JFA Blog

Reflections, studies and news for your walk with God.

August 25, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Have you been intentional?

“A man is known by the company he keeps…” In Brazil there is a popular saying that says “Tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are“. My mother always told me this phrase, changing the ending of the original sentence to “…that I say if I will go along“. I brought this sentence today, with either of the two endings, because I want to talk about intentional connections with you. Be intentional when connecting “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it“ Hebrews 13:1-2 The pun didn’t take away from the fact that she always taught me that we shouldn’t be a respecter of persons. That I should reach out and help, regardless of beliefs, values, or any other circumstance. After all, Jesus rescued everyone. But she also taught me that I should be intentional in my connections. That I am an average of the people I live with and that can bring me closer or further away from God and what He has for me. One step changes the whole race Much […]

choices growth love-of-god love-your-neighbor

August 23, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

To Be vs. To Do

In our minds it is common to always think in a meritocratic way: “do it to deserve it”. We end up having that same mindset when it comes to God and the way He loves us. We believe that certain sins, considered more serious, such as corruption, murder, adultery, among others, can alter God’s love. There’s an excerpt from one of Max Lucado’s books that says: “God’s love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it any more than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases.” Unconditional love When we realize that God’s love does not increase or decrease, regardless of whether we have fallen back into sin or not, it is in the least shocking. We get so used to loves that move according to what we do or how we act, that we forget that God is not a man. He doesn’t love in the limited way that we do. He doesn’t change either, he doesn’t […]

bible devotional heart identity

August 18, 2022·Rapha Abreu

If I am a servant, am I weak?

“Serve”… When we don’t live that word for real, it seems to give the title of “weak” to someone, after all, who seems to be more important? What is sitting around the table or who is serving that table? Who am I to do nothing? “And the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people“ Luke 22:2 He was among us as a servant, and if the greatest was a servant, who am I to sit around and do nothing? Personally, my biggest love language is acts of service. My way of telling someone how special that person is to me is to do something for them. I pay close attention to the things around me and I keep everything people tell me they like or want, then I use this information to do something for her, whether it’s making my mom’s favorite cake, buying my father’s favorite chocolate, setting up decorations for friends’ parties, serving within my ministry… At home and in ministry In my church I am the leader of the general production of the cult, that is, my job is nothing […]

bible love-your-neighbor

August 16, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Guard your heart

During our days, many situations arise that leave us in conflict about how we should act and position ourselves. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life.” Solomon advises us to guard our hearts. But how to do it? How can I guard my heart? Continuing from Proverbs chapter 4, Solomon recommends that we turn away from everything that does not please the Lord’s heart and that we should incline our hearts to His Word. (vs. 4:24-27). We have to cling to the Lord daily and cry out for the Holy Spirit’s help in our day. In Ephesians 6 there is an extremely well-known passage that talks about The Armor of God. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. […]

bible bible-app

August 11, 2022·Rapha Abreu

The Fatherhood of God

We’re approaching Father’s Day and, just like Mother’s Day, I want to talk a little about fatherhood. Not just about the fatherhood we have contact with in our earthly family. But also the one that was delivered to us by God, in an undeserved way. Is God a Bad Father? I’ve heard phrases like “God is an executioner Father”, followed by an argument that said God killed His own son and how horrible that was. Let’s analyze the text of Ephesians 2, verses 4 and 5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved“. Perhaps in our merciless human eyes, we would save the perfect so that those who are imperfect would fight for themselves in their mistakes. But God chose to deliver Christ, the pure firstborn, so that he could save those who did not deserve even a tear from this perfect God. That’s because He is made of mercy, compassion and love. God in his grandeur and incorporeal form became flesh to save mankind. He is the Father and the Son. As it is written […]

bible commemorative-dates family fatherhood

August 09, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Prayer: God’s Will

It is a fact that we love to plan for the future, I, in particular, for a long time had the habit of looking ahead and thinking “if this happens, I have a plan, if that happens, so do I”. Many of us have great difficulty letting go of control of our lives, but the Lord invites us to surrender it to Him. In Jeremiah 29:11 it is written, “For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” The Lord has good plans for us and we have to start handing over the direction of our days to Him, trusting in His Good and Perfect will. I invite you to do that today with me through this prayer. Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, we thank you for this breath of life that […]

devotional expectation god love-of-god

August 04, 2022·Rapha Abreu

Why bloom like a palm tree?

A while ago I spoke to you about verse 12 of Psalm 92: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon“, explaining a little about the part of the Christian as the Cedar-of-Lebanon. Today I want to focus on the part of us flourishing like Palm tree and explain a little more about it. A vertical growth Palm trees are mainly known for adapting a lot to environments and climates. They are very stable and grow to over 20m in height. Nothing prevents your vertical growth. Even if this tree is tied up, it continues to grow vertically. In addition, she is very strong, supporting forces of nature and standing up in unbelievable situations. In 2005, for example, there was a tsunami in Indonesia. A woman survived clinging to a palm tree for 5 days! A natural disaster, which destroyed very strong buildings and structures, was not fierce enough to bring down a Palm Tree. Strengthened in him This is what God dreams for us and expresses in the text of Psalms: that we flourish like them, that we are unshakable and that we always focus on the truth of the heavens, growing upwards. […]

foundation growth strong

August 02, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Vine or Fig?

In the Bible, plants have great meanings. Several parables and stories of Jesus take place around this part of creation. From all these events several teachings are taken that can guide our lives. There is one in particular that is narrated in Luke 13. History Jesus told a parable that said the following: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, but it has not been bearing fruit. He then went to talk to the one who took care of the vineyard so that he could cut it down, after all he had been looking for figs for three years and could not find it. The winegrower replied, asking him to leave it there for another year. He would fertilize and care for that tree, and if, in a year, it remained without fruit, it would be cut down. Where are you planted? A fact that recently caught my attention in this parable was that the fig tree was planted in the vineyard, among the vine trees. I did a little research and opinions are very divided. Some say it’s normal, others say that the fig tree needs the soil to be in certain conditions to bear […]

devotional fig heart place

July 28, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] Shaped by Purpose

This will be the last text on “Identity” and, to close this series, I want to bring another point that shapes our identity: Eternity. Something that says a lot about us is our goals and purposes in life. Where we want to go shapes who we are today, because the future starts now. The Eternal lives in us “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end“ Ecclesiastes 3:11 The Son became man so that men could become sons. When we are called “children” we are also called to eternity with the Father. We were created for this eternity, because the Eternal lives in our heart, life goes far beyond what we know because there is something much greater prepared for us. It is this eternity that we carry that has given us the authority to do everything as He did, moving towards that goal. Christ is the greatest example of someone who had his identity sustained in the relationship with God and lived fully everything that was delivered to Him, because no matter what happened here on earth, He had […]

eternity gods-glory-2 identity purpose

July 26, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Everything for the Glory of God

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 Our days are usually pretty full. We do thousands of tasks. We work, study, exercise, among many other activities. It happens that we often treat certain tasks, because they are not ministerial, as if they are unimportant and as if we don’t need to dedicate ourselves to them in the same way as we serve in our ministries. It is about everything we do From eating, to getting up or eating, we must do EVERYTHING for the Glory of God. It’s not an easy task, in fact, it’s a change of thinking about life that implies new habits. In praying before something, or thinking “I’m not doing this for myself, nor for people, but for the Lord”. It is about doing everything with excellence, as for the Lord and with love, so that we can manifest the Glory of God through each attitude, each smile or function performed, whether at work, when relating to our families or in our daily routines. I wanted to invite you to pray with me right now, asking that, through each of our attitudes, we […]

devotional faith gods-glory-2 peace

July 21, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] Do I have a calling?

Another point in our life, which makes up our identity, is our calling. But after all, what is this? How do I find my calling? Am I already doing something in the area of my calling? These are questions I’ve asked myself several times, out of curiosity or fear of making mistakes. But I want to talk more about this subject with you today, in our penultimate text in this series. We all have a calling We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8 God has a plan for us since before we were born. He left a specific mission for each person in this world and invites us to act in a certain area. Our greatest and most important calling will always be to worship him above all else, but there is a vocational path that we can choose […]

bible calling deliver follow-jesus

July 19, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Prayer: Change the hearts

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:26-27 We have lived in times when hearts have hardened. Recently I was in the intercession room before a service and a brother started to pray saying “Forgive the ‘nos’ that you Lord will hear today”. I immediately remembered the passage at the beginning of the text, and I would like to pray with you about it, so that the hearts of stone become hearts of flesh. Remembering that you don’t have to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Gracious God, we thank you for this day of life and the opportunity to be in Your presence. So many people have said “no” to You, have despised You. We cry out for a special […]

bible change devotional faith

July 14, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] Our Heavenly Family

Still in our series on identity, I want to talk about another part of shaping who we are. This time I want to emphasize that, in addition to the biological family, we are invited to be part of God’s family! From origin to stoning The dictionary brings as one of the meanings of “Identity” a close similarity, although also a person in the individual. That is to say, having an identity in God makes us like Him too. We are admirable works created by His hands. “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well“ Psalm 139:13-14 Through Jesus, the Father also wants to give us the identity of children and gives us our calling and purpose. As it says in Galatians 3:26-27, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ“ Just as Christ the Son had the call and purpose to become flesh and come into the world to save us, so God has given you a purpose and an essence. We spoke of the origin […]

bible family identity kingdom-of-god

July 12, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

What are you doing with what God has given you?

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

devotional god talents

July 07, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Identity] What is your origin?

In the next 4 weeks I want to talk to you about “Identity”. When we are asked about our “origin”, we immediately think about our surname, our family, our country, our city, among other aspects linked to our birth. And we really get a lot of influence from the family that we have as “Guardians” in this world. Our father, mother, grandparents, uncles are people who teach us, accompany us and who we have as a reference in many areas of our lives. They are those from which we also receive a genetic inheritance and that have influenced how we are physically. From the DNA The dictionary brings as the meaning of “Identity” a set of characteristics that distinguish a person or thing and through which it is possible to individualize it. We carry a lot of our earthly family with us. Our first experiences in relationships are at home, with these people. The family identity is formed by different identities. What each person is individually makes up a part of what the others will also be. However, even though we have inherited many things from our family, each of us was designed by the hand of God. “For you […]

family identity

July 05, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

You must bear fruit

As Christians, the greatest mission that Jesus left us is very clear: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“ Matthew 28:19-20 As we are called the Bride of Christ, we must BEGET spiritual children for the Kingdom of God. The Fiance I once heard a preacher saying the following phrase: “The Lord says He is not barren, but the bride has not entered the secret room.” Honestly, this sentence was something extremely striking in my walk with Jesus. Many times we stop bearing and we think that the Lord has stopped giving us the fruits, but that only happens because we don’t relate to the Bridegroom. We have such superficial relationships in our daily lives that we think this will be enough for the Lord, but it is not. We have to relate to Him daily. How can we be intimate with someone we don’t talk to? Or do we even know? Our relationship with the Father has […]

beget bible devotional growth

June 30, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] God multiplies what we give

Today, in our last text of the series “Miracles of Jesus”, I want to talk about the multiplication of loaves and fish. The passage in Mark 8 begins with Jesus speaking to the disciples about the great crowd that had not eaten for 3 days, asking them to have mercy on those hungry people. The logic of the miracle What is striking about this story is that it was described that there were about 4,000 men, without mentioning women or children. Considering one woman and one child for each man present, we can estimate about 12 thousand people present. When Jesus asks the disciples to feed that multitude, they ask in verse 4 where, in that desert place, they could get enough bread to feed so many people, and then Christ responds with a new question: “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven” and still find some small fish. Jesus took that little food the disciples had, gave thanks and asked them to start distributing it among the people. Would it make sense to start sharing just 7 loaves and a few small fish to feed a crowd? The confronting gospel Jesus has the power of heaven, He […]

blessings faith generosity miracles

June 28, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

God has chosen the foolish things

We can often feel small and think that what we have to offer to God is little and insufficient. But remember that Lazarus received new life when he died, when he could no longer offer anything to God, it was at that moment when the Father resurrected him and acted on him. That’s what I want to talk to you about today, about how God will use the least likely, where you least expect it. Where there is no more path, in the valley of dry bones, God forms flesh, sinew and new life! Pouring wisdom in place of misinformation and giving a clean look in place of blurred vision. He chooses the despised “Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 When we read the text of 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, we see that God chooses those we least expect. Often, people who never thought […]

bible bible-app god

June 23, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] Outstretched Hands

For the penultimate miracle in this series I chose the story of the man whose hand was withered and Jesus healed him. This was yet another healing that Jesus performed on Saturday, a day when non-emergency medical assistance was not allowed. But He always put the human need and the doing of good above this law, showing once again how mercy and generosity are above traditions. Is there a day to heal? The passage begins in Matthew 12, from verse 9. The priests who were working in the temple where Jesus was spending that day wanted to accuse Him of healing on the Sabbath, questioning Him if healing was allowed on the holy day. If the priests were allowed to do active work on the Sabbath inside the temple, Jesus could act too, for He is greater than the temple! Mercy should also be greater than such a doctrine. The Pharisees did not understand that the Sabbath was created for the good of the people, not to burden them. In verse 7, Jesus also mentions the passage in Hosea 6:6, in which God says that he desires the practice of love and mercy above the offering of sacrifices. Even knowing […]

blessings faith grace miracles

June 21, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Called to Influence

The word influence, these days has been used a lot. Influencing has even become a profession. But do you know the meaning of that word? “In” is a prefix that brings the sense from within. And fluency comes from the word to flow, therefore, in short, it means to flow from the inside out. But what does it affect us? We were called to influence Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:25-16 Recently I heard a phrase that goes like this: “What I have inside me is so powerful that when I get somewhere, something changes inside others”. What do you carry inside? It can change where you are and others around you. You have been called to influence, regardless of whether you will open your mouth to speak or not. Influencing is not bringing attention to yourself We are like the salt described in Matthew 5:13-16. When salt comes in contact with food, it does not […]

bible salt-of-the-earth

June 16, 2022·Rapha Abreu

[Series: Miracles of Jesus] Restoring the walk

Today I brought you a thought about the miracle of healing the paralytic for our series of miracles of Jesus. We can often see this story focusing on one person and how Jesus restored his ability to walk, but I want to encourage you to look beyond that. The story The Word says in the book of John, chapter 5, that there was a tank in Jerusalem. In a few moments an angel came down, stirred the waters and the first one who entered the tank was healed. One man in the crowd was paralytic. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he would like to be healed, but because of his difficulty in moving, he never arrived in time to be the first to enter the tank when the water moved, so he thought he would not be able to receive the cure. Christ then said in verse 8, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk“. And in that moment the man was healed. The Generosity of Christ What draws attention in the text above is that even though in some parts of the Bible we read that to be healed we need to have faith in God. […]

biblical-study blessings faith generosity

June 15, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Prayer: Where will I go?

Sometimes we feel in our lives that we don’t have anywhere to go or we don’t know what to do regarding ministerial, professional, family and personal issues. Probably in the face of some important decision, you spent a few days reflecting on one of these questions: What is my vocation? What do I have to do in relation to my work? How should I proceed with college? Should I end my relationship? Not finding the answer easily makes us feel lost. It is at times like these that we can and should turn to God to ask Him to bring clarity to our thoughts and decisions. May we consecrate to Him everything we feel, think, plan and do. Remembering that you don’t need to repeat the prayer exactly as I’m going to leave it here, because each of us has a specific way of communicating with the Lord. But if you want to accompany me, it will be a pleasure. Feel free to speak your own way. Prayer “Lord my God and Father, we thank you for this day and for another breath of life you have given us. Father, we have a hard time deciding so many things, where […]

bible prayer

June 09, 2022·Rapha Abreu

God unites people…

…through a commom purpose. This weekend is Valentine’s Day in Brazil. So I would like to talk about relationships. Not specifically about love relationships, but about whatever connection we can have with others. There is a well-known phrase in Portuguese that says “God does not unite people, unites purposes”. But does it make biblical sense? Let’s reflect together. About Purpose he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. – Ephesians 1:9-10 In the dictionary, purpose means intention. When two people’s intentions, pursuits, and desires are aligned, it’s the moment when bonding becomes natural. God has bring unity to all things in Christ. And He unites our hearts around His good pleasure, goals and will. In this way, by adding our strengths, we can express His Kingdom together. For a body to be a body, each member needs to be aligned and focused on being functional. Two legs only get us somewhere when both are aligned with the same goal, which is to move in the […]

commemorative-dates love-your-neighbor relationship

June 06, 2022·Ana Julia Luiz

Waiting for the Bridegroom

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

devotional expectation god lamps