am Because he said I live with you Peace. I live with you my peace. I give it to you. You know what is to have the peace of God, to have the peace of God, like those who are in the presence of God, those who have the Holy Spirit, they have the peace that is given by God. Well, we are going to continue talking about it. Let me go back here to Amber. So we are talking about peace, but you had no peace, of course.

Speaker 6:

I had no peace at all. Bishop, it's very strong what you all were saying, because when I first started going to the church, when I was in the church um taking part of the services, I would feel fine, I would feel good, but right as I left the church to go back home, I had no peace at all. I would have to look over my shoulder, look behind my back, because of the life that I was living. I was worried that somebody would try to run up on me, try to fight me, because I was living like a gang life. So I was living in fear, living in worry. I did not have this peace with me, so I was living in fear, living in worry.

Speaker 2:

I did not have this peace with me, but when you start coming to church, inside of the church, during the service, you had peace.

Speaker 6:

Yes, I had. It felt like I had peace when I was there in the church, but as soon as I will leave, it's a different story, and this is how it is with many people who go to church. But many people who go to church they think that because they know the Bible or because they take part of church services, that they have the Spirit of God or that they have peace with them.

Speaker 2:

Now I have to interrupt you again. You know, pastor Quincy, what is happening here is this it is not peace that people feel inside of the church, is this? It is not peace that people feel inside of the church. They are moved by the environment Songs, choirs, music, prayers, preaching, especially in these places that the beat is very loud, this place where it's like a show, a gospel show. So people feel excited. They are moved by the environment exactly, bishop.

Speaker 5:

It's just a sensation. And the moment they step out of the door, everything is still the same. You know, and this is the illusion many people are living by, week after week. Some people cannot wait for that Sunday to come, or that Wednesday night to come, just to go to have that feeling. And and that's how they're living. Their life, when they arrive at home, is a living hell. There's no peace, there's fights, arguments. You know, at work everything is going wrong, but but at church they say I am, I'm feeling good, I feel the power of God when the Spirit of God is inside of you.

Speaker 2:

Whether you are in church, at home, traveling, sleeping, you have the same peace. What you have inside of the church you have with you wherever you go. So, amber, tell us before you arrived in the church, before you received the first prayer, who was Amber.

Speaker 6:

I was a crazy person, you can say, because my mindset, as I was saying, my mindset was so messed up. I was a very violent person and it came from the things that I saw going on in my neighborhood, with the music that I listened to, the influences that were around me, what I would see the older kids doing in my neighborhood, what I would see happen at school. I became a violent person. Anytime I would get upset, I would get mad. I would want to fight people. It could be for the smallest reasons, but I would be so quick to want to fight.

Speaker 6:

There was even a time where I was on the train and it was crowded on the train and there was a lady who accidentally bumped me. When she turned around to look at me, I was already punching her. We were there rolling around on the train platform and turns out she was pregnant. But even knowing that I did not care, I was still fighting her. I was still there because of this mindset that I had, like nobody can do anything to me, I'm going to get them first before they can get me. I was very violent, didn't you see? She was pregnant. It didn't matter to me at that time because I had my mind set the way that it was, so you beat a pregnant woman I did.

Speaker 6:

I feel bad about it now, but at the time I did not care it was normal for you it was normal I would fight guys.

Speaker 6:

I would fight females bigger than me, anybody, any weapons. Normal for you? It was normal I will fight guys. I will fight females bigger than me, anybody any weapons. Yes, I used to hold guns and also I was thinking even when I first started going to the church, as I said, I will feel the peace inside, but outside I needed to carry my knife with me. I would bring my knife inside of the church as well, because I felt like I had to protect myself. I didn't have peace. I felt worried all the time like I had to protect myself. I didn't have peace. I felt worried all the time like I had to stand up for myself.

Speaker 2:

If you are listening to us and you relate to her story, you are like she was. If you are outside Texas, you can use this number 1-888-312-4141. This number is only for the text message. If you are outside Houston and if you want, you can send me an email. Bbf at universalorg. Bbf at universalorg.

Speaker 4:

He who has the Spirit of God has everything. He has his own light, unlike the earth or the moon, which depend on the light from the sun. He's also a source of light for those who live in darkness. The Holy Spirit is his partner at all times. He is a friend. He is God, the Father, with us. He is Savior, he is a helper. For it is written I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Fast of Daniel 21 days pleasing God to receive the Holy Spirit. For more information about the Fast of Daniel, come to a Universal Church near you or call 713-773-8400.

Speaker 2:

I have right now Miss Caroline on the line. Hello, hello, miss Caroline. God bless you. I heard that you want to know about the Holy Spirit. What is your question?

Speaker 7:

My question is how do you receive the Holy Spirit?

Speaker 8:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2:

What is your knowledge about the Holy Spirit? Who do you think the Holy Spirit is?

Speaker 7:

I think he's God. I think the Holy Spirit is God.

Speaker 8:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2:

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is God. God, and how to receive him? Uh, he said seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness, and all the other things will be added unto you. Everybody knows this Bible verse, but in practical words it means put God first. This is how to receive the Holy Spirit. There is no method. There is no like a recipe. You are going to take step one, step two, step three to receive the Holy Spirit. No, not at all. What we have to do is to seek God first, and when you seek Him first, so then he comes upon you.

Speaker 2:

Like many people want the Holy Spirit, but also they want healing, also they want prosperity, also they want to get married. They had other priorities. That's why they do not receive the Holy Spirit. One day one man heard people heard about the word of God. They got converted, they gave their lives to God, they turned their lives to God. But then the apostle asked them did you receive the Holy Spirit? They got converted, they gave their lives to God, they turned their lives to God. But then the apostle asked them did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believe? And they said Holy Spirit. We do not even know that there is a Holy Spirit. And then the apostle just laid hands upon them and right away they received the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit, as you said, he well said is God. God just wants to find the open heart of the candidate, the one that wants the Holy Spirit, and then he pours the holy spirit upon this person do you understand me?

Speaker 2:

yes, sir, so all that you have to do is to seek. That's why we are doing the 21 day in this ministry, and every single day, we are seeking the holy spirit, and when you seek him, he is going to be upon you and inside of you. All right, okay, yes, sir, okay, do not hang up. Stay on the line. One of our pastors will have a word with you.

Speaker 7:

Miss Caroline, god bless you, bishop.

Speaker 2:

Vera, could you pray for me? You are going to stay listening to us. Stay tuned, because in a few we are going to pray together. Okay, all right, thank you, you're welcome. God bless you. Unless we put God first, unless he is the number one in our lives, we cannot receive him. He is the holy oil. Like there were ten virgins, five had the oil, the other five despised it and he said I don't know you. When they came later on, knocking on the door, opened the door for us, he said no, no, no, I don't know you, because God does not know those who do not have his spirit, the holy oil.

Speaker 5:

Exactly Bishop, and he only recognized those who prioritize him. If God is not a priority for that person, there's no way for the Holy Spirit to come.

Speaker 2:

Do you have the Holy Spirit? Yes, sir, amber. Do you have the Holy Spirit? Yes, sir, I have the Holy Spirit all three. But in your case, when the Holy Spirit came upon you, you did something that I did not do. When the Holy Spirit came upon me, I did some things to receive the Holy Spirit, which Amber did not do. We three have the Holy Spirit, but there was no certain method for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is something natural. It's the natural Spirit. It is like when the mango tree brings forth mango, it bears the fruit. It's something natural. We have never seen like a mango tree make effort to bring forth the fruit. No, it's natural. So how to receive the Holy Spirit? You have to be willing to give up your old life. You have to be willing to sacrifice your own will, your own flesh, when the Holy Spirit sees that you are sacrificing, because without faith it's impossible to please God. But when you use your faith, the Holy Spirit does come.

Speaker 5:

He comes and it don't take long, because you're putting your all, you're giving it your everything. He has to come and when he comes, the assurance is there.

Speaker 2:

Amber, you were saying to us that you were very angry. You came into church. Even in the church, you had the knife.

Speaker 6:

Yes, even in the church, I had the knife with me because I felt like I had to protect myself. So, as I was saying, this is how my mind was. I had to stand up for myself because very much so, I would always think about me. I would never think about what God wanted for me. I would think about what I wanted to do with my life, what I wanted for myself. I have to watch out for myself, and everything like that.

Speaker 2:

And inside of your house there was no peace.

Speaker 6:

No, there was never any peace inside of my house. There would always be arguing, and even me myself. I was very rebellious because I wanted to do what I wanted to do. For example, my mother would tell me something, take care of this, make sure you clean up that, but I would never listen to her. I would do what I wanted to do.

Speaker 2:

How old were you back then?

Speaker 6:

About 18, around 18.

Speaker 2:

So you were those kind of rebellious teens.

Speaker 6:

Yes, like my mother used to cry because of how I was, I would always get into fights at school. I would disrespect, curse out the teachers and this made her sad because I would get suspended. I will always get in trouble. There was even one time where my mother had to go pick me up from the police station because I got into a fight where the girl decided to press charges In the school.

Speaker 2:

In the school. Okay, any problems with drugs? Any problems with the law?

Speaker 6:

So with the law, it was that because I wasn't getting caught with what I was doing, I was hiding from the law. I would be there holding guns, I would be there selling weed, holding crack in the back of my phone and everything holding weapons. But the cops didn't know about that. Because when you see me I will look innocent. And as well as with drugs, with addiction, I used to get high all the time. That was my coping method. Like that's how I would numb myself from feeling angry, from feeling upset. I would drink, I would smoke all the time.

Speaker 2:

Right, and how did you know about the church?

Speaker 6:

So my brother had invited me to the church and even when he did I would come, but I would just come because he he forced me. That's my older brother. He would drag me to the church so I would go. But right after I would go back to doing what I wanted to do, go back to hanging out with the same people getting high. Right after church I would already have my blunt rolled up ready for me for when I leave church to go smoke again.

Speaker 2:

So I forgot to ask you what about your love life? How was?

Speaker 6:

it. Oh, my love life was very bad. That's another reason why I was getting so high too, because you see, growing up my dad was never around my mom. She loved me. My dad was never around my mom. She loved me. She cares about me. But she was mainly focused on providing for the family working so that we could have food on the table, clothes on our back. But she wasn't there to tell me right from wrong, or there to tell me don't talk to this guy or don't give your all to guys. So my love life was messed up. Because I would try to numb the emptiness, I would look for this love in relationships. I used to date multiple guys at the same time. I would date one guy for this amount of time and break up with him because I got tired of him, Move on to the next relationship, Date two people at the same time because I thought it was fun.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's why in the Universal Church we do not judge anybody. I always say come as you are, come as you are. We don't criticize or judge anybody because she was like that. But you see, the roots, the roots, the upbringing. The mother was not. She did not have a mother figure, a father figure. The environment in the house was very bad and she ran to the street to find a family she did not have in the house and she started doing things to fill the hole she had inside. That's why we see nowadays drug dealers, we see homosexuals, we see lesbians, we see addict people, people that are murderers. We see a lot when we go to prison, but we don't judge. Then you know why? Because they they fell into the dark hole, the dark hole. They never had light. Now she say about the hell of life, her mother was never there to teach her the right way.

Speaker 5:

So all that she learned was the wrong path, the wrong stuff, the wrong ways, and she grew up like that exactly, bishop, and there are many people who are going through this now because they were lacking the most important thing, which is peace. We are talking about the, the person having peace when there is no peace in the house. It affects every area of a person's life. It affects them in many different ways. You mentioned about the prisons, bishop, right now. There are a lot of men and women listening to us right now and they can relate Because of not having any peace in their house, growing up in torment, growing up in an addicted environment. It led them to the life of crime, and now they're regretting. There are many people listening to us right now who are in regret. This man just finished smoking, this lady just finished getting drunk, and now they regret just trying to find that peace.

Speaker 2:

But we are here to show to you, to prove to you that you can come out of this dark hole. You can come out. You are inside of a dark hole, but you can come out of that. So, emba, in the Church, what did you hear? What did you learn about the Holy Spirit?

Speaker 6:

So the one thing that called my attention the most was the fact that the Holy Spirit will give you peace, and I heard others saying that when you have the Holy Spirit, you have this assurance that everything is going to be all right. And that caught my attention because I said I want that, I want to know that God is with me and that everything's going to work out, because I never had that. I never had the assurance that, ok, you're going to be safe, you're going to be good, god is protecting you. When I would go outside before, I would go outside thinking, okay, this could be my last day, because we would be in the middle of shootouts, guns going off, fights. You never know what somebody is going to do. So this had me always in fear and worry and I wanted that assurance that everything is going to be okay. God is going to take care of you.

Speaker 2:

So the Holy Spirit spoke to you through the pastor in the church. What did you do to receive the Holy Spirit? Yesterday, I was saying that we clean the glass before we pour the water. The glass is our life, is our body. If you don't want to have a clean life, do not expect to receive the Holy Spirit. Was the glass washed clean?

Speaker 6:

At first it was not, and as long as the glass was not clean, you know, my life was up and down. I was playing games with God and in this way I wasn't able to receive the Holy Spirit. But when I made the decision, to settle.

Speaker 2:

I'm sorry, you were playing games with yourself, yeah, with myself. With myself, because people think I'm going to play a game with God. But God knows everything. He searches the heart, he knows what you have inside of you Go ahead.

Speaker 6:

And then I made the decision to say you know what? No more, I'm not going to do my will, I'm not going to do what I want to do. I'm going to do what God wants for me. I'm going to follow his word and seek him like never, ever before. And that's what I did.

Speaker 6:

I decided I had to sacrifice some things. I had to let go of the people who I knew wasn't right for me. I had to stay away from the places that I knew the temptation would be the most. For example, if I knew people would be smoking around this area, I wouldn't go that way. I wouldn't go to the same places that I used to go.

Speaker 6:

I had to do my part as well, to stay away from the things that I know wasn't good for me. And I sacrificed even to love people from a distance, whether it was family members or close friends. I had to do what was best for me, what was best for my relationship with God. So I did this, sacrificed relationships, friendships, stayed away from people. I had to let go of my own will to stop doing what I knew was wrong, and I gave my all to God. I was seeking, seeking, and I received his presence and Bishop, it was exactly like how everybody said it would be, how the pastor said it would be where the peace came upon me. And I remember this day where I was walking home, that I remember thinking I don't even need my knife anymore. God is protecting me.

Speaker 2:

You forgot your weapon. The Holy Spirit became your weapon.

Speaker 6:

The Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit was there protecting me and I had this assurance that you know what, no matter what you go through, everything's going to be all right. It's like God was telling me I'm with you, I'm going to take care of you.

Speaker 2:

How long have you been in the church and how is your life now?

Speaker 6:

In the church for about seven years more or less, and now my life is extremely blessed. Everything that was messed up, every area of my life that was messed up, is now renewed. It's now God made it over. So, as I told you, my love life was ridiculous, but now I'm happily married. Um the anger that I had, I don't have this. It's replaced with peace and happiness. Sometimes people tell me I'm always happy or I'm always smiling and things like that. Like god made a complete transformation in every area of my life, and the people who know me back then can say that they see a difference in me all right.

Speaker 2:

This is, uh, the sign of the holy spirit. She, she received peace and everything was transformed. Do you sleep well?

Speaker 2:

I sleep very well very very well so when a person has the holy Spirit, this is what happens. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of life. You cannot say, look here please. You cannot say that you have the Holy Spirit but you do not have even peace to sleep. You are suicidal, you are depressed, even though you have the title of a pastor, a deacon, a reverend, a bishop. But look at you. Who are you behind closed doors? Who are you when the doors of your room, your bedroom, are closed? You when you are by yourself, when the lights go off? Who are you? What thoughts you have in your mind? You can identify whether you have the Holy Spirit or not. That's why it is written that by the fruits you shall know the tree. I have Mr Brian on the line and he wants to know also more about the Holy Spirit. Hello, Hello.

Speaker 2:

Mr Brian, God bless you.

Speaker 8:

God bless you too. How are you doing?

Speaker 2:

I'm fine. What is your question about the Holy Spirit?

Speaker 8:

Well, I know how to receive it and to keep it, uh-huh.

Speaker 2:

What is your knowledge or your experience about the Holy Spirit?

Speaker 8:

Honestly, I don't think I have any. I don't think I ever experienced feeling it, and it's been part of my life.

Speaker 2:

How many years of your life have you been a Christian or going to church?

Speaker 8:

Well, a while back. I was kind of heavy into my word, but I was in another place, uh huh. Yeah, I wasn't free. Okay, and when I wasn't free, Okay.

Speaker 8:

And when I came out, I guess I backslid, I didn't stay, you know, in the area where I was supposed to be and I stopped studying, I stopped studying, I stopped reading, and it was.

Speaker 8:

I think that it was a message in there for me, because it was a vision, showed to me why I was in there and I was incarcerated, to be honest with you, for a long time and I had a vision like I was going to be in front of people. I was like in front of a whole lot of people ministering the word of God in the area where I stayed. That's when I was doing a lot of studying and going to the prison ministry, to the Bible studies in the church. That was years ago and I returned back last year I think it was December 30th. I had asked the pastor, pastor Jonathan, when I started I wanted to see. He told me December 30th of last year. To see, he told me December 30th of last year. And that's the church that I belong to now because I joined the Universal Church in New Orleans on Canal Street.

Speaker 2:

Okay, mr Brian, let me tell you something. Why do people backslide? Why do people go to church, even in prison, but they backslide. There are many that go, you know very well, they go to church in prison, the prison ministry, but as soon as they leave prison, they turn their back on God again.

Speaker 8:

Right, yes, that's what I think, but why?

Speaker 2:

Because they never receive the Holy Spirit. I mean, we are not here to criticize anybody, to judge anybody, but you can tell. The results of your life, the fruits of your life, shows that God is absent. Knowing the Bible, reading the Bible, going to Bible school, bible studies, attending the church, going to the services are not enough. I like your sincerity. You were very frank when you said you think you never had an experience with God, and I want to endorse it. You never had an experience with God and I want to endorse it. You never had. You know the church, you know the Bible, but you need to have your own experience with God. It is like Pastor Quinn, somebody eating from somebody else's hand. You are not able to help yourself. To teach for yourself, you have always to depend on. To teach for yourself, you have always to depend on somebody else to feed yourself. Exactly, bishop.

Speaker 5:

When the person receives the Holy Spirit, they become independent. You don't have to depend on anyone or anything what people say, what people think or feel about you because inside you have the Holy Spirit. It's like the sun, the sun and the moon. The moon depends on the sun. When a person receives the Spirit of God, they have their own light. They will shine wherever they go, and that's what he needs in order for him to make this difference.

Speaker 2:

Mr Brian, in New Orleans. There is a church there and I want you to do the 21-day fast of Daniel. Today was the second day. Tomorrow we go for the third day. Do it with all your faith.

Speaker 8:

What's going to happen is that your life shall never be the same.

Speaker 2:

Yes, sir, you are going to have this assurance when the Holy Spirit comes inside of you. You do not need me to tell you whether you have or you don't the assurance will be inside of you, all right, okay, yes, sir. In a few I'm going to pray. God bless you.

Speaker 7:

It won't be long. It won't be long when we'll believe in Him. It won't be long.

Speaker 3:

It won't be long, we'll be going on. We are going home.

Speaker 7:

It won't be long. It won't be long when we'll believe in Him. It won't be long.

Speaker 3:

It won't be long. It won't be long, We'll be going home. Count the years. Count the years and months. Count them up. Count them up as we. Oh, count them weeks. Count them weeks as they. And one day we'll be going home.

Speaker 7:

It won't be long.

Speaker 3:

It won't be long.

Speaker 7:

When we'll believe in Him. It won't be long, it won't be long We'll be going on.

Speaker 3:

I just want to be around Cause I want to go home. I want to be with you there in heaven. Worship Jesus, my Savior. I just want to be read Of sin. I want to go home. I want to be with you in heaven. Worship Jesus, my Savior.

Speaker 7:

It won't be long.

Speaker 3:

It won't be long when we'll be living here.

Speaker 2:

We are going to pray right now. Let us unite our faith in prayers, the prayer for the Holy Spirit, for God of the Bible, god Almighty, many are those like Miss Caroline, mr Brian and Amber were. Many are out there empty. They are fighting for their lives, but they are not fighting the good fight of faith, because they are fighting flesh, and flesh cannot, can never overcome.

Speaker 2:

Spirit of the Lord, we are praying right now that you may enlighten this person. It's like when we are in our bedroom sleeping and everything is dark. The room is dark, but when we turn on the light, light shines inside of the room, all over the room. This is the light that I'm asking you to shine inside of this person that feels lost, suicidal, angry, depressed. Oh my God, oh God Almighty, enter now this bedroom, the soul of this person, and shine your light. Once your light is there, there will be peace.

Speaker 2:

As you said, I give you peace. My peace I give to you. So give your peace to this person. Your peace is your spirit. Give yourself to this person. Oh, my friends, wherever you are, receive peace inside of you. Be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Yes, receive now the assurance that the Holy Spirit is with you Receive right now this assurance, even though you cannot feel or touch Him. But receive Jesus, even if you are in prison, in jail. Receive now peace, receive the Holy Spirit deep within you. Yes, hallelujah, my Lord, we praise your name in advance Because right now, lives are being transformed, yes, lives are being enlightened. Oh, spirit of God, I give you thanks. Yes, you can give thanks to him. Oh Lord, we give you thanks, we appreciate you, we appreciate your presence, your spirit in us, because you are great, you are awesome, you are the God of the Bible. Hallelujah, we praise your name in the name of the Father, the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Speaker 3:

Praise God. Pass me by the crowds of people and the priests who sing their praise Lord. I have no thirst for your righteousness, but it's only found one place, so take me into the Holy of Holies.

Speaker 2:

The Holy of Holies is the kingdom of God and once you enter there, once you have the Holy Spirit, one day you are going to be in the kingdom of heaven. Tomorrow we are going to talk about these two kingdoms the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. What are the differences between these two? Tune in again tomorrow to learn about it. If you are listening to me here in Houston, texas, come to see me. This is my address 7075 Southwest Freeway between Bel Air and Hillcroft, here as known as 59, 59 Freeway, sharpstown area. Also, at every Universal Church, my email is there. You can email me anytime bbf at universalorg. This is my email address. I promise to you I am going to answer you. Also, you can send the text message 1-888-332-4141. Thank you, pastor Quincy. Yes, bishop, it was a great pleasure here tonight.

Speaker 2:

Okay, thank you, amber, for your testimony, your story.

Speaker 6:

Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.

Speaker 2:

Those who are listening to us. Stay in peace. Have yourself a good one.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening in. That's all the soul food we have to share today. Stay tuned to the next episode on soul food and keep your notifications on. Share each episode with your friends and family To feed their souls. Give the food that lasts forever.