On April 2nd, in Brooklyn, New York, Bishop Bira Joshua<\/a><\/span> began this special service with a profound prayer of repentance, surrender, and seeking the Holy Spirit<\/a><\/span>. Soon after, all read together this eye-opening Bible study: Defending Our Faith.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat is why we do the Fast of Daniel<\/a><\/span> from time to time when the Holy Spirit leads us. For us not to be filled with news and entertainment. The church is not forbidding us\u2014you are free. However, it is a way to detox your mind. It is more of God and less and less of the world,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 explained the bishop.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to defend our faith. When a doubt comes, we need to cast away this doubt\u2026 Satan whispers his thoughts, ideas, and his words. If you accept those words, it will grow inside of you and bear fruits,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 emphasized the bishop, guiding the congregation to meditate on the following scripture:<\/p>\n \u2026 be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18)<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cYou have to be filled to the point of overflowing with no space for doubts,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 highlighted the bishop.<\/p>\n When we are filled with the Spirit, our minds and hearts are filled with the truths of His Word. (Excerpt from the Wednesday study Defending Our Faith<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Doubts give birth to fear, worry, anxiety and even depression\u2014which affect our physical and spiritual health. (Excerpt from the Wednesday study Defending Our Faith<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is of utmost urgency that the believers of the Lord Jesus cast away all seeds of doubts from their minds and hearts. By setting their minds on the Word of God, they can perceive and assess all things through God\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The apostle Paul teaches Christians to have well-defined convictions: \u2018One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.\u2019 (Romans 14:5)<\/em> \u201cAlways here I say, \u2018Go in your faith!\u2019 And you don\u2019t need to ask A, B, or C\u2019s opinions because when you are in faith, you do not look at someone else\u2019s faith; you look at yourself,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 emphasized the bishop, urging those present not<\/strong> to be guided by other people\u2019s faith as well as to not<\/strong>\u00a0interfere with or criticize others.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don\u2019t argue about doubtful issues. One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him.\u2019 (Romans 14:1-3 HCSB)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Faith is personal. It is based on the Word of God, not on debates, rules or other people\u2019s opinions. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, not the opinions of others. Because of this, we must protect our ears from any words of doubt, wherever they come from. (Excerpt from the Bible study Defending Our Faith<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Bishop Joshua encouraged those present to meditate on the Bible daily, sharing a suggested Bible reading plan for April:<\/p>\n He urged the congregants to focus entirely on the Word of God and not on other people\u2019s opinions, regardless of who the person may be.<\/p>\n \u201cRead the Bible. The Word is the teacher! Satan can use the mouth of anybody, even inside of a church. Satan can use the mouth of the \u2018Peters\u2019 nowadays. We have to say, \u2018Get behind me, satan!\u2019 (Mark 8:33)<\/strong>. We must defend our faith,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 urged the bishop.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bishop Bira Joshua led the congregation in earnest prayer for the protection of their faith. All prayed to God for their faith, asking the Holy Spirit to help them protect it from all seeds of doubt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The church is\u00a0<\/span>open daily<\/a><\/span>,<\/span> and a special meeting occurs every\u00a0<\/span>Wednesday<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to strengthen our spiritual lives and seek the Holy Spirit. All are welcome regardless of religion, background, or circumstances. Come as you are.<\/span><\/p>\n Wednesday at 10 AM, 4 PM, and mainly at 7 PM at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Universal Church<\/a><\/span>. For more information on locations, please call\u00a0<\/span>1-888-332-4141<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>or text 1-888-312-4141.<\/span><\/p>\nDoubts Give Power to Evil<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Doubts are the main enemies of faith, often hindering it. Just as faith is nurtured by the Word of God and a relationship with God, doubts are fueled by worldly thoughts and information.<\/p>\nDoubt Gives Birth to Fear<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Faith Is Very Personal<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n<\/strong>To get rid of doubts, it\u2019s important not to focus on other people\u2019s faith. Each of us has our own faith and must move forward in that certainty. (Excerpt from the study)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nFaith Is Based on the Word of God<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Be Focused on the Word of God<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nPrayer for the Protection of Our Faith<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Wednesday Bible Study at The Universal Church<\/strong><\/h4>\n