Skip to main content

Translate

Abundant life




You know, I said that sometimes I would write here in English. Why? I don’t know, maybe because I am living in the U.S; so, here I am; please, excuse my English, since I am neither a native nor a expertise.
Anyway…

I just wrote the post before this one, and instantly I wanted to write this one about the abundant life, or “to have it to the full” – life. Who said that? Jesus said that.

What is it that caught my attention this verse today? The whole verse is: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10. 

Who is the thief that Jesus is talking about?  The thief is the devil, our archenemy or the enemy of our souls; that one who doesn’t want anything to do with our happiness or success or freedom. He is the one who comes to destroy our lives; he might look like a sheep at once, in the very beginning; but he is no sheep, he is a wolf in a sheep’s skin.

I don’t like when they picture the devil as an ugly creature. Because he is not. He used to be very beautiful, full of light, his name used to mean light. But, he got envious and greedy, and covetous; so he had no place in the realms of heavens anymore. So, God kicked him out. The devil can come with a very good disguise to mislead you; like richness, success, beauty, and so many other things that are always shallow and meaningless. He doesn’t want you thinking too much what are the consequences. He wants you to grab it fast and think later when the disaster is already done. He wants you dumb, dull, numb, blind for life. Live like a robot; live like that because he said it so.
But Jesus, He wants your happiness, your real success. He wants to give you life. How? Why? He came to the world to teach you how to give meaning to your life; he came to show you what is important in this life. He came to this world so He could feel your pain. He needed to be human, and live like a human so he could mirror in Him our lives too. He resurrected so you could resurrect too when the day comes. He is the one who can strengthen your to fight against the devil on a daily basis. In 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”.
Let’s seek the presence of God, and befriend Jesus, so we can have an abundant life and be safe against the devil’s trap.
Let’s pray: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your provisions and your sacrifice on that cross. Thank you for giving up your life so I could have mine. I want You to live in me and be alert and sober mind to overcome the devil. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Come and See + Judge correctly // Venha e Veja + Julgue corretamente

Venha e Veja   Two verses stood out for me this morning. John 7:17-18 and 7:24.   “ Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.   18  Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” John 7:24 “ Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”   That was Jesus talking.  I lately heard that some people with vast knowledge of the Bible (we all want to believe) are being led astray through the vain doctrines of this world. Meaning, that some church leaders or people have earned the people's trust by telling them lies about the teachings of the Bible. People seek their own popularity by agreeing with the lies the world has offered them.  I have seen churches with flags and teaching doctrines that the Bible condemns. They have twisted the Word of God to be more acceptable and palatab

Pointing finger // Apontar o dedo

Recently I was studying the Sermon on the mount in a bible study at the church. It was wonderful to meditate and go deep in these Jesus’ words. So many details we sometimes don’t realize. We are very quick to see the flaws and failures of others. But interestingly the things we see faster in others are probably the things we don’t see or won’t see in ourselves. It is easy to point a finger when someone is, for example, throwing trash on the streets, when one doesn’t even bother to do the same at home. In Brazil, we have this saying “blacksmith’s house, woodpecker.” Who are you to point a finger to anyone when you yourself cannot do better? Your sin is no smaller than his. Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ( Matthew 7 :3). Look, sawdust is something small, and plank or log is something much bigger than sawdust. Sometimes we are able to see something very insignificant in othe

Are you lost? // Você está perdido?

Você está perdido? There is always this time in life when we are certain about what to do with our lives. We have a goal, and an objective to reach. However, it is often that life turns the other way around and our plans are made nothing. Frequently I hear people say, “I am lost, I don’t know what to do!” That happens when we put our goals into something that changes. Everything in this world change. You and I are changing by the minute. My thoughts right now are running like crazy, and if I don’t set a goal in something that doesn’t change, I can’t do anything. What is it?   Jesus. The word of God. You might think I am crazy, and lunatic or even a fanatic. But who really knows me, know that I am none of those things. I am a very sensible person who has lived and experienced many things. And I don’t lie. So, if you are experiencing a sense of loss and despair, how about putting your hope in the One who cannot change whatsoever. If you lost you