Devotional for friends // Devocional para as amigas

Bible Project Podcast Redemption episode   The Bible Project podcast has lately dedicated itself to the theme of Redemption. We all have a plain idea of what redemption in the Bible means, or not. It isn’t an easy subject to talk about; nevertheless, they chose to expand their knowledge and pass it on. I love it. So, the whole Bible talks about redemption. But what does redemption mean? Well, sometimes, we get a coupon, and then what do we do with it? We redeem it, right? We use this word mostly in this sense. We exchange, we give something in place for something else. Back in Genesis, Abraham and Sarah got tired of waiting for God’s timing; they got worried and decided to fulfill God’s promise by their own means. Meaning, they used and abused a foreign slave (an Egyptian slave - ironic: where did they end up being slave?). Remember, God sees all, and no one stays unpunished. What happened after the child was born? Sarah got pregnant. Ops!...

  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)   I was listening to Tim Mackie’s podcast about Matthew 26. He was talking about how big a failure we all are. It doesn’t matter what we say that we will do, because in the end, we will fail, if we start counting on ourselves, our strength, or counting on other people to get anywhere. Jesus in the garden for one moment didn’t want to go through with the plan; he knew what was coming for him. He freaked out. Who wouldn’t? Were the disciples paying attention to what was going on with Jesus at that moment? No, they weren’t. They were tired and their eyes were heavy, they couldn’t stay up.   So yeah, we get tired and we fail. Did that cause Jesus to give up on them? Jesus knew who would betray him, and he knew that all of them would run away when the persecution arrived. Did Jesus get angry at them? No, he didn’t.   What did ...

  Have you noticed that every bad thing that any person does is either hidden or in the darkness? Although nobody wants to live in darkness nor hidden, people still hate the light. The light shows them their flaws, their unrighteousness, every bad thing. I asked myself several times the same question. I know the answer, but it is irrational if you stop to think about it. Your hate for Christianity. Have you asked yourself why you hate Christians that much? Is it because Christ is the Light and in Him there is no darkness? Everything gets exposed with Christ. You must confess all bad deeds that you have done, and you will know that you’ll very likely do them again and again. Is it because your pride is too big? You are too good to need God in your life. Right? Or are you too bad and think that God wouldn’t like you, or He will reject you? (In fact, every and any reason you come up with for hating Christians, you know, isn't good e...