God

June 20, 2023·Rapha Abreu

I AM

God reveals who He is to us through various passages of the Bible. Until the moment when He sums it all up in the famous phrase “I Am who I Am”. Being “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14 In the book of John God is presented to us as the Light of the World (8:12), the bBead of Life (6:35), the Good Shepherd (10:14), the Door (10:9 )… Throughout the biblical text, from the first book, we see God presenting himself to the people in different ways. In each moment He revealed himself in a different way. But he never ceased to exist in the other forms he had already revealed or would reveal himself in the future. Sometimes God needs to remind us of something specific in His character. In moments of pain, He shows himself as Comforter. In the hour of uncertainty, He is the Promise. In times of confusion, He is the Way (14:6). But in all these situations, even if an attribute of the Father is in greater evidence, He simply remains Being. God’s character […]

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May 25, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Used or approved?

Many times we confuse God using us with approving us and we end up taking paths that are not what God wants for us. We seek to be used and do not act to move towards approval. Used by god “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 To be used by God is to be a channel for a certain action. For example, at one point the Lord used you to say something to someone who was asking for an answer. When you minister over someone’s life, it doesn’t come from you and your knowledge, but it is an act of God through your life. And He can use anyone, any place, any situation. As in the book of Numbers, where the donkey that belonged to Balaam is used to send God’s message and guide the man in the opposite direction, where his mission would be. In many situations we seek to be used, but this is so momentary. The animal didn’t keep talking and having words of wisdom coming out of its mouth for the rest of its life. It was just that moment, and […]

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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 […]

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April 18, 2023·Ana Julia 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 […]

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April 11, 2023·Ana Julia Luiz

Wonderful Grace

Last weekend, we went through the Easter holiday and honestly, it’s one of my favorite dates of the year. I like to reflect on what brought us to celebrate this very important date. How did it start? Easter started long before Jesus, actually the celebration started in the book of Exodus. Hebrews were slaves in Egypt and I believe you remember that God raised up Moses to free them. Before the Red Sea miracle happened, we know that the Lord sent the famous 10 plagues. We started with the waters that became blood, then the frogs, the lice, the flies, the plague in animals, boils, hail, the locusts, darkness over the land of Egypt and then the tenth plague: the death of the firstborn. God guided, through Moses, that each family of the people of Israel killed a lamb, male, just one year old, without defects, and spread the blood on the doorframes. That way, the firstborn of that house would not be harmed. The lamb delivered in place of the first born symbolized what would become the work and sacrifice of Christ, our Paschal lamb, delivered in our place. By Grace Today, we celebrate Easter because we are freed […]

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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 […]

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February 14, 2023·Ana Julia 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 09, 2023·Rapha Abreu

How to know God?

Do you know what a house of prayer is for? Do we need to “consecrate” a space as a place of prayer? I wanted to bring some thoughts about the text of Isaiah 56: “For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”. Go to him “If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you”. 2 Chronicles 15:2 The Father’s house was not called the house of “preaching” or “mysteries”, such as miracles and prophecies, but of “prayer”. Pointing directly to a relationship with God and the way worship should be performed. Several times I come here to talk about one of our actions. That’s because a lot is heard about what He does and we already know His promises, but it’s important to remember daily what needs to come from us. Knowing God through preaching and miracles takes away our action to build a relationship with Him. Receiving is easy, watching God speaking and doing is easy. But being willing to seek Him requires a step on our part. Listen and do “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you”. Job […]

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February 02, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Does God punish us?

Have you understood the weight and responsibility of freedom or have you constantly tried to sign your decisions with the name of God? Have you remembered that even though everything is released to you, not everything builds your life? “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive“ 1 Corinthians 10:23 Divine punishment “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Father, serve one another humbly in love“ Galatians 5:13 It is normal (but should not be) to hear the phrase “God punishes” as a warning to stop acting in some way, transforming the fear we should have into God by fear, distorting the image of a loving God and merciful, placing in His hands a whip. I see that this phrase arose in the face of a difficulty that human beings have in assuming responsibility. We celebrate the freedom of choice that God gives us, but after we choose, we want Him to take the blame for our bad choices. It’s not fair to blame the tools if we are the ones operating them. The […]

choices discernment follow-jesus freedom

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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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 […]

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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 […]

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December 06, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Me and Contemplation

According to research, children up to the age of five contemplate the lives of their parents to learn and reproduce what they do. At that age, my family was not Christian, but I used to observe what my parents did in their daily lives. I noticed the way my mother took care of the house, how my father participated, how they treated their parents and so on. Many of the things I do today are a reflection of their attitudes. Me, God and Contemplation “But my eyes look to you, Lord, my Lord. I seek refuge in you; do not let me die.” Psalm 141:8 Our walk with God is no different. We are called “Christians”, which means little Christs. Therefore, our attitudes must match this meaning. Not that we will be perfect like Him, but we have a duty to contemplate His attitudes, to know how to act in different situations. We know how He would act when we seek unceasingly, meditating on the Word, to grow and strengthen. To be able to imitate someone, we have to know and live with that person on a daily basis. Our search does not end, because we can be more like […]

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November 02, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Why know God’s will?

God has so many desires and dreams for your life. So many projects and accomplishments to shower on you. We constantly seek to know what these dreams are. But have you ever stopped to think about why you want to know God’s will for your life? We try to suit the Creator “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well“ Luke 12:31 At times I found myself asking this, thinking my curiosity had to do with how much I cared about God and His thoughts about me. But I noticed that I often ask His will because I care too much about myself. We think we are seeking the Lord, but in certain situations we use Him as a means and not as an objective. We begin to see God as an amulet, to use Him as a ladder to reach places we dream of. Trying to adapt the Creator of everything to our own creation. Remember: He is Life itself In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 He is not the way for you to get something you want […]

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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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August 09, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Prayer: God’s Will

It is a fact that we love to plan for the future, I, in particular, for a long time had the habit of looking ahead and thinking “if this happens, I have a plan, if that happens, so do I”. Many of us have great difficulty letting go of control of our lives, but the Lord invites us to surrender it to Him. In Jeremiah 29:11 it is written, “For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” The Lord has good plans for us and we have to start handing over the direction of our days to Him, trusting in His Good and Perfect will. I invite you to do that today with me through this prayer. 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 “Lord my God and Father, we thank you for this breath of life that […]

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July 12, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

What are you doing with what God has given you?

I would like to start by asking you a question: what have you been doing with the talents the Lord has given you? Maybe at that moment you’re thinking that He didn’t give you any talent, that you don’t have any gifts or anything like that. For a long time I looked at myself and thought, “Why did the Lord give me this talent? How can I serve Him with this?” But recently God taught me that He uses ALL the gifts and talents He gives us for His work. On our side, we just need to allow it. Talents are not just artistic Many times we really think that we don’t have a talent from the Lord, just because we don’t know how to sing, dance, or play an instrument. Most of the time we think that our aptitudes always need to be linked to the artistic side, but this is not always the case. Personally, I’ve tried everything. I took singing lessons, piano lessons, danced, acted, but none of it was really what God had planned for me. Sometimes we are so focused on what we think, that we don’t look at reality and slowly bury our true […]

devotional god talents

June 28, 2022·Ana Julia 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 06, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Waiting for the Bridegroom

Our life is made of meetings, those remarkable, those not so much, some good and some bad. The meeting with the first job, with the person you love, the first day at school or at the college you dreamed of… Anyway, these are meetings that mark our journey, but today I want to talk to you about one in particular. The Parable of the Ten Virgins Jesus begins Matthew 25 with a parable, where He talks about 10 women, who were waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and the other five were foolish. It turns out that the bridegroom took a long time to pass and they all fell asleep. At midnight, a cry was heard declaring that the bridegroom was passing by: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ (v.6) The foolish ones began to ask the wise women for some of the oil as theirs had run out and they had not bought any more. However, the wise could not give of their oil. After all, it wouldn’t be enough for everyone. When the foolish ones went to look for oil to buy, the bridegroom passed and together with the wise ones He entered […]

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May 30, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Prayer: God’s Plans

Many times the Lord gives us promises and shows us His plans for our lives, but as time goes by we seem to lose faith that they are really going to happen or that they are in fact true. I encourage you to pray with me today, so that the Lord will renew hope in your heart, and that you will remember all the plans He told He has for your life. 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 Lord my God and Father, we thank You for this day of life, for Your goodness and also for Your love. Father, bring to our remembrance the plans and promises You have given us. Renew our hope for them to happen in our lives. May we walk by faith, trusting You and believing Your Word never fails. The days have been bad, but we know that You Lord is faithful and just to fulfill what You have promised […]

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