Bible

February 16, 2023·Gabriela Angerami

A Faith according to the Bible

In today’s text I would like to talk about FAITH. My heart’s desire is that my confidence in God’s increases more and more so that I reach a truly mature faith, according to the truth of the Word of God. I say according to the Word of God because there are many misconceptions about what Faith is. For some it consists of any form of spirituality. Recurrently we hear someone say “he is a person of faith” simply because that person has some religion. For others, having faith is directly linked to hoping that something good will always happen, as a kind of constant optimism in relation to health, wealth and happiness. Others regard faith as something completely dissociated from reason and intellect. But how does the Bible define faith? Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews is one of the most cited when the subject is FAITH, as it lists people from the Bible who stood out for being great examples of conviction in the promises of God. This chapter is also known as the “gallery of the heroes of faith”. But before listing them, the first verses bring just a definition: Now faith is confidence in what we […]

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February 14, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

Attracted by the Presence

I wasn’t born in a Christian home, quite the contrary. Whenever I tell our testimony, I like to say that we didn’t meet Jesus, He found us, or rather, He attracted us to Himself. So many times we have the feeling that we are going after Him, but the truth is that it is very difficult for you to look at a church, a bible or whatever it is and say “I found Jesus”. He finds us, he attracts us and when we realize it, we can say “I found what I needed”, not because we looked for it, but because He called us. Moses and the Burning Bush “Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.” – Exodus 3:1-2 What was going on in this situation? Well, the title my bible gives to this text is “God Speaks to Moses” which if […]

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February 07, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

The God’s Time

I’m sure you’ve heard the advice several times: “calm down, wait for God’s time, everything will be fine”, but it’s never easy to wait, quite the contrary, you always think that a certain thing should already be happening, but still nothing. But don’t worry, I assure you it’s always worth it. I’ve been through some situations of God’s time not being the same as mine, and honestly? If I didn’t wait, I wouldn’t be ready to live what He gave me, I don’t regret waiting one bit. Life is made of processes “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:. a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a […]

bible devotional gods-time processes

January 26, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Have you turned the key?

It is true that God opens doors and paths. But we are so preoccupied with His opening that we forget the importance of the passing action. It is necessary and essential that we trust in God’s work, but we also need to remember certain steps that depend on us. We must move Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4 Doors separate places. To access one place, we need to leave another. For example, you live in a condominium where there is a guardhouse with a doorman controlling entry and exit. If you need to leave the house, you’ll need to go through the gate. Even if the doorman opens it for you, is it any good if you just stand there and not move? We can’t just watch! God opens doors, but the choice to go there and enjoy what’s on the other side is completely yours because the Lord gave you freedom of choice. He can only guide you on a path if you want to walk towards it. God will not force you. Trust comes from knowing Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those […]

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December 01, 2022·Rapha Abreu

What is the difference between fundamental and essential?

We often confuse what is fundamental with what is essential. And this is very dangerous for the progress of our spiritual life, as we end up losing focus. There are things that need to be in our essence, like the air we breathe, and others that are important to give us a base and a path to them. That’s what I want to talk to you about today, the difference between what’s fundamental and what’s essential. Fundamental “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life”. John 5:39-40 The dictionary brings as “Fundamental” something that forming a necessary base or core, of central importance. A central or primary rule or principle on which something is based. Basic, indispensable. Giving an example about this term linked to the Gospel: Reading the Bible is fundamental. Our goal is not to know the Bible for the sake of knowing it. She is not the end. Many people read the Bible and study it without actually knowing God and having their lives transformed by it. Our goal is to know the Living […]

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November 24, 2022·Rapha Abreu

There is only One Way

Today I came here to remind you that there is a right path and a wrong path, however hard it is to see and accept. I know that sometimes it becomes more comfortable to think that there is a third way, because then we would have a better chance of getting it right, but there is not. These days I was playing golf and I paid attention to some details. I’m bad at golf. But I’m learning to play by playing. In the race. There is a right way to position your hands, your body and aim. There is a correct force to apply. Details that I wouldn’t have known without the instruction of someone who knows the sport and lives it. We create our own path In the middle of the game I already started to feel pain in my hands, in my back… I could hit the ball with the club, it would go out of place, but it wasn’t getting as far as the golf players next door, because the The way I was playing was a path I created, not the right path. All this out of sheer laziness and lack of patience to learn from […]

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November 04, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

Prayer against anxiety

If you have been suffering from anxiety, stress and have been held hostage by worries, I invite you to pray with me right now. Declare the truths of God’s Word about your life. Take hold of all the blessings that have already been released through the work of Christ! Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. PRAYER Dear Father, I want to start this prayer by thanking you for all the provision and care for my life. Thank you because in You we can be sure that we are loved. Thank you also that we can enter and remain in Your presence. In You we can dwell in a safe place. I pray that the Lord will help us find the peace that passes all understanding. May Your calm enfold our hearts right now. We cast all anxiety, worry, and distraction upon You. We wish to focus on the blessings of Your inheritance. We trust in Your good […]

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November 04, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

God is always enough!

IT’S REAL: Regardless of the situation you’ve been living, know that God is enough! Life is made up of many seasons. There are moments of great changes, in which cycles end, some people distance themselves not out of harm or anything, but because life has changed. There are times when we are waiting too long for something and it doesn’t happen. There are people who really want to get married, find a mate or a companion. There are people who have some professional or ministerial dream that has not yet come true. There are people who are hoping to have a child, but they can’t. And often in these seasons we can feel incomplete. When we close a cycle, we lose something or someone, we can feel incomplete. Or sometimes we are waiting for something so we feel complete. But I want to tell you that even in these situations you are COMPLETE in Jesus! He is the fountain of living water and the bread of life “Jesus answered and said to her, `Every one who is drinking of this water shall thirst again; but whoever may drink of the water that I will give him, may not thirst — […]

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November 04, 2022·Gabriela Angerami

How to be remembered forever?

Today I would like to talk to you about Generosity and how it is capable of producing an eternal memory. After all, no one would like to simply be forgotten. I think we all want to do something relevant that people will remember us positively and in a way that glorifies God. I never met my great-grandfather, but everyone who talks about him gets emotional and remembers him as a good and generous man. I don’t know about you, but whenever I received something generously, it was engraved in my heart with great affection and gratitude. A generous gesture marks people, generates memory. Even if there is a remarkable way for us to express God’s character and love, it is through generosity. Your deeds will be remembered forever “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.” – Psalm 112:5-6 Psalm 112 describes the conduct of a God-fearing person. This biblical chapter reveals that the fear of the Lord leads to a generous life. The person who fears is upright, honors the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven, and blesses his […]

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October 13, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Take Risks!

“It is only fair that much costs what is worth much”. This phrase is one of my favorites. I heard it from a writer that I admire a lot and it was forever in my heart. Many times we want something so badly, and we make it too valuable for us. We ended up marveling at the idea of arriving at this place, forgetting that the path we have to walk to it requires a responsibility on our part. Come out of the shadow “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did” James 2:20-22 A lot of passion doesn’t get you anywhere, it needs to be filled with strategy and action. And the answer to that comes from above. When we don’t leave the place and don’t take the risks that come with what we want, we also don’t get anywhere and here comes the monotony and frustration, making us believe that God has abandoned […]

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October 06, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Where does this light come from?

Last week I brought a text about Genesis 1, about you not despising your “Nothing”, because that’s where God creates, how the earth was created. Today I want to talk about a detail in the order of creation that we often miss: the Light. “Let there be light!” In verse 3 of chapter 1 of Genesis, on the 1st day of creation, God says “Let there be light”. Reading like this, we already imagine the light of day, right? But this light of verse 3 could not be the sun, for it was only created in verse 14, on day 4. So what light is this? What is the source of this lighting? Under a revelation In Revelation 21:11, it says: “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal”. The first light in the world was not from the sun or a lamp, that first light was from the glory of God!! The light that illuminates everything was and is God himself. In the last chapter of the bible, in Revelation 22:5, it says: “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of […]

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September 29, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Don’t despise your “nothing”

I feel that many times we end up neglecting the text of Genesis 1. Maybe because we see this text only as a “Check-list” of what has been done. I heard a word these days that marked me a lot and I want to invite you to see more deeply the first verses of the bible just as my eyes were opened too. Something is created for something to be formed Verse 1 of chapter 1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth“ A little later, in verse 7 of verse 2, we see the following passage: “Then the Lord God formed a man“. Did you notice any difference between the two sections? In the first, the term “Created“ is used and then the term “Formed“. And it’s not by chance. You cannot create anything from what already exists. When something already exists, we just give that matter a different form. A chair, for example, is not created, it is formed through wood, which already exists. The earth was created, because there was no previous matter for it to form. There was no governorship before Joseph, only Pharaoh existed. God prepared a place for Joseph, a created place where nothing existed. There’s […]

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September 22, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Emotion vs Feeling

We are approaching the end of September, but that does not mean that we should let our guard down in relation to our emotions and our psychological state. You deserve care. Faced with this subject, I want to ask you a question…Do you know the difference between emotion and feeling? The insecurity to feel “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 In common sense emotions and feelings are synonymous, but according to some scientists, emotions are automatic and unconscious behavioral responses, whereas feelings are characterized by being conscious experiences that add up to all these unconscious responses. That is, it is as if the feeling only exists because of several emotions together. I brought this explanation so you don’t feel guilty anymore. When we feel, we think we are to blame for it. Some people may even consider this to be a lack of God. But we are in a human body, and we can go through many afflictions in the world, and that is not our fault. Feelings only become our fault when we don’t act against them and allow them to rule us. Don’t listen to what’s transient In […]

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August 23, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

To Be vs. To Do

In our minds it is common to always think in a meritocratic way: “do it to deserve it”. We end up having that same mindset when it comes to God and the way He loves us. We believe that certain sins, considered more serious, such as corruption, murder, adultery, among others, can alter God’s love. There’s an excerpt from one of Max Lucado’s books that says: “God’s love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it any more than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases.” Unconditional love When we realize that God’s love does not increase or decrease, regardless of whether we have fallen back into sin or not, it is in the least shocking. We get so used to loves that move according to what we do or how we act, that we forget that God is not a man. He doesn’t love in the limited way that we do. He doesn’t change either, he doesn’t […]

bible devotional heart identity

August 18, 2022·Rapha Abreu

If I am a servant, am I weak?

“Serve”… When we don’t live that word for real, it seems to give the title of “weak” to someone, after all, who seems to be more important? What is sitting around the table or who is serving that table? Who am I to do nothing? “And the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people“ Luke 22:2 He was among us as a servant, and if the greatest was a servant, who am I to sit around and do nothing? Personally, my biggest love language is acts of service. My way of telling someone how special that person is to me is to do something for them. I pay close attention to the things around me and I keep everything people tell me they like or want, then I use this information to do something for her, whether it’s making my mom’s favorite cake, buying my father’s favorite chocolate, setting up decorations for friends’ parties, serving within my ministry… At home and in ministry In my church I am the leader of the general production of the cult, that is, my job is nothing […]

bible love-your-neighbor

August 16, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Guard your heart

During our days, many situations arise that leave us in conflict about how we should act and position ourselves. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life.” Solomon advises us to guard our hearts. But how to do it? How can I guard my heart? Continuing from Proverbs chapter 4, Solomon recommends that we turn away from everything that does not please the Lord’s heart and that we should incline our hearts to His Word. (vs. 4:24-27). We have to cling to the Lord daily and cry out for the Holy Spirit’s help in our day. In Ephesians 6 there is an extremely well-known passage that talks about The Armor of God. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. […]

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August 11, 2022·Rapha Abreu

The Fatherhood of God

We’re approaching Father’s Day and, just like Mother’s Day, I want to talk a little about fatherhood. Not just about the fatherhood we have contact with in our earthly family. But also the one that was delivered to us by God, in an undeserved way. Is God a Bad Father? I’ve heard phrases like “God is an executioner Father”, followed by an argument that said God killed His own son and how horrible that was. Let’s analyze the text of Ephesians 2, verses 4 and 5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved“. Perhaps in our merciless human eyes, we would save the perfect so that those who are imperfect would fight for themselves in their mistakes. But God chose to deliver Christ, the pure firstborn, so that he could save those who did not deserve even a tear from this perfect God. That’s because He is made of mercy, compassion and love. God in his grandeur and incorporeal form became flesh to save mankind. He is the Father and the Son. As it is written […]

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July 21, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] Do I have a calling?

Another point in our life, which makes up our identity, is our calling. But after all, what is this? How do I find my calling? Am I already doing something in the area of my calling? These are questions I’ve asked myself several times, out of curiosity or fear of making mistakes. But I want to talk more about this subject with you today, in our penultimate text in this series. We all have a calling We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8 God has a plan for us since before we were born. He left a specific mission for each person in this world and invites us to act in a certain area. Our greatest and most important calling will always be to worship him above all else, but there is a vocational path that we can choose […]

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July 19, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Prayer: Change the hearts

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 We have lived in times when hearts have hardened. Recently I was in the intercession room before a service and a brother started to pray saying “Forgive the ‘nos’ that you Lord will hear today”. I immediately remembered the passage at the beginning of the text, and I would like to pray with you about it, so that the hearts of stone become hearts of flesh. Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Gracious God, we thank you for this day of life and the opportunity to be in Your presence. So many people have said “no” to You, have despised You. We cry out for a special […]

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July 14, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] Our Heavenly Family

Still in our series on identity, I want to talk about another part of shaping who we are. This time I want to emphasize that, in addition to the biological family, we are invited to be part of God’s family! From origin to stoning The dictionary brings as one of the meanings of “Identity” a close similarity, although also a person in the individual. That is to say, having an identity in God makes us like Him too. We are admirable works created by His hands. “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well“ Psalm 139:13-14 Through Jesus, the Father also wants to give us the identity of children and gives us our calling and purpose. As it says in Galatians 3:26-27, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ“ Just as Christ the Son had the call and purpose to become flesh and come into the world to save us, so God has given you a purpose and an essence. We spoke of the origin […]

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July 05, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

You must bear fruit

As Christians, the greatest mission that Jesus left us is very clear: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“ Matthew 28:19-20 As we are called the Bride of Christ, we must BEGET spiritual children for the Kingdom of God. The Fiance I once heard a preacher saying the following phrase: “The Lord says He is not barren, but the bride has not entered the secret room.” Honestly, this sentence was something extremely striking in my walk with Jesus. Many times we stop bearing and we think that the Lord has stopped giving us the fruits, but that only happens because we don’t relate to the Bridegroom. We have such superficial relationships in our daily lives that we think this will be enough for the Lord, but it is not. We have to relate to Him daily. How can we be intimate with someone we don’t talk to? Or do we even know? Our relationship with the Father has […]

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June 28, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

God has chosen the foolish things

We can often feel small and think that what we have to offer to God is little and insufficient. But remember that Lazarus received new life when he died, when he could no longer offer anything to God, it was at that moment when the Father resurrected him and acted on him. That’s what I want to talk to you about today, about how God will use the least likely, where you least expect it. Where there is no more path, in the valley of dry bones, God forms flesh, sinew and new life! Pouring wisdom in place of misinformation and giving a clean look in place of blurred vision. He chooses the despised “Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 When we read the text of 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, we see that God chooses those we least expect. Often, people who never thought […]

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June 21, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Called to Influence

The word influence, these days has been used a lot. Influencing has even become a profession. But do you know the meaning of that word? “In” is a prefix that brings the sense from within. And fluency comes from the word to flow, therefore, in short, it means to flow from the inside out. But what does it affect us? We were called to influence Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:25-16 Recently I heard a phrase that goes like this: “What I have inside me is so powerful that when I get somewhere, something changes inside others”. What do you carry inside? It can change where you are and others around you. You have been called to influence, regardless of whether you will open your mouth to speak or not. Influencing is not bringing attention to yourself We are like the salt described in Matthew 5:13-16. When salt comes in contact with food, it does not […]

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June 15, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Prayer: Where will I go?

Sometimes we feel in our lives that we don’t have anywhere to go or we don’t know what to do regarding ministerial, professional, family and personal issues. Probably in the face of some important decision, you spent a few days reflecting on one of these questions: What is my vocation? What do I have to do in relation to my work? How should I proceed with college? Should I end my relationship? Not finding the answer easily makes us feel lost. It is at times like these that we can and should turn to God to ask Him to bring clarity to our thoughts and decisions. May we consecrate to Him everything we feel, think, plan and do. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, we thank you for this day and for another breath of life you have given us. Father, we have a hard time deciding so many things, where […]

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