Amar Deus em Palavra e em Ação

De Peter Amsterdam

“Tudo o que fizerem, seja em palavra ou em ação, façam-no em nome do Senhor Jesus, dando por meio dele graças a Deus Pai.”—Colossenses 3:17, NVI


Em palavra

O velho problema é encontrar tempo para ler a Palavra. Todos queremos ler e estudar a Palavra, mas parece que sempre há tanto para fazer! Ajuda nos lembrarmos que se tomarmos tempo com Ele em oração pessoal, escutando-O e lendo a Palavra, Ele vai de alguma forma multiplicar os nossos esforços e nos ajudar a fazer o trabalho que Ele sabe que precisa ser feito.

Com as grandes responsabilidades que todos nós temos—a força e a sabedoria necessárias para o grande trabalho que o Senhor nos chamou para fazer, vamos ter que passar mais tempo com Ele em oração e meditando na Sua Palavra. Tomar uns minutos ao longo do dia para louvar e agradecer o Senhor pode nos ajudar a incluir no nosso cotidiano tempo com o Senhor no qual O reconhecemos e passamos momentos preciosos descansando em Seus braços, Lhe dizendo o quanto O amamos e precisamos dEle.

Uma coisa interessante sobre o louvor é que quanto mais adquirimos o hábito de louvar o Senhor, mais queremos louvá-lO, e mais fácil fica. É muito importante louvar, pois, o louvor é a voz da fé. E sabemos que esta é a vitória que vence o mundo: a nossa fé.[1] Acho que às vezes subestimamos o poder do louvor e a eficácia dele para trazer o espírito do Senhor para a nossa vida, capacitando-nos a resistir aos ataques do Inimigo e ajudando-nos a ser mais positivos, mais alegres e mais inspiradores com aqueles à nossa volta

O Senhor adora o louvor! Ele habita nos louvores do Seu povo. O Senhor quer que O louvemos em todas as situações — principalmente quando não sentimos vontade. Mesmo quando somos tentados a ficar fora do espírito, ou a criticar ou reclamar um pouquinho — quer em pensamento quer em palavras — se simplesmente fizermos um esforço consciente para pensarmos nas nossas bênçãos, frisar todo o bem, nos concentrarmos em tudo o que o Senhor tem feito por nós e em todas as maneiras como Ele tem nos guardado, abençoado, prosperado e protegido, acho que nos ajudaria muito a vencer possíveis maus hábitos de ter uma primeira reação negativa, de preocupação ou mesmo apenas indiferença.

Lembro-me de uma história sobre um pregador, o Dr. Alexander Whyte, famoso por louvar tanto nas suas orações. Ele sempre achava algo pelo qual agradecer ao Senhor, mesmo em tempos difíceis. Uma certa manhã, quando estava caindo um toró, um membro da sua congregação pensou com os seus botões: "Num dia horrível como este o pregador com certeza não vai ter nada pelo que agradecer a Deus." Mas ele começou a sua oração assim: "Ó Deus, nós Te agradecemos que nem sempre o dia amanhece assim." Que bom exemplo de ver as coisas de uma maneira positiva e ter uma atitude de louvor.

Se orarmos desesperadamente e pedirmos ao Senhor para nos ajudar, e nos dispusermos a isto, acredito que Ele pode nos ajudar a superarmos nossas reações naturais negativas a circunstâncias difíceis e louvar muito mais. E isso não só deixaria o Senhor muito mais feliz, mas também todos nós.

O louvor tem muito poder! O Senhor quer o nosso louvor. Então por que não fazermos um esforço consciente para louvarmos mais? Para substituirmos pensamentos negativos com pensamentos positivos, de gratidão e louvor? Vamos também procurar o máximo possível dar glória ao Senhor no que dizemos e na nossa interação com os outros, como o pregador White fazia, louvando-O e reconhecendo como Ele nos abençoou, em vez de reclamarmos, ficarmos na fossa ou reagirmos negativamente.


Em ação

Os dois maiores mandamentos são amar o Senhor de todo o nosso coração, alma, mente e forças, e amar o nosso próximo como a nós mesmos.[2] Jesus disse, “Nisto todos conhecerão que sois Meus discípulos, se vos amardes uns aos outros.”[3]

O amor é a alma do Cristianismo. O amor é o alicerce, a pedra de esquina. O Cristianismo deveria ser conhecida pelo amor. O nosso amor uns pelos outros deveria ser como um cobertor macio, quentinho e aconchegante que envolve suavemente cada um de nós, e no qual encontramos conforto e segurança, paz e compreensão.

É esse simples amor fraternal incondicional que "tudo sofre, tudo crê, tudo espera e tudo suporta", o tipo que "nunca falha"[4]. Estou falando do tipo de amor que compreende, perdoa, estende a mão para ajudar e ama sem parcialidade. Estou falando do tipo de amor que ama os difíceis de amar, olha além dos defeitos e faltas dos outros, vê o Senhor nos outros e vê cada pessoa como alguém que entregou o seu coração e vida a Jesus e que merece ser aceito, acalentado, cuidado e amado.

Nós podemos ser uma manifestação do Seu amor para outros. A preocupação, compaixão, paciência, fé, compreensão e amor que demonstramos a alguém pode ser exatamente o que vai dar a essa pessoa fé, coragem e forças para seguir em frente, para continuar lutando e para ganhar a vitória. Jesus disse: "Quando fizestes a um destes Meus pequeninos irmãos a Mim o fizestes.”[5] Esta é uma boa pergunta para nos fazemos: Tenho tratado os outros como trataria Jesus? Tenho sido o exemplo do amor do Senhor que Ele quer que eu seja?

Vamos dar do nosso tempo, estar prontos para ouvir outros desabafarem, e abrir o nosso coração e a nossa vida para os outros. Vamos ser rápidos em perdoar e esquecer. Vamos nos esforçar ao máximo para sermos hospitaleiros e compartilhar nossas posses terrenas com quem precisa quando for possível. Vamos ser um forte ombro no qual outros podem se apoiar e chorar e ser um exemplo do amor incondicional do Senhor. Não vamos tirar conclusões precipitadas nem julgar injustamente, pelo contrário, vamos dar um voto de confiança àqueles que estão batalhando. Vamos levar as cargas uns dos outros e assim cumprir a lei de Cristo.[6]

“Que o próprio Senhor Jesus Cristo e Deus nosso Pai, que nos amou e nos deu eterna consolação e boa esperança pela graça, dê ânimo aos seus corações e os fortaleça para fazerem sempre o bem, tanto em atos como em palavras.”—2 Tessalonicenses 2:16–17[7]

Publicado originalmente em janeiro de 1998. Adaptado e republicado em junho de 2014. Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão H.R.Flandoli. Copyright@tfi2014


[1] Ver Marcos 12:30–31.

[2] Ver Marcos 12:30–31.

[3] João 13:35.

[4] 1 Coríntios 13.

[5] Mateus 25:40.

[6] Gálatas 6:2.

[7] NVI.

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/amar-deus-em-palavra-e-em-acao/

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His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

By Philip Martin
http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/his-name-shall-be-called-wonderful/
It’s amazing to me how a little thought can be so important, and if we take time to catch it, it can open into a whole world of ideas. And, on the other hand, if we aren’t aware of it, we can miss something that the Lord is trying to reveal to us.

The last student I pick up while driving my bus is always late. Because he goes to a different school than the rest of my students, I drop them off first and come back around and pick him up. For some days now he has been down—really down. As they say, “If he got any lower, he’d have to reach up to scratch a caterpillar’s belly.” So in an effort to get his mind on something else, the other day I asked him what the first day of spring—“the spring equinox”—meant, and if he understood the significance of it.

In typical fashion, he didn’t answer, so I went on by faith anyway. Often I’ll just talk to him and trust that it’s having an effect on his mind and spirit, as the Word never returns void, even if there isn’t any initial response or reaction.

I began by telling him that it comes from a Latin word meaning equal night, and basically it is when the length of the night and the length of the day are roughly equal. I then explained that there are two equinoxes, one in March for the beginning of spring and one in September for the beginning of autumn. Next I told him about the opposite of an equinox, a solstice, and how they also appear twice in the year—in the middle of winter to mark the shortest day, and in summer to mark the day with the most hours of daylight.

I told him about the universe being like a great big clock and how wonderful it was that it all ran in perfect time. I asked, “If I gave you all the parts to a Rolex watch in a jar all taken apart and told you to shake it until it made a watch, with all the parts moving together in perfect order and able to keep perfect time, do you think that would ever happen?”

“No!” he replied. I’d finally gotten a word out of him.

Then I said, “Isn’t it crazy then that people actually think that the infinitely more intricate watch of the universe just created itself?”

He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was thinking. His eyes were sort of looking up at the top of the bus in thoughtful wonder. We arrived at the school, and my little talk must have had a profound influence on him because he said “Good-bye!” as he got off the bus.

Maybe it was that look of wonder that he had in his eyes when I told him about the universe being a big clock that triggered my thinking about the word “wonder.” The verse Isaiah 9:6 came to me: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Was Wonder one of God’s names?

I find it helpful to compare different translations of the Bible. When I looked this verse up in other translations, out of the twenty that I checked, eight quoted the verse as saying, “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,” with no comma after “Wonderful,” thus making it an adjective describing the noun Counselor instead of a noun depicting one of the names of God.

To check and see which one was the right translation, I went to my trusty touchstone for Bible meanings, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible.1 When I looked it up, I found the original Hebrew word that was translated as Wonderful in the Bible was Pele and it was indeed a noun, not an adjective. Derived from the word Pala, it means to be distinguished, or be singular, to be miraculous. He goes on to make a special note of Isaiah 9:6 and says, “This is one of several titles for the Messiah, showing that Jesus would continue the work of God.”

Then I began to think about nature and all its wonders, and the human body, the human mind, and what wonderful creations they are. The flowers, birds, bees, the moon, the tides, everything; in fact, all of creation was created to inspire wonder, which thus leads us to worship and praise the Creator whose name is Wonderful. He’s full of wonder.

Then my thoughts turned to evolution, and I realized how the belief in an unplanned world takes the “wonder” out of God’s beautiful world. If it all just sort of happened, with no divine planner or designer behind it, where’s the wonder in it? No magic, no breathtaking, awe-inspiring worship. It just sort of happened. Big deal!

No! God’s creation was designed to inspire wonder. It’s wonderful, full of wonder, and we, His born-again children, are to see His loving concern in His handiwork, and this should inspire us to praise and worship Him, our wonderful Creator. God is wonderful! Nature is wonderful.

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O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.—Isaiah 25:1

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!—Psalm 107:8

He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.—Psalm 111:4



God’s whole creation is a work of art and continually portrays His message to all of us ... pictures which tell the story, portraits which portray the truth.

Do you know what God’s greatest credentials are, the genuine proof of His authority? His creation. His glorious creation is a constant testimony of the existence of a divine designer and Creator, as Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (His creation), even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

Those who refuse to see God in His creation are like the farmer the first time he saw a giraffe and said, “There just ain’t no such thing!” But just because they won’t believe it doesn’t make it not so.

All you have to do is sit outside and look at the trees and the birds and watch the squirrels and you’ll know that it wasn’t an accident. Too much planning went into all that.

Does God love you? You can see it and you can feel it in the beautiful world He’s given you to live in. Just to look around you at this beautiful creation is to see the love of God. Just look at the world and you know that God loves you. His love is obvious from all that He’s made for you to enjoy. When we think about the marvels of God’s glorious creation and how He runs it, it makes us praise Him all the more.—Compiled excerpts from David Brandt Berg. Copyright@tfi 2014


1 Spiros Zodhiates, ed. (Baker Publishing, 1985).

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Pensamentos Fortalecedores Para Momentos de Prova

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/pensamentos-fortalecedores-para-momentos-de-prova/
De Jesus, falando em profecia

Acho maravilhoso você recorrer a Mim quando está passando por dificuldades. É muito lindo vê-lo depender de Mim dessa maneira. Essa dependência deixa-Me inspirado a Me manifestar em seu favor mais do que nunca. É assim que Eu quero que esteja sempre: dependendo totalmente de Mim para ter foco e inspiração nas coisas que faz. Continue recorrendo a Mim e continuarei agindo muito mais através de você, clareando o seu caminho e tornando-o lindo e glorioso.

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Quando fica dominado por um sentimento derrotista e pensa, “Já era! Falhei demais, falhei ao Senhor mais do que uma vez, eu sou um caso perdido! Não tenho mais chances, já usei até os bônus que tinha. Acho melhor desistir!” — por favor, lembre-se que, por mais que caia, se quiser se levantar de novo, Eu o ajudarei a seguir adiante. E se acreditar que, ao se levantar, estará mais forte, Eu o fortalecerei mesmo. Na realidade, tudo se resume à fé que tem na Minha Palavra e o quanto confia em tudo o que lhe disse. Não existe esse negócio de ficar sem chances, porque Eu sou a sua chance! Você poderá ter esperança e fé enquanto Eu existir, ou seja, por toda a eternidade.

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Tudo de valor na vida tem seu preço. Mas não só isso, normalmente demora muito mais do que se imaginava ou planejava, para realizar algo. Normalmente existem os imprevistos e atrasos, perdas e reveses. Às vezes as pessoas ficam doentes ou não cumprem a sua palavra, ou ocorrem emergências que consomem o seu tempo, atenção e dinheiro. É fácil ficar frustrado com a falta de progresso. Às vezes você até sente vontade de desistir de tudo.

Nesse tipo de situação, o segredo é pensar de onde você veio, e não lamuriar sobre todo o terreno a percorrer. É claro que um trabalho difícil vai consumir o seu tempo, muito tempo, provavelmente mais do que esperava ou planejava. Portanto, seja como o lavrador com milhares de hectares para semear. Ele apenas começa. Ele não termina o primeiro dia de trabalho se lamentando por tudo o que ainda tem a fazer, pois já sabia muito bem que não ia conseguir terminar. Sendo assim, seria uma tolice, não seria realista ele ficar desapontado com a situação. Pelo contrário, ao final de cada dia, ele contempla a terra que já preparou e onde já semeou. E cada dia essa parte do campo vai crescendo e crescendo. Pense no progresso feito, nas vitórias conquistadas e em tudo o que já andou. Veja onde começou e comemore a distância já percorrida.

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Muitas vezes ganha-se uma batalha no último minuto, após uma decisão final de não desistir e sim de persistir, não importam as consequências! Travar uma batalha é como participar de uma corrida. É preciso aguentar até à última volta, e depois correr com tudo. Quando sente que não aguenta nem mais um segundo, então precisa dar tudo de si, Me louvar de todo o coração e meter bronca no Inimigo. Eu garanto que assim você vencerá!

*

Você jamais será dominado pelas batalhas da vida, elas jamais serão maiores do que você tem condições de suportar, porque criei um mecanismo automático na sua alma, um botão de saída de emergência. Eu sempre lhe dou um escape, uma saída, e sempre o ajudo a superar as dificuldades da vida.[1]

*

Lance os seus cuidados sobre Mim. Deixe-Me cuidar de todos eles. Sou o seu sistema de suporte 24 horas por dia. Estou à sua disposição e na linha, apenas esperando a sua chamada. Estou pronto para assisti-lo. — E sempre tenho as soluções também! Além do mais, jamais o deixo esperando. Estou sempre ali, pronto para lhe dar as soluções. Pode contar totalmente Comigo.

*

No momento parece que as suas esperanças estão despedaçadas e tudo está perdido. Estou aqui. Vou tomá-lo em Meus braços, secar suas lágrimas e, fitando com amor o seu terno olhar, lhe dizer que na hora certa, tudo vai se ajeitar. Quero que reflita em ocasiões extremamente difíceis que já aconteceram, e lembre-se que sempre o coloquei em uma situação ainda melhor, e farei o mesmo desta vez. Essa situação melhor está logo ao virar da esquina. Venha Comigo, Meu amor, vamos juntos procurar esse lugar. Não desista da luta. Juntos, nós vamos conquistar a vitória!

*

Meu queridíssimo, deite-se Comigo e descanse um pouco. Você está cansado e desgastado das batalhas. Precisa de repouso e alívio. Deite-se aqui Comigo, aconchegado nos Meus braços. Quero levá-lo a um lugar de paz e sossego. Quero renovar o seu espírito enquanto descansa, para estar fortalecido e totalmente capacitado com as Minhas armas quando enfrentar de novo o Inimigo.

*

Meu amor, fico chateado quando o vejo sofrer tanto. Dói vê-lo passar por essas coisas. Mas fico muito feliz quando vence e Me louva apesar dos problemas. Eu esquematizo essas batalhas sob medida para você se tornar o que preciso e quero que seja. Um dia vai agradecer por elas. Posso e farei com que seja mais fácil carregar o fardo se recorrer a Mim e deixar o Meu amor, poder e graça fluírem em você e lhe darem forças para seguir adiante. Amo você.

*

Paciência. É uma virtude necessária para muitas coisas nesta vida. Descansar em Mim, que é algo muito importante, exige paciência. Sim, precisa de paciência para poder descansar plenamente em Mim, abrir mão de suas preocupações e temores e entregá-los em Minhas mãos e deixar Eu cuidar deles no Meu tempo e do Meu jeito. Eu nem sempre lhe ofereço soluções instantaneamente, então tenha paciência. Eu nem sempre o curo assim que pede, nem derramo a Minha bênção plena do Céu logo na primeira vez que Me pede. Portanto, tenha paciência. A sua paciência é sinal de fé, mostra que sabe que Eu estou no controle.

*

Às vezes as coisas ficam uma bagunça, não dão certo e você não pode fazer muito para mudar a situação. Nesse caso, é natural ficar bem desanimado. Depois que deu tanto duro e se dedicou tanto a um projeto ou pessoa, e as coisas não deram certo como esperava, é difícil se sentir motivado e continuar tentando, avançando e não ter vontade de desistir.

Nessas ocasiões, você só precisa ir mais devagar, relaxar e deixar-Me colocar tudo na perspectiva certa. Recoste-se na confortável poltrona que são os Meus braços, e deixe os seus pés de molho na aguinha morna das Minhas promessas. Pare, coloque a cabeça para trás, feche os olhos e faça um esforço consciente para liberar todas as ansiedades, pressões, estresse e tensão.

Eu cuidarei de tudo a seu respeito, conforme descansar em Mim, colocar o seu tempo, horário, prazos e planos falhos nas Minhas mãos. Quando ficar parado, sem fazer nada com sua própria força, Eu retirarei gentilmente a tensão e o estresse, e renovarei a sua energia, sussurrando palavras de orientação, insight e revelação, para você saber o próximo passo a dar.

*

Imagine-se em uma grande joalheira admirando as delicadas e extraordinárias peças ali expostas. Cada mostruário contém uma variedade deslumbrante de pedras e metais preciosos, com um lindo estilo, ótima lapidação e incrustados com perfeição. Ali se encontram anéis, pulseiras, colares, brincos e outras peças. Essa loja possui tudo o que você desejar.

As moedas que tem na mão lhe parecem velhas e sujas. Você fica de olhos arregalados quando um atendente abre um mostruário de vidro para retirar um lindo e caríssimo colar que você estava admirando. Embala-o, coloca na sua mão com um sorriso e lhe diz que basta lhe dar aquelas moedinhas sujas. E, além disso, ele lhe pede para voltar no dia seguinte, prometendo uma outra preciosidade em troca de uma daquelas moedas.

Bom demais para ser verdade?

Meu amor, essas “deslumbrantes pedras preciosas” que está contemplando são as lições e experiências de vida, de valor inestimável, que aquelas moedinhas sujas e quase repugnantes — as muitas batalhas, provas e dificuldades que está enfrentando no momento — podem adquirir. Eu sou o atendente e proprietário desse armazém de tesouros, e quero lhe dar uma vida rica. Eu quero lhe dar joias incontáveis do Meu Espírito! Quero que os seus cofres e baús estourem e mal consigam conter a riqueza espiritual e experiência de vida que reservei para você. A maneira de adquirir tudo isso é passando por esses momentos difíceis de batalhas, aflições e dificuldades. Essa é a moeda com a qual se adquire as preciosidades que embelezam a sua vida.

Publicado originalmente em setembro de 2008. Adaptado e republicado em dezembro de 2012. Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão Tiago Santana. Copyright@tfi2014


[1] 1 Coríntios 10:13.

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Developing Biblical Self-Control

A compilation
http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/developing-biblical-self-control/
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O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in Thee.
Let Thy mighty calmness reign in me;
Rule me, O King of gentleness,
King of peace.
Give me control, great power of self-control,
Control over my words, thoughts and actions.
From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, dear Lord, deliver me.
By Thine own deep patience, give me patience.
Make me in this and all things more and more like Thee.
—St. John of the Cross (1542–1591)

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We are never going to enjoy stability, we are never going to enjoy spiritual maturity until we learn how to do what’s right when it feels wrong, and every time you do what’s right by a decision of your will using discipline and self-control to go beyond how you feel, the more painful it is in your flesh, the more you’re growing spiritually at that particular moment.—Joyce Meyer

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Self-control is the ability to keep cool while someone is making it hot for you.—Author unknown

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The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7

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The secret to building self-control is to yield our lives to God and let His Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, our actions, and our life. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,” Paul advises, “but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”1

That doesn’t mean we won’t face temptation or continue to work to overcome bad habits and weak areas in our lives. We need to do our part, of course. We need to put up some resistance when temptation comes knocking, and we need to work on strengthening our weak areas. But the fact of the matter is, we all sometimes fall prey to temptation, give in to our personal weaknesses, and overindulge in some things that would be fine in moderation. The apostle Paul could have been speaking for us all when he wrote:

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?2

But then Paul hit upon the answer:

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.3—Rafael Holding

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The fruit, or effect, of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us is that we become more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and we have more self-control. In short, we become more godly or holy. With our increased self-control, we are better able to resist becoming angry with others, as well as impatient, unkind, unloving, and hateful. We are less likely to act in ways that hurt others, or ourselves, through negative and ungodly actions and attitudes. We are better able to rise above our inherent human sinful nature.—Peter Amsterdam

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Some people naturally have a great deal of willpower or self-control, but that’s not typical. If you have a hard time sticking to a resolution, developing a consistent routine, or building a new habit, I have good news for you: With Me in your life, you have a special advantage—the Jesus advantage.

My Spirit can work in your life in many ways, including by empowering you to manifest self-control. The key for partaking of this help is prayer. The first reason is that I work when you pray. In some way or another, and maybe in an unexpected way, I will do something toward answering your prayer.

Another is that asking for My help in a given area draws My insight and wisdom, and causes you to see your situation from a clearer perspective. Last but not least, when you pray, I can show you things you can do that will help toward your goal. I am very practical, and I know you and how your mind works, so who better can give you ideas and tips of things to do to make your resolution or routine “stick” and work for you?

Even though you have the “Jesus advantage,” you will have to do your part. I’m not going to put on and lace up your running shoes. I’m not going to throw out the cookies you bought shortly after making a resolution to cut down on sugar. However, I can help you find your individual key, your impetus, your motivator, to help you do the things you need to do, and not do the things you need to stop doing. You’re always going to face normal human struggles. But with the Jesus advantage, you can face them with beyond-human resolve.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

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People with self-control master their moods. They do not let their moods master them. Most of what gets done in the world is accomplished by people who do the right thing even when they don’t feel like it: “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.”4

People with self-control watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths: “Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself.”5

People with self-control restrain their reactions. How much can you take before you lose your cool? “If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.”6

People with self-control stick to their schedule. If you don’t determine how you will spend your time, then others will decide for you: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”7

People with self-control manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went! “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”8

People with self-control maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements: “Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body ....”9

In what areas do you need to develop for self-control? The disciplines you establish today will determine your success tomorrow.

But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control. It takes a power greater than yourself: “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.”10—Rick Warren11

Published on Anchor June 2014. Read by Jon Marc. Copyright@tfi2014


1 Romans 12:2 NLT.

2 Romans 7:18–19, 21–24 NLT.

3 Romans 7:25 NLT.

4 Proverbs 25:28 NLT.

5 Proverbs 13:3 TEV.

6 Proverbs 19:11 TEV.

7 Ephesians 5:15–16 NIV.

8 Proverbs 21:20 NIV.

9 1 Thessalonians 4:4 MSG.

10 2 Timothy 1:7 TEV.

11 "Developing Biblical Self-Control," January 26, 2010,http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=3502.

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Glory in Suffering!

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Enhance Your Efforts

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/enhance-your-efforts/

Words from Jesus

Download Audio (6.3MB)

When you come to Me, I can enhance your efforts and then you can reap the full results of your actions. It pays to ask Me and seek My counsel, even if you feel sure you’re going in the right direction, because in doing so you reap spiritual benefits that you don’t see and aren’t always aware of; but without those benefits, things would progress and improve more slowly.

*

Prayer is one of the most practical and effective ways of putting spiritual power to work in your life. Prayer, if tapped into and used more, will make your life and work go more smoothly and easily.

Try changing your first reaction to difficulties to, “Let’s pray and ask God’s power to work‚” versus, “What can I do about this?” This change will bring practical benefits.

Your prayers prayed in full faith can result in change. My Spirit can change people, situations, and issues that you could not resolve even if you tried; or in some cases, maybe you could find solutions by other means, but why struggle trying to do it yourself when My Spirit could work on your behalf?

There is a balance, and you cannot take the approach of “let’s not do anything, and only pray for God to work.” Sometimes—often, in fact—there is also something I want you to do. But your first move should be to call for My Spirit and power to help you with whatever difficulty lies before you.

It’s easy to feel that if a situation appears simple or small, then that’s the time to get into it and take care of it yourself. You’re not consciously saying you can do it all on your own without Me‚ but essentially, that is what you’re expressing, because you’ve developed the idea that you only need to call in the “big power” for the “big things.” When there’s something major that you know you can’t possibly take care of, then you pray. Whereas taking the approach of making prayer your first move, whether it’s an “easy” or “difficult” issue you’re facing, is going to help establish a healthy spiritual habit in your life.

Maybe you could do this or that thing without prayer—but why do it on your own when I could assist you? You’ll see, as you build the habit of making prayer your first move, that a lot of the things you think you have to do, you don’t have to do yourself; or at least not as urgently or with as much pressure or labor as you would think. That is one of the advantages of prayer.

*

The more there is to do, the more of My power you need. So I ask that you keep coming back to Me, keep trusting Me. If something doesn’t get done, and you’ve been doing your best, then trust that I can handle the shortfall.

I know there is too much for you to do. But if you let Me work with you and through you, then you will be able to do the things that I know are important for you to get to, and you’ll be able to trust Me for the rest. I know that is easier said than done, but it is easier to let Me work through you than it is for you to try to do it all yourself. So let Me help you.

*

Connect with Me by praising. Fill your heart and mind and mouth with the things you’re thankful for. Praise for the wonderful life I have given you. Praise for the wonderful people I have surrounded you with, to love and be loved by. Praising for even the simplest things puts you on My positive channel and in a position to receive more of My positive input.

Open your heart to Me by praising, and keep your heart turned to Me. I am light, and in Me is no darkness at all.1 Connect with Me, and I will fill your heart and mind and life with light, so there will be no room for darkness—those worries and negative thoughts that can so easily spoil your day by keeping you earthbound. Praise is your ticket to fly.

*

You don’t have to know what My will is in every situation or for every person, but if you pray and ask Me to bless, to help, I honor your prayer.

I know the full chain of events. Often when you pray, you start the motion, the movement toward My will being done. Even if you don’t know the end result of My will, your prayer helps it to be accomplished. I answer prayer. I honor the prayers you pray.

*

Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.—Jeremiah 33:32

*

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.—Matthew 7:83

*

It’s a law of My Spirit that your prayers have an effect; they move My hand, and as a result I can work more readily in the lives of those you pray for.

Prayer shows your faith in Me—faith that I will bring the solutions, show you the way, work in people’s lives, or even do the impossible when necessary. It also shows that you realize you need Me and are depending on Me, and this pleases Me greatly.

When you pray, you are operating in the realm of faith, where miracles are born. Just little old you praying and asking Me to do something is very powerful. You don’t have to feel that power. It’s not the feeling that matters; it’s prayer that is powerful.

Prayers always have an effect. When you pray, things happen in the spirit world, and because of that, things happen on earth. I may not always give you the answer that you ask for or expect, but I will answer according to what I know is best.

Published on Anchor June 2014. Read by Simon Peterson. Copyright@tfi2014


1 1 John 1:5.

2 KJV.

3 KJV.

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The Love Jar or Filling Station!

The One and Only Priority That Matters in the End

By Luciano Del Monte, ETR, June 6, 2014

We just celebrated a milestone birthday for my wife of nearly 38 years. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Really. Somehow when I say that in this day and age, with people my age who are jumping off ‘the marriage ship’, it’s kind of shocking, but we still sign off our anniversary and birthday notes with “one life is too short.”

Sappy, I know, but what are you going to do if it’s so true?

This article isn’t about marriage but about love, and about what really matters in life. I’m sure there may be some push back but that’s okay. Last time I checked no one who was on their deathbed was checking their latest stock numbers, but rather, waiting for loved ones to be with them as their lives were winding down.

With Mother’s day behind us and Father’s day just ahead of us, I would like to encourage us to take some time to reflect on the one and only priority that matters in the end.

Back to my wife’s birthday, which by the way was celebrated on top of one of the world’s tallest standing structures, the Toronto CN Tower. With her family we circled in the restaurant around the city and poured our many expressions of love on a person we all know so well and love so much.

The highlight of the event was when our adult kids presented her with a ‘Love Jar’.

You ask, so what is a Love Jar? Actually I Googled it and I couldn’t find any one specific definition. A lot of images of Love Jars, but none like ‘our’ Love Jar. Our Love Jar was about our mom, my wife, our friend and daughter, and sister and colleague.

When our kids, now adults with their own children, were growing up we used a variety of analogies to explain to them what our home was. Among other things, we taught our boys that our home was to be a filling station. Yes, a filling station. Remember those? I’m sure some of our ETR readers are old enough, like me, to remember pulling up to a gas station or filling station as they were called, and waiting by the window until someone showed up with a happy face and said, “Fill ‘er up?” Those were the good old days.

Although there might be the occasional full service station, they are few and far between. Mostly we are into ‘self serve’ these days.

Although the Love Jar and filling station seem like opposites, they are actually very alike. There’s something empty that needs to be filled.

All of us have emotional tanks that need refueling. I have heard this analogy explained referring to how we should be treating our children, but never for adults. Coaching men and women for over 30 years now I have discovered that we too have emotional tanks that need filling.

And what is the fuel we all need—love. Love expressed in its many expressions. In the words of bestselling author Gary Chapman we all have a variety of love languages we respond to. He identifies five—quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch and receiving gifts. Those are the Five Love Languages.

In those old filling stations, you would have welcoming, servant hearted attendants, happy to fill your tank to the full, no questions asked with a smile on their face.

What happened in those full service filling stations is what needs to be happening in our relationships today. And not just at home, but at work and in our communities.

Unfortunately I see this very little. It’s seen on occasion and people make a big deal about it when it’s evident, but what could we do to raise the value of love in our various contexts. What could we do to adopt this old model of refueling at a filling station, into our relationship world? What if we all arrived at the office, or the house or the team or company with the attitude, “I wonder whose emotional tank I can fill today?” We would start a revolution of love.

We don’t have to wait for special occasions to send out Love Jars or fill tanks. You can easily fill someone’s Love Jar today or tomorrow.

In my wife’s case, her jar was full. Here’s just a sampling from hundreds of comments from neighbors, family, friends, work colleagues and clients. Note the specificity of the comments. When you go to fill the Love Jars of the people in your lives, make sure you get specific and highlight character traits, attitudes and actions that speak to you of the value of this person you are loving on.

I love Rosetta’s loyalty and how I can trust her heart in engaging with her and sharing my deepest fears and challenges.

What I love about Rosetta is that she takes her job as the oldest sister seriously being the first to call when she hears of news, especially bad news, because she doesn’t shy away from talking about difficult things, even when others do.

I love Rosetta’s smile and loving welcome whenever she sees me.

Through your actions and words, you have taught me the true meaning of love, faith and forgiveness. I am eternally grateful to be able to call you ‘mom’.

One of the things I love about Rosetta is her kind heart and kind face—makes her a very pleasant person to be around.

Rosetta exudes God’s grace and stillness in an anxious world.

Although many of these comments focus on filling the love jar with words of affirmation, there are other creative ways you can show your love.

You can refill the empty tanks of the people in your world by offering a look, a word and touch of love on a regular basis.

We underestimate what can be communicated with a look. We know looks can kill, but looks of love can replenish depleted fuel tanks in just moments. Making gentle eye-to-eye contact with people can have a healing impact.

After reading this essay, why not practice a loving look with someone in your life? Be prepared for them to be positively shocked!

A look of love can fill and refill empty tanks.

So can a touch of love.

A fifteen second embrace or longer can refill an empty tank. Even if you aren’t a touchy feely person you might want to try this one for a change. Let yourself go. Let yourself be touched and don’t be afraid to appropriately touch people in your life. There are many ways to fill a tank with a loving touch. Loving embraces, firm handshakes, touching on the shoulder, bear hugs between men, and so many other creative ways to fill a tank with a touch of love.

For those of you who have aging parents, you’ll never know what it means to a mom and dad to be hugged or touched by their adult child.

Recent studies have shown that fathers show physical affection 1/6th as often as mothers do. The results are evident in our society how our boys are suffering from a lack of appropriate affection from their dads.

All of us are older children or younger children, we are children of someone, you can easily fill your parents’ tanks or Love Jars with four little words—I love you Dad. I love you Mom.

Can you imagine how the whole atmosphere of a home or an office or a company or a team or significant other relationship would change if each person made an effort to say kind words instead of hurtful or sarcastic words?

So why not go fill someone’s Love Jar and fill a tank or two this week.

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Pope's Prayer Meeting for Peace!

Prayer Meeting Shows Pope’s Larger Vision

By Jim Yardley, NY Times, June 6, 2014

VATICAN CITY—From the earliest days of his papacy, when he walked slowly into a grand reception hall in the Apostolic Palace for his first meeting with a curious diplomatic corps, Pope Francis has promoted a fairly conventional foreign policy agenda: fight poverty, pursue peace, bridge ecumenical or interreligious divisions and protect the environment.

What has been unconventional is how Francis has elevated that agenda through adroitly timed gestures and initiatives—none more unexpected than the prayer summit meeting that he is holding on Sunday with the presidents of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. He has placed himself in perhaps the world’s most complex diplomatic dispute—at a moment when American-led negotiations have collapsed—by arguing that dialogue and prayer can help.

If few analysts expect any major breakthroughs, Francis’s summit meeting shows how he is trying to pursue his goals by positioning the Vatican as an independent, global diplomatic player. Analysts also note that Francis’s status as the first Latin American pope has given him credibility in the non-Western world and is helping the Vatican have influence on a broader array of issues and disputes.

Centuries ago, popes dominated global affairs, starting wars or ending them, exercising enormous influence in Europe and adjudicating between European powers as they expanded their colonial empires into Africa and the Americas. Papal influence was much more limited during the last century, with popes trying and failing to end both world wars. The most notable exception was Pope John Paul II, who is credited for his role in the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Francis is hardly the first pope to speak out against poverty and inequality. Yet his work in the slums of Buenos Aires has lent him extra credibility, as has his status as a product of the developing world.

His first papal trip was to the Italian island of Lampedusa to draw attention to human trafficking and the global indifference to the thousands of refugees trying to reach Europe, with many dying in the Mediterranean. Global headlines also followed when he wrote a mildly scolding letter in January to the political and economic elites of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which he decried global hunger as “intolerable.”

Francis has spoken often about his concerns over the fate of Christians in the Middle East, and he has used this issue, as well as his broader nonviolence agenda, to insert the Vatican into diplomacy in the region. Last September, he staged a huge prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Square as the United States and other Western powers were contemplating strikes against Syria.

The pope extended his invitation for Sunday’s prayer meeting during a visit last month to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank—and apparently it surprised almost everyone. One of the most resonant moments of his trip came when he made an unscheduled stop to pray beside a security barrier that Israel had erected in Jerusalem.

To some, it is surprising that a Latin American pontiff who has traveled relatively little outside his home region would so assertively involve himself in the Middle East. But others note that the Vatican has played an active role in Latin American politics for decades, including mediating a dispute in the late 1970s between Argentina and Chile over rights to the Beagle Channel.

“In Latin America, the idea of papal intervention is a natural thing to think about,” said Philip Jenkins, a history professor with the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University.

Vatican officials have emphasized that the pope is not planning to try to mediate specific disputes between the two sides on Sunday. Delegations led by Presidents Shimon Peres of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority will join Francis on Sunday evening in the Vatican gardens for a program of Jewish, Muslim and Christian prayers, as well as music. “No one presumes that peace will break out Monday,” the Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is involved in planning for the prayer meeting and is the custodian of Catholic properties in the Holy Land, said at a news conference at the Vatican on Friday. “The intent is to recreate the desire, the possibility, the dream—to reopen a door that had been closed for some time.”

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Bloodless Surgery

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, PBS, June 6, 2014

BETTY ROLLIN: The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cumming, Georgia: Justine and Gary LaClair are among the congregants. And they are among the 1.2 million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States. The organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses was begun in the late 19th century by a small group of Bible students in Pennsylvania.

ROLLIN: One of the “truths” Witnesses believe in has to do with blood.

JUSTINE LACLAIR: In Genesis and again Leviticus, there’s very specific scriptures that state that the blood is sacred and that life is in the blood and that belongs to God. So we want to respect that and be obedient to that. So that means Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions.

ROLLIN: They believe to do so would be a sin, a sin serious enough that many Church members would rather die than receive blood transfusions. This issue has been very much on the LaClairs’ minds because in May, the 43 year old Justine was about to have surgery. She had a tumor in her skull which had to be removed. For this type of surgery most hospitals might have required a blood transfusion, which was unacceptable to Justine—and to her husband Gary as well.

GARY LaCLAIR: It’s her decision obviously, but it makes it a lot easier if she had support and that’s really my responsibility and I’m taking it seriously.

ROLLIN: The LaClairs found a solution to their problem in Englewood, New Jersey. Nearly 20 years ago the Englewood Hospital began a bloodless surgery program. The policy grew out of the need of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and now it has become the hospital’s preferred method of surgery for all patients.

ROLLIN: Dr. Abe Steinberger, who performed Justine’s surgery, has become a firm believer in Englewood’s avoidance of blood transfusions. For him it’s just good medicine.

DR. STEINBERGER: The science seemed very real. The literature seemed to support it and once we started doing the operations, the results were great. The risks of giving blood in many cases outweigh the benefits of giving blood. There are risks of infections, there are risks of lowering the immune response of the patient, there are risks of giving the wrong kind of blood, errors can occur and if there’s any way to avoid getting a blood transfusion, one is better off in general if they can avoid it.

ROLLIN: In any sense, do you feel the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done medicine a service?

DR. STEINBERGER: Definitely. They definitely have done medicine a service.

ROLLIN: The key to successful bloodless surgery is preparation. Sherri Ozawa directs the Hospital’s Bloodless Surgery program.

SHERRI OZAWA, RN (Clinical Director, The Institute for Patient Blood Management and Bloodless Medicine and Surgery): Many, many patients, estimates are as many 40 or 50% of patients come to surgery anemic. They don’t have enough blood cells. Very simply, dealing with that ahead of time, helping to build those patients’ blood up eliminates even the question of transfusion for many patients. We could perform even serious surgeries and even life threatening situations bloodlessly with much greater success than other people would have expected, even than we expected initially.

ROLLIN: And, there is the cost of blood.

SHERRI OZAWA: It’s immensely expensive and if it’s done for no good reason that is billions of dollars of waste in the healthcare system. It costs about $1100 to give one unit of blood. Not to buy it, to transfuse one unit of blood.

ROLLIN: When Englewood’s program began in 1994 there were fewer than 10 hospitals offering programs for surgery without blood transfusions. Today there are about 150 and many more are in development.

There is more to successful bloodless surgery than preparation. At Englewood they practice precision surgery with minimal blood loss, and if a patient loses blood and has agreed beforehand, the surgeon uses a technology that recycles the patient’s own blood. Still there is a resistance among surgeons to bloodless surgery. Both Dr. Steinberger and Sherri Ozawa simply blame tradition and habit.

SHERRI OZAWA: The resistance is primarily behaviorally based. Physicians get about between 3 to 6 hours of training in transfusion science in medical school. They don’t know a whole lot about it. So most of bloodless medicine or transfusion-free surgery really is education for clinicians in how to handle these situations without blood.

ROLLIN: Lately doctors from other countries have taken an interest in bloodless surgery, particularly in Africa.

Justine’s surgery was successfully performed on May 9th. She went home to Georgia two days later.

DR. STEINBERGER: Everything went very well, no problems. She’s waking up from anesthesia. There was hardly any blood loss. Depending on how she feels tomorrow she can leave when she feels ready to go.

GARY LaCLAIR: You did a wonderful thing.

DR. STEINBERGER: Well, let’s see how she does…

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Fasting renews immune system!

Fasting for three days renews entire immune system, new study finds

Sarah Knapton, The Daily Telegraph, June 5, 2014

Fasting for three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as “remarkable.”

Although fasting diets have been criticized by nutritionists, research suggests that starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing more white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for those suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy. It could also help the elderly whose immune systems become less effective.

The researchers say fasting “flips a regenerative switch” that prompts stem cells to create white blood cells, essentially restoring the immune system.

“It gives the OK for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system,” said Valter Longo, professor of gerontology and biological sciences at the university.

“And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting. Now, if you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.”

Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose and fat but also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells. During each cycle of fasting, this depletion induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of immune system cells.

In trials, volunteers were asked to fast regularly for between two and four days over a six-month period. Scientists found that prolonged fasting also reduced the enzyme PKA, which is linked to aging and a hormone which increases cancer risk and tumour growth.

“We could not predict that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic [formation of stem cells] system,” added Longo. “When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged.

“What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back.”

Fasting for 72 hours also protected cancer patients against the toxic impact of chemotherapy.

“The results of this study suggest that fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy,” said co-author Tanya Dorff, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital.

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