TRIBUTE TO MY BEST FRIEND, JOSIAS ALVES DE GOUVÊA By Josimar Salum Gouvêa

TRIBUTE TO MY BEST FRIEND, JOSIAS ALVES DE GOUVÊA

By Josimar Salum Gouvêa

My heavenly Father, 12:07 in the morning!

The phone is ringing ... I woke up!  The thought filled my being!  My best friend is gone!

Got it!  My brother's voice on the other side!

 "Dad passed away!"

 My God!  My best friend is really gone!

 I always knew this could happen.  It happens to all families.

 "If Jesus were here, my brother would not have died," said Lazarus' sister.

 My Jesus was there with him and my father died.  Even with Jesus, afflictions happen, pains hurt, tribulations affect us, loved ones die, with Jesus on the boat it is not always going well.  At least as we see it.

 “Lift up your heads, O gates;  Arise, O eternal gates, and the King of Glory will come in.  Who is this King of Glory?  The strong and powerful Lord, the powerful Lord in war.  Lift up your heads, O gates;  Arise, O eternal gates, and the King of Glory will come in.  Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord of hosts;  He is the King of Glory. ”  Psalm 24: 7-10

 The King of Glory was resurrected and entered the eternal gates with a beloved son.  My father dressed in exquisite glory, what an absolutely majestic sight, King Jesus and him, in the eternal entrances.

 Today, tonight, a king, a nobleman, a man of great value, fell.  And I see him smiling, laughing, giving glory to his King.

 “Leny, I am seeing Jesus!  Jesus is here!  You want to go with me?  I will, Leny!  Leny is my mother.

 And he went in the serenity of the night, in the silence of men, among the Hallelujahs and with our Father's angels.

 What I remember most now is to see him kneeling in the temple of men, on the first bench and I was a child, kneeling with him, with my small hands on my face, and he is praying, praying, praying ...

 My God, it seems that this was early in the morning, before dawn ... He called me to go to pray and there we knelt to seek the King of the universe.  A boy in short shorts, a thin cloth condom, beside the praying man of God.

 I didn't know anyone like my father ... Of course men sin, but if I said that he seemed to have no sin, would you be offended?

 I remember now, when I was little, he running from me until he let me grab him, Josley and I, overtake him, no matter what others thought.

This is a happy child's play, with the father, a festival of joy.  Hunting, fishing, walking in the fields.

 My God, I enjoyed this man until the last moments.  At dinners, in the most blessed places, I enjoyed his friendship.  And sometimes, irritated, we would argue, he too, and then calm would calm my heart.

 I remember traveling with him by car, by plane, everywhere, for the meetings of the Church and the days of transformation in Brazil and in the United States.

 A little while ago, at least a month ago, he was there in the church listening to me preach and to my surprise while speaking he looked at my mother and gave a “tinkle” with his finger, approving the preaching.  You have no idea, that gesture was the greatest, the top, the most tremendous compliment I could have ever had.

 "You are a man of God, my son," he said.  There is no price in the world to compensate for this!

 It seems little what happened, but it was not.  This best friend of mine filled my life from end to end, filled everything, spoke words of wisdom and knowledge, shared the most valuable advice, I am a real man, I humbly think so, because of him.

 Josiah, my king Josiah, your name will always be the Name of God.  "The Lord has healed ..." is the eternal proclamation of your life, your love, your friendship, your prophetic voice.

 “If we hope in Christ only in this life, we are the most miserable of all men.  But now, Christ has risen from the dead and the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep have been made.

 For just as everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be made alive in Christ.

 But each by his command: Christ, the firstfruits;  then, those who are Christ's, at his coming.

 Then the end will come, when he has given the Kingdom over to God, to the Father, and when he has annihilated all empire and all power and strength.

 Because he should reign until he has put all enemies under his feet.

 Now, the last enemy to be annihilated is death.

 Because all things got under his feet.

 But when he says that all things are subject to him, it is clear that he is the one who subjected all things.

 And when all things are subject to him, then the same Son will also be subject to him who has subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all. ”  1 Corinthians 15: 19-20, 22-28

 Josias, my father, my friend, the night got colder, the darkness got dense, the sadness is very great, but the day is already dawning, the sun is already rising.

 Yes, each in his order: Christ, the firstfruits;  then, those who belong to Christ, the Lord, you, me, all of us at his coming.

 #ASONE