Soul Food
Soul Food
The Fast of Daniel: Overcoming Darkness (Day 5)
Have you ever wondered how faith can transform even the darkest of times? Today, we bring you a profound conversation with Bishop Joshua and Pastor Eder who share inspiring insights on battling inner darkness with faith. We talk about the emotional traumas and daily struggles that so many of us endure, and invite you to join us on a 21-day spiritual journey designed to reconnect you with the Holy Spirit. Through this journey, find true peace amidst life's chaos and let go of the false promises of worldly happiness.
You'll also hear Benjamin's compelling story—a powerful testimony of overcoming addiction through faith. From ages 16 to 18, Benjamin was consumed by a life of drugs, alcohol, and fleeting relationships. His life took a remarkable turn when he attended the Universal Church's youth group. Witnessing the joy of young people who were substance-free, Benjamin decided to give his life to Jesus. This pivotal moment led him to abandon his destructive habits and embrace a life filled with purpose and fulfillment.
Finally, we explore Benjamin's continued growth in faith, particularly through the impactful Fast of Daniel program. This 21-day spiritual renewal was transformative, allowing him to break free from vices and rebuild his family relationships. As Benjamin moves to Florida, he steps into his new role as a devoted husband and servant of God. We also highlight the Universal Church's global outreach and emphasize preparing oneself for Sunday worship. Tune in to experience the need for God's presence more than ever.
Now streaming on all major podcast platforms, edifying your mind, body and soul. We welcome you to listen now to Soul Food with your main host, bishop Joshua. Here we are always ready to share a word of faith. Unpack powerful testimonies and divinely inspired music to enhance your faith. Walk, feed your faith wherever you go. Quench your spiritual hunger.
Speaker 2:Quench your spiritual hunger give the food that lasts forever here on the soul food podcast. In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, it's easy to lose sight of the spiritual connection that grounds us, but now it's time to pause for 21 days. Let's separate ourselves from this world. Starting now, the 21 day program for the Holy Spirit with Bishop Bira Joshua.
Speaker 4:Hi there, god bless you and may the Spirit of God empower you, especially you who say I have been through a lot in life. When I say a lot, I mean a lot. Nobody is in your shoes. Nobody knows what you have been through so far. Problems after problems, and maybe since the day number one of your life you have been under a curse.
Speaker 4:You tried to be happy, you tried to be, to have a better life. You went to school. You did your education, your classes. Then more problems, more troubles came to you. Teenagerhood was not good at all. Nobody knew what you were facing inside of you. As a result, you grew up with this trauma deep inside of you.
Speaker 4:You want to be somebody like you, want to be somebody else, but you were not. You tried to be like an actor. You picture yourself like this actor of the movies, hollywood stars, but your reality, day and night, was so dark. You tried to be like them. You grew up in this foster home, group home or even in family, but you know your mother did not want you, your father did not want you. It's like you came from the lottery, the cast lots, and you came in the picture. So then the foster mother, father, group home, or maybe your uncle, your aunt and you were abused, molested. Nobody knows your story. There are some secrets inside of you that you are embarrassed to tell others Seems like it's only you yourself that knows this stuff, the open wound that is inside of you. You got a job, you went to college, you got a career. Now you are a mother of one, two, three, many kids, but you are never satisfied. You are never free inside of you.
Speaker 4:That's why in the Universal Church, we do not judge anybody. We help, because every creature, every human being that walks through those doors I'm here in the sanctuary let me show the doors over there everybody that cross through those doors it's now the evening timing everybody that cross through those doors. They have a story, they have a, they have a story, they have a situation, they have a pain inside, grudges, the dark side of their lives. Outside you can see the traffic, the cars moving outside. The world is crazy. Outside the world is crazy. And everybody that comes through these doors, the doors of the Universal Church, and they sit over here in these chairs daily, praise God, we have daily services. Oh, wow, we have daily services. These chairs always receive people that are in suffering, people that are broken. How can we charge these people? No, we can't, because we know they come from a long way in suffering, in pain, suffering in pain.
Speaker 4:I have Pastor Eder together with us right now, live in this show. So, pastor Eder, the scripture says here actually, our Lord Jesus Christ said he said in the world you will have trouble, like face trouble. In the world you will have troubles, tribulations. And this is all, pastor Eddie, that the world can offer Troubles, tribulations, pain, suffering. This is all the world offers. There is nothing good in this world. Only everything in the world is fake, just fake news, fake illusions, fake entertainments. Hi there.
Speaker 5:Yes, bishop Joshua, god bless you and God bless all those who are with us at this moment. And what Jesus said is true, because so many people are trying to live their lives in this world and find peace. But this world is not a world of peace. It's not a place of peace, it's a place of wars. It's a place of wars. It's a place of confusion, misunderstandings, family problems, and the more this person tries to find peace in this world, the more confused and troubled they become. So there's no way to hide in this world. And you know, bishop, so many people try to hide. They plan trips, they study, they get a career, a diploma, which is good, but they try to hide behind these things, thinking that they would find peace. But Jesus said there's no peace in this world, only tribulation.
Speaker 4:And you can try here and there, like at the weekends, people go. If we go out right now hey, you who are watching me right now if we go out right now, as I'm speaking, we are going to find a lot of people that seems to be happy, right, they are parties. Like, if we go right now to Times Square, times Square, what we are going to see right there, right now, you who are home resting, you who are in church today praying with us, if we take a ride and we go to Times Square right now, we are going to see people that seem to be happy. They are screaming. Look at that, it is life. They go right now and they are screaming, taking pictures. Let me see. Somebody is going to take a selfie very soon. Oh, you see people there taking the selfie. They are going to be celebrating birthday.
Speaker 4:They are going to be drinking in the morning hangover and the night goes on the night party, the night life. And then comes the night party, the night life, and then comes the uh night to stay. They stay over, they pray, they drink and just one night stands, one night stand, and take their soul to hell, to hell. But Jesus said that in this world you just saw. In the world you will have tribulations. I rather prefer to be in the house of God, to be in my house, than to be outside. What am I going to do outside right now? To get drunk, to get high? To get drunk, to get high, to get beaten, and tomorrow morning, to be hangover, to be crying sick, throwing up, hangover, dizzy.
Speaker 4:But the Lord said but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Those who have the spirit of God, they are the ones that overcome the world. They overcome the world I have right now with me Benjamin. Benjamin was having this fast life, this life of entertainment that brought so many evil to his life. Hey, benjamin, how are you? Good evening, bishop, I'm good, alright. So, benjamin, let us talk about today the fast life, the fast life that you have.
Speaker 6:First of all, where are you from? First of all, I'm from France, Bishop France, paris. Yes, in the city of Paris.
Speaker 4:Tell us how was life in Paris as you grew up over there, this fast life that we are talking about.
Speaker 6:What you just said is exactly the life that I used to live, because I started when I was very young. I was always in troubles. I was always outside. I was addicted to so many things drinking, alcohol, partying. I was involved in violence, in fight, I had problems with the police, I had a lot of problems for me and I was also bringing a lot of problems to my family, to my relatives. Nothing in my life was moving forward. But I was really into this because I thought that it could help me to feel better, to feel the love that I did not feel when I was at home, to feel also better because of everything that I was doing I was failing. So this thing was a way for me to be accepted, to feel that people used to love me. Maybe I will find I will feel better, but it didn't work at all.
Speaker 4:So you were drinking vaping. We see now these uh pictures, videos of you. In the past life. You were there vaping, drinking and, as I say always, here you avoid inside right, I see a lot of liquor, hard liquors. How old were you when you started drinking?
Speaker 6:I started drinking. I was on the age I started when I was 15. And as I was growing older, I started to drink more and more because I really thought that that was the solution. That was also a way to be accepted by people around me. I really thought that that was the solution. That was also a way to be accepted by people around me. I really thought that that would help me. But the more I was drinking, the more I was smoking, the worse my life was.
Speaker 4:And how was family Benjamin? Because when people see these things on the Internet, especially the young folks over there, they say, oh wow, he's having a good time, he's drinking, he's vaping, he's sparring, he's smiling, he has money, he has girlfriends, boyfriends, and I'm here alone, I don't vape, I don't drink, I don't party and it seems like I'm not enjoying life. Let us know. How was Benjamin behind closed doors?
Speaker 6:Behind all of that, I was very sad. I had a low self-esteem because it started when I was very young, because in my family I have two older sisters and one young brother and my two sisters. They were very good at school. My parents loved them. My little brother he was the youngest one, so he was the favorite of my parents and I was here in the middle. I didn't really know if. Where was my, where should I? Where do I belong? I didn't really fit.
Speaker 6:So I started doing all of this to find the love that I really wanted to find. But it really created the other effect, because once I was in that life, I saw that my parents were. They didn't know what to do with me. I had no contact with so many members of my family because I was the shame of the family and also because I'm the oldest son, my parents had a lot of expectation coming from me. They were just disappointing to see that I was growing older. But my life was worst. I this life also led me to stop school when I was 16. So I stopped going to school at that age and I was outside every day on the streets drinking smoking. I also ended up selling drugs outside, just to for this addiction that I had to weed. I've been introduced to selling drugs so I can have more quantity and I can smoke more, and which kind of drugs were those?
Speaker 6:I started with um hashish, then weed, and I can also say that I don't know, because I ended up smoking with people that I didn't know, without even knowing what I was smoking. I was just so addicted that whatever they gave me, I used to take it and smoke it.
Speaker 4:So you began at the age of 16. You see, pastor Heather, I remember once one lady praise God, she's saved, she's a member of the church. She was telling me. She said, bishop, I don't know how to socialize with people. I don't know the whole world because I blame my parents. I could never go to the block parties. I have never been to block parties, I have never been to birthday parties. And she said I don't know how to socialize, how to talk to people, because she was brought up inside of the house, like in a bulb, in a shelf.
Speaker 4:And I asked this lady some questions how many of your siblings are drug dealers? How many have been to jail? And she said none of us. Everybody have their family, their children. Then I said don't blame your parents. You should appreciate, because in their, as you say, lack of education, knowledge, they brought you up in a traditional way. Because the modern days are the days of Benjamin, drugs, parties, street life, but at the end of the day, no family, no happiness. The children get lost. When we say here, do not love the world, when we say, come out of the world, pastor Ed, this is what we say. We are preventing people from going through the same path as Benjamin.
Speaker 5:Yes, bishop, we don't have to make a mistake to learn from a mistake. We can learn from the mistakes.
Speaker 4:I'm sorry, say that once again.
Speaker 5:Yes, we don't have to make a mistake and say I am learning from my mistake. We can learn from the mistakes of others Because we see so many people suffering, especially young ones. They see drugs killing young people, drug dealers killing others because of drugs. So the young people are seeing it. So they don't have to go through what Benjamin went through to then learn from that suffering. They can learn. Now I've seen the testimony of Benjamin. They can make a decision, especially in this past of Daniel, and turn their lives around.
Speaker 5:Bishop, something interesting that Benjamin said is that he grew up with a family. He had father, mother and also brothers. So many people say I engaged crime life because I never had my parents around, but that's not the case of Benjamin. So many people say I didn't have the figure of the father in my house. That's why, you know, I am living this wild life. But you see, bishop, it doesn't matter if the person has good parents or not. It doesn't matter if this person has good brothers or sisters, or if they have money or not. That's not what will determine your good future, because as long as they are in the world, they are subject to this life of misery and suffering, no matter how much money they have.
Speaker 4:That's the truth how many people are in the so-called third, fourth country, poor country and they say I want to be happy, I want to go to be happy. I want to go to the United States, I want to go to the Big Apple. Like Benjamin is from Paris, and many people say I want to go to France. I mean, I have been to many countries myself and the only places that I know is the house of God. I have not enjoyed other countries. I have been to Paris, I have been to Italy, I have been to Brazil, as I'm from Brazil. Here in the United States, the only places that I know are the places where the South people are. We know prisons, we know nursing homes, we know the streets, but especially the young ones. They want to know the world and they put themselves in trouble. So, benjamin, what was the lowest point, lowest of lowest point of your life?
Speaker 6:lowest of lowest point of your life? Um, I would say that the lowest point of my life was during, after, maybe, those I would say, crazy years from 16 to after 18, when I was doing everything because I thought that that's what I wanted and after a certain point I wanted to stop. I wanted to change because I realized that my life was too different from what I used to call normal people. And when I wanted to stop, that's when I realized that all these addictions, all this lifestyle has became stronger than me and now it was no longer possible to stop. So I was even, I would say, more further in addictions, starting to smoke more, to drink more. I was getting older, so I developed another addiction that was going with women.
Speaker 6:That was the worst addiction, because I was, I can say, like a slave of that addiction, because anytime I was trying to stop, anytime I was trying to recover, I was always going even further, more, doing more things. I was always going even further, more, doing more things. And after maybe a few years, I I just took the decision to say, okay, I can't change, nothing can happen, so I'll just live my life that way, and that's when I even, I would say put more effort in doing what I was doing because I was convinced that there was no other option for me, there was no way out, no solution.
Speaker 4:So, in search of pursuing happiness, joy, you had more drugs, more parties. How did you know about the Universal Church?
Speaker 6:I have been invited in the church by my parents Because even when I was very young, I always used to go to church. Every Sunday morning I was in the church. Then during the week I was not even at home, I was doing everything outside. And then my parents thought going to the universal church. They invited me, but because I was so attached to the life that I had, to the world, I was in and out the church, so I used to come maybe once a day a month.
Speaker 6:Then the sacrifice at this moment I thought that the sacrifice was too big because the life that I had, the person that I was, was completely different than the person that God wanted me to be. So I just could not be committed to my faith. So I've been invited again, but this time to the youth group, and I came to an event and what I saw at this time was something that I have never seen before, not even in parties or with no one Cause I saw like a lot of young people like me that were happy, that were having fun without no alcohol, without smoking, and that's something that I could not even imagine, because for me, fun was, you thought, to be happy you had to have alcohol, you needed to have vapors, cigarettes, you had to be vaping, drinking, partying, and then in the church you saw that people were happy without all this.
Speaker 4:Yes, completely. Benjamin, a question how was your love life before? Because if you have this, nightlife parties, drinking, so you had a lot of relationships as well.
Speaker 6:Yes, bishop, unfortunately I did, because I also thought that being with girls because when I was younger I was doing all these things then I thought, okay, maybe what I need now is girls. So I went full force in trying to be with girls. I was always at a different girl, spending all the money that I had on girls, trying to do everything, because I thought that was the solution and that was not. And in the other, in the contrary, that was really something that was putting my life down because it was only failure in my love life and it was only problems that was bringing to myself and to the other person.
Speaker 4:Once you gave your life to Jesus. Tell us now about your. We have this empty sanctuary, empty church, like many people go in and go out and they are just like. There is no difference between a person and the church. They are just empty church. Benjamin, tell me about your experience with God, the power of God and your experience with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 6:Everything really started to change when I decided to take my faith seriously.
Speaker 6:It was with the help of the fast of Daniel, because even when I was starting to come to the church, I didn't want to let go of the life that I had, of the friends, of the thing that I was watching online, everything that was part of who I was.
Speaker 6:I didn't want to let go and I failed so many times. But once I started, we had a fast of Daniel and I really took this opportunity to really be more involved in my faith. And that's where I had the strength to let go of my past, of my friends, of the bad habits of the group that I was in, of this type of life, and I really started to listen more to the voice of God, to read the Bible, to meditate, to be more involved in the church, and my life completely changed. I have been free from all the addictions. I didn't feel the need to drink, to smoke, to be outside, to be who I was, and the more I was involved in my faith, in my relationship with God, I saw all these changes inside of me and then my family also started to notice and everything in my life started to change and to become, I would say, not normal, but even better than normal.
Speaker 4:You said not normal, but better than normal. So what has God done for you, Benjamin?
Speaker 6:The first thing is, after I've been delivered from everything, I was more involved in my faith. My family has been restored. I received the Holy Spirit. I find a wife that I married in the church, which is something that I would never imagine. Because of the way my love life started, I never thought that I would be able to be blessed in a marriage.
Speaker 6:And also, once I received the Holy Spirit, I really understood the importance of helping other people that are going to the same situation that I was. So I really put myself to help people around me, and something that God really showed me and that is very powerful to me is that the same person that used to call my parents I used to call my mom to tell her where they saw me, what I was doing, that I was not a good person. Now it's the same person that called me to tell me can you invite my son to the church, can you pray for my son, can you give him advices? And this really shows me the way God changed me, because I'm now a completely different person.
Speaker 4:How old are you, Benjamin?
Speaker 6:I'm almost 31. Sorry, almost 31 years old. How long have you been married? For Almost three years.
Speaker 4:So you are married, you are baptized with the Holy Spirit? Tell me the truth. We are live right now. I just want you to be honest. Do you miss that life drinking, smoking, vaping, partying?
Speaker 6:no, not at all, are you sure?
Speaker 4:Benjamin, are you sure? Look at me, are you sure?
Speaker 6:yes, I'm completely sure I don't miss that life, because now I see the difference. And also something that I see is some person that I started with when sometimes I they told me about their situation. I really see how my life would be if I didn't take the decision to follow God and if God didn't rescue me for where I was.
Speaker 4:That's right. Well, friends, this is the naked truth. As I always say, this is the word of God. Jesus said in the world, you will have tribulation. Benjamin had these tribulations in the world Party, drink, smoke, vaping but the Lord Jesus said be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. You can overcome your flesh, you can overcome parties. You can overcome this complex of inferiority, you can overcome this anger. You can overcome the entire world. We are going to seek the Holy Spirit right now, as we are doing the 21 days program. We are live right now. It's live Whether you are watching me on TV or any other platform. Right now we are live. After this commercial, we are going to be back together with you, just to seek the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:The church chairs. They're present every day, participating in all the services, hears all the preaching, receives all the prayers, but they have one problem they don't move, they don't do anything, they do not take action. They're just there and when Jesus returns they will stay behind. Dear friends, may I give you some advice? Don't be one more chair in the church. It's time to be different. It's time to make a difference.
Speaker 4:In the name of Jesus. O Lord, you said in the world you will have tribulations. We don't need to leave our house and go to the clubs, big suburbs, big apples, to know what is happening there. Benjamin came from there. The prodigal son tasted the world, but also the bad smell of the pigs. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, tasted the same thing. Benjamin tasted the world.
Speaker 4:Oh my lord, I don't understand how people miss this world. It is fake, it is disgusting how people miss this world. It is fake, it is disgusting, it is filthy, it is completely fake, full of illusions. Oh Lord, I thank you because by the prayers of his parents he came to you and now he is a man of God filled with your spirit. But how many youth seniors they go out.
Speaker 4:What is very interesting is that the content of the story, the testimony, changes, but at the end they are all the same. We had a testimony of Serena, who was in church and clubbing, mrs Melinda and many others that were having this double life, drinking from the vomit of the devil, the vomit of Satan. As the psalmist said, I prefer to be a doorkeeper, just somebody keeping the door of the temple, than to be thousand years elsewhere in the world, because the world is in shambles, in tears, in shame, crumbling down my father. We pray right now for this person that is on the fence and we know that, those who are seated on the fence, they are on the other side, the side of the devil, because the defense belongs to Satan. Oh God Almighty, bless those who have decided to be baptized in water, not to go through the water, but to bury their past, their old lives. Oh God, almighty, how many people are going out right now? Right now, the parties, the clubs are full, those loud hot beats, and the people are there drinking half-naked, giving themselves into prostitution, giving themselves into this miserable life, and tomorrow they regret, they vomit, vomit. They will be hang over, they will be dizzy, regretting and empty, trying to do it again and again. Oh, lord, the best place to be is your altar, is your kingdom, is your place, because the whole world is Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, holy Spirit, take this person's cravings away, this person that cannot be in the house, cannot breathe in the house, this person who says I have to go out, she needs, she feels, he feels the need of going out. And many lose their lives, many are beaten, abused, end up in prison only to cry themselves to death.
Speaker 4:Lord Jesus, enter this person's life right now. You said be of good cheer. I have overcome the whole world. You can overcome right now this depression, this insomnia. You can, my father, make this person happy To accomplish their dreams. This person that have this incomplete life, half life, this person feel so lonely, alone Right now. This person feels that she has been despised, angry. Oh Jesus, enter this life right now that she has been despised, angry. Oh Jesus, empty this life right now. Bring your happiness, bring your spirit, the spirit of happiness you have done for so many testimonies we show here always. Empty this life, oh, my friends, seek the Lord over there. Yes, make this place your bedroom, living room. Make this place to be your sanctuary, as I am in the sanctuary of the church Over there, in jail, in prison.
Speaker 4:Make this place to be your sanctuary. Talk to God. Make this place to be your sanctuary. Talk to God, thank you, the presence of God abides in you. He said Abide in me and I shall abide in you. Over there, my friend, nobody believes in you, jesus does. I do so. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Shine like the sun at noon. No one can block off skate the sun of noon. Nobody believes in you, jesus does I do. Receive now his presence. Receive, oh yes, receive his spirit. In this dark room, you are alone. The spirit of God. He gives you all that you need the presence of God, hallelujah, oh yes, you are going to sleep peacefully and you are going to be revived because the Lord is with you.
Speaker 3:I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you, lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, lord, I need you Lord.
Speaker 2:Sing with me.
Speaker 3:I need you more.
Speaker 1:More than yesterday, I need you, lord.
Speaker 3:More than words can say. I need you more Than ever before. I need you, lord. I need you, lord, more than the air I breathe, more than the song I sing, more than the next heartbeat. Yes, lord, more than the next heartbeat, yes, lord, more than anything. And, lord, as time goes by, I'll be by your side, cause I never wanna go back To my old life. I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you more, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, lord. I need you, lord, more than the air I breathe, the song I sing, more than the next heartbeat, more than anything, lord, as time goes by, I'll be by your side, cause I never want to go back to my old life. I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you more, more than words can say. I need you more Than ever before. I need you, lord.
Speaker 4:I need you, lord, amen. So if you need more, the 21 days are here and we are preparing ourselves also to open our church Pastor Eden, over there in Indiana.
Speaker 5:Yes, bishop, in Indiana, in the city of Indianapolis, and those who want to contact us here, we have a phone number. They can call us at 463-240-0595. 463-240-0595. No-transcript. Any house visit, hospital visit, counseling will be available at all times.
Speaker 4:Thank you very much. So, Benjamin, a new life.
Speaker 6:Yes, completely, bishop, new life.
Speaker 4:New life and you are in the state of Florida, right.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 4:You know the address of the church over there.
Speaker 6:I mean the branch of Miami Shores is 10275 Northeast 2nd Avenue, miami Shores and the headquarter in Lauderdale, fort Lauderdale.
Speaker 4:All right, we see now the picture of yourself, your wife. You are no longer this humanizer going out to parties. You are now a married man and serving the Lord right.
Speaker 6:Yes, sir Bishop.
Speaker 4:Okay, god bless you, benjamin. Thank you very much. God bless you, benjamin. Thank you very much, god bless. Bye, bye. The universal church is a non-stop ministry. We are all over. He found Jesus over there, in Paris, in France. From France he came to Florida. He is there serving the Lord. So the universal church is all over the globe, non-stop ministry. In this world. You have tribulations, troubles, but he said be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, all right, we are going to be back next week. Good tear, I have overcome the world, alright. We are going to be back next week with one more episode of the fast of Daniel, the 21 day programs. Alright, prepare yourself for this Sunday where we are going to be in the house of God. I used to say the service starts Saturday night when you go to bed early, you prepare yourself and you go to sleep early to rest, so that Sunday morning you can be in church, in this place, here, giving the best of yourself for the Lord. May the god of the bible bless all of you.
Speaker 3:Have a good one I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you, lord, more than words can say. I need you more Than ever before. I need you, lord, I need you, lord, I need you Lord.
Speaker 6:Sing with me.
Speaker 3:I need you, lord, more than yesterday. I need you, lord Today. I need you, lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, lord. I need you, lord, more than the air. I breathe, more than the song I sing, more than the next time I breathe. Yes, lord, more than anything. Lord, this time goes by, I'll be by your side.