July 26

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." (1 Corinthians 13:11)

 

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. " (Matthew 18:1-4)

 

 

How come?

Is this a contradiction?

When we were born again we were like babies, spiritual babies.

You can´t be a child forever.

We must grow up, spiritually speaking.

Many people confess Jesus but they don´t grow!

You may have your spiritual growth.

For some period of time it´s good to be cared.

It´s good to be helped by others to pray, to understand the Bible... But for a period! You must grow!

Children behaving as adults don´t fit well.

 

Jesus never saird to children to do this!

Jesus said to adults to behave as children.

 

Ecclesiastes 3: 7b: "a time to be silent and a time to speak,"

Children never know when to keep quiet!

 

James 3:8-10: "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. "

Children tend to say whatever they want.

 

Proverbs 10:11: "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."

Proverbs 10:13a "Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,"

What is found in your lips?

 

Proverbs 10:19: "Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
    but the prudent hold their tongues"

Hold your tongue!

Proverbs 12:14: "From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
    and the work of their hands brings them reward."

What is the fruit you are bearing?

 

Proverbs 12:18b: "but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

A good word is medicine for life!

 

Proverbs 13:3: "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
    but those who speak rashly will come to ruin."

Now that I am an adult in Christ I must be wise.

 

Proverbs 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger"

Proverbs 15:4: "The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
    but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit."

What kind of tongue do you have?

 

Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Now that he have grown up we can´t be peaceless, jealous, envious, agressive...

 

Philippians 2:5-11: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

We must

 

think, talk, behave, pray

 

as adults in Christ!

 

Put childish behind and grow up.

But at the same time be as child depending on God.

Know that the Lord cares for you!

Rest in the Lord!

Humble yourself confessing that you can´t live by your own!

 

Pr Poliana de Carvalho

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



July 19

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.  Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:22-31)

Peter felt scared. Peter was not a person imprisoned  in fears. But, for a while he was afraid.
These are two things we need to discern: to feel afraid and to have fears.
To feel afraid is inevitable. But to have fears is optional.
When you have fears you may become anxious, stressed, tired or lose sleep.
You may have heart or stomach problems. And with these symptoms, you can begin to self-medicate with caffeine, you can eat more or eat less, you can abuse on energy drinks, alcohol, drugs, start gambling, you can be slaved by sex, or anything that brings you a momentary comfort.
If you have fears, probably it´s because you doubt that God is with you, holding your hand.

It´s is possible to be a disciple and to be afraid. Indeed, since the first apostles we find this. Everything depends on your intimacy with God. Let's see in Acts 19: 1-2:

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

The higher your intimacy with God, the greater your assurance that He is with you.

The phrase "do not fear" happens  several times in the Bible. Check these examples:

• Genesis 26: 24 - God speaks to Isaac
• Isaiah 41:10,13 - God speaks to Israel
• Jeremiah 1:8 - When God calls the prophet
• Luke 1:30 
• Revelation 2:10

Please do stop and reflect on your actions and reactions before circumstances. 

Be honest, you have had or have been afraid?

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (I John 4:15-18)

Fear prevents you from being who you should be.

So we, believers, are forbidden to be afraid. We can feel afraid! (This is temporary…) But we can´t be fearful people!  

What are the main  reasons that make us afraid:

1. We do not believe in the Sovereignty of God

The fear in our lives is not always rational. Most often, the fear is based on what may or may not happen. It is God who is sovereign, not you. Stop fearing what you do not know and start to trust that He knows everything.

2. We create our own vision instead of pursuing the Vision of God

When we become paralyzed by fear of the future, we're basically seeing the future without God. We say something like: "I see the future. God is not in it. God will not be there for me. God will not help me." But this is the opposite of God's own words. Check in Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. "

3. Often we behave as mistaken future tellers

Being a false prophet is to predict the future incorrectly. The fear in our lives can transform us into false prophets, foretelling things that maybe not - probably not - will happen. This often affects not only ourselves, but other people in our lives whom we influence. Instead of speculating about an unknown future, we must rest in Jesus' words in Luke 12.22-31:

4. We follow False Gospels

When we are afraid, we denounce the confidence and comfort that we have in things rather than in Jesus. We try to control our lives. We grab money. We move away from communion. We rebel against authorities. We do all these things to live in a vision of paradise before the resurrection, created in our own imagination.  This is a false gospel.

And how can we solve the fears?

1. Do not repress your fears: talk to Jesus about these feelings. Do not try to control your life!   Think about the loving care of God and try to rest. Psalm 37:5

2. Break the fear: fear rules over you only if you let Jesus out of your life. Bring light to your life. (John 12:46). Remember that God is present to help us to deal with any situation. Even His yoke is smooth. (Mt 11:30: He occupies one of the places under the yoke and walk with us. So the burden is light.) Be assured that you will not be tested beyond your strength. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

3. Keep in mind that there is power in the name of Jesus: Philippians 2:9-10 .

4. Rest in the Lord, in the certainty of His care. Romans 8:31-39

By Ana.

Challenge of the Week

July 12

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come."

(Romans 5: 12-14)

God did not create men to die.

 

Death came as a result of sin.

"But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis: 2:17)

Adam and Eve, since the very beginning, had their souls killed at that moment they sinned.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Nobody is so good to be free of suffering.

God is good!

Bad things happen because of sin.

 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

All the plans of God are for the good.

For us Christians, death is not and end.

Our hope is not here!

Looking in the Bible, we see kings, prophets, even Jesus dying.

Jesus death represents life for us!

Many people stop living worried about death. Their deaths, others deaths.

Have you ever thought about people´s comments about you at your funeral?

 

II Kings 13:11: "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them."

II Kings 21:20: " He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done."

 

What are people going to say about you?

This is the time to correct life.

This is the time to fix things.

Time is running.

Jesus is coming back!

 

Pr.Poliana

July 5th

^"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)

 

 

• The love of God is more than material things
• The more you know, more you want Him

 

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." (I John 4:18-19)

 

"Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." (Psalm 112:1,7-8)

 

"Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them

and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)

 

^"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

 (John 15:13)

Pr. Poliana

 

 



 

For this week