Love Of God

August 06, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: God fulfill your will in my life!

In last week’s Friday text we talked about God’s word being the last and most important. After all, how many times have you found yourself in a situation that seemed to have no way out? I am sure they were not few, but with the same certainty I know that even if everything says no, it is the Lord who knows the plans He has for you. And what is His will for you no one can take away from you, and you will have provision when the time is right. Therefore, today I want to pray that the will of the Most High be fulfilled in our lives and that we may live according to His will! I leave here a passage especially for you today: The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35 Therefore, for Christ’s sake, I rejoice in weaknesses, in insults, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the answer of the tongue. Proverbs 16:1 Remember that you don’t have to repeat the […]

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July 22, 2021·Nicole Leao

God is love and consuming fire! What does it mean?

The term consuming fire is often used in Christian circles, but do you know what it means? Are you unsure if one contradicts the other? Well our reflection today is to understand where this term comes from, why we use it? What is its meaning? And how does God’s love relate to his consuming fire? To begin with in the Bible fire appears many times directly related to God, as a symbol of his presence in some aspect. Examples of this is when God makes his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:17, or when he summons Moses when he saw a burning bush in Exodus 3:2. There is also the pillar of fire that accompanied the Israelites, reported in Exodus 13:21. So as we can see, fire can represent the symbol of their presence. Fire is also used for purification, something that we see in our daily life, but spiritually it represents holiness, which is one of God’s moral attributes, for He is fully holy and is the source of all holiness. As it is written in Habakkuk 1:13, God’s holiness is such that His eyes cannot behold iniquity. So why is God a consuming fire? God is consuming fire […]

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July 02, 2021·Nicole Leao

Impact the lives of those around you!

Do you impact the lives of those around you? Better yet, do you positively impact the lives of those around you? These are questions that lead us to reflect about how we conduct ourselves before our neighbor and about something that we have talked a lot about lately here, about our ministry as renewed in Christ. You and I have a mission to be light of the world and salt of the earth, living this way for eternity, but have we been acting this way? I would like you to think in this moment: in the last week have I blessed lives, have I been indifferent, or have I caused harm to anyone? Of course, our first mechanism is to believe that we did everything right, but we need to take responsibility. To become responsible for our faith, for our mission, and for the mistakes we make. And as a sinner who is always learning and seeking to improve, I want to admit to you that in the last week I have failed to positively impact people’s lives, I was so focused on my own issues that I didn’t prioritize those around me and more than that, I negatively impacted […]

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June 21, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: Calm down and everything will be solved!

Stress is not good for anyone, but we know that with the rush of everyday life it comes and only makes everything worse. However, the word of God, in Romans 12:12, talks about being patient in tribulations and there it is written: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, persevere in prayer. Certainly we are not 100% every day, but stress only creates more stress, so today I want to talk to you who find yourself in one of those days where one thing happens after another and it seems like nothing will ever get solved. I also want to remind you that feelings and situations are transient, after all, there is no evil that lasts forever. I leave here a passage especially for you today: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplications, and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 Remember that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I am going to leave it here, because each one of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But […]

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May 28, 2021·Nicole Leao

Can Love End?

Today we will address a topic that can give much to talk about, so I want to focus on love between a couple, the love in the marriage, that is a great blessing from God. The Father created man and woman to be together. Love keeps the couple together, even in the most difficult times. In Songs 8:7, it is written, “Many waters cannot quench love; the rivers cannot carry it away in the current. If anyone were to offer all the riches of his house to acquire love, he would be utterly despised.” So you may wonder, why do we see love running out all over the place these days? Well, this is not an easy question to answer, but I invite you to come together to better understand why. Love is a decision The first thing we need to establish here is that love is much more than a feeling, it is a decision that must be made on a daily basis. We can say that when a man and a woman like each other, they need to decide: to love or not to love. Love is more than attraction, it requires wanting the good of the other […]

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May 26, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: For a world without hate!

The first biblical commandment, to love your neighbor, seems to be one of the most ignored in recent times, especially during the pandemic. Of course we also saw many acts of love and solidarity, but the excess of hatred was also noticeable. Relatives who no longer speak to each other because of differing opinions, attacks on the internet from all sides. I wonder where the wisdom that those transformed in Christ should have gone. As children of God, we are called to respect, to love, to be light in the world and salt on Earth. Called to be peacemakers, after all, as it is written in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. This does not mean that we should not take a stand, but rather, that the reactivity that is so rampant out there leads nowhere. The soft word deflects the anger and it is in this space of dialogue where we can all grow with each other and as the body of Christ. So if you want to live in a world where there is more love than hate, I invite you to pray this prayer with me. I leave […]

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May 24, 2021·Nicole Leao

We are adopted by God

You may be thinking: What do you mean adopted by God? Well, adopted by God are those who have been redeemed from their sins by the work of Jesus Christ. These are those regenerated by the Holy Spirit and justified by God through the merits of Christ. Those declared righteous by God are also adopted by Him as sons, members of His heavenly family. In Romans 8:13-17, the apostle Paul writes that believers have received the spirit of worship, and are now led by the Spirit of God. This means that it is the Holy Spirit who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. But isn’t everyone already a child of God first? Having asked this question, I want to bring the reflection that, in fact, fallen man is a “child of wrath” due to his sinful state (Ephesians 2:3). Therefore, not everyone is adopted by the Lord, of course these people can be used, because when God wants to act, He uses people and situations. He has used even a donkey in the Bible. But to be adopted we must first recognize our salvation in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 13:38; John 8:44; Acts 13:10; 1 John […]

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May 17, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: We can always improve!

Even those who are meek and righteous need to constantly evaluate themselves. We cannot settle for the progress we make in the spiritual life. Even if you consider yourself more meek or righteous than others, the Lord still warns us to examine our hearts, not least because we are all sinners and should seek to grow further according to God’s standards and not our own. So today we will pray for transformation and change of behavior. I leave here a passage especially for you today: Let no one be deceived: if anyone among you considers himself wise according to the standards of this time of ours, then it is better to become foolish in order to attain wisdom. 1 Corinthians 3:18 Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each one of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to follow me, it will be a pleasure, feel free to speak it in your own way. Prayer Beloved God, I thank you for your undeserved love and because even though I am only a flawed person, you still stretch out your hand over […]

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April 22, 2021·Nicole Leao

How to discover my purpose in God?

We, human beings, have the need to find answers for everything, because our Father made us intelligent beings capable of logical thinking. With this come questions about how we should live, what is our purpose in life, why we are here, and many others. Fortunately, we find answers to all of them in the Holy Scriptures and today we will understand a little better how to discover our purpose in God, after all, our Father has a purpose for the life of each of His children. Why are we here? For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 No one is born by chance, we are here with a mission, and because the breath of life has blown upon us. With that I want to start by telling you that if anyone ever said that you were not worth it or that you should not exist, this is a lie. Such a person allowed himself to be used by the enemy to discourage you. The perfect creative God who created you would […]

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March 08, 2021·Nicole Leao

Prayer: No more tears!

Crying can sometimes be good, but we know that it isn’t always… so many times we have a lump in our throat that doesn’t seem to go away, the world gets a little gray and everything seems worse than it really is. But lately I’ve learned something that has helped me a lot, and I believe it can help you too: when the world seems bad, be thankful for the good things. Once, when I was very young, my father taught me to look out the window. That is, to look out the window and see what was beautiful through it. Our eyes are sometimes so used to looking at everything in a negative way that we simply forget to look for what is good and brings peace. So I want to pray together with you for joy and that our window of the soul, the eyes, will be clean to look for what is good. I leave here a passage especially for you today: For your anger lasts only a moment; in your favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5 Remember that you don’t have to repeat the prayer […]

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December 10, 2020·Nicole Leao

Learn to deal with different opinions!

Since childhood people have different opinions, either for simple everyday things or even more serious questions, topics that need further deepening and reflection. Even within the church there are disagreements or different understandings on certain issues. And one of the points that makes fellowship so important is this one, through these debates and conversation, one can help the other to see more clearly. The divergent opinions in the book of Job In Job’s book, it is reported that they and their friends had different opinions about the reason for the tragedies that affected his life. Eliphaz, for example, was sure that his friend had committed some serious sin and was therefore being punished, as described in Job 22. On the other hand, Job was convinced of his innocence and believed that even God would be in his favor. In the course of the book, Job’s four friends presented their different and divergent opinions. As we read a few paragraphs we can even imagine them exalted, with each one defending his point of view. But it is also remarkable that there was mutual respect there. Each one listened to the other attentively, at times it was almost a speech, the placement […]

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October 22, 2020·Nicole Leao

God, the expert in preparing banquets in the desert!

Have you ever stopped to think how many times God has prepared a table for you in the desert? By this, I mean that all of us have been through some moment of tribulation, because we live in a world fallen by sin, but as it is written in the Holy Scriptures, even in the worst situations the Lord is with us and more than that, he prepares banquets in the desert, as it is written in Psalm 78. In this chapter, the miracles of God are counted – that were made for your people who left Egypt for the Promised Land. The Bible points out the desert as a place of trial, where we are taught and improved. Certainly the people of Israel had to go through this arid place, because as we saw along this Psalm, even God caring and bringing supplies, their hearts were full of ingratitude and murmuring. We must never doubt the miracles of our Lord, we must remember his righteousness and benevolence. The desert is a place of preparation, where He is forging you for something greater, that is, no situation is in vain, through your life God wants to manifest the Glory of […]

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September 18, 2020·Nicole Leao

Learning about the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Love

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 Today we will start a series here on the blog, where we will delve into what is written in the Bible about each of results of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, mentioned in the book of Galatians. The series “Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit” will feature 9 devotionals, which will be released every Monday here on the Bible Offline blog. Love My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 Love is the first mentioned and to understand it a little better, let us draw on the passage in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8, when the apostle Paul was teaching in a church about true love and said that even that he spoke all the languages that are spoken on earth and in heaven, if he had no love, people would not understand anything. Paul goes on to say that he could have the gift of announcing messages from God, have all the knowledge of the world, understand all the secrets that exist […]

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August 21, 2020·Nicole Leao

The joy that comes from God

God is happy with your joy. Many times when we think of the Lord, we immediately think of the words of seriousness, fear and justice, in fact all this represents Him, but joy too! Being in the presence of God means being happy. Think with me, have you ever been sad when praising the Lord and meditating on His word? We may even be saddened by the situations we are experiencing, but in that precious moment our heart finds comfort. Where do you look for joy? Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7 We live a decade where at all times we are bombarded, whether on television, on our smartphones or computers. Everywhere somebody is trying to sell us something: a product, an idea and even a lifestyle. These things are presented to us as if they were the solution to our […]

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August 20, 2020·Nicole Leao

Your thoughts matter

It is in your thoughts that the greatest battles take place. It is in your mind that you have your greatest anxieties, fears and afflictions, it is also in it that you have control over your attitudes, choose to obey, love and even choose to have thoughts of happiness or sadness. So I would like to start today’s message by asking you a few questions: Where has your mind been wandering? Is she calm or agitated? Have you been able to hear God’s voice? These are important questions that can reveal a lot about how we view life and about our relationship with God. So, I would like to invite you to reflect a little on your thoughts. Where has your mind wandered? What I fear, and want to avoid, is that just as the serpent has deceived Eve so cunningly, your mind will be corrupted and deviate from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11: 3 The mind of someone who has accepted Christ and is a new creature, must not be wandering, on the contrary, must be centered and focused, because that is where the enemy works, trying to take control of his thoughts. very […]

devotional love-of-god

August 17, 2020·Nicole Leao

God, break my heart!

Having a broken heart is fundamental and it means recognizing our own limitations so that God can work in us. In 2 Corinthians 12: 9 it is written: “And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will be happy to glory in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me ”. It is through brokenness that our lives are transformed and we are shaped according to God’s plans. Praying for a broken heart may not be such an easy task, but the Lord is with us to go through everything we need, as it is written in Psalm 34:18, that God is close to those with a broken heart, so I invite you to do this prayer of surrender with me. Remembering that you do not need to repeat the prayer exactly as I am going to leave it here, as 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 way. Beloved Father, I want to be closer to You, to Your infinite love […]

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August 14, 2020·Nicole Leao

What the Bible says about love

In the dictionary, love receives the following meaning: “A feeling that leads one to wish the good of the other, deep affection for someone or something, intense inclination of affective character, sympathy, friendship, zeal and care”. However, I would like to start today’s text by stating that love is not just a feeling, but a decision and a command from God for us. Love as a commandment ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31 Love is the second commandment of God for His people and the greatest left by Him, and why? Well, our father, with all his sovereignty and understanding, knew that we have an easier time loving those who are similar to us, but that is not what he expects of you and me. Likewise, in Matthew 22:39, Jesus leaves it as a command that we love our neighbors as ourselves. The “neighbor” of this passage is not only the people who are close to us, but all those we live with, including those we have some difficulty in dealing with. Decide to love every day Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is […]

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August 01, 2020·Léo

It was never about a feeling!

Have we based our relationship with God on feeling? Do we understand that we should not seek only the feeling? Today, I would like us to talk a little about this topic so much talked about in the Christian world. Have we sought the Lord’s presence just to feel Him? Shall we talk about? A rational search “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17: 9 I don’t know if you have been through this situation, but for a good part of my spiritual walk, I carried a heavy burden on my heart because I was deceiving myself. I thought that I would only be having a total surrender to the Lord and would only be living a sincere relationship with Him, if I felt His presence in all services and at all times. It hurt me for a long time and even demotivated me. I went to conferences, services, had my moments with God, but I didn’t feel His presence. Many times I was stressed with the Lord, I was angry and sad, because I did not understand why all this was happening. It didn’t make sense to me. I was looking, […]

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July 30, 2020·Bíblia JFA // Bible Offline

Be the carrier of the Good News

Andrew was working with his brother when a stranger came up to him and said: I have a good job offer for you. In the segment where you already work, but earning more, much more! Paul was lost on the road driving, when out of nowhere a “car” appeared with the light in his face saying: you are on the wrong road. I will guide you on how to get to your destination! An IRS inspector was on the street in his hometown, when he was approached by a celebrity in the whole country, who was passing by and who told him that he would be a guest at his home. You may have already realized of whom I’m talking about … In these 3 situations, people were in their daily lives, when they were surprised with a Good News that literally saved their lives! Jesus changed the life of Andrew, Peter, Paul, Zacchaeus… and continues to change the life of anyone He approaches. Always with Good News: The good news of the gospel! You have been called to be a carrier of good news And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful […]

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July 28, 2020·Léo

Help not to look back!

I would like to say a prayer with you to ask for the help of the Lord for us to be consistent and look forward! We constantly need to remember that it is not good to look back and desire what we used to do before we truly met God! Remembering that you don’t need to repeat this prayer exactly as I am going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. So if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure, but feel free to speak your way. Jesus, first of all I want to thank you for Your love for me and for Your mercy! Even though I don’t deserve it, You pour all that I need into my life. I confess that I have had some difficulties in relation to my past! The desire to look at back and do the same things again has increased! So I ask you to give me strength and make me see with my spiritual eyes, instead of seeing with carnal eyes. Help me to see the beauty in the journey and in the processes! As a sinner, I have […]

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July 26, 2020·Gabriela Angerami

Ask for a generous heart!

Generosity is a virtue of the Kingdom of God. If being generous is a difficulty for us, we can ask God for a generous heart. We have a kind Father who wants to add to us the virtues of His Kingdom, such as generosity. Sharing a testimony I will start this text by sharing an experience I had last weekend. I was attending an online class and the teacher showed the case of a foundation that serves children and teenagers. It showed a particular action they took to encourage donations. In class we watched the video of this action. And in this action, they asked the children who received help from the foundation, that is, children in need, to donate a toy to other needy children. They not only asked them to donate a toy, but asked them to donate their favorite toy. When I saw the beginning of the video, I was sure the children would donate, but in the end they would get new toys as a reward for the gesture they made. But not! The video ended with the children donating and the call was “everyone can help”. I confess that I was trying to assimilate, you […]

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July 23, 2020·Léo

What are your priorities?

Have we given due importance to the Word of God? Has the Lord been a priority in our lives? Or do we leave to have a moment with God only at the end of the day and prefer to do other things before? In today’s blog, we would like to bring this reflection! We know that God and His Word are extremely important, but have we given due attention? I think this reflection is valid for all of us! Come on? The day by day! “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6: 33 In our life, we have several things to do. We have dreams, plans and projects and we strive and dedicate ourselves to achieve them. However, we understand that if our dreams and plans are not in accordance with God’s will, we will never be able to please God, much less be truly happy. Happiness is exclusively tied to the will of God in our lives. We Christians know very well that deep, true and overflowing happiness cannot be found in the things of the world. Okay, but what does all this have to do […]

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July 21, 2020·Léo

Thank You for everything!

I would like to say a prayer with you to thank the Lord for all that He has done for us! We constantly need to give thanks to God for His goodness and mercy! Remembering that you don’t need to repeat this prayer exactly as I am going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. So if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure, but feel free to speak your way. “Jesus, thank you so much for the life the Lord has given me. I am grateful for all the undeserved things I have and received. With my own hands, I could never reach any of them, but by His grace, love and mercy, I can enjoy them. Thank you for my family, God. I apologize, because I often end up stressing them out and I don’t appreciate their presence and life. But I am extremely grateful for each one of them. I am also grateful for the friends You gave me. For all the dear companions that the Lord has placed beside me. And I ask You to show me if any of my friendships are […]

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July 19, 2020·Léo

I can’t hear God’s voice

Have you also been troubled by not being able to hear the Lord’s voice? Have you ever wondered why you didn’t hear God speak? Are you going through this today? Today I would like to talk about one of the phrases that I spoke most in my life and that I hear many times! If you’ve ever felt that way, I imagine it’s an important text for you! Shall we talk about it? The noise is too loud! “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 The Bible shows us that, on several occasions, Jesus withdrew from the presence of others, went to a quiet place and prayed to His Father. But for what reason did He do this? In my view, Jesus withdrew for two reasons: to avoid noise and to be alone with the Lord. I would like to speak specifically about the noise. Noise that deafens us and disturbs us. What noise would that be? The vast majority of us have a busy schedule and a very busy life. We got involved in a lot of activities and ended up with a very full mind too. It is important to say that there is […]

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