Devotional for friends // Devocional para as amigas

  Sometimes things seem tough. Like life. Like elections! I am not going to talk about that. Bad example. Jesus sometimes had some hard words for his disciples and they could not get their heads around what Jesus was talking about. Later on... I mean… later on after some long time I dare to say the Holy Spirit could open their eyes in understanding so they could finally get what Jesus had talked about.    I’ve just read the passage when Jesus said, “our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep”. As he did later, he could just say that Lazarus had died. When he said it plainly so they could understand what he meant by “fallen asleep” he added, “for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:14). Ouch! Lazarus was his friend, right? It would sound weird if I told my friends that one of my friends had died and I was glad I wasn’t there. At first, anyone would think, wow that was very insensitive on his part. Why not think that? Because at first, it ...

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 ...

" Better be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie" Russian proverb. (Melhor levar um tapa com a verdade, do que um beijo com uma mentira" Provérbio russo.) Can’t handle a little of the law?  Lately, people are so sensitive about everything. Everybody needs to think twice before saying a word so people won’t get offended by it and threaten to sue anyone who disagrees with them.   I was wondering about these people and the Bible. They hate the Bible because it is written in it that God doesn’t approve of their promiscuous behaviors. God didn’t force anyone to follow His law. He gave his law so people who loved God and had seen his deeds could live a life He had planned for them.    For example, a drug dealer lives a life that any law condemns. However, the police are after him because of the life he chose to live. It is up to him now. Unlike the Law of God. God gives an opportunity to turn away from the life God condemns and once the person decides to give up h...

Onde há perda de esperança, desespero, há uma abundância da Graça.   Today people get appalled about things so easily, especially if the thing is related to tradition or Christianity. A simple example: divorce/adultery. Nobody wants, right? But nobody seems to care if someone does it. It is something so common. Marriage, why are people so afraid of it? Because they don’t want the probability of being cheated on, and eventually getting a divorce. However, if both people in the relationship want it to work, they have to work on it.  They think that the magical feeling will go on forever; yes, they might, but they might not. They might if you work on them, they might not if you just keep waiting for them to work themselves out, as if “life” wouldn’t get in the way of it.  Why reject something that wants to prevent you from getting a divorce/ adultery? The thing that expressively says “You shall not”. You shall not covet, You shall not commit adultery. If you covet the o...

Idols. I have written about them before. But I think it is something that they are never old-fashioned. Because everybody may have an idol and haven’t realized it yet.  We have seen more and more lately people “choosing” to not believe in God. Or more especially disbelieving in the God of Christianity. It seems old fashion these days being a Christian, so they say. It is cooler to be a Buddhist or an “atheist”. Even if they say that they don’t have a God or god, everybody does.  It may not be the God of the Universe, but may be their kids, their houses, their money, their career, or their partner (it is old-fashion to say husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend). Anything or anyone who someone really loves, and put it above anything else, and probably would give their lives just to save theirs, has become an idol or a god.  People don’t like the Christianity God because it is hard. It is trouble. They want something they can deal with their own way. They have to be a...

 This image is awesome!  Essa imagem é ótima! There are people who love too little themselves and people who love themselves too much. What do you think? Is it a good or bad thing being in one of these two categories? I know for a fact a person who loves himself too little. Is this person able to love another as he loves himself? Is he abiding to Jesus’ commandment? How do you expect him to love the other if he loves himself too little? Too little? Not exactly I dare to say. Why? Because this person might consider himself unworthy compared to the other, therefore, this person might give more to others than he does to himself. His self-esteem is too low to think that anybody could measure down to him. Everybody would be better than him, therefore, he might love the other, or he might envy the other because he doesn’t look like the other, or see the worth himself, he also won’t see the worth of others. This is a conundrum. Does he or does he not love the other as himself as Jesu...