Faith

August 15, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Not yet…Wait!

I have a potted oxalis purple clover at home. It is a flower that hibernates at certain times, and during the day it opens or closes more depending on the incidence of the sun. I want to focus with you precisely on this period when the clover is silent. Writing the last text on the blog, about burying and planting, I thought a lot about this flower and I’d like to talk about the details in its care. Process “…Is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.“ Psalm 1:3 I commented with you in the last text about the importance of understanding the right time to bury and plant, the difference between these two actions. But do you know the similarity between them? Both take place in darkness and silence. When the clover arrives in the “hibernation” season, we cannot water it or put it in the sun. He needs to be recluse, as if there is nothing inside the vase. It is the moment when we really need to forget about it and, when it grows back, we take care of it again so that it is […]

courage-of-the-lord expert-god faith follow-jesus

August 08, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Why is discipline so hard?

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about how taking the first step in situations is difficult. But I disagree with that statement. The first step, in most cases, is the easiest because it can be given in a moment of impulse, excitement, emotion, euphoria… I believe that from the 2nd step onwards, it gets more complicated, because emotion mixes with reason and we need to be very focused on what is really worthwhile and what we really want. Strength for the walk “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 Have you ever tried making a decision in a moment of great joy? Or very sad? It is in this type of situation that we usually make decisions that we later regret. We get the feeling that we shouldn’t have done that or that we could have done more or otherwise. The problem is that, even following reason from the first step, thinking several times before taking any action and asking for the Father’s direction, overcoming the difficulties that exist in the next steps is completely linked to our constancy and discipline, and these are not easy things, because each day requires a different […]

constancy faith follow-jesus seek-the-kingdom

August 01, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Strength, Faith and Spirituality

Today I want to pray with you for strengthening of faith and spirituality. The Bible brings faith as the certainty of things we still don’t see, as the hope of what we ask for, dream of, but which is not yet palpable. It’s about what’s yet to happen. Our faith needs to exist when we still have no clue that something is happening. When we ask and still don’t have an answer, that’s where our full trust in the Father lives. Spirituality is when our life is based on what is spiritual, what is supernatural. It concerns the moment when we elevate our thoughts to what is Divine and Eternal, having faith and trust in the word that comes from above. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as it is here, because everyone has their own way of talking to the Father. But if you want, I’ll be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, today I want to ask you for my faith. I cry out to You so that You fill my life with full trust in Your word and in Who You are. Teach me to trust even when my eyes still can’t […]

courage-of-the-lord faith follow-jesus heart

June 15, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Led by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit transforms many things in us and many of them have to do with our positioning. These days I heard a preaching from a very special pastor and I would like to share with you some of the ideas he presented. To position “Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13,14 Sometimes we think that having the Holy Spirit, in certain situations such as arguments or difficulties, is keeping quiet and just holding back, sitting back and waiting for Him to do something. But the Spirit of God gives us discernment for a good position in any situation. To be filled with this Spirit is to know how to position yourself, but not with your own strength, but by recognizing your dependence on Him. God expects us to position wisely. Even if we are without strength, He calls us to act according to His will. If the call comes from Him, He will be the source of strength to walk toward it. He empowers you “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with […]

authority courage-of-the-lord discernment faith

June 01, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Access to salvation

The word says that we must confess our sins and that, through this, He forgives us. But if He already knows everything before we even speak, why do we need to say? He has the password “According to His eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Ephesians 3:11-12 Salvation has been offered to us, but grasping it is in our hands. Jesus died for us and we now have full access to God, but if there is no movement from us, we are not saved. We need to receive Jesus! Do you know what I mean? It works for other areas as well. God won’t do anything if we don’t want to and if we don’t hand it over to Him. I look at all of this like a bank account. Imagine that someone deposited a very high amount in an account that you don’t have access to, because you lost your password. This money deposited makes no difference in your life if you cannot access it. You will need to go to a bank to solve the access impasse. God has already poured […]

blessings faith follow-jesus forgiveness

May 18, 2023·Rapha Abreu

The power of prayer

I have watched some sermons and read a lot about the power of prayer. Unfortunately we often forget about this. We have access to such a powerful tool. Our first step should always be to pray, but often, in the face of situations, we leave prayer for last. Prayer makes things possible “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” Acts 12:5-7 Last Friday I brought the story of Peter’s arrest and the church’s fervent prayer for his release. The text in Acts 2 says he was in prison between two guards and bound with chains. There was no way he could get away from there, much less get out unnoticed. But while he was in that difficult situation, the church prayed to God for a miracle to be done. Then […]

faith gods-touch gratitude miracles

May 11, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Resting in uncomfortable situations

In Acts 12 we have access to a very interesting story. King Herod was persecuting the church and going against what it taught. In this persecution he ordered James to be killed and Peter arrested. But what seemed like the end for Peter became the story of a great miracle… Calling on the strength of the Father “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison…” Acts 12:1-4 I imagine the fear of Christians at that time. Seeing relevant leaders being forcibly and violently taken away from them because of everything they believed in. If our faith is not firm and strengthened in God, in moments like this it can be shaken. Our minds can begin to question the Lord. We may think He is silent. Faced with that scenario, the church entered into intercession. The bible describes the church’s prayer for Peter as “fervent“. I can […]

faith hope love-of-god prayer

May 04, 2023·Rapha Abreu

What is greater than God?

Have you heard of Billy Graham? He was a pastor who was at the forefront of revivalist movements that took place around the world. He was a channel for approximately 2.5 million people to convert. This wise man, who lived the Word of God so intensely, said a sentence that really caught my attention. I always try to remember it when I’m having a hard time. “Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.” Billy Graham Change of Measure “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5 When our expectations and faith are focused on things other than God, it is normal for us to be exposed to fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and thoughts of giving up. Understanding that the greatest strength man can achieve would still be weakness before God, is also understanding how He is greater than everything and how we are nothing. If we are so small and fragile close to the Lord, our thoughts and feelings are also smaller than His and that’s why we can trust completely in this love and care from heaven. Just as we […]

change changes courage-of-the-lord depth

April 18, 2023·Rapha Abreu

God doesn’t need time

I’ve heard some people say the phrase: “God isn’t taking too long, He’s doing his best“. Yes, He is doing the best. But He doesn’t need time to do something better, in that situation you need that time… Omnipresent or busy? “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.“ Proverbs 21:31 God isn’t like a super busy person who needs a longer deadline to do something better. As if He were telling you: “Wait just a little bit more, I just need to do this detail here“. It’s not time that changes what He gives you, it’s you who needs to change so that what He’s doing comes to you at the right time. God can give you the promise He made you in a snap of a finger, because He has the power to make the perfect in milliseconds. But you would not be ready to receive. The time it takes for you to reach that promise has to do with how much He needs to prepare you so you don’t waste it. Ripe to the Whole “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. A time […]

faith follow-jesus god gods-time

April 18, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

Prayer: Cleanse me Lord

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 We are human beings, full of sins. The Word itself says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We are in need of the Lord’s forgiveness. And for that we need to repent. Today, I invite you to pray with me, asking the Lord to purify our hearts from any and all sins. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I wrote here, because everyone has their own way of talking to the Father. But if you want, I’ll be happy to accompany you. Prayer “Lord, my God and Father, I thank you for this day, Thank you for the chance to pour myself out in Your presence and for Your Amazing Grace that tore the veil that used to separate us. Father, I ask forgiveness for my sins, all those that I have committed. Forgive me, for I am flawed and need correction. Cleanse my heart, purifying it of all the evil present in it and help me to become someone better. That every […]

bible devotional faith forgiveness

April 06, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Have you been focusing on death or resurrection?

At Easter time we remember how loved we were by God, who sent His own Son to suffer and die for our sins. The sacrifice of an immaculate lamb that cleansed us and made us the Father’s family. But what about in our day-to-day life? Have we been focusing on the resurrection? The lost “At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’)“ Mark 15:33-34 It’s beautiful how Jesus gave Himself for so many people who didn’t deserve even a drop of His sweat. The sixth shows us this pain and makes us recognize His sacrifice. But when we focus only on her, losing hope is inevitable. People who loved Jesus suffered with Him, saw the Man they trusted and followed being killed in a cruel way. We humans know that death is the end here on earth. The people who were close to Him thought they would never again see the One who “was” the promise. In our lifetime, in the midst of what seems like death, finding hope for […]

easter eternity faith god

March 14, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

Supporting the Process

During the last weekend, I was talking about this with some friends. Our life is full of processes, many of them are difficult but necessary. The process can be defined by a desert you are going through. It can also be a period of waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. You can now be at any stage of a process. Maybe you’re at the beginning, starting to realize the difficulty of going through something; or else in the middle, already tired and not in the mood to continue; or at the end, where you start to look forward and see what you’ve been waiting for. It’s hard, but it’s worth it! One of my friends said a sentence that is still in my mind: “The process serves to generate testimony. It’s great to hear our brother’s testimony, but that’s not enough. We need to have ours too.” Is very difficult. In my not so long Christian walk, I could already see one thing: generating testimony hurts. There are many situations we face along our journey. Some are so difficult that we think we will not be able to bear it, but the Lord comforts us: “…You will have suffering […]

devotional faith prayer processes

February 28, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

It’s not you

These times I heard a song that had the following phrase “And if my voice fails, You sing for me”. That single sentence, repeated only once, in a song lasting almost 7 minutes spoke to me a lot. Then I found out that the singer had gone through a surgery on her vocal cords and, even after the surgery, she would be unable to sing. During that time she wrote this song and added this line to the lyrics. Today she is fine and is singing again. It was a miracle from God in her life. Still, it wasn’t her story that spoke to me, but the snippet of the song. If you fail, do you continue? Think about what you do. Do you preach? Play? Sing? Teach? If something happens and you can’t do it anymore, what will it be like? What really motivates you to keep going? That’s exactly what God spoke to me. In my church I work in communication, recording, editing and writing, just like I do here on Bible Offline team. And the Lord asked me why I keep doing these things and that got me thinking. I write, record, edit, take pictures, but simply […]

bible care devotional faith

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 […]

bible faith word-of-god

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 […]

attracted bible devotional faith

January 31, 2023·Ana Júlia Luiz

Don’t be like a fish out of water

It is very common to hear or use that expression “I feel like a fish out of water”, but at this point I would like to use this phrase with a different meaning. Our Christian life is like being a fish, living in a pond or in the sea. Just like a fish out of its natural habitat, when we leave God’s presence, we end up dying, not physically, but in our interior. The absence of God generates discouragement, anguish and emptiness, because only He is able to fill us completely. As Psalm 16:11 says: You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. That is, a path of life is only found in God. He is the source. It is in His presence that we find full joy. Responsibility in Life with God During our Christian walk we constantly hear the phrase: “Jesus loves you”, and that is a fact, because it was for love that He laid down His life for us. However, several times we end up using this as an excuse, after all “if He loves me regardless of doing something wrong […]

devotional faith relationship-with-god

January 19, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Has your heart agreed with God?

God says in the bible that whatever I ask in faith will be given to me. So why have I been asking with all my strength and He won’t give it to me? Does he not hear me? This has happened to everyone at least once. Praying and waiting on God, but not receiving what was asked, thinking that the Lord is not listening to us. But that’s not true. On the opposite way “Before they call I will answer. While they are still speaking I will hear” Isaiah 65:24 The Father always hears us, His ears will always be turned towards the children. And even stronger than that, the heart of God hears our insides before we even speak. In all your prayers He was always by your side listening to every word. But He will not give you what is not linked to what He dreams for your life. God has a plan for every person even before birth. All life has a purpose, because He doesn’t do anything “just in case”, every detail has already been dreamed up. And our prayer may not be aligned with this desire of the Father, which makes us think that He closed his […]

choices distractions faith follow-jesus

January 05, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Seeing with Eyes of FAITH

Claude Monet was one of the most important impressionist painters of the 20th century. He once said a sentence that always caught my attention: “To see, we must forget the name of the things we are looking at”. I don’t know about you but, in addition to using it for many areas of my life, I can see this phrase in the gospel too. Discernment and vision “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue’. Proverbs 16:1-9 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds“ Daniel 1:17 We are the only beings who receive from God rational abilities to plan, decipher codes, dream… This characteristic leads us to always seek the path of reason. We often rationalize too much, question and wish that everything makes the most sense to us. We want to have complete knowledge of everything that happens in our lives. However, God in different situations will use what makes no sense to us. He breaks the mold and invites us to see through faith and understand through His voice. And faith […]

discernment faith follow-jesus fundamental

November 02, 2022·Rapha Abreu

What is the dynamic of faith?

The dynamic of faith is when something is anticipated. As it is written in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see“ Faith is not a reaction to something, it is an anticipation. It is when we can understand the end without necessarily seeing the whole process. When we recognize that He is taking us to an amazing place, even if I don’t understand the way. Predetermined “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations… Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Jeremiah 1:5 and 7 This is the greatest folly of the gospel! God calls you what you are, even before you become. And we need to trust God even before something happens. He called Abraham the father of multitudes in Genesis 17, even before that man had a son. When God anoints David as King in 1 Samuel 16, Saul was still in power and David was a shepherd in his father’s house. This is the dynamic of […]

blessings faith follow-jesus kingdom-of-god

July 26, 2022·Ana Júlia Luiz

Everything for the Glory of God

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 Our days are usually pretty full. We do thousands of tasks. We work, study, exercise, among many other activities. It happens that we often treat certain tasks, because they are not ministerial, as if they are unimportant and as if we don’t need to dedicate ourselves to them in the same way as we serve in our ministries. It is about everything we do From eating, to getting up or eating, we must do EVERYTHING for the Glory of God. It’s not an easy task, in fact, it’s a change of thinking about life that implies new habits. In praying before something, or thinking “I’m not doing this for myself, nor for people, but for the Lord”. It is about doing everything with excellence, as for the Lord and with love, so that we can manifest the Glory of God through each attitude, each smile or function performed, whether at work, when relating to our families or in our daily routines. I wanted to invite you to pray with me right now, asking that, through each of our attitudes, we […]

devotional faith gods-glory-2 peace

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 […]

bible change devotional faith

June 30, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] God multiplies what we give

Today, in our last text of the series “Miracles of Jesus”, I want to talk about the multiplication of loaves and fish. The passage in Mark 8 begins with Jesus speaking to the disciples about the great crowd that had not eaten for 3 days, asking them to have mercy on those hungry people. The logic of the miracle What is striking about this story is that it was described that there were about 4,000 men, without mentioning women or children. Considering one woman and one child for each man present, we can estimate about 12 thousand people present. When Jesus asks the disciples to feed that multitude, they ask in verse 4 where, in that desert place, they could get enough bread to feed so many people, and then Christ responds with a new question: “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven” and still find some small fish. Jesus took that little food the disciples had, gave thanks and asked them to start distributing it among the people. Would it make sense to start sharing just 7 loaves and a few small fish to feed a crowd? The confronting gospel Jesus has the power of heaven, He […]

blessings faith generosity miracles

June 23, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] Outstretched Hands

For the penultimate miracle in this series I chose the story of the man whose hand was withered and Jesus healed him. This was yet another healing that Jesus performed on Saturday, a day when non-emergency medical assistance was not allowed. But He always put the human need and the doing of good above this law, showing once again how mercy and generosity are above traditions. Is there a day to heal? The passage begins in Matthew 12, from verse 9. The priests who were working in the temple where Jesus was spending that day wanted to accuse Him of healing on the Sabbath, questioning Him if healing was allowed on the holy day. If the priests were allowed to do active work on the Sabbath inside the temple, Jesus could act too, for He is greater than the temple! Mercy should also be greater than such a doctrine. The Pharisees did not understand that the Sabbath was created for the good of the people, not to burden them. In verse 7, Jesus also mentions the passage in Hosea 6:6, in which God says that he desires the practice of love and mercy above the offering of sacrifices. Even knowing […]

blessings faith grace miracles

June 16, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] Restoring the walk

Today I brought you a thought about the miracle of healing the paralytic for our series of miracles of Jesus. We can often see this story focusing on one person and how Jesus restored his ability to walk, but I want to encourage you to look beyond that. The story The Word says in the book of John, chapter 5, that there was a tank in Jerusalem. In a few moments an angel came down, stirred the waters and the first one who entered the tank was healed. One man in the crowd was paralytic. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he would like to be healed, but because of his difficulty in moving, he never arrived in time to be the first to enter the tank when the water moved, so he thought he would not be able to receive the cure. Christ then said in verse 8, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk“. And in that moment the man was healed. The Generosity of Christ What draws attention in the text above is that even though in some parts of the Bible we read that to be healed we need to have faith in God. […]

biblical-study blessings faith generosity