Soul Food
Soul Food
From Earth to Heaven
Can a life marred by abuse, addiction, and despair truly be transformed by faith? In this powerful episode of Soul Food, Bishops Joshua and Carlos explore the profound transformation that occurs when one receives the Spirit of God, distinguishing between the children of God and the children of the world. Through the metaphor of oil rising above water, they illustrate how the Holy Spirit elevates individuals above earthly troubles, exemplified by the moving testimony of our guest, Vivian. Her journey from a troubled past to a life filled with divine purpose offers a poignant example of how embodying God's nature can bring about radical change.
Vivian's harrowing story begins with the trauma of growing up in an abusive household, facing bullying, and struggling with self-harm and alcoholism. Despite her initial skepticism about church, her perseverance led her to a profound spiritual awakening. Through a 21-day fast and dedicated prayer, Vivian found a deep, personal relationship with God, leading to a noticeable transformation in her life. Her testimony not only highlights the devastating impact of trauma but also showcases the unwavering hope and renewal that faith can bring. Tune in to witness the incredible uplifting power of God's Spirit in overcoming life's darkest moments.
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. Give the food that lasts forever.
Speaker 2:Here on the Soul Food Podcast. Hi there. May the God of the Bible, the only God that we believe that exists, the God of the Bible, bless your life. Because when we read the Bible, we know or we drink from the Spirit of God. When we read a book, we drink from the Spirit of the writer, the one who wrote that book. He passed to the book his spirit. And when we read the Bible, the word of God, we get to know God, because the Bible is God's mind and once you know him, you have the mind, the mentality of Christ.
Speaker 2:Together with me I have Bishop Carlos, and we are talking about Bishop Carlos, the children of the world and also the children of God. The scripture says that there will be a difference between the righteous and the wicked. We can also read like this a difference of the children of light and the children of darkness, the children of God and the children of the world. And once a person receives God's spirit, this person becomes like God. You have two children. I was about to say two kids. They are no longer kids.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:You have two adults, okay. So there is no way to say that they are not your children, because when we look at your son and your daughter, they resemble you and resemble your wife, miss Sueli. They have these face features, they talk like when you see your children, they just look like you or the mother. Once a person has the spirit of God, you don't need to force yourself to say that you are a child of God or that you belong to Him. People see it through your behavior, through your speech, your language, your vocabulary. They are the ones that come to you and ask are you a child of God? Or, as they say, are you a Christian? Because they can Christian, because they can tell, they can see the difference. So when a person has the Spirit of God, he becomes the real child of God indeed those who live in this world.
Speaker 3:they, they carry the spirit of this world, which, which is evil, is corrupt. When a person receives the Holy Spirit, then automatically she or he receives God's nature inside of you, and that's what gives the person who receives him the ability, the power to live in accordance with what the Word of God teaches us and those who look at him or look at her. Though a person doesn't carry written in her forehead that he or she is a vanguard, written in her forehead that he or she is of God, but the way the person behaves, the fruit the person bears in her life, shows that he is a person of God.
Speaker 2:The scripture says he who comes from above, he who comes from above is above all, above all. Well, above all what? Above all problems, above depression, above pain, above all problems, he who comes from above is above all problems. He who comes from above is above he who is of the earth. We can also read he who is of the world, the earth, the world is earthly or worldly, and speak of the earth. That's why we see Bishop Carlos a person that has these negativities in his mouth, that has a filthy mouth, that gossip, that only speaks about the earthly things, because a person is in a spiritually speaking, is in a lower level. It's like when a person is empty, what do they do? They scream, they shout. It's like the empty barrel that makes noise. A person that is in a lower level, as it says, speaks of the earth or the earthly things.
Speaker 3:There is no way in which a person who lives in a lower level vision has communion with the one who is above. It's impossible to have. That comes the importance of the person to have the Holy Spirit, then to be above as well, though physically speaking we are still in this world, we are surrounded by the environment of this world. However, because a person has the Spirit of God, has the spirit of God, her kingdom let's say like this is above the one of here on the earth he who comes from heaven is above all.
Speaker 2:He says it twice, it is written here he who comes from heaven is above all. And then you say but I did not come from heaven, I have never been there, I don't know how heaven looks like. Well, when you receive the Spirit of God, you go above. It's like if I pour some oil in this water, the oil that symbolizes the Holy Spirit will always be above. And once you have the Spirit of God, you are above all. Look at me here, please. You are above all. You are above all things, above your financial problems, above your family problems, above the diseases. You are above all. It seems like you have many problems all around you, but you are above all.
Speaker 2:Well, I have here with me Vivian. She was of the earth, she was doing earthly things Remember I said earth Also, you can read of the world that she is. And Vivian, now she is above because she received a new spirit. Hi, vivian, how are you Good, bishop, how are you Good? So, vivian, let us first talk about your first phase, like your life, born from your mother, your father, your parents, family, and you are of the earth. Let us talk about the old you. Let us go back in time. How was that vivia of the earth or of the world?
Speaker 4:It was horrible. I came from an abusive family. I used to get beaten by my father and it was heartbreaking because I was the only girl and seeing that my father beat me and my mother and, you know, my brothers every night was terror for me. I was afraid to sleep because I was afraid he was going to come in our room and beat us and I used to have very horrible nightmares where I would feel like someone's holding me down and I couldn't wake up. It was very heartbreaking. As the days goes on, it was just. Every day for me was terror. And it didn't help that I got bullied in school and you know there was times that I go to school with bruises because I was beaten by him and just because he was an alcoholic. It was just, it was horrible.
Speaker 2:Just because he was an alcoholic. It was just horrible. Anisor, you said the only girl, the only child, or there were boys.
Speaker 4:No, no, I was the baby of the family. I had two older brothers.
Speaker 2:Older brothers. You were the baby, the girl, and you were beaten. I did not understand that. Beaten for what was the reason?
Speaker 4:Just because my father was an alcoholic. He would come home drunk and he just wanted to beat us for no apparent reason. It was everything from throwing bottles at us, the stools, the furniture and everything that was in his sight. He would just throw it at us just because he was in his right mind. So it was a horrible experience. I had bruises. I have a scar on my knee. There was a time where I dodged a hairspray can and it hit my mom and it cut her real bad in her knee. So it was really traumatizing for me as a child, seeing that and going through that every single day.
Speaker 2:And you said you started suffering bullies.
Speaker 4:For what? In high school I was the quiet girl. I never talked to nobody. They used to make fun of my skin just for no reason. I used to get pushed around, thrown places and as a child well, as a teenager growing up, I thought it was okay. I was like, as long as I'm not doing nothing back to them, I'll just take it. But my parents never knew. I would come home crying and I would just go straight to my room. I wasn't social. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I was very quiet and depressed every day.
Speaker 2:So you then, usually the teens. When they suffer bullying, they run home to their parents, like to a girl, to the father, to the mother, for protection. But you were beaten at your house, your home, so not being protected by the parents. Your mother was suffering. Where or how did you try to escape or to fill that?
Speaker 4:void. Well, it started off by me, uh, cutting my arms. I would just cut my arms just because I just didn't want to feel the pain anymore. I just wanted to feel a different kind of pain. So I I had to cut my arms. I would sneak out the house just to leave, because I just didn't feel comfortable in my own home, just did not want to be there. I used to run away. There was a point in time where I ran away for a whole week from my house and my parents didn't know where to find me because I didn't want to be there anymore. It was just somewhere.
Speaker 2:I just I just couldn't have peace in my own home at all. So no peace in your own home, uh, no. Peace at school, no, and uh, what did you do like? Did you go to drugs or to parties or alcoholism? What did you try?
Speaker 4:um, I never tried drugs, but I did get into alcoholism, like my father. So I would sneak around, sneak out my house, hang around with the wrong people, go to parties, anything I can, just to get out of the environment. I was in because I just couldn't be there anymore. I wanted to be with my friends. I felt like I had more peace being with my friends and around alcohol, being up all hours of the night. At that time I thought you know, that's what I want to do. I would rather be there than at my own home suffering.
Speaker 2:So you became your father. What you hated to see him drinking, coming home drunk, breaking everything, beating your mom, your siblings, yourself. Now you found yourself doing the same.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes, and I had a car at the time. So there was times that I would sneak out and just drive all night. I wouldn't know where I was going, but I was driving. I would find somewhere to go or someone's house to go to. I just didn't want to be where I was at, I just would drive. And there was one point in time I drove a whole hour away from my home. I just didn't want to be anywhere in that area so your voice.
Speaker 2:You were empty inside now. Besides, now you became your father drinking, even driving under the influence. What was Vivian? The lowest point of your life.
Speaker 4:I was driving under the influence, I was very drunk and I was driving and I just made a decision that one night, like what am I alive for? What am I doing? I don't want to be alive. So I tried to get in an accident. I almost did, but I made it home somehow, some way. But I wanted to die. That very night I just wanted to crash the car and just kill myself. So that was my lowest point.
Speaker 2:So you tried suicide. So, my friends, this is what is written in the Word he who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth or of the world, as Vivian was. She was of the world doing what her father was doing she was drinking. She was there with her friends partying, but the reality was she was empty void. And to fill that hole she has empty void, and to fill that hole she has inside, she started drinking. Maybe you were there searching for something to watch.
Speaker 2:Because you are empty, because you are void, you have found this message, this program, and I want you to understand. You are going to be going back and forth looking in people and things. You are going to exchange girlfriends, boyfriends, you are going to drink, you are going to party, you are going to do drugs. Others are in and out of jail, prison, but you are still empty. Until you find Jesus and you receive his spirit, then you leave the world and you are going to be above. He who comes from heaven is above all. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you are like the oil upon the water.
Speaker 5:You are above all. Heaven is waiting for the mention of the name. The spirit is moving, burning like a flame, healing the broken by the one we proclaim.
Speaker 6:Raise it up, fill the sky.
Speaker 5:Chains will fall, mountains move, we lift.
Speaker 6:Him high. Speak the name, the name above all other names. Speak the name, the name above all other names. Speak the name, the name, the wind and waves. Obey All of heaven's coming down. Fill the earth with the song of the name, the name of Jesus. Gather all who wander, hostages of shame. Miracles unfolding At the mention of your name. Now darkness is fleeing mercy writing down Healing waters flowing as our lips make the sound. Raise it up. Fill the sky. Chains will fall, mountains move. We lift him high. Speak the name, the name above all other names. Speak the name, the name, the name, the wind and waves. Obey All the heavens. Come and come. Fill the earth with the sound of the name.
Speaker 5:The name of Jesus. Speak the name. Speak the name, the name of Jesus.
Speaker 2:Everybody wants to subdue the problems, everybody wants to overcome problems, but there is only one way to be, above all, when you come from heaven, when you receive what comes from heaven, that is the holy spirit. We saw, uh, the story of, uh vivian. She's going to tell us the transformation after receiving the holy spirit. But we see, since a little girl, she suffered a lot.
Speaker 3:One problem leads to another problem and she tried to overcome, to break free from the situation she was going through. It never happened, never worked. She ended up trying to kill herself. But when the spirit of God, as you said, Bishop, enters our life, a person's life, then she's taken up into heaven. She overcomes any type of situation that she's been going through.
Speaker 2:So, vivian, tell us your journey of faith, how you found Jesus and your experience with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 4:Yes. So I found out through a friend about the church and at the time I was, I thought it was a joke. They said to go to church and seek God, and I was. I wasn't really a church person so I thought I thought it was a joke. So I didn't go. The first couple of invitations they told me, and then after a while I just been in the first couple of invitations they told me and then after a while I just been in the back of my mind that I should go, I should go. Something was telling me I should go and I went and I was amazed just by the first time that I went. I've never been to a church like this before and my eyes just really started opening up from there and I. There used to be times where I would go to the church under the influence because I just I was just so lost in the world I didn't even know who I was anymore. I'm listening, I'm listening to the word, but I wasn't practicing anything in my life.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, vivian, by the way, this is our message. We always say come as you are. You are saying that you came under the influence. You mean you, you drank and you came to church. Yes, so I guess you do not understand the service. I guess that the pastor was speaking. When we speak to a drunk person, they don't hear, they don't understand anything. So that's what we say come as you are. If you are of the earth, you drink, you party you are watching me right now Say I have to change to go to church. I am messed up. I'm tell you come as you are. Even if you are messed up, come as you are. You don't need to change to come, you need to come to change. So, though you came under the influence, you kept coming to church. What happened?
Speaker 4:well, I started coming more and more, and the more that I came, the more I started to realize how my life was just wrong. Everything that I did or was doing at the time was just wrong. Everything just started making sense little by little. I may have not understood it at first, but the more I was trying to change my life, things were getting really hard. There was more fights than usual as the more I was trying to change and I knew that something good was going to come out of it, because there would be no way that all these bad things are happening all at once if something good wasn't going to come out of it. But slowly, little by little, it did change. Things started changing little by little. It did change. Things started changing little by little.
Speaker 4:I didn't want to be near the alcohol. As I progressed in my faith, I started reading the Bible more and thinking back. I would have never done that before. I just never was that person to have a Bible, read a Bible, know anything about God. I was just so confused and lost at the time I just didn't want to have anything. I felt like God forgot about God. I was just so confused and lost at the time. I just didn't want to have anything.
Speaker 2:I felt like God forgot about me. You got free from alcohol, yes, and what did God do in your life? Tell us about the miracles. You are telling about deliverance. What else has God done?
Speaker 4:in your life. Well, as far as my spiritual life, my spiritual life did get stronger. I started seeking God more. I really wanted to know who he was Instead of just hearing about Him. I actually wanted to have a true experience with God, just one-on-one, and I received that, especially during the 21-day fast. I really seeked Him and I got to know Him more and more and I started reading his word more. I separated myself from social media, from the secular music, everything that didn't have to do with God. I separated the friends, the wrong conversations, everything that wasn't about God I let go. I separated myself for the 21 days I started seeking. I started going to my closet by myself for the 21 days I started seeking. I started going to my closet by myself, just seeking, just really truly seeking. I made a prayer corner on my wall in my closet of prayer requests, bible verses, and that was the first time that I've done something like that and I started seeing the change.
Speaker 2:You made your closet your church. Yes, you said you had prayer. You made your closet your church. Yes. You said you had prayer requests. You had your Bible. You were going to the corner.
Speaker 4:Yes yes, and I would just seek more every day, every minute. I just wanted to seek and talk to God and just have that one-on-one experience with Him, and never done that before and I've done it and it was truly a life-changing experience for me so you who are listening to us over the radio, computer phone, let me tell you something.
Speaker 2:Moses went to the desert, the wilderness. So was Abraham, john Baptists, john who received the revelation, all of them. They went to the wilderness. Why? No destruction, no destruction. Imagine if you are in a busy area, busy place. Somebody is talking to you, but you cannot hear because of the noise. But when you are alone, god can speak to you. You cannot hear because of the noise, but when you are alone, god can speak to you. Nobody else. You are not going to hear two, three voices, but you are going to hear the voice of god. So vivi will say you had your, you did the 21 days and you have your experience with God. Who is Vivian today?
Speaker 4:Full of the Holy Spirit. I can say for sure I'm not the same person who I used to be. My family's noticed, Everyone around me has noticed the change that I've went through, that I am who I am today. I see things differently. I use my faith more. I pray more. I do my purposes more. Everything is more about God than ever before.
Speaker 2:And that was the result of your life. Now, because you were abused, you didn't have a solid family. Do you have a family now? What has God done?
Speaker 4:for you. So I did get married and I used to suffer with health problems where I couldn't have children before I was told by the doctors that I would never have children, and God has delivered me from that health issue where now I have three beautiful girls. So that was one of the one of the amazing things that I've seen God do in my life was a family, which I never had. I never had a true loving family as I do now, and I'm just so blessed and thankful that I have a family now.
Speaker 2:So what you did not have, god has given to you. You are free from alcohol, you received the Holy Spirit, so you are now above all, yes, yes, bishop, I am this.
Speaker 4:Everything's great. I, my family is blessed, we are great um we have. Our finances have been blessed, our family is is great, our kids are great. Everything is just going so well amen.
Speaker 2:So we are going now to pray for you to be, above all, to receive the Spirit of God. So listen, regardless of who you are or whatever you have done in life, god is not like a man. A man is always talking about your past, accusing you for the past. Well, vivian now is a different person. Remember that she was trying to provoke an accident, drinking, driving, trying to kill herself. She could have killed somebody else as we visit people in prison that were under the influence and indeed killed somebody.
Speaker 2:But God, when she came here to the church, under the influence, in God's house, he did not expel her. She was not kicked out of the universal church by the pastors, the assistants. No, when we say, come as you are, it's for real, it's a real deal. She came and the Lord did not point his finger to her. He did accept her with the open arms. And now you see Vivian a different person, different person. It's not not fake, it's real. God can change your life as well. You are never loved by your own father, your mother, you never had a solid family. That's why you are empty and you are trying to fill this void by alcohol, by drugs parties. It's just pure illusion the whole world is filthy, is destroyed, is collapsing.
Speaker 1:You need to be from above, receiving the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:Join us in a moment of prayer with Bishop Joshua. We pray that your Holy, the father, the mother, unstable family, and because of that, this person suffers bullying. People mock him, mock her. Now, this person has this complex. This person feels inferior to others, inferior because of his past, because of her past, and they think they will never be somebody in life, will never be loved, and that's why they give themselves to parties.
Speaker 2:This person is now addicted to social media. He needs, she needs people's remarks, comments when they have likes on their posts, pictures. They want to feel good just browsing many sites on the internet, watching people's videos, pictures, to feed the void the time. But once the life goes off, the battery dies. Disperser dies inside as well. Oh, my father, oh my lord, there is disperser. Pray with me in the hospital alone for some reason, and that you are the reason and that you are the reason. You, my father, brought this person to this channel, to this platform, to find us, to pray. There is this person in prison right now, in jail.
Speaker 2:Oh, spirit of God, enter this life, because you see no color, no race, race, no background. You see only the soul. So, holy almighty spirit, enter the soul of this person and let this person be transformed. You did for Vivian. She's not lucky, she's blessed. You chose her. It's not by chance, coincidence, no Lord, and you chose this person out there to watch this video, to pray with us, those who are like in their closet in a basement right now this person is the only one in this family pray. Others are sleeping or busy, but this person is there. Oh lord, enter this life, remove every piece of the world from their heart. Take this person to be above, because you said that those who are from above is above all. So give the spirit of above, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit of God. So receive light, receive, oh yes, the presence of God. So receive light, receive, oh yes, the presence of God. Over there, you may raise your hands, have your moment with the Lord. You and Jesus go ahead.
Speaker 6:I love you.
Speaker 2:Piano music receive peace, peace to sleep like a baby, peace inside of you and with this peace, all the other things fall into place. All the other things fall into place. All the other things fall into place. Don't worry about your problems. Don't worry about your situation, accusations, condemnations, conflicts, what people say, traumas of the past. Just receive peace, the peace of god. Breathe now, receive the breath of life, open your eyes. Gold and silver I do not have. I do not have gold or silver to share with you, but what I have have, I give it to you. Receive the peace of God, the breath of life.
Speaker 6:Breathe now In and out, unless you can't keep you may His face shine upon you, be precious to you, you, you need me, lord, bless you and keep you. Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you. Be gracious to you, lord, have peace. Gracious to you, lord, at ease Faith's for you, and here we say Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. Only those who believe to shout and say Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. The Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon and be gracious to you. Lord, turn this. Come and be gracious to you. Lord, turn your peace.
Speaker 2:If the people inside of prison are receiving the Holy Spirit, you are free physically. You can come to one of our churches and be free spiritually and receive the Holy Spirit. If you want to die to the world, die to your old life, you don't need to commit suicide. Some people are suicidal, as Vivian was. So if you want to lose your life, lose your life on the altar. Come to the altar. Give your life to Jesus, get baptized in water. Tell a friend of yours about this program, which will empower you. May the God of the Bible bless all of you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to soul food.
Speaker 5:Stay tuned tomorrow for more Outro.
Speaker 1:Music.