Devotional for friends // Devocional para as amigas

  It is Christmas, finally! Who doesn’t want for this year to be over sooner rather than later? Wow, what year!   But what gives you the hope that next year will be better than this? According to Murphy’s law, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". In fact, we don’t know that next year will be better or worse. What makes you wonder?   Maybe, there is meaning why they chose to place Christmas at the end of the year (nobody knows exactly the date of Jesus’ birthday). The birth of Jesus, in the Christian world, Jesus represents hope. The hope of a new beginning, the hope of a new life, a rebirth. So, everybody hopes to start the new year with a fresh start, a clean slate.   Why? Maybe you have no idea why you and most of the world thinks that this is how it is. A new year, new things, the old has passed, the new has come.   The gospel says exactly this. Once you decide to believe that God came down to earth to tell us the good news which i

  Isn’t it good to give gifts? Does it feel good, doesn’t it? Why is that? We are made to give, donate. We are made to make another person happy. It is a pleasure to see the other one happy. Our brain likes it. If you try, you will feel more fulfilled than when you buy something for yourself. People lately are saying things that “you must think of what YOU want”. Really? Doesn’t the world have enough selfishness around? Can you really stand a selfish person? Someone that is always put oneself first? Does any relationship survive if one, at least one of the people are selfish?? Doesn’t require some sort of selflessness, sacrifice, to make a relationship work out? Yes, Jesus came to the world to teach us that. He said: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Do you think that in this phrase selfishness fits? Apostle Paul once said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,” Philippians 2:3. How does that

Feliz dia de Ações de Graças Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and here COVID is spreading faster than any gossip that the gossiper could ever imagine. So, everybody that I know is re-thinking about their plans or thinking very carefully if they are going to meet or not.   Despite that, in my opinion, this is not a case of not being grateful for this unexpected year. I know from some people this year couldn’t be worse. I know that domestic violence has increased, alcoholism too, depression, anxieties and so other many bad things happened.   However, the Bible teaches us to be thankful despite the circumstances (Philippians 4:10 – 13). How is that possible? Here is how it is possible: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through him (Jesus) who strengthens me.   It is possible. We should start looking at the half-full cup of water instead of a half-empty cup of water. Did you get that? I mean we should not keep looking at the

"E se 2020 foi só o trailer de 2021? " We are one month and a half to the end of the year. What a year was this!!! I think everybody can’t wait to see this awful year ends. Although this year will enter the history book throughout the world, the next generation will remember 2020.   I am going to dare to make a parallel here between a person without Christ and 2020, and a person with Christ and the hope of the new. I am not good at this, bear with me.   "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17"   This year of 2020 was a waste, many would say. Many lives went into pause. Others have been broken completely. Some got depressed and lost their ways. Confusion. Hopelessness. Despair. Sorrow, oh so many sorrows. But somehow, we hope. We hope to find our way back. To put our lives back on track. To move on from this horrible nightmare that seems that never end

  Do you know what is your cross? You might think your cross is the problems of life, the hardships, or even a disease. I know I thought that too. But rethinking about it, of course with the help of a book that I’ve just read, I came to agree with the Author. It is kind of selfish to think that our cross is about ourselves.   Jesus went up to the cross, even though he had done no wrong. He didn’t say, “I deserve justice!”, or “I need a fair trial”, “Wait for me outside I’m gonna get you”. Or “I’m gonna make sulfur rain over all of you”. No. He went in silence. He accepted the unfairness of those human beings, why? Because he loved it. “God so loved the world…”   He died for us. He didn’t need to. He could do differently if He wanted. But He didn’t.   One question for you: What is the most thing Jesus repeated to the disciples and in all New Testament? I’m gonna answer that for ya. “Love your neighbor”, isn’ it? Why? Because if we want to

  Fortunately, I haven’t heard anyone say that “we are all going to heaven therefore I don’t need to worry about nature”. Funny thing, it is clear that anyone who says that has never read the Bible. Because several times in the Bible the description of heaven is too much like the earth. Eden’s restoration ( Revelation 22 NIV ), “the wolf and the lamb shall gaze together ( Isaiah 65:25 )… etc. What to think about this? Have you ever thought that heaven will be here on earth? In fact, in Revelation ( 21:10 ) it is written that the New Jerusalem will be coming down from heaven. Why? Because it will shine upon the kings of the earth ( Revelation 21:24 ). So, the Bible is saying that there will be earth and heaven communicating openly through the New Jerusalem. What I am saying is: The earth will still be earth, of course, cleaned from the sins and death, but still earth, a restored one. So, we are on earth in this journey in heaven’s direction, (or restored earth’s directi

  Sad to think that man is the only species that destroy his own “house”. To think that just because we don’t live in the middle of a forest or in front of the sea we don’t need to care about those who do. And those who do live in those areas should also take care of the place he/she is dwelling. Many years ago, I heard a guy saying that if we cleaned the street, we would be doing the street sweeper’s job, and he used that excuse to throw away on the street his trash. I was horrified with so much ignorance and stupidity. As some people on social media are saying: “we don’t have planet B”. We won’t be living on the moon or Mars or wherever. What do you think? Would we take better care of the next planet or would we keep destroying the next one and the next one and so on? Yes, I think so too. Of course, we would keep destroying as many planets as we could find. Human beings should be ashamed of themselves. We should feel shame when we dare to look at the beautiful places God

  I have known some people who told me that he believes in everything, although most of them say that they believe in God. I don't argue with them. But what their statement has shown me is that they are very confused people about their own spirituality. Obviously, each way that a person chooses to follow will lead to some destiny. A person cannot walk in two streets at the same time, can he? It gets to a point that you must decide which way you are going to follow. So, I ask you a question. “Do you know the God that you say so convincingly say you believe? Do you know Him well as you know your wife?” How can you say that you believe in everything but not everything will lead you to what you are looking for? You know what you are looking for? Is it a purpose? I tell you there is only one way for you to have peace of mind. And it is Jesus. If only you know him as you know your spouse or a friend, you would have what you’ve been looking for. Don’t be naïve thinking that an