Paulo era prisioneiro de Roma em sua própria casa alugada e enfrentava pessoalmente algumas circunstâncias muito difíceis. Ele não sabia se seria absolvido ou morto. No entanto, no último capítulo do livro de Filipenses, encontramos a figura de um apóstolo Paulo perfeitamente satisfeito.
Atos 1:1-3
Em meu livro anterior, Teófilo, escrevi a respeito de tudo o que Jesus começou a fazer e a ensinar, até o dia em que foi elevado ao céu, depois de ter dado instruções por meio do Espírito Santo aos apóstolos que havia escolhido. Depois do seu sofrimento, Jesus apresentou-se a eles e deu-lhes muitas provas indiscutíveis de que estava vivo. Apareceu-lhes por um período de quarenta dias falando-lhes acerca do Reino de Deus.
Introdução
Um dos valores mais importantes que tenho aprendido nesse tempo de quarentena é a organização do meu tempo. O fato de eu saber que as minhas atividades duplicaram por conta de transicionar toda uma igreja local em uma igreja online, faz com que eu valorize ainda o mais o tempo precioso que tenho tido. E um dos conceitos mais incríveis que tenho aplica...
7. The Habit of Entitlement
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I think this one hit home for most of us very early on. We can’t go on that trip? I can’t eat out with friends? Can the government really tell us what to do?
We don’t like the idea of anyone controlling or mandating what we do (and if you think about this long term it’s pretty scary.)
But this is the way some people in other countries have lived their entire lives. Perhaps now we can have a better outlook on the liberties and freedoms and health we had before—and realize it is something to be grateful for, not feel entitled about.
I remember when my daughter and her friends were very young and complained about being “bored” in spite of a myriad of opportunities, entertainment, and toys around them. Yet that same child, now 27 years old, is happy put...
COVID-19 has created a lot of problems for a lot of people. The past weeks have been full of disappointment, frustration, and for many, great heartache. However, when states started issuing stay-at-home orders, I’m ashamed to say my immediate thoughts went to myself and how unaffected I would be by this.
I’m an introvert; a homebody. I love being “stuck” at home and am always happy to be stuck at home with my family. But I confess, I wasn’t thinking about how many people can’t say that.
We all know families who are struggling during this time because they aren’t used to being under one roof 24/7. And by struggling, I mean they’re getting on each other's nerves.
I didn’t think about how many people would find themselves in unsafe situations during this time.
I’m talking about the men ...
8. God Is Eternal
Eternity can be difficult for our minds to comprehend, but eternity is written in our own hearts for God Himself is eternal. Jeremiah 10:10 explains, “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.” God created all that is, was, and will be for He is eternal. There is no beginning or end to Him, or to His goodness. Our minds logically seek to find a finite way of understanding to compartmentalize this, yet the beauty is God is bigger than all the boxes we try to place Him into. He is eternal, and in that beyond what we could ever hope to comprehend.
His Kingdom and reign are eternal as well. Kingdoms of the earth will rise and fall, seasons will come and pass away, but God sits on the throne for all of eternity. This promises that no evil can...
A Prayer to Avoid the Things God Hates
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I pray along with the Apostle John in 1 John 1:5-10:
Father in Heaven, I have heard the message that Jesus proclaimed. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If I claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, I lie and do not live out the truth. But if I walk in the light, as He is in the light, I have fellowship with other people as well, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies me from all sin.
If I claim to be without sin, I deceive myself and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me of my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness.
If I claim I have not sinned, I make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in me. Lord, I believe. Help me to live out my f...
É tão bom falar de Jesus como nosso pastor, mas hoje muito particularmente eu quero falar um pouco com você sobre a ovelha do bom pastor, e o salmo 23 retrata de maneira eloquente esta gloriosa verdade, que traz descanso, que traz paz, que traz segurança para nossa vida, três verdades podem ser aqui destacadas no salmo 23, sobre esta promessa gloriosa que as ovelhas do bom pastor desfrutam.
A primeira verdade é que a ovelha do bom pastor possui suprimento das suas necessidades, o senhor é o meu pastor nada me faltará, ele cuida de nós, ele prove para nós, não há necessidade para ovelha do bom pastor, e agora Davi que era pastor, que cuidava de ovelhas, que sabia bem o que era uma ovelha, um animal frágil, vulnerável, que não pode cuidar de si mesmo, que não pode limpar a si mesmo, que não...
Eu amo o livro de Eclesiastes. Eu o leio, releio e reflito constantemente nas palavras de Salomão, um homem que experimentou de tudo que o mundo pode oferecer, das muitas posses (12:1-11), aos muitos trabalhos (12:18-26), até a muita sabedoria (1:12-18), mas descobriu ser tudo em vão.Salomão ainda viu certas loucuras no mundo. Viu que o homem é insignificante diante da grandeza do universo (1:4-11); que na muita sabedoria há tristeza (1:17-18); assim como viu a aleatoriedade e as muitas injustiças do mundo (8:10-17; 9:11-16).
No fim, ele percebeu que tudo é vaidade (1:2) Mas que é vaidade? Eu nunca compreendi completamente o que Salomão queria dizer com essa palavra. A vida é apenas aparência? Um aglomerado de nada maquiado de realidade? Se sim, qual o sentido de… bem, qualquer coisa?
Meu ...
Some Ways to Show Thankfulness
There are so many creative ways to be grateful. Here are just a few suggestions of ways to express your gratitude this week to your family, your friends, and most importantly, to God.
Look Around and Write it Down
First, create a list of 10+ items that you’re thankful for. You can even take a look around your room and come up with 10 examples alone. For instance, in my room I’m grateful for a couch to sit on, a computer to type this article, a warm cat snuggled by my side, a lap desk to hold my computer, a pillow to support my back, a window to the outside world, a blue sky, a house heater that works (it’s going to snow today), Wi-Fi, and clean clothes to wear.
Although so many things may be going wrong, there’s a lot going right as well.
Send Gratitude or Su...
Sometimes sleep comes easily and swiftly, other nights you toss and turn, trying to quiet your heart and mind from the commotion of the previous day and the uncertainty of what the next day will bring. You replay everything in your mind or play out what might happen in the day ahead. Suddenly you realize several hours of sleeplessness have past, which further fuels your anxiousness and sleeplessness.
Sleeplessness is exhausting, emotionally draining, physically painful. I don’t know why God has allowed you to walk through the trial of insomnia, but please know: he can bring good from this. Specifically, there are several things you can do to give glory to God when you can’t sleep. Here are 10.
