Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day 88 - We are nothing without you

Day 87 - I chose to trade everything!

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

And we say yes, Lord, yes Lord, yes yes, Lord,
Yes, Lord, yes yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord
Amen!

"For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God."  Romans 14:11

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Day 86 - Dealing with feelings and emotions

Life is a rolercoaster and it can be really bad if we allow our feelings and emotions to have power over us. The Scriptures say we should love God our Lord with all our mind, our heart and our mind. The heart part means our emotions should be connected to Him. Everything should be about Him, not us, not what the world does or say.

We are not meant to react humanly to things, to be stressed about life nor worried. We are not meant to be controlled by our past, our emotions and instincts. In fact, we are not supposed to be controlled by anything but the Holy Spirit that connects us to our Wonderful Jesus.

I pray life could be easier for all of us, that things won't get on the way of Faith and Love. Those things, faith and love are from God, and He does that by Grace and that's why whatever doesn't have to do with Him we must reject.

Let us all live by Faith and Grace, in Jesus Lovely name. Amen

Day 85 - How we lose it

God has brought us up by Grace and not because we deserve it, as we clearly don't. He clearly does that because of love and understanding how hard it is to be a human.
Inside all of us there is potential to be a thief, a murder, an adulterer, someone full of envy, lust, addictions, evil words and thoughts, there is so much potential to become a complete disaster in each one of us, and that's the truth. We are all subject to mistakes, we are all subject to sin. What to do then?
That's what Jesus is for, through Him, those burdens become lighter and the potential of sin is pushed back by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Word.

How do we lose it then? What happens to Christians all around the world? Why do so many Christians get messed up? How do we go to church one day and the other we can fall apart?

I believe this verse helps to understand :

"He who is in love with life will have it taken from him; and he who has no care for his life in this world will keep it for ever and ever." John 12:25

That's it. When living with Jesus we have our lives transformed by His power and start to receive all these great blessings from Heaven. But are we prepared to receive so many gifts? Is a 3 year old child prepared to receive a big box of chocolate? Is a teenage prepared to handle one million dollars? Not even an adult is!
We pray for things and of course God gives them to us according to His will, but we forget to pray for Him to prepare our hands and minds to receive. And that's how we lose it all, we begin to love our lives, we begin to have too much fun with God's gifts and forget Him, forget we are not from here and this is just a quick go through. How hard that is, to lay our lives completely down at His feet and let Him do whatever He wants with it, without complaining when He takes things and without holding on to the things He gives us.

We are e are supposed to be humble and have humility in our hearts, but yes earthly life sometimes is too good, and we can't handle it.

God I pray you will prepare us, we were not even prepared to receive this beautiful planet You gave us, we destroyed it. We took it all for granted and we keep doing it with everything day after day. Thanks for forgiving us Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Day 84 - Centre of my universe

My life is nothing without you Lord,
I want you, I need you, I need to seek you.
You are my strenght, my peace, my love
You are the glory, grace and mercy in my life
You are everything.

I don't want to get distracted by earthly life
Even though you give me nice things in this life
I don't want to love it too much
I love what you give me now
But I must love eternity more than everything

I want to be with you, Lord
My Father, my Friend, my Guide, my Healing
You are the Holy part of me, all the rest is trash

I need you, Lord, really, trully,
Without you there is no air, no breathe,
Without you I am this empty shell
No soul, no love, no life

You give me life, you open my eyes, you are my light
My universe, my thoughts and feelings,
You.

It's You, Lord. And only You.
It's all about You, and that's that.

Thank you Lord for being You.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Day 82 and 83 - Jesus x Sin

As we just went through Easter time, watching the days around Jesus' biggest miracle, by becoming resurrection Himself, we can see why He had to do it: sin.
Sin is what separates us from Him and that is why He had to sacrifice His own life for us, because sin can take our lives. It is clear that He doesn't expect us to be perfect, as He is the only perfect and mighty one, but He sure expects us to try and do our best at all times, walking in righteousness towards the light.

We are all subject to fall, but we all have also the strength and power to overcome and stand up again.



"You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

"For salt is good, but if the taste goes from it, of what use is it?" Luke 14:34

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Day 81 - God fulfills His promisses

"For the word of God is for you and for your children and for all those who are far off, even all those who may be marked out by the Lord our God."  Acts 2:39

"God is not a man, to say what is false; or the son of man, that his purpose may be changed: what he has said, will he not do? and will he not give effect to the words of his mouth?" Numbers 23:19

God does fulfills what He promises, He does act according to His Will and make things happen on His time. I love the way God does things and pray we will be patient to receive His gifts, because when He promises, He is faithful to it.
We are all proof of His love, kindness, grace and fulfillment.



Love you God, and thank you.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Day 80 - Stepping out

Because God wanted to receive real love He created us and gave us free will to do things. He did it because He wanted to see how much we could change and make an effort to love Him and be what He plans us to be. If He had forced us to love Him, there would be no fun and no purpose for creating us. 


It is hard to step out, but it is possible, God was the first one to do it. I imagine how much His heart hurts when He sees us doing wrong or not obeying His command. It hurts on Him but all He can do is be patient because at the end it is our choice.


Even with people we love, we may want to lead them or force them to do things the way we want because we want what's best for them, the problem is, they have to come to a sense and realize what is good for themselves, again, patience is the word. It is hard to see the ones we love or people we care about harming themselves or not acting the best way, I guess that's what God goes through constantly throughout our lives. 


The attitude we should have is to be open to learn from others and admit when we are wrong. After that, ask God for wisdom and less of a hard head, as it is all about His will and not ours, just as Jesus did:


"Father, if it is your pleasure, take this cup from me: but still, let your pleasure, not mine, be done." Luke 22:42 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Days 78 and 79 - Trust the Lord

"I am able to do all things through Him who gives me strength." Phillipians 4:13


Sometimes the days are blur, we feel awkward and it seems like a dark cloud is over our heads. It may even seem like God is far, but He is not. He never leaves us. 
Trusting the Lord in all things is one of the most difficult Christian acts, we have to give up on our own strength and remember ourselves that we are only strong because of Him, and that through Him we are capable of all things.


Just go on your knees and pray.
"For his wrath is only for a minute; in his grace there is life; weeping may be for a night, but joy comes in the morning."   Psalms 30:5




Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Day 77 - You made me Glad

God, you made me glad. You made me your image and gave me your Grace through your Son and Spirit.
You gave me the chance to worship you and come close to you through prayer.
Thank you Father, you are my everything.

"Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings." Job 22:21

Monday, April 18, 2011

Day 76 - God's truth

01 - In order to obtain something you have never had, you must do something you have never done.

02 - When God takes something from you, He is not punishing you , He is reliesing your hands to something better.

03 - God's Will will never take you where God's Grace will not be able to protect you

___________________________________

01- 'Para obter algo que você nunca teve, precisa fazer algo que nunca fez'.
02- 'Quando Deus tira algo de você, Ele não está punindo-o, mas apenas abrindo suas mãos para receber algo melhor'.

03- 'A Vontade de Deus nunca irá levá-lo aonde a Graça de Deus não possa protegê-lo'.

_________In honour of my father who sent this to me__________

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Day 75 - Power of God

When you carry a Bible, Satan has a headache ...
When you open the Bible, he collapses ...
When he sees you reading the Bible, he faints ...
When he sees you living what you read, he escapes ...




"And how unlimited is his power to us who have faith, as is seen in the working of the strength of his power, by which he made Christ come back from the dead, and gave him a place at his right hand in heaven, far over all rule and authority and power and every name which is named, not only in the present order, but in that which is to come" Ephesians 1:19-21
________________________________________

Quando você carrega uma Bíblia, Satanás fica com dor de cabeça...
Quando você abre a Bíblia, ele desmorona...
Quando ele vê você lendo a Bíblia, ele desmaia...
Quando ele vê você vivendo o que você lê, ele foge...




"E a incomparável grandeza do seu poder para conosco, os que cremos, conforme a atuação da sua poderosa força. Esse poder ele exerceu em Cristo, ressuscitando-o dos mortos e fazendo-o assentar-se à sua direita, nas regiões celestiais, muito acima de todo governo e autoridade, poder e domínio, e de todo nome que se possa mencionar, não apenas nesta era, mas também na que há de vir."

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Day 75 - What love really means


Because love is not about the clothes and jewelry, it is not about image and how much money we spend on the people around us, it is not about doing nice things only for the ones who are nice to us. He loves us and makes every possible effort to show that. He doesn't give us things because we ask Him, but because of love. Love is doing good things for everyone and showing care, being honest and sincere. Love is taking the pain in someone's place, like He did. It is suffering together, having compassion and care.
Love is good, love is patient, righteous and kind.





"For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit"    1 Peter 3:10
"If you have love for those who have love for you, what credit is it to you? for even sinners have love for those who have love for them."   Luke 6:32

Day 74 - Je t'aime Mon Dieu


"Vous n'ajouterez rien à la Parole que je vous prescris, et vous n'en diminuerez rien; afin d'observer les commandements de l'Éternel, votre Dieu, que je vous prescris." Deuteronomy 4:2

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day 73 - Changing

Many people are afraid of change. Changes affect our self concept and may stand on the way we are used to do things, we tend to grab onto our old habits and beliefs. Although change may be hard, most of the times, and if with Christ, change can be really good.

The only way we can truly change is through Christ Jesus. He is the only one who doesn't change. He is faithful because He is love. Through Him and when we surrender to His will, we may turn from raw material to precious value. He turned water into wine and that's what He does to us. One day we are dirty water, the next we become the most pure wine washed by His blood.


"For I am the Lord, I am unchanged;" Malachi 3:6


"So he came to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine" John 4:46


_______________________________________


Muitas pessoas tem medo de mudanças. As mudanças afetam o nosso auto-conceito e podem ser uma barreira para a maneira que estamos acostumados a fazer as coisas, entao tendemos a nos agarrar em nossos velhos hábitos e crenças. Embora a mudança possa ser difícil, na maioria das vezes, e se com Cristo, a mudança pode ser realmente boa.

A única maneira que podemos realmente mudar é através de Jesus Cristo. Ele é único que não muda. Ele é fiel, porque Ele é amor. Através dele e quando nos rendemos à Sua vontade, podemos transformar de matérias-primas para algo de valor precioso. Ele transformou água em vinho e é isso que Ele conosco. Um dia somos água suja, no próximo somos transformados no vinho mais puro lavado pelo Seu sangue.



"Porque eu sou o Senhor, sou inalteravel;" Malaquias 3:6

"Então ele veio para Caná da Galileia, onde tinha feito a água em vinho" João 4:46

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Day 72 - Praise Him

"Let all the nations whom you have made come and give worship to you, O Lord, giving glory to your name."
Psalms 86:9


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Day 71 - He will keep us safe

"The Lord is their strength, and a strong place of salvation for his king." Psalm 28:8

 "The Lord takes care of me as his sheep; I will not be without any good thing." Psalm 23:1

"He gives new life to my soul: he is my guide in the ways of righteousness because of his name." Psalm 23:3

"The Lord God is my strength, and he makes my feet like roes' feet, guiding me on my high places. For the chief music-maker on corded instruments." Habbakuk 3:19

The Lord is my good saviour, He secures my heart and mind out of darkness, whoever believes shall receive His glory and grace. Thank you my dear Lord for everything. Please help us with darkness' influences and help us stopping the enemy's works.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. 
 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Day 70 - Mind blowing God

When I read God's promissed all over the Bible I understand that as long as we act according to His plans, we will see the promisse land. When we don't, then we walk 40 years for nothing just like the Israelites did.
One thing is to know His promisses, but it's completely different to actually receive them. It blows my mind.
When I look at my life, my past and how God washed me with His blood and Spirit and gave me new life, I get so overwhelmed. It's amazing. When I look at everything He does for us, this beautiful planet, our families, our friends, our experiences and opportunities in life, everything is just a blessing.
As Paul says in Philipians for us to rejoice in all things, I choose to rejoice everyday on what God does.
He also says, give your worries to God and be thankful for Him and the things He does and we shall receive God's peace.
God's peace is just mind blowing, it is real crazy love. Thank you, God.

Day 69 - Happiness with Jesus

"For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name; So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld, And that every tongue may give witness that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts;" Philipians 2:9-12



He is amazing, He is loving and kind, He is patient, He wants to see us happy and that's why He shed His own blood as a sacrificing Father. He is love, that's what we are made of: love. I'm happy for being made out of love, and my prayer is that all of us can speak, walk, move and live by love and faith. In Jesus name, Amen.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Day 67 and 68

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons of the church:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give praise to my God at every memory of you,
And in all my prayers for you all, making my request with joy,
Because of your help in giving the good news from the first day till now;
For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:
So it is right for me to take thought for you all in this way, because I have you in my heart; for in my chains, and in my arguments before the judges in support of the good news, making clear that it is true, you all have your part with me in grace.
For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus.
And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;"

Philipians 1:1-9

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Day 65 - Why do bad things happen?

I don't understand why bad things happen...in truth, I know that I don't need to know because that's God's business.

I realized today that unexpected things happen so we have to surrender to God. That's it, it's all about Him, He is everywhere and all we can do is trust that He is watching us and He will take care of everything.

Hope, faith. Faith is to believe in things that seem impossible, is to believe on what is unseen.

Surrender, what do we do, God? What do we do?

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Day 64 - The real deal

How can we say "I am a Christian"? I mean....when someone from the outside looks at us all they think they see is a bunch of brain washed people and they don't understand why we do the things we do and why we live the way we live. The truth is to be Christian is not about the things we do, but the reason why we do it, and the reason is: because we chose to believe.

To be Christian does not mean to go to church, it does not mean to read the Bible every day, it sure does not mean to say "Christian" on our facebook pages.

It is all about having a true relationship with Jesus, a daily one, the one we fall in love with Him daily and feel a need of being with Him all the time, and it is about missing Him at all times just as we would do when we fall in love with someone. Being Christian sure means forgiving debts of all kinds, being friends with the most unexpected and not-put-together people. It is about understanding and accepting each and every person with their image, their past and their mistakes. That's what Jesus does.

Jesus does not care about our clothes, does not care about the stupid things we did when we were teenagers, the people we used to hang out with or our past relationships.

Being like Jesus is being able to be around the people we feel most uncorftable with for whatever reason, being able to help anyone at any time and being able to socialize without looking at race, gender, wealth or past. It is about being friends with our enemies, the people that once hurt us and people we would never think could be our friends, so we can lead them into God's grace.

That's what we tries to teach us every day, to love, period.

In Jesus name I pray for grace and love in your life, Amen.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Day 63 - Believe and you shall receive

Let not your heart be troubled: have faith in God and have faith in me. John 14:1

And he said, Lord, I have faith. And he gave him worship. John 9:38

But you have no belief because you are not of my sheep. John 10:26

If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not have belief in me; John 10:37

But if I am doing them, then have belief in the works even if you have no belief in me; so that you may see clearly and be certain that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. John 10:38

Have faith that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me: at least, have faith in me because of what I do. John 14:11

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Day 62 - Peace

That's what life is about: Peace!

"Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." John 14:27

"And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart." 1 Peter 3:11

"There is no peace, says the Lord, for the evil-doers". Isaiah 48:22

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with you all. " 2 Thessalonians 3:16


Saturday, April 2, 2011

Day 61 - Miracles

"Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." John 6:14

Because He is the one capable of everything at any time, the way He wants it, at His time and pace.

In order to see His miracles we must step out and let Jesus in charge. We lift up our inquietude to God's level and it becomes miracle. Thank you Jesus, Amen.



Friday, April 1, 2011

Day 60 - Good enough is not good enough

There is a reason why people work hard, study hard, pray and seek God as hard as they can. It's in order to be more than good enough. "Good enough" is not what God wants us to be, He doesn't want us to be all proud of ourselves but He sure wants us to succeed.
"So you will have grace and a good name in the eyes of God and men." Proverbs 3:4

God is great, and he created us as His image and likeness. How can someone being God's likeness and being only "good enough".

Good enough may allow us to survive in this crazy world, but when we get to eternity, I guess God would ask us "how did you do in your Earth time?" and we will answer "good enough, God. Now let me in."

Does that sound correct? I don't think so.

Let's not be just good enough, lets all be great, as He wants us to be. Amen.