Fellowship

Congratulations on you people!

The celebration, last Saturday, was a blessing!

A delicious blessing!

God will reward you! 

June 30th

“What’s my shape”?

Pr. Silvana

- It’s a WATERMELON (It has the USUAL SHAPE, the original shape as God created it: ROUND/OVAL WATERMELON)

But, there are unusual shapes of watermelon. In  Japan, also in China, they are growing watermelons in different shapes.

 

Square Watermelon

                          Pyramid Watermelon                          Heart-shaped

     Watermelon

-     Why do they have a different shape?

-     What happened to them?

While the watermelon is still small on the vine, a square glass box is placed around it. When the watermelon gets bigger (grows), it assumes the shape of the box!

What does ROMANS 12.2 have to do with the unusual shapes of watermelon?

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

- “To conform” means = to fit, correspond, square, match, be in tune, take the form…

- The world is like a box around us. We are in the world, but we cannot “assume the shape of the world”. As christians, we cannot conform to the pattern of this world, to take the form of it.

- The watermelon takes the form of the container around it because it can’t do anything to change the situation or to refuse the “pression” against it while it’s growing. BUT WE CAN! WE HAVE “FREE WILL”. WE CAN CHOOSE, WE CAN DECIDE AND WE CAN REJECT THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD AND BE CONFORMED TO THE PATTERN OF GOD INSTEAD.

Romans 12.2a

-“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], ….” (Amplified Bible)

- “Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think…” (Contemporary English Version)

- “Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking…” (Easy-to-read Version)

- “Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking…” (New Century Version)

“Molders” (glass boxes) of this World x The Word of God

= thoughts / ideas / visions / values / desires (fashion, family, finances, relationships, etc.)

= language (bad words, dirty vocabulary, curses, etc.)

= behavior / attitudes / acts (selfishness, prejudice, hatred, unforgiveness, etc.)

- I Peter 1.14 (“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”); II Co. 10.2 (“I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world…”); I John 2.15 (“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”)

For our reflection:

- What’s my “shape”?

- Am I shaped according to the Word of God or according to the pattern of this world?

- Is my life reflecting the pattern of this world or the will of God?

- Do I think, speak, act according to the Word of God or according to the world?

Listen to this song and sing along as a prayer:

Learning: how do you say???

Jackfruit

Tangerine

Thanks to Helenice and Euclides!

God bless you!

June 23th

“Jesus Anointed at Bethany”

 Pr. Silvana

                                  

Matthew 26.6-13

At Jesus’ time, it was their custom to anoint the heads of guests, as an act of honor.

      

                                                                   

-         Learning with Mary’s attitude (She anointed Jesus pouring out on Him a very expensive perfume of pure nard):

-         * She was not required to do what she did. It was not her obligation. She decided to anoint Jesus spontaneously, willingly, freely. It was HER desire. That’s how we should serve Jesus.

-         * She didn’t use any perfume. It was a very expensive perfume. She spent on Jesus the most valuable, the most precious thing she had. That’s what we should offer Jesus: always our best!

-         * She didn’t care about what others would think of her. She was courageous and took the risk, took the opportunity to honor Jesus. We should never miss the opportunity to honor Jesus, whatever the cost. It doesn’t matter what people will say about us…

-         God’s point of view is different from ours. What we consider wasteful, insignificant, can be valuable at God’s sight.

-         Isaiah 55.8-9:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

-         Money (price) cannot be the central question, or the most important thing. What matters is the real expression of love – that’s the true worship that pleases God. True love (true worship) never counts the cost.

-         God will always honor those who honor Him.

-         When we do something outstanding to honor God, it’s like a sweet fragrance filling the air… everybody around us will feel it.

-         For our reflection:

-         * What is something beautiful we can do to honor Jesus out of love (not as an obligation, but as an expression of love and honor)? 

Good morning!

June 16th

Do you think God has interest in our feet?

Pr Eduardo Gomes

(Central Methodist Church)
Blog: oxiuaiso.blogspot.com

Why? Why not?

            There are many verses in the book of Proverbs talking about parts of our body. Sometimes the author says something related to our head, heart, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet. 

           Each part of our body means something particular to the way of our life in the spiritual sense. We get wisdom learning those verses. So, concerning to our feet the Bible says:

“Thus, you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous”

Prov. 2:20  

and

“Make level paths for your feet, and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” 

Prov. 4: 26, 27

(Make level here means = pondering = meditate ).

We ask,

How are we walking?

Are we demonstrating wisdom in our path? 

What do our feet mean in the spiritual body?

Why God has interest in our feet?

1. Because with the feet, we have relationship with this world. We inherited all customs. We tread on the alleys of this wicked world and our feet became dirty. That was what happened to Moses.  Ex. Moses Ex. 3: 1 – 5. But God said to him:

      “ do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where  you are standing is holy ground,”

2. Because the feet have a deep relationship with our properties = things that belong to us.  Ex. Ruth 4: 1- 8  ( now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption  and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and give it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) v.7  When we take off our sandals in God’s presence we give to Him everything that belongs  to us.

3. Because with our feet, we move to everywhere. We are not like trees or stones stuck. You are in constant movement. Every moment when you come back home you  need to be cleaned,  like Peter in Ex. Jo. 13: 1- 17 “ Jesus answered, “ unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” V. 8  “ Jesus answered, “ A person who has a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of down, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18

Look therefore carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise… Ephesians 5:15

Giovani´s Testimony

"I want to share my testimony.  

Last Sunday, I was going to church. I stopped by the traffic light between Cristiano Machado Avenue and Jacui Street. 

Suddenly a car behind me stopped sharply and hit the  back of my bike. I was thrown around 10 meters forward.

By the grace of God nothing happened to me. The bike´s front and back were destroyed. I only had some scratches.

Interesting that I got up fast and the wheel of the car stopped on top of my head (I was with a helmet). People who were inside the car could not believe how nothing had happened to me. 

The policeman did not believe, because since the car started braking until it reached the rear of my bike was 16 meters.

When people who were inside the car left it, they saw my bible lying on the floor. A woman who was inside the car asked me who was the God I served, for she could not believe what was happening.
A boy who saw the accident happening, asked about the church I used to go. He asked me the church address because he also could not believe.

Well I have much more to tell but the best is that my Jesus, let me here, so I could share my testimony.  Glory to God."