Does your faith need strengthening? Are you confused and wondering if Jesus Christ is really "The Way, the Truth, and the Life?" "Fight for Your Faith" is a blog filled with interesting and thought provoking articles to help you find the answers you are seeking. Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." In Jeremiah we read, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart." These articles and videos will help you in your search for the Truth.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Paz de Espírito

Uma compilação

Deus, ensine-me paciência;
E a ir mais devagar.
A esperar Seu comando
Quando pelo caminho eu desando.
Ensine-me a tolerar
Quando as coisas dão errado,
Ficar calmo e sossegado
Se outros estiverem estressados.
Ensine-me a aquietar
Meu atribulado coração,
E poder ouvir a Sua solução.
Ensine-me a deixar pra lá, querido Deus,
E orar com confiança
Até sentir paz e segurança
E saber reconhecer Sua vontade!
—Helen Steiner Rice

*

Jesus nos promete paz, que também é obra do Espírito Santo em nós. “Deixo-lhes a paz; a minha paz lhes dou. Não a dou como o mundo a dá. Não se perturbem os seus corações, nem tenham medo.”[1]

Como acalmou o mar tempestuoso quando Seus discípulos acharam que o barco em que estavam afundaria e eles se afogariam,[2] Jesus também pode acalmar as tormentas da vida e dar ao seu coração a paz de Deus que excede todo o entendimento.[3]

Foi o que fez por Paulo e Silas quando depois de serem perseguidos e açoitados, foram lançados na prisão. Em vez de se desesperarem, começaram a cantar hinos de louvor a Deus até que, súbita e milagrosamente, foram libertos![4]

Trouxe paz aos primeiros mártires cristãos, mesmo quando eram queimados ou jogados aos leões. Morreram vitoriosos, cantando e louvando a Deus. Essa tranquilidade sobrenatural despertou tanta inveja nos que assistiam às suas execuções, que muitos se converteram.

Conforme aprendemos a confiar no Senhor de todo o coração,[5] descobrimos que Ele pode nos dar perfeita paz, independentemente do que esteja acontecendo ao nosso redor!—Rafael Holding

*

(Oração:) Meu Senhor, obrigado pela paz que me concede, pela calma que me invade quando estou em Seus braços. Eu O louvo pela paz que sinto, mesmo quando tudo à minha volta parece um turbilhão. Eu O louvo, meu Rei, e me prostro diante de Você em humildade e rendição.

*

A confiança é algo que se conquista. Quando pequenos, aprendemos a confiar em nossos pais porque sentimos que eles nos amam, cuidam de nós e possuem entendimento e maturidade em relação à vida. Confiamos em amigos que ficam do nosso lado sob quaisquer circunstâncias. Confiamos naqueles com quem fazemos negócios quando descobrimos que são pessoas idôneas e fidedignas. Em suma, confiamos nas pessoas por causa da experiência que temos com elas.

Acontece o mesmo em relação a Deus. Quando mais abrirmos o coração a Ele, mais sentimos o Seu amor e preocupação conosco. Quanto mais estudamos as Escrituras e textos baseados na Bíblia, mais entendemos a vida e damos valor à sabedoria e bondade de Deus. Quanto mais colocamos Suas promessas à prova, maior se torna nossa fé. Quanto mais entregamos a Deus nossos problemas, mais aprendemos a depender dEle e acreditar que Ele vai resolver tudo. Quanto mais O conhecemos, mais confiamos; e quanto mais confiarmos nEle, maior será a nossa paz. —Keith Philips

*

Quando acontece o caos, o melhor lugar para se estar é dentro do círculo de proteção divina. "Aquele que habita no abrigo do Altíssimo e descansa à sombra do Todo-poderoso pode dizer ao Senhor: Tu és o meu refúgio e a minha fortaleza, o meu Deus, em quem confio. Ele o livrará do laço do caçador e do veneno mortal. Ele o cobrirá com as suas penas e sob as suas asas você encontrará refúgio; a fidelidade dele será seu escudo protetor. Você não temerá o pavor da noite, nem a flecha que voa de dia, nem a peste que se move sorrateira nas trevas, nem a praga que devasta ao meio-dia. Mil poderão cair ao seu lado, dez mil à sua direita, mas nada o atingirá.”[6]

Mesmo que ao seu redor haja tumulto e confusão, é possível ter paz por meio de Jesus Cristo o Príncipe da Paz.[7] Ele nunca falha aos que nEle confiam. —David Brandt Berg

*

Tu, Senhor, conservarás em perfeita paz aquele cuja mente está firme em Ti, porque confia em Ti. —Isaías 26:3[8]

*

Na nossa vida acontecem muitas coisas que estão além da nossa capacidade de lidar com elas, mas o Senhor é mais do que capaz. Peça a Ele para lhe dar a “paz de Deus que sobrepassa todo entendimento”,[9] e que sentimos quando Lhe entregamos nossos problemas. Pode levar um tempo para certas situações se resolverem, mas Ele vai tirar a angústia do nosso coração. Por isso, não tente encarar as dificuldades do dia a dia sozinho. Peça ajuda ao Senhor, e a primeira ajuda virá na forma de paz de espírito. —Nana Williams

*

Se não nos aquietarmos nossas mentes, um consolo vindo de fora terá o mesmo efeito que um calçado de ouro em um pé doente. —John Bunyan

*

Paz não é a ausência de problemas, mas a presença de Deus. —Autor desconhecido

*

Caro coração atribulado, sossegue, pois a paz é o sorriso de Deus, com Seu amor que tudo resolve e reconcilia;
Apenas ame, ame e ame mais um pouco, enquanto confia calmamente no Seu cuidado.
—Edith Willis Linn

*

Deixe o Meu Espírito repousar sobre você e preenchê-lo com paz. Deixe o Meu Espírito fluir pelos seus pensamentos, entremear-se no seu espírito e lhe dar forças. —Jesus falando em profecia

*

Existem muitos elementos essenciais para a perfeita paz de espírito. Um dos mais importantes é a fé, a qual só se adquire por meio da oração. —John Wooden

*

Sou seu Bom Pastor, e cuidarei de tudo o que precisa. Estou e estarei sempre ao seu lado. Nunca se sinta desamparado nem ache que precisa travar sozinho essa batalha. Você nunca está nem estará só. Estou com você agora e sempre.

Apegue-se às Minhas promessas, pois o ajudarão a conquistar a vitória e a brilhar ainda mais. Com fé no Meu cuidado, terá a paz de espírito que será uma grande força estabilizadora. Estarei sempre ao seu lado, cuidando de você em suas necessidades. Você é muito precioso para mim, e conhecerá o Meu amor de maneiras ainda mais fantásticas. Minha presença estará com você e Eu lhe darei descanso. —Jesus, falando em profecia.

*

Quando tiver paz no coração, você se tornará o tipo de pessoa que consegue viver em paz com outros. —Peace Pilgrim

Publicado no Âncora em fevereiro 2014. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] João 14:27 NVI.

[2] Veja Marcos 4:35–41.

[3] Filipenses 4:6–7 NVI.

[4] Atos 16:22–26.

[5] Provérbios 3:5.

[6] Salmo 91:1–7 NVI.

[7] Isaias 9:6 RC.

[8] NVI.

[9] Filipenses 4:7 NVI.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Relax from the Stresses of Life

A compilation
Download Audio (7.2MB)

Everyone needs to rest at some point! If you’ve been going through a prolonged period of hardship due to … your business, your family, your relationships, your finances, or your children, you still must learn how to rest in the Lord, even in the middle of that difficult situation you are facing. If you don’t, the battle will wear you out!
That’s why Paul told the Thessalonians, “And to you who are troubled rest with us....”1

The word “rest” comes from the Greek word anesis, which means to let up, to relax, to stop being stressed, or to find relief. One scholar comments that the word anesis was used in the secular Greek world to denote the release of a bowstring that has been under great pressure.

It was also used figuratively to mean relaxation from the stresses of life and freedom to have a little recreation. By using this word, Paul urges the believers in the city of Thessalonica to find relief from the constant stress they are undergoing as a result of opposition to their faith. Paul exhorts them to let it go, shake it off, and learn how to relax, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

An interpretive translation of this verse could be: “To you who are still going through difficulties right now, it’s time for you to let up, take a breather, and relax. We know what it’s like to be under pressure, but no one can stay under that kind of stress continuously. So join us in learning how to loosen up a bit. Shake off your troubles, and allow yourself a little relaxation and time for recreation....”

I realize that when you’re dealing with problems, a vacation is the last thing on your mind! You just want to survive the challenge and make a transition into the next phase of your life—and to do it as soon as possible! You may even feel that it’s irresponsible for you to put up your feet and relax for a while. But even God rested on the seventh day!

Take Paul’s counsel to heart, and allow yourself a little relaxation and time for recreation—time away from your problems. When it’s time to come back and face those problems again, you’ll be refreshed and recharged with renewed vision. You’ll see that challenge with new eyes, and you’ll face it with new strength.

So say goodbye to your problems today. Take a break, and allow yourself a little time to rest, relax, and recuperate!—Rick Renner2

*

When wearied with the strain of it all, you can fly to God on the wings of prayer and faith and get the relief that He alone can give you.—David Brandt Berg

*

There is a time and a purpose under heaven for all things: a time to work, a time to rest. A time to seek, a time to find. A time to pray, a time to play. All is not work and all is not rest. All is not prayer and all is not recreation. There is a time to rest and recuperate.

When you rest, I can give you the freshness that you need to do that which you must do. Don’t worry about what is ahead or what is not being accomplished. As you rest I can show you how you can do what must be done. I can speak to your heart and you will hear Me more clearly, for you will not have your mind cluttered with the worries, cares, and affairs of this life.

When you take time away from your work and you rest, in body and in spirit, you will receive clarity in your thinking and renewal of your spirit, body, and outlook. You will see your work in a new light, for you have renewed strength.

It is not enough to rest only in spirit—your body also needs rest. Your body houses your spirit, and when your body is weary and weak and under constant strain and stress, your spirit is also affected. Together they are one, and both must rest. The body is refreshed through relaxation, sleep, and recreation. And the spirit is refreshed through prayer and the infilling of My Word. Through this you will find the rest that you need, that you may be strengthened and refreshed in Me.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.—Psalm 37:73

*

You’ve toiled so long and hard in the field of harvest. Your hands and feet ache, your body is weary, and you deserve some time of respite. Just relax your mind, body, and spirit. Let My Spirit flow all over you like a soothing oil. Let peace and quiet overcome all the cares and worries of your work. Your service for Me you will have always with you, so put it aside and take some time to love and appreciate Me, and to simply relax and enjoy Me and My creation.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”—Mark 6:31

*

Life is not a contest to see how tired or weary you can get. This race is long enough that all will be tired many times at many points. There’s no worth in trying to prove your stamina to Me or others by carrying your own burdens and tiring yourself out. There will be many times when you need to work hard and push, but there also need to be many times to rest. Take your rest, My dear one; lay down your burdens. Relax and rest in My arms. Let Me carry you for a while. You’ve done much for Me and I know you will do so again, but let Me hold you now and replenish your strength.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.—Psalm 23:1–3

*

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”—Exodus 33:14

Published on Anchor November 2013. Read by Simon Peterson.
Music by Daniel Sozzi. Copyright@tfi


1 2 Thessalonians 1:7 NKJ.

2 Excerpted from a devotional in Sparkling Gems from the Greek (Harrison House, 2003).

3 Unless otherwise indicated, the scriptures in this compilation are from the ESV.

Walking in the New

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/walking-new/

Words from Jesus

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life. … Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.—Ephesians 4:22–241

Creating new habits

It’s humbling to step out by faith and make a fresh new start and break with old habits. But look beyond the difficulties and grab My hand that is reaching out to help you. If you make the first step to react with new eyes and a new spirit, then the steps after that will be easier. Let Me shine through you. Let your ways be a testimony to others of the power of My Spirit and of your yieldedness. Let Me give you a clean slate with new things written on it.

If you’re desperately seeking Me for a change, draw on My strength and ask Me for help each step of the way. It takes time to break old habits, so don’t get discouraged if you revert to your old ways sometimes. You have to keep the vision and keep making steps forward to victory. You have great power of My Spirit at your disposal. All you have to do is believe and receive and live in it, and it will be so beautiful.

*

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.—Exodus 14:142


Fresh new start

If you want a fresh new start with someone and the way you interact with them and look at them, to break out of the old habits and ways of doing things, the old way of looking at the person, then humility is the starting place. Realize that I love that person very much, and I have been working in their life too. If you want to change anything about the way you work with someone, the way you relate to them and communicate and talk with them, ask Me to give you a new outlook on them, and a positive new way of thinking about them and talking to them. The only thing that will hold you back is the past and the old stale habits that you don’t like anyway.

You want the fresh, the new. You want to be able to interact with the love and understanding and joy of My Spirit—and you can. You are a new creature. I have given you new ways of thinking, behaving, loving, seeing others, and new ways of looking at yourself. Anyone who wants a new approach to life, or to people, or to their work, or to their ministry, or to their husband or wife or children, or to someone that they don’t get along with, can have it. You can become what I have called you to be. You can have good, Spirit-filled reactions; you can give inspiring, encouraging words; you can think positive, uplifting thoughts; you can resist the attacks of the Enemy; you can let My Spirit flow through you. You don’t have to live in the past or let the past dictate how you live today.


A plan and a future

Do not be fearful because of your weakness, for in weakness you will find My strength. This weakness will be a reminder to you of how much you need Me. When you call out to Me, I will be there to lift you up. I will be there to give you power that you know not of. When you reach the end of yourself and you have nothing left and you look up to Me, you will find a new beginning.

You will find Me and know Me as never before. Your dependence upon Me will be greater. Your knowledge of Me will be more intimate. Your relationship with Me will be warmer and closer than ever before. You will find strength, power, wisdom, and anointing—all the things you need for the future.

You feel that your future is so ordinary. You don’t see any place for yourself. But don’t worry, for you don’t see as I see. Your vision is shortsighted, but I know the future. I know the needs of the future, and I have a plan for your life. Trust Me for the future and know that your usefulness is not over; it is just beginning. I have a plan and a purpose. You will not be disappointed. You will be grateful that you hung on, that you continued having faith, that you continued trusting, and that in your moment of weakness you reached out to Me and found strength.

Don’t worry about the future. Rest in My arms and find peace of mind. Know that I love you and that I will bring about My beautiful plan in your life.


The path of humility

The path that I would lead you on is the path of humility. This path leads through thin, tight places, and to squeeze through, you must shed all of your outer garments. For without shedding these, you cannot pass through the tight places in the road. When you come out on the other side, you are naked and have nothing. This makes you fearful, as it may be cold and you fear being exposed. But I will cover you and keep you warm and protect you.

The burdens of self must be laid down. The burdens of image, the burdens of loveliness, the burdens of self-image, the garments of pride—all these things must be laid aside. Although it seems that you will be exposed, in fact you will be freed! For you can then take on a garment of simplicity and of humility, which is a much lighter garment, much easier to wear.

Accept the humbling, for in humility you will find great happiness. This is the road that I choose for you—a road of gentle humility.


Robes of righteousness

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.—Isaiah 61:103

*

Wear My robe of righteousness with ease. I custom-made it for you, to cover you from head to toe. The price I paid for this covering was astronomical—My own blood. You could never purchase such a royal garment, no matter how hard you worked. Sometimes you forget that My righteousness is a gift, and you feel ill at ease in your regal robe. I weep when I see you squirming under the velvety fabric, as if it were made of scratchy sackcloth.

I want you to trust Me enough to realize your privileged position in My Kingdom. Relax in the luxuriant folds of your magnificent robe. Keep your eyes on Me as you practice walking in this garment of salvation. When your behaviour is unfitting for one in My Kingdom, do not try to throw off your royal robe. Instead, throw off the unrighteous behaviour. Then you will be able to feel at ease in this glorious garment, enjoying the gift I fashioned for you before the foundation of the world.4

Originally published in 1997, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished June 2014. Read by Simon Peterson. Music by Michael Dooley. Copyright@tfi


1 NLT.

2 NKJV.

3 NLT.

4 Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010).

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Temple Veil Being Recreated

WND, June 02, 2014

If the Jewish Temple is ever to be rebuilt in Jerusalem, the massive curtain—66 feet high by 33 feet wide and 2 inches thick—that once hung in the Second Temple and was consumed by fire in A.D. 70, will need to be recreated.

That task is already underway in the Jewish community of Shiloh, located in biblical Samaria about 40 minutes north of Jerusalem, reports Israel Today.

For more than two years women from the community have been working to assemble the materials and learn the techniques needed to weave the veil that will hang between, and separate, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.

While the command given to Moses at Sinai—“You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen … with an artistic design of cherubim” (Exodus 26:31)—may have been clear to the people of Israel in the mid-15th century B.C., the techniques for weaving the required six-cord threads and the proper way to recreate the needed dyes are unknown today.

The scarlet is believed to have been made out of an oak aphid, reported Israel Today, and the blue from a special sea snail. The purple was also animal-derived, but which animals is unknown.

In some ways Shiloh as the place for “the women of the veil chamber” to pursue their task is a natural one.
Ancient Israel’s Tabernacle—precursor to the First Temple built in Jerusalem by King Solomon—stood in Shiloh for over 300 years. It was to Shiloh that the tribes of Israel came for annual festivals. One of those occasions is the biblical setting for the beginning of the ministry of the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1).

It was from here the Ark of the Covenant was sent into battle against Israel’s arch enemy, the Philistines, and captured (1 Samuel 4). Some 300 years later, in the time of the Prophet Jeremiah, the city was in ruins.

In 2013, archaeologists announced they had found the site at Shiloh where the Tabernacle had stood. Hewn holes that once supported wooden beams, large stoves not meant for home use, structures dating to the period between Joshua and King David and proximity to the city gate led to their identification.

Past findings in the surrounding hills include what researchers say are the bones of sacrificed animals that were eaten during those times when thousands of Israelites would assemble at Shiloh, reported Israel National News. The bones have been dated to the same biblical period.

The veil project mirrors another that has been underway for four years, recreating the priestly garments needed for Temple worship. Some Jews who claim priestly lineage have already purchased the special clothing.

The Gospel of Matthew records that upon Jesus death, the great veil of the Temple “was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51)

Testemunhando em um Lar para Idosos

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/testemunhando-em-um-lar-para-idosos/

De Maria Iceland

Descobri que o Senhor muitas vezes usa os momentos difíceis para abrir o coração das pessoas. Podemos ter a chance de verdadeiramente testemunhar nessas circunstâncias. Talvez nos encontremos orando em silêncio por alguém que está passando por momentos difíceis. Mas também podemos usar a oração como uma oportunidade para testemunhar. Apesar da oração mudar as coisas, pedir a Deus não é algo do qual muitas pessoas dependem, então nos ouvir orar faz uma diferença para elas.

Trabalho como enfermeira em um lar para idosos. Muitas vezes cuido de pacientes que estão morrendo. Na verdade, a morte é a única maneira de nossos pacientes receberem “alta” por aqui, de modo que o meu trabalho envolve essa última etapa na vida deles. Nesses momentos muitas vezes fui abençoada com a oportunidade de falar ao paciente sobre o que vai acontecer e também de me aproximar dos parentes. Em um lar para idosos a morte raramente acontece de repente. Geralmente há muito tempo para se preparar, e muitas vezes começa logo depois que a pessoa se muda para o local. Quando o processo da morte começa, o paciente e seus parentes estão abertos para falar sobre o assunto. Não tem problema fazer perguntas diretas sobre o que acreditam. Na verdade, descobri que vão tentar o melhor que podem responder a uma enfermeira que fala abertamente sobre a morte.

Quando um paciente morre, vários membros da família geralmente aparecem. Antes de sua chegada, e de modo geral antes do paciente morrer, teremos discutido o que fazer. Perguntam-lhes se querem um pastor. Como muitos islandeses não são frequentadores de igreja, costumam não saber o que responder. Muitas vezes me perguntam: “O que você acha?” ou “Será que ele (ou ela) ia querer isso?” ou “Como geralmente fazem?”

Eu lhes digo que depende deles, mas que geralmente a família só chama o pastor em caso de morte súbita e a família esteja lidando com o choque. Já outros gostam de fazer isso e têm fortes convicções a respeito. As pessoas geralmente ficam bem receptivas nessas horas. Talvez digam: “Ora, talvez fosse bom fazer algo e dizer algumas palavras.”

É então que eu me ofereço. A primeira vez em que falei na morte de alguém, foi muito difícil. Eu disse:

“Se quiserem, posso entrar no quarto com você e dizer algumas palavras para a sua família.” E logo depois fiquei pensando: “Minha nossa! O que foi que eu disse?” Eu me perguntava se aquilo era sequer permitido. Mas é. Não existem regras ou regulamentos proibindo. Os parentes simplesmente concordaram. “Você sabe fazer isso?” “Claro!” Respondi.

Os membros da família entraram no quarto. Fizeram um círculo ao redor da cama e deram as mãos. Eu me dirigi ao Senhor e comecei a Lhe agradecer pela maneira gentil e calma que Ele havia levado o paciente, e que ele não sofreu nenhuma dor. Agradeci a Jesus pela família e pela vida que o paciente tivera. Agradeci ao Senhor pelo privilégio de conhecê-los, e pedi que cuidasse cuidar deles, abençoasse a família nesse momento difícil, e os ajudasse a cuidar dos muitos e importantes detalhes relacionados ao enterro, lhes dar forças e fé, e ajudá-los a se tornarem uma família ainda mais unida. Orei de uma maneira muito pessoal, e eles sentiram que eu me referia a Jesus como um amigo pessoal nosso, deles.

Cada vez faço de um jeito diferente. Se há jovens chorando eu tento fazer uma oração mais curta, porque não consigo segurar o choro. Às vezes uso a palavra “Jesus” mais vezes, ou digo “Senhor”, no caso de uma família que frequentadora igreja. Meu pai era pastor, por isso eu sei falar como um deles, se a família preferir. Na verdade, é o Senhor que faz o trabalho! Se vejo que não havia um relacionamento próximo com o doente, oro para que a família seja fortalecida e foco menos na pessoa que faleceu. Tudo depende das pessoas envolvidas, e é o Senhor que age através de mim.

Muitas vezes me surpreendo com as palavras que saem da minha boca durante a oração, e tenho muita dificuldade em lembrar o que disse depois. Sinto o Senhor tão forte e tenho dito algumas coisas em oração que parecem tocar as pessoas. Elas sempre ficam muito gratas e comovidas. Antes de começar a oração, sempre sinto o meu coração batendo nervosamente. Sei que é um momento que a família lembrará. Sei que eles não têm expectativas. Simplesmente fluem com a coisa, e uso essa oportunidade.

Lembro-me de uma vez em que tinha três pessoas bem sucedidas no quarto, um advogado, um músico da orquestra sinfônica e um membro do parlamento. Estavam dando as mãos em círculo comigo ao redor do leito. Essa família tão importante e orgulhosa simplesmente me deixou guiar. Ai, que nervoso! Mas quando falei, senti que foram tocados. Eles choraram; afinal tinham acabado de perder o pai. Eles eram iguais a todos.

De todas as vezes que pude testemunhar, esses momentos nos quais fiquei de mãos dadas ao redor de um leito com pessoas a quem Jesus ama e orei por elas, foram alguns dos mais especiais para mim. Para quem não tem fé a morte é algo assustador e muitas vezes triste. Tenho condições de usar esses momentos difíceis para testemunhar. Posso ser force pelos outros, quando eles ficam prostrados. Digo o nome de Jesus, e falo dEle com naturalidade. Quem sabe? Esta pode ser a semente que vai mudar suas vidas.

Nossas palavras são muito poderosas, se deixarmos fluir as Suas palavras, se nossos lábios forem os Seus lábios, e nosso trabalho for para a glória de Deus.

Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão H.R.Flandoli.

A Heart Full of Grace

A compilation
http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/heart-full-grace/

Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.—Martin Luther King, Jr.

*

Grace has to be the loveliest word in the English language. It embodies almost every attractive quality we hope to find in others. Grace is a gift of the humble to the humiliated. Grace acknowledges the ugliness of sin by choosing to see beyond it. Grace accepts a person as someone worthy of kindness despite whatever grime or hard-shell casing keeps him or her separated from the rest of the world. Grace is a gift of tender mercy when it makes the least sense.—Charles R. Swindoll

*

Jesus tells us: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”1

Easier said than done, you may say. You’re not even sure you want to love those who have hurt or wronged you. After all, they don’t deserve it. You’d just as soon distance yourself from that cranky boss, that former friend who hurt you, that coworker who talked badly about you behind your back.

One of the most wonderful things about God’s love is that it can override our sometimes-all-too-human reactions and prejudices. He may not be happy about some of the things some people do or the way they do them, but He still loves them. Isn’t that the way He is with us? He never stops loving us no matter what our faults and flaws, and in spite of what we do. He never rejects us or withdraws His love. He always has hope for us, no matter how far we’ve strayed.

That’s the sort of love He wants us to have for others, and it’s ours for the asking. “Love will cover a multitude of sins.”2 God will give you as much grace and love to forgive others as you ask Him for.—Shannon Shayler3

*

A small boy was caught trying on his grandma’s glasses, and his mother asked why. He said, “I want to wear glasses like Grandma’s, ’cause she can see much more than other people. She can see when folks are hungry and tired or sorry, and she can even see what’ll make them feel better. She can see how to fix a lot of things so they’re fun, and she can see what a fellow meant to do, even if he didn’t do it right. She can see when a fellow is going to cry, and she can see how to get him smiling again. I asked her one day how she could see so good, and she said it was the way she learned to look at things as she got older. So when I get older, I want a pair of glasses just like Grandma’s, so I can see as good as that, too.”—Author unknown

*

The biblical idea of encouragement implies the help of one who comes alongside of another to support or strengthen them in time of need. Someone with a gracious disposition reaches down to help others and lift them up.4 A gracious spirit does not unlovingly criticize, condemn, discourage, or suppress someone so as to hinder their growth. Grace purposes not to defeat others, but to boost them toward Christlikeness.

Someone has said that grace holds a halo over our head and helps us grow into it. We are more likely to grow when others expect and encourage us to become what God has made us in Christ. A gracious spirit reflects love in that it “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”5—it believes the best about others and optimistically helps them with a forbearing spirit. Graciousness gives others the benefit of the doubt in matters of conscience and conduct that are less than absolutely clear.—Dr. Charlie Bing6

*

The big issues that face me as a teacher, writer, husband, father and employee are all about grace. Grace in everyday life. Grace to people who don’t deserve it. Grace as a way for me to live in the power of the Gospel when I’d rather be controlling things and determining outcomes. All day, every day I have to live in an atmosphere where the use of the law, guilt, manipulation and punishment are the standard ways of doing business. But I want my life to be more and more and more about grace, not to lessen the law, but to accomplish what the law cannot accomplish: create followers of Jesus and create lives—individually and communally—shaped by his Spirit.

When I remember the grace of God in my life, particularly at those moments when no one could rescue me from my sin and foolishness but God alone, it fires my heart with a hunger for grace in my relationships, actions and heart-motivation. …

The question for me today and from now on is “Has grace made me gracious?”—Michael Spencer7

*

I am a perfectionist. I worry about getting things wrong. I like to stick to the rules, get things right, and try to be the best I can be. Self-improvement isn’t a bad thing. But the problem with having a perfectionist attitude towards yourself is that we often transfer this attitude towards other people. We set our own high standards for how we expect them to behave. However, inevitably other people won’t always meet our expectations. They will let us down. They are imperfect. I need to learn how to show God’s grace to imperfect people. …

God wants us to treat others with grace. Undeserved favor. If we were to only dish out encouragement, friendly words or kindness to those we feel deserve it, we may seldom get the opportunity. But if we are prepared to show tolerance for the things others do that we don’t like, hold back our judgments and love them, imperfections [and all], we bless them with God’s grace.—Melanie Caldicott8

*

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”9

For the past 10 days, I have been contemplating God’s grace to us and how we, in turn, can extend grace to others.

We naturally do just the opposite. We see and tell people how they should change rather than encouraging them in what they are doing right. So often we are impatient with a sales clerk, point out faults in our spouse and children; we slander co-workers and pastors.

How then, can we become gracious—more like Jesus?

Richard Blackaby in his book, Putting a Face on Grace, has a list of tips for us.
Speak words intended to build up, not to bring down.
Focus on their need rather than your own.
Freely forgive.
Swallow your pride and say, “I’m sorry,” and “I was wrong.”
Live your life with a goal of “no regrets.”
Don’t keep score of what is fair.
Grace doesn’t condemn or give up on people.
Grace emphasizes mercy, not justice.
Read 1 Corinthians 13 regularly.

And always keep in mind that it is God’s Spirit within us who will change us into becoming people who extend grace to others.

[Prayer:] Father, you continually show grace to your children no matter how many times we mess up. Thank you so much. We don’t deserve your love. Enable us, through the power of your Holy Spirit, to become people of grace. Amen.—Katherine J Kehler10 


Published on Anchor June 2014. copyright @ tfi

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Psalm 63 - "Early Will I Seek You!"

By Dennis Edwards:

Here’s a beautiful Psalm for the day. Contrary to many of today’s modern precepts, the psalmist does not remind us to reach within ourselves for that divine strength within, but rather, to reach out to the Lord. We reach out through our desperation of spirit in prayer and communing with the Lord in solitude, praise and meditation.

1 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

The metaphor here is similar to that in Psalm 42 which states, “As a hart (deer) pants after the water brook, so pants my soul after you, O God.” Is your soul panting after God? Are you longing for God? Or have the cares of life and the abundance of riches choked or suffocated that longing within you for his presence in your life? Get up early and seek God before you start the day. The old song says “I met God in the morning, when the day was at its best, and all day long his presence lingered.” His presence will be with you throughout the day, if you seek him early. Here’s Ralph Cushman's full poem:

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long his Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
And other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to us a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With his presence left behind. 

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day! 

We see a similar thought in Psalm 5:3, “My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up.” Are you taking that upward look in the morning, directing your thoughts and prayers and requests to the Lord for the day?


2 To see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary.

3 Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you;

4 Thus will I bless you while I live: I will lift up my hands in your name.


We often see at the music concerts the audience lifting up their hands as they sing along with the singers. The idea of lifting up our hands in praise actually comes from God’s word. In Psalm 134 we find the lines: “Behold, bless you the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Paul similarly admonished, “I will therefore that all men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.” (1Timothy 2:8) There is some spiritual principle in lifting up ones hands in praise unto God. Our spiritual adversary knows this truth and tries to imitate and use its function for his own worship.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips:

In five verses we can already count three times when the psalmist notes the importance of praise in our mouths and thankfulness of spirit that helps us to glorify God and overcome our adversary.

6 When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches.
When you cannot sleep at night, spend time meditating on God and counting your blessing. You won’t be disappointed.

7 Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.

It has not been the psalmist’s own strength that has pulled him through or the looking for the spiritual strength within, but rather in the seeking unto God and trusting in his strength and his help. Because of his trust in the Lord, he is able to maintain a positive, praiseful spirit.

8 My soul follows hard after you: your right hand upholds me.

Again, the psalmist trusts in God for his help and does not rely on his own strength. Are you trusting in the Lord with all your heart, and leaning not to your own understanding? He promises that if you acknowledge him in all your ways, he will direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5-6)


9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone that swears by Him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.


And so ends the psalm. Are you rejoicing in God? Is He your glory? Or are you speaking lies? Please choose God today. You will not be disappointed.

Copyright © Fight for Your Faith