{"id":351240,"date":"2026-04-20T07:10:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/?p=351240"},"modified":"2026-04-23T17:16:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:16:03","slug":"born-for-the-altar-the-world-and-the-flood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/post\/born-for-the-altar-the-world-and-the-flood\/","title":{"rendered":"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"border-left: 7px solid #365b81; height: 25%; padding: 21px;\"><big>During 2026\u2019s <strong>Easter weekend<\/strong>, youths from all across the country came together for an impactful <strong>three-day conference<\/strong> with <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/birafonseca.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bishop Bira Joshua<\/a><\/span>, where they explored the true meaning and importance of <strong>\u201cGo.\u201d<\/strong> During the event, attendees were challenged with a vital question: How can you desire to <strong>serve God<\/strong> while still craving the things of the world? Many were encouraged to reflect on areas where they rely too much on what they have, who they are, or what they want to become.<\/big><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Called With a Purpose<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Using <strong>Noah<\/strong> as an example, Bishop Joshua reminded everyone that <strong>God calls each of us with a specific plan<\/strong>, just as He called Noah to build the Ark (Genesis 6).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #f2f8fc;\">\u201cBe the leader of the plan that God has for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-351246 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.00-PM.png\" alt=\"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood\" width=\"808\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.00-PM.png 808w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.00-PM-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.00-PM-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.00-PM-318x202.png 318w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 808px) 100vw, 808px\" \/><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Ready to Go<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-351248 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.14-PM-300x191.png\" alt=\"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood\" width=\"232\" height=\"148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.14-PM-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.14-PM-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.14-PM-318x203.png 318w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.14-PM.png 808w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><\/h4>\n<p>No matter <strong>where God sends you<\/strong>\u2014by sea, air, or land\u2014you must be <strong>ready to go and save souls<\/strong>. In the Bible, one son initially refused but later went, while the other agreed but never went (Matthew 21:28-32). The youths were taught to be neither; instead, they should <strong>always be proactive and ready to obey God&#8217;s calling<\/strong>.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Set Apart for the Mission<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-351247 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.29-PM-300x152.png\" alt=\"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood\" width=\"276\" height=\"140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.29-PM-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.29-PM-768x390.png 768w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.29-PM-318x161.png 318w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.29-PM.png 808w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 276px) 100vw, 276px\" \/><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The conference also emphasized the importance of <strong>setting oneself apart to fully walk in God\u2019s purpose<\/strong>. Otherwise, it becomes difficult for God to use them in this generation for the <strong>mission of saving souls<\/strong>.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>God First<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-351250 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.56.45-PM.png\" alt=\"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood\" width=\"142\" height=\"140\" \/><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Attendees learned that you <strong>cannot serve two masters<\/strong>, and often, your second master is your own desires as you chase after what your heart wants. Above all, God must always come first in your life.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Guard Your Mind and Heart<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h4><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-351249 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.57.13-PM-300x219.png\" alt=\"Born for the Altar: The World and the Flood\" width=\"238\" height=\"174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.57.13-PM-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.57.13-PM-318x232.png 318w, https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-3.57.13-PM.png 408w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 238px) 100vw, 238px\" \/><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Be mindful of the music you listen to<\/strong>, as it significantly impacts your life. The music industry can craft songs that sound appealing while conveying deeper messages. As Bishop Joshua emphasized, what you listen to <strong>influences your thoughts and spiritual direction<\/strong>. It is essential to be mindful of your playlist and pay attention not only to the sound but also to<strong> the message behind it<\/strong>.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Learn More<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If you or a family member or friend would like to learn more about the <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/category\/ypg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Youth Power Group (YPG)<\/a><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">,<\/span> attend its next community event, or provide support, please visit one of the locations of <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/locations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Universal Church (click here)<\/a><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and speak to the pastor. You may also call <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"tel:18883324141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1-888-332-4141<\/a><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for more information.<\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>YPG\u2019s Social Media<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Follow <strong>YPG<\/strong> on <strong>Instagram<\/strong>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ypg.usa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@ypg.usa<\/a> <\/span><\/span>and share with your family and friends.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; During 2026\u2019s Easter weekend, youths from all across the country came together for an impactful three-day conference with Bishop Bira Joshua, where they explored the true meaning and importance of \u201cGo.\u201d During the event, attendees were challenged with a vital question: How can you desire to serve God while still craving the things of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":248,"featured_media":351245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[323,30],"tags":[6350,80,6351],"site":[],"class_list":["post-351240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-school-of-faith","category-ypg","tag-bfa","tag-community-outreach","tag-youth-ministry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351240"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":351261,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351240\/revisions\/351261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/351245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351240"},{"taxonomy":"site","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/universalchurchusa.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/site?post=351240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}