Transformation

August 22, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Planting time

In recent texts, I brought some reflections about sowing and burying some dreams, projects and ideals. Leaving space for the act of God and the fulfillment of His promises. Today I want to invite you to pray with about this matter. Ask the Lord to take care of each stage of planting and each season, taking care of your heart in every process. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to write here, because I know that everyone has their own way of talking to the Father and I want you to feel comfortable talking to Him in your way. But if you want, I’ll be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Lord, at this moment I want to thank you for everything you have done in me like a soil. I also thank you for the seeds that You has prepared and helped me to cultivate. I ask that you, Lord, watch over my heart during the time of waiting, as You prepare me to receive the best of Your blessings. I want to ask you for moments when the seed is in silence and darkness, when the root is growing. Don’t let […]

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August 15, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Be a good soil

Still on the subject of burying and planting, I want to remind you of the importance of taking care of the soil first. We often think that just the seed and how much we water it are the only things that matter. We also care about the sun, the temperature, whether the vase is beautiful…But knowing the ground and preparing it are the first and most important steps. Multiplied harvest “He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.” It is because of the quality of the soil that at different times we will need to wait for God’s preparation. In Mark, chapters 4 and 13, we can read parables about sowing, stories that make clear the importance of preparing a good soil and paying attention to the place where we are planting our seeds. The Word says that the seed cannot be planted shallowly, lest its roots burn with the sun because they are not deeply fixed. If it is just dropped on any surface, birds can eat it and you will lose it. If it is among thorns, it will suffocate and not grow. But if it is in good […]

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August 10, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Bury X Plant

There is a big difference between burying and planting. Many times we confuse these two words and take actions that take us off the right path or take us in the wrong direction. What’s the difference? Even if there is nothing in the bible that directly compares “burying” and “planting”, there are several passages that treat each of these concepts in isolation. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 we see the following passage: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” The term “bury” is seen, for example, in the text of Luke 9:60, where it is written: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Planting is sowing to reap something in the future, burying is linked to burial, the completion of something. In our lives, we need to have discernment and wisdom to understand when to plant and when to just bury. Closed cycles “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 We’ve all heard that life […]

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August 03, 2023·Rapha Abreu

There is life in pain!

In churches and in the Christian environment, one of the most discussed topics is the death of Christ, that is, His sacrifice. It’s been a while since I heard a preaching in which the pastor compared Jesus’ death to a woman’s labor. This sermon left a deep impression on me and I would like to share some insights with you. The gestation “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 When a woman is pregnant, there is the entire waiting period of pregnancy, the 9 months, which is a necessary preparation time. It’s no use wanting it to take less or more time, the body has a determined time to generate and be generated. From the birth of Jesus to the day of His death, there was a time of 33 years. During all these years, He knew the promise. He knew what must be done, that he would die for all of us. But even though He had the knowledge of what would happen, the time of waiting and preparation was essential and indispensable. He needed to walk among us, teach the word in a tangible way. Operate miracles and wonders. His […]

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July 20, 2023·Rapha Abreu

All spiritual blessings

“All spiritual blessings,” as written in Ephesians 1:3, is a way of describing the abundant blessings received from the Lord. They are divine favors. This term is linked to the favor and grace of God manifested in our lives. It is not something received on merit or at random. The essence of this term “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” Ephesians 1:3 Many times our mind refers the word “blessing” to something material. Like money, house, car… But God blesses us from the material to the immaterial. He blesses us spiritually and emotionally. He gives us health, family, relationships, spiritual growth, peace and resources. Receiving all spiritual blessings does not exempt us from challenges. Trials exist and difficulties can arise in some areas, even as they coexist with blessings in other aspects of our lives. The point here is that He has already blessed us and we can rely on God’s love and faithfulness in all circumstances and at all times. This awareness of God’s presence and care in our lives is sharpened as we develop intimacy with Him, not whether we […]

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July 04, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Gift X Fruit

For a long time I had doubts about the difference between gifts and fruits. And the meaning is so deep and beautiful. When we understand this difference, we feel part of something and it fills us with hope and identity. A good soil “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” Matthew 12:33 What God does and pours out to us concerns the gift. Fruit is the result of what we do with the gift He has given us. If the gift is the seed that God gives, it says much more about the Lord. The fruit speaks more about the type of land in which that seed was deposited. That is, the fruit speaks about us. Everything we receive from Him must be used for the sake of the Kingdom. We are graced by Him so that we can serve each other better. Thus, we can build the path to His Kingdom in the best way. These seeds planted in our hearts, the gifts we receive from the Father’s grace, need to be watered and cultivated. Through the […]

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June 22, 2023·Rapha Abreu

No space for the new

How do you want to receive new things from God if you remain the old man? No, our attitudes do not change God. His character is something permanent and solid. But our actions directly interfere with everything we receive from the Father. Not because we influence His power, but because we impede the miracle and blessings in our lives by being full of ourselves. We leave no room for the will of God. Empty yourself “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17 In some of the texts I wrote here for the blog, I commented on how the actions of people at the time of Jesus prevented them from living profound experiences with God, prevented them from enjoying the presence of Christ. A very simple and quick explanation related to this is that God is not going to put new wine in an old wineskin. If we live a life for our desires, without emptying ourselves, we don’t make room for the new. Even if God poured out His new […]

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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 […]

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March 16, 2023·Rapha Abreu

What have I done for God?

We go through some afflictions in our lives. We are human and it is normal that not everything is perfect. Even if your neighbor’s grass looks greener, it isn’t. We all go through difficulties. Highs and lows “For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. “But if I were you, I would appeal to God. I would lay my cause before him.” Job 5:6-8 There are times when difficulties are minor and quickly resolved without headaches. There were times when my family and I were at the best of our lives, spiritually as well as emotionally and financially. Soon after, everything seemed to fall apart. It felt like we were being forcibly pulled out of that quieter moment. And then came the difficulties. In difficult times, if we don’t focus on God, we may lose a few nights of sleep. In those moments we always questioned ourselves with the title question: “What have I done for God?“. Do not hinder photosynthesis You have done nothing for God, for He does not change according to our works, whether they are good or bad. In […]

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February 27, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Do you understand Agape Love?

I’ve come here a few times to talk about how the word of God generates real changes in our hearts. These changes start within us and, without forcing it, spill over onto other people. Thus, we become channels of blessings in the lives of others. For we have been blessed to bless. Was born of him “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 I want to start by talking about the importance of focusing on blessing, not receiving blessings. “But why should I love?”. Simple, because He loved you first. Whoever is born of love is love. A bird does not give birth to a cat. If we are children of God, we are also filled with love, for we are children of Love. I know that sometimes we can’t connect with certain people because they are very different from us in some points, so we end up being closer to others with whom we identify more. Just like some people might have the same feeling about us. And that’s okay. But […]

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February 22, 2023·Rapha Abreu

Sin does not stop the miracle

The Bible often has that part that we almost always skip when reading: the long and neglected genealogy. I understand why we skip. There are many names and that gives that feeling of wasting time in our devotional. But today I want to show you something very special. Everything has a reason “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness“. 2 Timothy 3:16 Everything in the Bible has meaning and importance. God doesn’t do anything for nothing, without purpose and that doesn’t carry a special message. Understanding where we came from and the path we took to a certain place teaches us to be grateful for where we are in the present and also to be hopeful about where we will go. Even if the walk was not made with 100% beautiful steps and only correct choices. An imperfect lineage “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope“. Romans 15:4 The genealogy of Jesus is presented in two ways: by Matthew, beginning with Abraham, and by Luke, who tells it from Adam. Regardless […]

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October 27, 2022·Rapha Abreu

God doesn’t just want to help you

Last week I spoke to you about the passage in Acts 3 where Peter and John are brought to Peter and John who was looking for alms. This man brought to them asks for some coins, and is healed. In the last text I talked about the apostles turning that man’s eyes to God. Today I want to talk about what he was looking for when he went to them. Daily view “When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money” Acts 3:3 That man’s intention was to receive help for that moment. Something that would allow him to feed that day. And then, probably, the next day he would be in that same place again looking for supplies for that new day and so on. In our lives we also look for solutions that we believe would solve our problems, but in fact are just keeping us in the same place, in a vicious cycle. If Peter and John had given the man alms, his life would have remained the same. He would continue to think that it was okay for him to live like that, that life had no more hope, that he […]

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September 15, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Do you have the culture of worship in you?

“We must create a culture of worship”. Today I want to talk about this phrase. I don’t know if you too, but I’ve heard a lot. I want to share my view on her. Culture of caring First let’s understand the meanings of culture. There are several, such as cultivation, development, relationship, expressions… What we hear most about is culture as the material or immaterial art that exists in a society. Culture is what shapes who we are and concerns where we come from. They are the characteristics of a people. The Romans brought another, even deeper, meaning to this word. A meaning considered in discussions to date: Beware. Culture, for them, was fully the act of caring. Taking care of a plantation, a dance, a painting, a building…On today’s topic: TAKING CARE OF WORSHIP. Desde quando o Senhor separou Seu povo, como descrito a partir do capítulo 25 do livro de Êxodo, Ele deu instruções detalhadas a respeito do local e de como as ofertas de adoração deveriam ser prestadas. Havia todo um zêlo, ritual e cuidado em relação a isso. Hoje a partir de Cristo, nós edificamos um novo templo espiritual e passamos todos a ser sacerdotes. Podemos […]

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