The Makeover Read Online Free PDF Page A

you
mean?”  Phoenix came even closer.
    “Well, I—”
    “Just tell me
the truth!” Phoenix slapped his face.
    Cedric pushed
her hard.  “Look, I told you about that hitting mess.  I’m out of
here!”
    Phoenix grabbed
his arm.  “Don’t you walk away from me!  You’re the one who hurt
me.  How dare you walk away from me?  Stop being a punk and tell the
truth, for once.  Why did you cheat on me?  Why did you do
this?  Because of how she looked?” Phoenix was screaming again so close
that her nose bumped his.  “Tell me, you punk!”
    “Yes!” Cedric
bellowed into Phoenix’s face.  “Yes! Alright? Yes!  I got tired of
looking at your ugly, fat behind!  Happy now?”
    And as they
squared off, Satan watched, gleefully, as the events unfolded.  He was
glad that he had caused Cedric to speak such hurtful words to Phoenix. 
Frankly, he was annoyed that Cedric had taken so long to destroy what little
confidence Phoenix had left.  It was only fair that he help Cedric
along.  Surely, after Cedric had spoken those hateful words, this Phoenix,
would be pushed over the edge.  But Satan knew it would take much more
than that to destroy the girl.  Satan commanded his minions to begin their
work.  The minions surrounded Cedric and Phoenix, cackling and pointing at
Cedric’s bewildered expression and Phoenix’s glazed shock.   Upon
Satan’s command, each minion took their places within Cedric and Phoenix.
    It would not be
enough for their relationship to merely end, Satan mused.  No, he had to destroy their relationship and destroy Phoenix along with it.  This was the
most important part of his plans.  And he had to do it now because God was always lurking and interfering with his plans.
    And it was
Satan’s plan to get to Phoenix before God did.

 
    Chapter 2
     
    In the same
way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise
your heavenly Father
    (Matthew
5:16)
     
     
    Paulo saw the
girl and knew that the Lord God had placed her in his path.  The minute he
looked into her eyes, it felt as though he had known the woman his entire
life. 
    Paulo, a man
who had been walking fully with Jesus for the past ten years, had learned to
recognize the Lord’s voice.  By God’s grace, Paulo had survived the hard
truths and lessons needed to mature him in his faith.  And he was still
growing in that faith.  The Lord had trained Paulo, over the years, to use
the gifts he had received as a prayer warrior and intercessor for God’s
people.  Serving for many years in his church’s Intercessory Prayer Ministry,
he’d learned to stay in constant communication with the Lord.  As a
result, Paulo had learned to listen for the many ways the Holy Spirit of God
chose to speak to him.  He had also come to identify the Spirit’s
promptings, nudges, and violent churnings –reserved for when he had stepped
into a trap, was in the middle of a spiritual battle, or was being convicted of
sin by the Lord.  Paulo had grown to enjoy the electric tingles he felt
whenever God allowed him into His presence.  He had also learned to listen
for God in His Word, as he searched the scriptures for revelations from Him
each day. 
    Most of all,
Paulo had learned to obey God’s voice, no matter how the Spirit spoke to him.
    The moment
Paulo looked at the disheveled woman with the beautiful, sorrowful eyes, he felt
the Spirit speak His Word into his heart.  Follow Me and I will make
you fishers of men.    
    Paulo knew it
wasn’t time to start sharing tracts from his church or telling the woman about
the wonderful gift of salvation.  Paulo had learned the hard way to wait
on the Spirit to lead as he began an assignment from the Lord.  His job
was to extend kindness to the woman who looked like she wore the weight of
world on her shoulders.
    Paulo’s heart
churned as he tried to make eye contact with the woman, when he’d helped her to
her feet.  He discerned that her eyes refused to meet