Word Of God

July 25, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Independents

I don’t know the exact moment when you matured, when you realized that it was necessary to grow up. In each season of our lives, we learn something that shapes and transforms us. We learn so many things simultaneously and end up not giving everything its due value. Time to grow “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 I started working at 13 years old. I helped at a stationery store on the avenue near my house. It wasn’t my parents’ desire, and they only allowed it because they saw that it was my desire to have my own money and learn. As the owner of the place was a friend of theirs, I was able to go in to help her. I did various tasks, some days cleaning to maintain the environment, receiving new merchandise, among many other things that, even though they seemed small, made me grow a lot. I matured very early. Since that age, I knew the value of my money and my work, I had my responsibilities, […]

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July 18, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Deciding paths

God knows what is best for us and wants to have intimacy and freedom to act in our lives. To do this, we need to position ourselves in the face of situations so that there is real change and transformation in us and around us. Let’s pray together about this position? Prayer “Father, everything that You expect from us and dream for our lives is already written in Your book. I know that we need to seek answers from You and we ask for wisdom and direction on this path. Grant us the wisdom to form our opinions according to Your will. May we seek Your guidance in all the decisions we need to make, focusing on achieving Your dreams for us. May we have the courage to let go of the old self, allowing a real transformation in us and around us. God, we want to fully trust You as our guide. Help us to remain firm in the face of situations that arise and do not allow us to deviate from the paths that You have designed for us. Strengthen our relationship with You, granting us unshakable confidence in Your love and Your wisdom, showering us with discernment. […]

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July 04, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Too busy for Christ

When we choose to listen to the Lord, we take the best path. Spending our time at the feet of Christ is the best choice, and nothing else matters when we have this closeness to Him. In Luke 10, we see God clearly express this truth to Martha and Mary. Hear Him now! “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” Luke 10:38-39 Mary left behind everything that had to be done in the house, as she knew what a great opportunity it was to have Jesus there with them. They could hear the Master, face to face, sitting with them. We don’t encounter Jesus in the flesh, like they did. But we have Him with us every day and at all times. He lives in our hearts, and we can talk to Him at any time of the day. The Lord knocks on the door to sit with us too and invites us to be at His feet, listening to everything He has to teach. All […]

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June 27, 2024·Rapha Abreu

How do I measure my faith?

Difficult times do not mean little faith. Walking with God does not make us immune to difficulties and pain. But God taught us in the Bible the difference it makes to be with Him, walking in His footsteps. Faith in the lion’s den “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24-26 The storm comes for everyone, both for those who built their house on the sand and for those who built their house on the rock. Difficulties will always exist; the difference is in the foundation, where we are built. Our trust cannot be in something volatile; we need to establish it in God. Just as in the story of Daniel, when he was thrown into a pit full of hungry lions, he stood firm, not in his […]

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June 20, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Cursed dreams

I’ve read a lot about frustrated dreams, when we think that God doesn’t care about what our heart desires and does everything to do the opposite. Only later do I realize how this is a response from a spoiled child. We do not seek to understand the Father’s will and where it will lead us. We spend our time questioning why our dream didn’t happen, without seeing the wonders that were possible to be experienced in place of that interrupted plan. Zealous Father No, God doesn’t want to see you cry. In fact, I believe that it hurts the Lord, as a Father, to see His children suffering for something that did not happen. But He knows what’s best for you. Not only does He know what is best for us, He also knows the best way. I’m talking about this because there is a big difference between not getting what you want and not getting it the way you want. Sometimes God is not denying you what you dream of. But He may be saying “no” to the way you are trying. There are dreams that are not good for you, even if you don’t see any dangers in […]

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June 11, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Fire that purifies

God wants to purify us like gold, making us a mirror of who He is. To do this, we need to allow Him the freedom in our lives to act as He desires. Shall we pray together about this? Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, thank You for all You do in our lives. We give You complete freedom right now to do whatever You want, however You want, whenever You want. Prepare me for everything I have prayed for and align my dreams with Yours. We want to be purified and shaped into the image of Christ. Lord, we ask that You purify us as gold is refined in fire; burn with Your fire in us. Remove from us all impurities, all sins, and imperfections that prevent us from reflecting Your glory. May Your Holy Spirit work deeply in our hearts, transforming and renewing […]

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June 06, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Purified like gold

The Bible tells us in several passages that God fashions us like new vessels and purifies His people like gold and silver. While studying and listening to some sermons on this, I found a deeper meaning on the subject: the way gold looks after going through the fire. Separated For gold to be purified, it is placed at a high temperature for a certain time. This metal is not found pure in nature; it is common to find it mixed with silver or other materials. Therefore, this purification becomes necessary. It’s the same with us. We were created by God and received the identity of Christ in our lives. But we are in the world and we are human beings with flaws. God needs to separate us from what makes us unclean. We need to go through a long process of purification and refinement. These steps hurt and don’t happen on our schedule. They occur at the right time and the correct temperature. It is not easy to be refined, and it is not painless to be purified, but God strengthens us at each moment of the process and promises us His protection. Becoming a mirror “So God created mankind in his […]

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May 14, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Becoming unrecognizable

The journey of faith needs to make us unrecognizable. This does not mean forcing ourselves to look like something we are not, but truly being transformed. Processes “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 Nothing changes who God is; no situation or person holds such power. But nothing remains the same wherever God passes. His presence needs to kill who you are so that you become more and more like Him. At times, we try to change the Lord without realizing it. We want to teach Him how to do something, aligning His desires with ours, not the other way around. The problem is that this frustrates us and keeps us away from our promises because we are the ones who need change and direction. Change hurts; the refinement process is painful at some points. We need to let go of who we are used to being. And the secret to getting through all this stronger is to focus on who we will become while walking with Christ. […]

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May 14, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Renewed by the word

The Gospel transforms us. When we truly live out the Word, we are renewed and become unrecognizable. Today, I want to set aside this moment to pray for this genuine transformation, so that Christ has freedom in all areas of our lives. Remembering that you don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of communicating with the Father, and it is important that we seek this intimacy. Feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But if you wish, I am here to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Father, I desire to be truly transformed by Your Word. I acknowledge, Lord, that Your Word is living and effective, capable of penetrating our hearts and shaping us according to Your will, and I am willing to fully surrender myself to make this a reality. Above all, I long to love and seek Your Word and Your presence more deeply, immersing myself in the Scriptures daily to seek Your wisdom and guidance in every aspect of my life. Your Word serves as a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, leading me in the ways […]

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May 06, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Living Christ

Being a Christian is not simple. It requires total surrender, dependence, and sacrifice. Emptying our hearts of our desires to align our projects with His often hurts, as we need to give up what we want and plan to trust Him completely, even if the decisions don’t make sense at the time. But we often forget this and consider ourselves Christians just because we go to church…. Ambassadors of the word “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 God demands nothing in exchange for His power and care. However, to be under His protection, we also need to be aligned with His word. The enemy constantly tries to deceive us with lies to influence our journey. Lies about God, about our identity in Him, and about the things and people around us. He will not respect your church card, but he is obliged to respect our spiritual authority. He can influence our lives even when we are at church; attending all services does not make us immune to his pitfalls. However, he has no power over us […]

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April 23, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Influenced by the Spirit

Jesus was in the world physically. He walked among sinners and lived among those whom society excluded. And because of that, we distort this message and find comfort in being in certain places and situations that distance us from Him. Presence of God “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 Jesus was not influenced easily. He was so rooted in God and lived out the Word so deeply that He was not swayed by His surroundings. He did not approach these people just for the sake of it; He stayed close to teach and exhort about the word and the truth of the Gospel. The environment never corrupted Him; instead, in the authority given by God, He transformed environments and people. The Father was with Him at all times. He was a teacher, a brother, a friend, and an intercessor for those people, not just a companion. Standing firm in Christ “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand […]

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April 16, 2024·Nicole Leão

God hears your cry

There are situations in life that are desperate. Calamities happen to families, cities, and nations. Health crises, wars, earthquakes, floods, deaths, rampant violence, persecution and so many other evils. These situations leave people terrified, afraid, and not knowing what to do. What the Bible says In Lamentations, it is told that the few Jews left in Israel lived this way, in the midst of chaos and fear. They were terrified and hopeless, but Jeremiah decided to summon them to cry out to God. It was time to confess their sins to the Most High and ask for help. Righteous they prayed and poured out their hearts before God for his merciful action. (Lam 5.1-22). In Psalm 51.17 David speaks that God is pleased with a broken spirit and does not despise a repentant heart. In 2 Chronicles 7.14, the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that if his people would humble themselves, pray, seek and turn from their wicked ways, then he would hear them, forgive them and heal the land. Psalm 107 tells how God acted on behalf of his people, when in distress, the people cried out to the Lord and he delivered them from their tribulations. […]

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April 10, 2024·Nicole Leão

Meekness, the missing fruit of the Spirit

Do you consider yourself a meek person? Meekness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that seems so lacking in our society. What we see most often are reactive people, who get stressed over little things and more than that end up being aggressive in their communication with others. But surely this is not how those who have been transformed in Christ should act, is it? We serve a God who is meek and who values such a way of behaving, and today we will see what the Bible has to tell us about being meek. Be careful how you respond An angry man provokes quarrels, and he of a violent temper commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22 Our Father is pleased with those who have meekness in their hearts, being humble, kind, calm, and sure toward their neighbor. The enemy is quick and often provokes various disagreements just so that we fall into his temptations, but we must pray and watch always, so as not to give in to any sin. He who gets angry too quickly, will easily fall into great temptations. So, be gentle at all times, if someone hates you and wishes you harm, do it differently. […]

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March 26, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Live the supernatural

I see many people questioning why those who don’t follow God prosper, while others who do, encounter afflictions. But that’s simply the nature of life. Natural cycle “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 Whoever walks without God experiences what is natural. There is planting, rain, and then the harvest, as this is the normal cycle of things. And amidst all this, there are the consequences of your mistakes. We who live with God experience the supernatural daily. We witness miracles and events that can only exist in Him, which clearly demonstrate the presence of God and His hand in everything. Those who walk far from the Father only experience the natural, the obvious, and the expected cycle. But those who live for the Kingdom also need to understand that this does not provide an antidote to the bad things that happen. Battles exist, whether they are necessary for our growth or those in which we get involved due to wrong choices along the way. But achievements exist too, those of our own work and those that the Lord grants us. He promises to be with us […]

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March 19, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Rebuilding the altar

Shall we pray concerning our relationship with God? We must reconstruct the altar, renew our intimacy and profound connection with the Father, as He beckons us to do. Today, I wish to set aside this time to pray collectively regarding this commitment with the Lord, ensuring that we consistently prioritize the altar and submit to Him. You don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their way of talking to the Father, and it is important that we individually seek intimacy with Him. Therefore, feel comfortable talking to the Lord in your own way. But if you want, I will be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Dear God, I thank You for Your constant presence in my life and for granting me access to You, even when I do not deserve it. I am eternally grateful for the grace of being able to be with You, God. I acknowledge the importance of rebuilding the altar of worship and relationship with You as a top priority. I desire to offer You my firstfruits, knowing that You have much more in store for me. Often, I find myself distracted by the […]

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March 18, 2024·Nicole Leão

Have you complimented anyone today?

Praise is just as important as warning. How many times have you mentally praised someone for a change in attitude and forgotten to verbalize it? Certainly we remember more to demand changes than to praise, when everything is fine we tend not to pay attention to the behavioral changes of those we live with, but when people do something that displeases us, we soon notice and get upset. Family relationships Now bringing it to a more specific topic, I have an 11 year old brother and like any child, sometimes he is a bit fumbling or doesn’t want to do what was asked of him at the time he should have done it and recently I realized that I as a sister was taking the wrong approach by just criticizing him about these things. Of course I can admonish him to be more committed to his tasks, but how many times has he done what he was supposed to do and come to me happy, and I in turn said “that’s very good, but it could always be like this”. I praised him, but soon after charged him for an attitude that he was already trying to change. Maybe in […]

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March 04, 2024·Nicole Leão

The Seasons of Life: Winter

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot; Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 Today we will finish the series “The Seasons of Life”, where through 4 texts we were led to reflect on the moments of our lives by making an analogy with the seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Without a doubt, we can say that our life is full of different circumstances that are not always well defined as the seasons. Sometimes spring is not only flowers and thinking about this I remembered a violin concerto by a very famous Italian composer named Antonio Vivaldi, entitled “The Four Seasons”. In his composition, through music he brings in different notes these nuances that exist within each season, just like life, but it is still possible to perceive that there is a cycle, a beginning, a middle, and an end. In the Bible we find numerous passages that speak exactly about this, the weather, and today we will talk about the winter. Winter Winter is the time of trials and struggles. It is also […]

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February 29, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Have great faith

We often read that we are children of love, of the One who is grace and mercy itself. Today, I want to remind you that we are also children of faith, of the One who is hope itself, alongside whom we are secure. Several passages in the Bible speak of this, aiming to fill us with this divine faith, love, and grace. Do not fear “For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 Faith does not accept doubts; it generates certainties. It does not arise only afterwards, when we already know everything and have complete security in each step. It is born beforehand, in the darkness, when we cannot clearly see anything ahead of us. I once read that anxiety is the fear that God will make mistakes. However, He never errs. We can have faith and fully trust in His word, even before we have confirmations, trusting that our faith will confirm what is necessary. This is an invitation for you to trust and surrender everything to Him. God does not expect us to have a great faith in our own way. He desires that we have great faith, complete surrender. Follow His voice “Consequently, faith […]

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February 22, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Fighting with Christ

In Proverbs 3:5-6, it is written: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This verse reminds us of the importance of fully trusting in God and recognizing Him in all areas of our lives. In one of the previous texts (“Unnecessary Battles”), we discussed avoiding fighting battles that do not come from the Lord, conflicts that arise from our own decisions and can divert us from the plan that God has for us. Today, I want to pray with you for the courage to completely surrender our lives to God, trusting in His wisdom and guidance to lead us along the right path. You don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their way of talking to the Father, and it is important that we individually seek intimacy with Him. Therefore, feel comfortable talking to the Lord in your own way. But if you want, I will be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer “Lord, I acknowledge that I often make decisions without seeking Your guidance, leading me into unnecessary battles. Today, I […]

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February 19, 2024·Nicole Leão

Is your heart a fertile soil?

In today’s reflection I want to remember the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13, in this passage Jesus speaks to a crowd in parables and then talks about the fertile soil which is an analogy to our heart: 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:3-8 Explanation of the Parable of the Sower The Lord Jesus himself explained the meaning of the Parable of the Sower to his disciples. Jesus explained that when someone hears the message of the kingdom but doesn’t understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what […]

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February 05, 2024·Nicole Leão

Series: What cure do you need? [Emotional Healing]

Today we will continue the series “What healing do you need?”, where through three reflections we will recall biblical stories of physical, emotional and spiritual healing, in which the Lord worked in favor of his children, showing once again his glory and infinite goodness. In the last text we talked about physical healing, and today we will talk about emotional healing, a subject that has become more and more important considering the world we live in. Overwork, polarization, information coming at us all the time, and so many other things, more and more we see people with stress, anxiety, depression, and other bad things that affect even children. Of course, all this has not arisen in our time, and in the Bible you can already find stories of emotional healing, because since there is sin on earth, we human beings have led much more arduous lives. However, fortunately our savior sacrificed himself for us and today we no longer have to carry the weight of sin, for we have been set free. I want to remind you that emotional diseases can have several reasons, not only spiritual ones, and that there are qualified professionals that we can seek to help […]

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January 31, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Prayer: Boldness to take a stand

I want to invite you to pray together about taking a stand. Just as in times of affliction and wars, Deborah stood up as a mother for the nation of Israel, may we have the authority and boldness to follow the steps that God calls us to take. You don’t need to pray exactly as I’m going to say here. I know that everyone has their own way of talking to the Father, and it is important that we individually seek intimacy with Him. Therefore, feel free to talk to the Lord in your way. But, if you want, I will be happy to accompany you in this prayer. Prayer Father, thank You for Your infinite kindness, even in the midst of the difficulties and wars that I face during these days. I ask for Your guidance and peace today. Make me sensitive to Your voice, following the call You have for me. May I learn from You how to position myself with wisdom and discernment. Make my spirit willing to follow Yours, and may no battle have the power to silence Your voice in my ears. I want to recognize You not only in moments of rest but also […]

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January 29, 2024·Rapha Abreu

Take a stand!

In the book of Judges, we see some challenges and victories recounted, and in the midst of them, a woman emerges as a spiritual mother for the people of Israel. Deborah was a wise leader, but beyond emphasizing that, I want to remind you of one of her actions that made all the difference: rising up. Challenged to act “Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.” Judges 5:7 Deborah stood up as a mother to Israel in a time of need, and her story powerfully tells the transformative impact of standing up and taking action. In Judges 4, we see Israel immersed in times of war, crying out to God for guidance and deliverance. Being a leader in moments like this is very challenging and complicated, but even so, Débora stood up with determination, as a judge and spiritual mother. She decided to act boldly, guiding and inspiring the people, in God. How long has it been since you stood up and truly stood with authority in your life? Acting in fear of the Lord “Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the […]

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January 29, 2024·Nicole Leão

The importance of constancy in your life

How important it is to stand firm, to be constant in what we do. We have been living in liquid times, where the word constancy has been losing its meaning, however, the word of God instructs us to be constant. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, it is written: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast and constant, always abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not vain in the Lord. Unfortunately, what we have seen out there is exactly the opposite and as a result we have the increase of divorces, constant changes of employment, people giving up on their dreams, and furthermore, many giving up on preaching the gospel. But as we have seen, the words of the apostle Paul exhort us to take a counter-cultural attitude and be firm, just like our God. Without constancy we are not able to build anything, nor to get anywhere. Whoever has tried to learn an instrument knows very well how important daily study is for progress and with our faith, it is no different, we need constantly to be nourished by the word, to be in prayer and to talk about God’s love so that more people can […]

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