JFA Blog

Reflections, studies and news for your walk with God.

November 12, 2020·Nicole Leão

4 lessons from Esther’s life

Esther was a young Jewish woman from the tribe of Benjamin, whose parents died during the Babylonian exile. Esther was raised by her cousin Mordecai in Susan, one of the capitals of the Medo-Persian Empire, during the reign of Ahasuerus – approximately 483 B.C. The story of the young Jewish woman unfolds after the banishment of Queen Vashti, when King Ahasuerus, at a feast that lasted 180 days, asked her to parade before the guests and she refused. Then he ordered another woman to take the queen’s place. The king summoned all the virgin and beautiful women of the kingdom, to choose his new queen and Mordecai who served in the palace, arranged that Esther be among the suitors. With this, she was taken by the guards together with the other women to the palace. Esther did not tell anyone she was Jewish because Mordecai had warned her not to reveal where she came from. One year later, the king started calling the girls he had selected. Finally, Esther was called to the presence of the king, who was delighted with her beauty and attitude, so much so that made her his queen, (Esther 2:17). In time, Esther proved to […]

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November 10, 2020·Nicole Leão

Praying for the waiting time

I’ve been thinking a lot about the waiting time in our lives, have you ever stopped to think that we all expect something? A job, a relationship, a child, the purchase of a property and so many other things … we all wait for something, be it an answer, a solution or a miracle. What I have realized is that we often do not understand why we are waiting and we forget its importance, because it is during the waiting that we are prepared and shaped according to the will of God so that His plans are fulfilled. Thinking about it, today we will pray for the waiting time. I also want to leave here 3 verses about waiting: Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. Psalm 37:34 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will […]

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November 06, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Meekness

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22 (JKV) We are in the eighth text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians and today we will learn more about meekness. I would like to begin by leaving here the passage from Colossians 3:12: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering”. Meekness But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 1 Peter 3: 15-16 (JKV) Meekness is keeping calm even in tense situations, who is meek acts with wisdom and calm, not allowing himself to sin when he gets […]

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November 05, 2020·Nicole Leão

A study about John Baptist

There is no denying the importance of this biblical character, being the cousin of Jesus, John Baptist was the son of Zacarias and Isabel, the result of a miraculous conception, since his mother was old and sterile (Luke 1: 57-66). John Baptist knew from an early age what his purpose here on earth was: to announce the coming of Jesus Christ – the Savior – and he remained faithful to his call. The prophet Isaiah had already prophesied about him. And this is confirmed in the text of Matthew: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” Matthew 3:1-2 The beginning of his ministry When the Spirit of God directed him to the desert to begin his preaching ministry, he did not hesitate to obey (Luke 1:80; Mark 1: 2-6), he lived in the desert until he began his ministry, he did not drink alcohol, he used camel hair and ate grasshoppers and honey. […]

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November 03, 2020·Nicole Leão

Prayer: God, restore my family!

Family was created by God and should be a place of safety and protection. But because of the sin that exists in the world many families live in a real war footing, where the parents do not respect each other, the children do not respect their parents and everyone lives in total disunity. This certainly does not please our Heavenly Father and today I want you to say the following prayer: God, restore my family! Before, I leave here three passages of the Bible on family: That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6: 1-4 Prayer Dear God, […]

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October 30, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Faith

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 (NIV) We are in the seventh text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians. Today we are going to learn more about faith. I would like to start by leaving the passage of Ephesians 6:16 here: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one“, then, remember that faith is the shield against flamed darts of the enemy. Faith For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2: 8,9 (NIV) I want to start this text by reminding you that faith is a quality that gives us strength to overcome evil and adversity. It is good to remember that faith is not just believing in God, because as it is written in […]

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October 29, 2020·Paulo Oliveira

A life that overflows into eternity

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly! John 10:10 Do you know what is in this verse that is not written in your Bible? The final exclamation point! But it is difficult to imagine Jesus making that statement without that exclamation point… He came to give us LIFE and abundant life! In many countries and cultures, November 2 is associated with the Day of the Dead. It recalls loved ones who are no longer with us, people line up in cemeteries and decorate their tombstones with flowers. But We can also talk about life. Without any disrespect, if Jesus made this powerful statement about the purpose of His incarnation – to bring life – it must also reach the lives of those who no longer live, right? Which leads me to think of another very strong word in this verse: ABUNDANCE! Abundance means exceeding, not ending, overflowing! It has to do with almost waste, and certainly not with saving, rationing or saving. Doesn’t it look like a consumer dream? Enter the supermarket or mall without worrying about […]

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October 26, 2020·Nicole Leão

Prayer: Fear, never again!

Fear is a natural feeling, which can even be positive in some situations, serving as an alert, but often causes us harm, despair, paralysis and leads to wrong decisions. All of this is not good, but I have some good news to give you today … and it is, with God’s help, you can win! In Psalm 34: 4 it is written: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears”. We cannot let ourselves be dominated by fear, so today I invite you to pray, throw away all the fear that paralyzed you, remember that God is greater than everything that afflicts you so much and He will take care of you. Here are some verses to help you: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for […]

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October 23, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Goodness

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 (NIV) We are in the sixth text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians, and today we will learn more about goodness. I would like to begin by leaving here the passage from Psalm 125: 4: “Lord, do good to those who are good,to those who are upright in heart”. Goodness Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NIV) We are already in the sixth text of our series and I would like to bring a reflection here, I believe that you have already realized how each of the characteristics of the fruit of the Holy Spirit are related to each other. Goodness is directly related to long-suffering, which is related to peace and so on, that is why it is so important that […]

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October 22, 2020·Nicole Leão

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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October 20, 2020·Nicole Leão

Prayer: Making wise decisions!

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what was the best decision to make? Most likely, yes. I’ve been in this condition a few times and I know how difficult it can be, because we don’t want to make mistakes or make decisions that may not be the best in the future and it’s not always clear what we should do. Fortunately, our God and Creator knows all the ways, knows what is best for us and is willing to give wisdom to anyone who asks. So today we are going to pray for the guidance of our Lord, but first I would like to remind you that the right decision is one that will glorify the Father. Here are three verses that can help you: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1: 5 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 Prayer Beloved God, […]

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October 16, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Kindness

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 (NIV) We are in the fourth text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians and today we will learn more about kindness. I would like to begin by leaving as a reminder the passage in Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”. Kindness Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 (NIV) Do you know what kindness means? Well, it is the quality of those who are benign, that is, endowed with good characteristics, such as generosity and benevolence. To act kindly is to be merciful to others, behaving based on loyalty and fidelity. Being a fruit of the Holy Spirit, as well as love, joy, peace and long-suffering, the quality of being kind is produced by the Holy Spirit in us, when we are […]

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October 15, 2020·Nicole Leão

5 essential tips to evangelize

In this time of so much bad news, when people are suffering or anxious, you can share the good news of the gospel. Let’s take this opportunity to spread the love of Jesus Christ. 1. Pray first before everything Think about the person you would like to evangelize and pray for them. I recommend that you pray for 1 month, breaking all difficulties that may prevent that person from receiving the gospel of Jesus. Continue in prayer also during the time you are discipling her, as there is a spiritual battle. 2. Be a true friend Be a true friend of the person you want to evangelize. Always be helpful and available. And, of course, this will need to be true in your life. Show Jesus’ love with sincerity. In practice, be helpful, invite the person to a coffee, call him. 3. Don’t use difficult words Always be approachable when speaking and avoid difficult words, as they may move away instead of approaching. Avoid silly discussions and unnecessary confrontations. Jesus does not need to be defended, he needs to be introduced. Try to present Jesus through the Bible, because when He is well presented, He is simply irresistible. 4. Study […]

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October 13, 2020·Nicole Leão

Prayer: It’s time to slow down!

Have you ever stopped to think how much hurry gets in the way of your day to day, fellowship and relationship with God? The rush can hinder our lives a lot, because when we are affected by it we fail to give due attention to what we need. These days I came across the following phrase: “If the devil does not make you sin, he will occupy you”. I know it may seem like extremism, but think with me, when we are busy we do not have time for God, nor to exercise love for those around us. Because when we are in a hurry we get easily irritated, we want to solve everything running and certainly not how Jesus Christ acted with his followers and disciples. In fact, He did the opposite, dedicated himself to each one in a sublime way. So today, I invite you to pray with me, because it’s time for you to slow down! 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 […]

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October 09, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Forbearance

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 (NIV) We are in the fourth text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians and today we will learn more about forbearance. And I would like to start by leaving the passage in Galatians 6: 9 as a reminder: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up“. Forbearance As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4: 1-2 (NIV) Forbearance is the characteristic or quality of greatness of spirit, a person who faces adversity with courage, in the Bible we see that this is a virtue of those who are good and generous and have faith in God to help solve […]

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October 08, 2020·Nicole Leão

4 lessons we can learn from the life of Joseph

Joseph is an emblematic character of the bible and today we are going to learn 4 lessons about his life. He was Jacob’s eleventh and favorite son, as well as Rachel’s eldest son, who remained infertile for years, but was his father’s most beloved wife. Because of this, he became the most protected and favored. Throughout his history, he was despised by his brothers, threatened with death, sold as a slave, tempted by a powerful woman, unjustly imprisoned, forgotten in prison, challenged by Pharaoh to interpret dreams, appointed governor of Egypt, and put to the test before his brothers, whom he forgave. In all of this, he had faith in God and was honored. 1. The evil of envy, jealousy and hatred When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Genesis 37: 4 Driven by hatred, envy, and jealousy, Joseph’s half brothers conspired against him and sold him as a slave. To justify Joseph’s absence to his father, they anointed his animal tunic and gave it to Jacob, so that he would think that his protected son had been devoured by a wild […]

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October 06, 2020·Nicole Leão

Praying for the month of October!

We reached another month of the year 2020, a year in which the world has faced many challenges both in health, as in the economy and education. Many events in a year. We need to be steadfast, strong in the unwavering rock because this phase lived due to the Covid-19 pandemic will come to an end and I want to pray with you for this month, you may be waiting for an answer, needing a solution in some area of your life, or even if you just want to say thank you, today I invite you to pray and put everything on God’s altar. 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. Prayer Dear God, first of all, I want to thank you for the month of October for everything you have done so far and for everything you are still going to do, thank you for taking care of me and my family even when I do […]

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October 02, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Peace

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 We are in the third text of the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians and today our study will be about peace. I would like to start by leaving as a reminder the passage from Romans 8, 6: “The mentality of the flesh is death, but the mentality of the Spirit is life and peace”. Peace I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Peace is not characterized by the absence of struggles or circumstantial adversities, but by discernment and emotional control in the face of situations that bring anguish, doubt or fear. This fruit of the Spirit, described in the sacred scriptures, is very different from what the world means by peace, because it is generated by the comfort of the […]

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October 01, 2020·Nicole Leão

4 ways for God speak to you

In times when the world is in constant motion and we are always in a hurry, it can be difficult to pay attention to what God has to say to us, with this many believe they are incapable of it, or even that our Father chooses people to speak, but in In truth, the Lord wants to have a deep relationship with us, so much that He speaks to us at all times and in different ways. In this blog post, you will see the 4 ways in which God speaks to you. 1. God speaks through the Bible All Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable to teach, write, correct, instruct in justice; So that the man of God may be perfect and perfectly instructed for every good work. 2 Timothy 3: 16,17 The Bible is God’s main tool for talking to us, because as it is written in the above passage it was entirely inspired by God, and therefore it is sacred and important for us to know His will for our lives. Through it the Lord manifests himself, whether to advise, exhort or comfort us. Therefore, try to take the time to read the Bible daily, it is […]

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September 29, 2020·Nicole Leão

Praying for the joy that comes from God!

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22 In Monday’s blog this week, we talked about the difference between happiness and joy, we saw that happiness is an emotion, unlike the joy that according to the Bible fills the spiritual void through an intimate relationship with our God. Therefore, happiness is a feeling of joy that depends on something good to happen, but our Lord wants us to be happy regardless of the circumstances. Despite this, God knows that we will not be happy all the time, in fact there are times when we will be sad and everything is fine, but we cannot help but hope that better days will come. So, today I invite you to pray for a heart that overflows with the joy that comes from God! 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 […]

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September 25, 2020·Nicole Leão

Learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Joy

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 This is the second text in the series “Learning about the Fruit of the Spirit”, in which we will delve into what is written in the Bible about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, mentioned in the book of Galatians and today we will learn more about joy. To begin, I want to affirm that true joy is that which comes from our Lord! Joy Nowadays, joy seems scarce in the world, where there is room for so much fear, worry, discouragement, anxiety and depression, but our Father called us to joy and would like to start this text by differentiating joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion, and God does not expect people to be in that emotional state all the time, after all, as it is written in Ecclesiastes 3: 4, there is time to cry and to laugh; time to cry and time to dance. Joy, according to the Bible, fills the spiritual void through an intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy. In John 15: 5, […]

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September 23, 2020·Nicole Leão

A study about Samuel

Samuel was born during the last few years when Israel was ruled by the judges and is the son of Hannah, a barren woman. He was a prophet and led Israel as a priest, military and political leader, being a great example of faithfulness and obedience to God. Therefore, I invite you to study and delve into the life of this great man. His early years Samuel is one of the few biblical characters that we can find reports about childhood. The prophet’s father was Elkanah, a godly man from the region of Ephraim and of Levitic lineage. His mother, already mentioned, was Hannah who for a long time remained sterile, which saddened her a lot. On one occasion, Hannah went to the sanctuary of God and promised that if she had a son, she would dedicate it to the Lord. Then, the high priest Eli told her that God would fulfill her heart’s desire and Hannah became pregnant. Samuel was born in a troubled time for Israel, when the Israelites faced great oppression from the Philistines and the nation was in complete spiritual decline. As promised, Samuel was taken to the sanctuary early, where he stayed in the care […]

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September 21, 2020·Nicole Leão

Give me patience!

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, which must be produced by every Christian. We live in a time of immediacy, many want everything for yesterday, always in a hurry, making wrong decisions, and acting hastily. But we must not act like this, as followers of Jesus and new creatures we must reflect in our lives the patience generated by the Holy Spirit. So I invite you to pray and ask God: Give me patience! Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I am 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 way. Prayer Dear God, first I would like to thank you for being so patient with me and for loving me even though I am a sinner. Sir, I know I am a failure, I often stress about small things or I want to do everything in my own time, so today I ask you: Give me patience! May I be patient with people in my daily life, whether they are my family, friends, or even strangers. […]

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September 18, 2020·Nicole Leão

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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