Conte Comigo

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Palavras de Jesus

“Pois foi por meio da fé que os antigos receberam bom testemunho. Todos estes ainda viveram pela fé, e morreram sem receber o que tinha sido prometido; viram-nas [as promessas] de longe e de longe as saudaram.” — Hebreus 11:2, 13[1]

Se parar para pensar nos grandes homens e mulheres de antigamente, tanto os personagens da Bíblia como outros desde então, verá que cada um deles dedicou a vida a Mim e realizou grandes obras em Meu nome. Alguns, como os explica Hebreus 11, nunca receberam a promessa durante a sua vida na terra. No entanto, permaneceram inabaláveis e isso lhes garantiu grandes, plenas e eternas recompensas.

Existem situações as quais você questiona se vou interceder em seu favor? Você se preocupa com algo que Eu disse, achando que não vai acontecer como espera ou gostaria? Pense na grande nuvem de testemunhas. Medite no conselho que lhe oferecem, reabasteça seu espírito com o exemplo daquelas figuras bíblicas e encontrará paz de espírito ao interiorizar essa força e coragem. Vou interceder em seu favor exatamente como fiz por todas essas pessoas.


Fã solidário

"Portanto, também nós, uma vez que estamos rodeados por tão grande nuvem de testemunhas, livremo-nos de tudo o que nos atrapalha e do pecado que nos envolve, e corramos com perseverança a corrida que nos é proposta, tendo os olhos fitos em Jesus, autor e consumador da nossa fé.” — Hebreus 12:1–2[2]

O jogo está acirrado, o placar apertado, já é quase o final do segundo tempo … Torço por você. Se percebo que sua defesa está fraca, grito para avisá-lo. Quando vejo sua ofensiva deixando a desejar, pego o megafone e Me certifico de alertá-lo. Quando o Inimigo faz gol e vejo sua cara de decepção, torço por você com toda força para animá-lo. E dou um grande susto no Diabo e na turma dele.

Pode contar Comigo para aumentar sua autoestima. O melhor de tudo é que, depois que faz um gol ou vence o jogo, a voz de apreço que se sobressai é a Minha! Torço, danço e incito as hostes celestes a bradarem em seu favor. Você nunca viu um fã clube como o Meu.


Luz do sol eterna

“Pois Deus que disse: ‘Das trevas resplandeça a luz’. Ele mesmo brilhou em nossos corações, para iluminação do conhecimento da glória de Deus na face de Cristo.” — 2 Coríntios 4:6[3]

Continue olhando para Mim, aconteça o que acontecer. O céu pode estar tomado por nuvens escuras, o vento soprando forte, as águas podem ser profundas e turvas e as ondas à sua volta. Talvez não pareça haver escapatória, mas sou o seu escape. Sou o sol que afugenta as nuvens escuras. Minha voz acalma as águas tumultuosas. Meus raios de luz tornam as águas claras para que você possa ver o fabuloso coral e todo o esplendor abaixo da superfície da água do mar da vida.

Por isso, quando tudo ao seu redor estiver sombrio e escuro, olhe para Mim, a sua luz eterna. Resplandecerei intensamente em sua vida, acalmarei os mares e o ajudarei a encontrar paz e segurança.


Paciência

“Meus irmãos, considerem motivo de grande alegria o fato de passarem por diversas provações, pois vocês sabem que a prova da sua fé produz perseverança. E a perseverança deve ter ação completa, a fim de que vocês sejam maduros e íntegros, sem lhes faltar coisa alguma. Feliz é o homem que persevera na provação, porque depois de aprovado receberá a coroa da vida que Deus prometeu aos que o amam.” — Tiago 1:2–4, 12[4]

A paciência é uma virtudede valor inestimável que aumenta com as experiências que a colocam à prova. Então, valorize essas ocasiões, com paciência, e não espere que Eu o resgate antes da hora. Aproveite ao máximo cada teste. Entenda que tenho um propósito e um plano com resultados que serão para o seu bem.

Vai seguir o caminho da impaciência, autocomiseração, angústia de coração e mente, e das reclamações?Ou vai seguir a estrada da paciência, aceitação, verdade e determinação, para tirar maior proveito desse tempo de esperar em Mim? A segunda opção é decididamente a recomendada, pois você chegará ao seu destino realizado, feliz, satisfeito com a jornada, e com os músculos de paciência bem definidos. Mas se seguir a primeira opção chegará ao seu destino desanimado, fraco, desgastado, e temeroso quanto ao futuro que lhe preparei.

Escolha o da paciência e verdade, e jamais se arrependerá. Poderei levá-lo ao seu destino rapidamente e ficará empolgado com os dons que adquirirá através disso.


Planos majestosos

“Não andem ansiosos por coisa alguma, mas em tudo, pela oração e súplicas, e com ação de graças, apresentem seus pedidos a Deus. E a paz de Deus, que excede todo o entendimento, guardará os seus corações e as suas mentes em Cristo Jesus.” — Filipenses 4:6–7[5]

No Meu plano, posso fazer tudo contribuir para o seu bem, inclusive as situações que você gostaria que fossem diferentes. Você deseja muito ver o plano total, mesmo que não o entenderia caso Eu o revelasse!

Por favor, não fique remoendo o que poderia ter feito diferente. Isso é fora da realidade, pois o passado não pode ser alterado. Quero ajudá-lo a ter um novo começo, a partir do ponto em que se encontra.

Agora é a hora de recomeçar. Você se encontra em uma singular junção de tempo e espaço, o tempo e o espaço onde desejo que viva. Você talvez não possa intervir em algumas — ou muitas — coisas, mas pode viver este momento com alegria. Afinal, neste exato momento você está em comunicação Comigo, seu Salvador e Senhor. Você é capaz de lidar com o próximo momento e com o momento seguinte.

O mais difícil para você é aceitar a sua perspectiva de futuro, baseando suas previsões nas circunstâncias atuais. Mas o futuro é um daqueles mistérios que se está além do seu domínio. Deixe por Minha conta, isso é da Minha jurisdição. Recuse-se a se preocupar com o futuro e verá que seus recursos para hoje são mais do que suficientes. Lembre-se que estou incluído nesses recursos e que nada é impossível para Mim![6]

Publicado originalmente em março 2009, exceto indicação contrária. Adaptado e republicado em novembro 2014. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] NVI.

[2] NVI.

[3] NVI.

[4] NVI.

[5] NVI.

[6] Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Thomas Nelson, 2012).

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Jesus—His Life and Message: Jesus’ Birth (Part 1)

By P Amsterdam

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

While the story of Jesus’ life begins with the narrative of His birth as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, in a way it began long before, as the Old Testament foretold His coming numerous times, revealing specific information about the Messiah, the Savior promised by God.

There are many ancient prophecies about His life and death, including predictions that He would be born in Bethlehem,1 come from the line of Abraham,2 be a descendent of Isaac3 and Jacob,4 come from the tribe of Judah,5 be heir to David’s throne,6 whose throne would be eternal,7 and would spend some time in Egypt.8

Within the Gospels we find the fulfillment of Old Testament predictions regarding Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and the salvation these brought to the world. Matthew devotes a substantial portion of his Gospel to connecting the Old Testament prophecies to their fulfillment in Jesus, the promised Messiah.9

Matthew begins with an abbreviated genealogy in order to show that Jesus fulfilled the genealogical requirements for the promised Messiah. His genealogy begins with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, and includes the patriarchs Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, thus stressing the Jewishness of Jesus. His reference to David presents him as King David, making the point that Jesus, through the Davidic line, had royal blood and could rightfully and legitimately be called “King of the Jews.”10 His Gospel carries on through the generations of descendants and ends with Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Author and historian N. T. Wright comments:

Most Jews, telling the story of Israel’s ancestry, would begin with Abraham; but only a select few, by the first century AD, would trace their own line through King David. Even fewer would be able to continue by going on through Solomon and the other kings of Judah all the way to the exile. For most of the time after the Babylonian exile, Israel had not had a functioning monarchy. The kings and queens they had had in the last 200 years before the birth of Jesus were not from David’s family. Herod the Great… had no royal blood, and was not even fully Jewish. … This birth, Matthew is saying, is what Israel has been waiting for for two thousand years.11

Matthew’s genealogy includes four women, which is uncharacteristic of biblical genealogies. Three of the women—Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth—were of non-Jewish ancestry, and Bathsheba had previously been married to a Hittite, a Gentile. Three of the four were of dubious reputation because of their out-of-the-ordinary circumstances and relationships.12 By including these women, and particularly Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, who were not of Jewish origin, Matthew was likely making the point that Jesus is a savior for all people, not for the Jews alone. Jesus and salvation are for sinners and saints alike.13 He may have also included them due to the unusual circumstances of Mary’s conception, to demonstrate that it was not the first time in history that the line of David had been continued in an unorthodox manner.

Luke also includes a genealogy in his Gospel, though instead of tracing Jesus’ line only as far back as Abraham, as Matthew does, he traces it back to the first man—Adam—and from there to God Himself. He ends his list with the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.14 His genealogy doesn’t precede the story of Jesus’ birth as Matthew’s does, but rather is placed immediately after the account of Jesus’ baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”15 As Luke was writing to a non-Jewish audience, his intent was likely to show that Jesus was not only from the line of Abraham but that His lineage went back to the father of all humanity—Adam—and even further, to God Himself. Jesus, as seen in Luke’s genealogy, is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.16

When writing their accounts of Jesus’ birth, Matthew and Luke presented different aspects and included different events, while at the same time they covered much of the same ground and made the same significant points. Matthew told the story with a focus on Joseph and his role, while Luke’s account focused on Mary’s role, telling the story from her perspective.

From Matthew’s account we learn that Joseph was a “good” or “righteous” man, meaning that he was an observant Jew who kept the laws of God. He was betrothed to a young woman named Mary who “before they came together … was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”17

In first-century Palestine, betrothal was a period of engagement preceding marriage. Raymond Brown explains it as follows:

[Betrothal] consists of two steps: a formal exchange of consent before witnesses and the subsequent taking of the bride to the groom’s family home. While the term marriage is sometimes used to designate the second step, in terms of legal implications it would be more properly applied to the first step. The consent, usually entered into when the girl was between twelve and thirteen years old, would constitute a legally ratified marriage in our terms, since it gave the young man rights over the girl. She was henceforth his wife, and any infringement on his marital rights could be punished as adultery. Yet the wife continued to live at her own family home, usually for about a year. Then took place the formal transferal or taking of the bride to the husband’s family home, where he assumed her support.18

While betrothed to Joseph, Mary was considered his wife, though they had only fulfilled the first step of the marriage process and they hadn’t yet started living together, neither did they have sexual relations. Yet before they took the second step, Mary became pregnant.

Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Mary’s pregnancy is from the Holy Spirit, but doesn’t give any details of the event. Luke, on the other hand, gives a more detailed account by recounting how the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.19Gabriel tells Mary that she has found favor with God and that you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.20

Mary asks how this will happen, as she’s a virgin, and the angel answers:

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.21

Mary, probably still in her early teens, asks the obvious question of how she will bear a child when she is only betrothed and hasn’t yet had sexual relations with her husband to be. The angel’s response is that the pregnancy would be caused by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Brown writes:

There is no suggestion in either Luke or Matthew that the Holy Spirit is the male element in a union with Mary, supplying the husband’s role in begetting. Not only is the Holy Spirit not male (feminine in Hebrew; neuter in Greek), but also the manner of begetting is implicitly creative rather than sexual.22 Neither in Matthew or Luke does the divine begetting of Jesus become a sexual begetting. The Holy Spirit is the agency of God’s creative power, not a male partner in a marriage between a deity and a woman.23

This conception is like no other throughout time. Mary becomes pregnant through a creative act of God. We are not told exactly how this creative act occurred any more than we are told the details of how God created the world, other than that He spoke it and made it so.

Mary gives her consent when she says, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.24Fulton Sheen beautifully describes the situation like this:

What is called the Annunciation was actually God asking the free consent of a creature to help Him to be incorporated into humanity. … What He did, therefore, was to ask a woman, representing humanity, freely to give Him a human nature with which He would start a new humanity. As there was an old humanity in Adam, so there would be a new humanity in Christ, Who was God made man through the free agency of a human mother.25

The angel gives Mary a sign that these things are so; he tells her that Elizabeth, her elderly relative, has also conceived a son. Luke recounts that Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah to visit Elizabeth, who, though past child-bearing age, had also miraculously conceived a son.26 (More on Elizabeth’s story in parts 2 and 3.)

After staying with Elizabeth for approximately three months, Mary returns home to Nazareth three months pregnant. Upon her return, she is faced with the obvious problem that she is pregnant and Joseph knows that he isn’t the father. Matthew makes it clear that Mary and Joseph hadn’t been together prior to Mary’s pregnancy when he writes: before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.27

Realizing Mary was pregnant, and knowing that the child wasn’t his, we can only imagine the hurt, pain, sadness, betrayal, and anger that Joseph must have felt. Matthew tells us that he considered these things.28

Kenneth Bailey wrote:

The Greek word here translated “he considered” has two meanings. To be sure, one of them is “he considered/pondered.” But a second meaning is “he became angry.” Isn’t anger the natural emotion for him to have felt? … On hearing that his fiancé was pregnant, is he expected to sit quietly and “consider” this matter? Or would he naturally feel deeply disappointed and indeed angry? … A literal meaning of the Greek word has to do with anger within the person involved … Perhaps “while he fumed over this matter” is a more accurate translation of the original Greek and better captures the authenticity of the human scene.29

Mary, Joseph’s bride to be, had in his mind committed adultery. Under the Mosaic law, she could be stoned to death for this.30 But Joseph, unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.31 Some translations render it as “to put her away” or “send her away secretly.” It wasn’t possible to have a totally secret divorce, as the writ or certificate of divorce had to be delivered by the husband to the wife before two witnesses. Nor could Mary’s shame be hidden indefinitely, as her pregnancy would soon become common knowledge, and no matter what reason Joseph would have given for the divorce, everyone would have concluded that adultery was the real reason. By saying Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly, Matthew may have meant that Joseph wasn’t going to publicly accuse Mary of adultery—which would have subjected her to a trial—but was going to offer a less serious reason as grounds for divorce. To “divorce quietly” may mean to divorce leniently.32 For Joseph, a righteous man who kept the laws of God, divorcing Mary was the right thing to do. He meant to be merciful about it, as he didn’t plan to give adultery as the reason, but he did intend to divorce her in alignment with the law.

We’re then told that an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.33

The message given to Joseph in the dream puts an end to thoughts of divorce and his concern about transgressing the Mosaic law by marrying Mary. The angel proclaims that the child is from the Holy Spirit, and therefore he doesn’t need to fear that he would be breaking God’s law by marrying her, as no adultery has been committed. Joseph understands and follows this direction.

Joseph then fulfills the second step of marriage by taking Mary into his home as his wife, thus assuming responsibility for Mary and the child to be born. After the birth, Joseph names the child Jesus, as he was commanded by the angel. By naming the child, Joseph acknowledges the child as his own. Jewish law based paternity on the man’s acknowledgment of the child. By exercising the father’s right to name the child, Joseph acknowledges his wife’s child as his legitimate son and thus becomes the legal father of Jesus.34

Though Joseph took Mary into his house as his wife, they weren’t sexually intimate until after the birth of Jesus. Matthew wrote that he knew her not until she had given birth to a son.35 The Greek word translated as “knew” is an idiom for sexual intercourse. The general Protestant understanding is that while there were no relations between them until Jesus was born, afterward they were married in every sense of the word.36 All four of the Gospel writers make mention of Jesus’ brothers,37 and Mark calls the brothers by name and mentions His sisters as well.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.38

Some claim that these were Joseph’s children from an earlier marriage and that he was a widower. More likely is that Mary and Joseph had a normal marriage after Jesus’ birth and raised at least seven children together, with Jesus being the oldest. It was most likely known in Nazareth that Mary had been pregnant with Jesus before she was living with Joseph, as the child would have been born much less than nine months after Mary had moved in with Joseph. We aren’t told specifically what the attitude of the people of Nazareth was toward Mary and Jesus, but perhaps we catch a glimpse of it later in Jesus’ life when some of the Jews seem to be mocking Him by saying, We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.39

Matthew and Luke’s Gospels speak of Mary conceiving without human agency, through an act of the Holy Spirit. Mary and Joseph both had to make choices of faith. For Mary, it was a choice to believe what the angel told her, and to accept the commission to be the mother of the Messiah, God’s only begotten Son. For Joseph, it was a choice to believe what the angel told him in the dream, that the child was from the Holy Spirit, that this was God’s doing. Both Mary and Joseph showed their love for and trust in God through their decisions. They were people of faith, and clearly the chosen ones to raise Jesus.

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

General Bibliography:

Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Biven, David. New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. Holland: En-Gedi Resource Center, 2007.
Bock, Darrell L. Jesus According to Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.
Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
Charlesworth, James H., ed. Jesus’ Jewishness, Exploring the Place of Jesus Within Early Judaism. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997
Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Updated edition. Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.
Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament.Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.
Evans, Craig A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 8:27–16:20. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.
Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1998.
Flusser, David, and R. Steven Notely. The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’Genius. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 2007.
Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1997.
Green, Joel B., and Scot McKnight, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992.
Guelich, Robert A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 1–8:26. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1989.
Jeremias, Joachim. The Eucharistic Words of Jesus. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990.
Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1996.
Jeremias, Joachim. Jesus and the Message of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.
Jeremias, Joachim. New Testament Theology. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971.
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1976.
Manson, T. W. The Sayings of Jesus. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1957.
Manson, T. W. The Teaching of Jesus. Cambridge: University Press, 1967.
Michaels, J. Ramsey. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 2010.
Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1992.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Words & Works of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.
Sanders, E. P. Jesus and Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985.
Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. New York: Doubleday, 1958.
Spangler, Ann, and Lois Tverberg. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Stein, Robert H. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, Revised Edition.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994.
Stott, John R. W. The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978.
Wood, D. R. W., I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, eds.New Bible Dictionary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.
Wright, N. T. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995.

 Footnotes:

1 Micah 5:2.
2 Genesis 12:3, 22:18.
3 Genesis 17:19, 21:12.
4 Numbers 24:17.
5 Genesis 49:10.
6 2 Samuel 7:12–13; Isaiah 9:7.
7 Psalm 45:6–7; Daniel 2:44.
8 Hosea 11:1.
9 Matthew 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:9.
10 Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 24.
11 Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part 1, 2–3.
12 For a more detailed account of the four women, see: The Five Women of Christmas.
13 Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 23.
14 Luke 3:38.
15 Luke 3:22.
16 There are discrepancies between Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies. A great deal of ink has been used throughout history to explain the differences. Some claim that Matthew tells us of Joseph’s ancestry while Luke tells of Mary’s, others that there was a Levirate marriage in one which accounts for the discrepancy. There have been many other different detailed explanations written on the topic. It becomes a major point for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, that every word of Scripture is true in every detail. It is less of a problem for those who consider the Bible as infallible, meaning that what the Bible teaches is absolutely true, without demanding that every word used is inerrant. Both Matthew and Luke clearly teach us that Jesus was a descendant of King David, which is in alignment with the Old Testament prophecies.
17 Matthew 1:18.
18 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 123–24.
19 Luke 1:26–27.
20 Luke 1:31–33.
21 Luke 1:35.
22 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 124.
23 Ibid., 137.
24 Luke 1:38.
25 Sheen, Life of Christ, 9–10.
26 Luke 1:39.
27 Matthew 1:18.
28 Matthew 1:20.
29 Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, 46.
30 If the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst (Deuteronomy 22:20–21).
31 Matthew 1:19.
32 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 128.
33 Matthew 1:20–21, 24–25
34 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 139.
35 Matthew 1:24–25.
36 This will be covered more in depth in part 5.
37 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days (John 2:12).
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd (Luke 8:19).
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him (Matthew 12:46).
38 Mark 6:3.
39 John 8:41.

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The Incredible Benefits of Humankind’s Most Basic Form of Exercise--Walking

By Jay Walljasper, AlterNet, December 3, 2014

Walking is going places.

Humans’ most common pastime—forsaken for decades as too slow and too much effort—is now recognized as a health breakthrough, an economic catalyst and a route to happiness.

Real Simple magazine (circulation: 2 million) declared “walking America’s untrendiest trend” in its February 2014 cover story. A month later Builder magazine (a construction trade journal) announced on its cover, “Walkability. Why we care…and why you should too.” The reason? Simple: “Increasingly, the market is demanding places where homeowners can hoof it.”

The New Yorker weighed in last September quoting the new book A Philosophy of Walking, which asserts that walking “makes it possible to recover the pure sensation of being, to rediscover the simple joy of existing.”

This sheer pleasure of walking is highlighted in one of the year’s top music videos, “Happy” by soul singer Pharrell Williams. It’s an exuberant celebration of life on foot showing all kinds of people (including Magic Johnson, Steve Carrell and Jimmy Kimmel) strutting, stepping, striding and sashaying down city streets. It’s been viewed 465 million times on You Tube.

There is sure to be continuing coverage of foot power next year when the Surgeon General’s office releases a Call to Action on the health and social benefits of walking and walkable communities—a step some are comparing to the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on the dangers of smoking.

Already the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all adults engage in 30 minutes of physical activity such as walking five days a week based on the proven connection between moderate physical activity and lower incidences of major medical problems—not just heart disease, diabetes and obesity, as you’d expect, but also depression, dementia, anxiety, colon cancer, osteoporosis and other serious conditions.

This flurry of attention about walking is more than a flash-in-the-pan. Evidence that millions of Americans are now rediscovering walking for transportation, fitness and fun is as solid as the sidewalk beneath our feet.

“Walking is the most common form of physical activity across incomes and ages and education levels,” explained Thomas Schmid of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the Pro-Walk, Pro-Bike Pro-Place conference in Pittsburgh this fall. The CDC’s most recent research shows the number of Americans who take a walk at least once a week rose from 56 percent in 2005 to 62 percent in 2010—which represents almost 20 million more people on their feet.

Speaking on the same panel, Paul Herberling of the US Department of Transportation noted that 10.4 percent of all trips Americans make are on foot—and 28 percent of trips under a mile. For young people, it’s 17 percent of percent of all trips. Americans walk most frequently for exercise, errands and recreation, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Last year the first-ever Walking Summit was held in Washington DC, drawing more than 400 people from 41 states and Canada representing 235 organizations ranging from the PGA Tour to the Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Department of Health. A second summit is scheduled for October 28-30, 2015 in Washington, DC.

The 2013 summit, which sold out weeks in an advance, marked the birth of a new walking movement committed to: 1) encouraging everyone to walk more; and 2) boosting policies, practices and investments that make communities everywhere more walkable. It was convened by the Every Body Walk! Collaborative, a joint effort of more than 100 influential organizations across many fields to promote walking as part of the solution to problems ranging from chronic disease and health care costs to climate change and the decline of community.

“In addition to the health benefits of getting regular physical activity, people’s health can be correlated to having strong relationships, and living in connected communities with high levels of social cohesion,” said Kaiser Permanente vice-president Tyler Norris at the Pro-Walk Pro-Bike Pro-Place conference. “Among the important determinants of this sense of belonging is ‘Do I know my neighbors?’ A walkable community fosters these connections every day by helping us meet people we otherwise wouldn’t.”

Americans overwhelmingly view walking as a good thing, according to a national survey from GfK Research sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. Here are some of benefits of walking shown in the survey:

Good for my health (94 percent)
Good way to lose weight (91 percent)
Great way to relax (89 percent)
Helps reduce anxiety (87 percent)
Reduces feelings of depression (85 percent)

Even the American dream is being remodeled to meet the public’s growing enthusiasm for walking. Sixty percent of Americans would prefer to live in a neighborhood with stores and services within easy walking distance, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Realtors, nearly twice as many who want to live where stores can be reached only by car.

This is especially true for the millennial generation, who are now entering the workforce and housing market in large numbers. “With drastically different views of transportation from those of generations that came before them, millennials are transforming communities,” notes another report from the National Association of Realtors….” Millennials own fewer cars and drive less than their predecessors. They’d rather walk, bike, car-share and use public transportation—and want to live where that’s all easy.”

What’s driving the growing passion for walking? “It’s a convergence of factors”, says Christopher Leinberger, a real estate developer, George Washington University business professor and a leading advocate that walkable communities are crucial to our future prosperity:

1. The well-established link between walking and better health, which is reinforced by recent research pointing to the dangers of sitting for long periods. A comprehensive study charting 240,000 Americans between ages 50 and 71 published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “overall [time] sitting was associated with all-cause mortality”.

2. The accelerating costs of owning one, two or more cars, which many Americans, especially younger people, find a poor investment of their resources. Transportation is now the highest cost in family budgets (19 percent) next to housing (32 percent). In auto-dependent communities—where walking is inconvenient and unsafe—transportation costs (25 percent) approach housing costs (32 percent).

3. Metropolitan areas with many walkable neighborhoods do better economically than those with just a few. Leinberger’s recent report Foot Traffic Ahead finds that walkable metropolitan areas “have substantially higher GDPs per capita” as well as a higher percentage of college graduates. Office space in walkable locations enjoys a 74 percent rent-per-square-foot premium over offices in auto-oriented developments in America’s 30 largest metropolitan regions.

4. More people discovering the personal satisfactions of walking. “Seeing friends on the street, walking to work, strolling out for dinner or nightlife,” are among the pleasures of walking that enrich our lives, says Leinberger.

Firms in the booming tech, information and creative industries are at the forefront of the trend toward walkable communities because the coveted young talent they need to stay competitive in fast-changing fields want to work in places a short stroll from cafes and cultural attractions.

The first thing Google did after buying the electronics firm Motorola Mobility was to move its headquarters away from the freeways and strip malls of Libertyville, Illinois to the walkable environs of downtown Chicago. “They felt like they couldn’t attract the young software engineers they needed” to an isolated 84-acre complex, says Leinberger. Other companies that recently moved from suburban Chicago to the city include Medline, Walgreen’s, Gogo, GE Transportation, Hillshire Brands and Motorola Solutions.

“Two things seem to resonating for businesses about the importance of walkability—how to attract the best workforce and wanting to locate in communities where health costs are lower,” says Mark Fenton, a former US National Team race walker who now consults on public health planning and transportation. Employees with more opportunities to walk at work and at home are healthier, meaning lower insurance rates for their firms.

From his vantage point at the CDC, Thomas Schmid observes, “If a business is located in a community that is not healthy, they’re paying more to be there. Think of it as a tax or cost of doing business because of health care costs.” One company relocating to Chattanooga, he said, would do so only if a walking and bike trail was extended to their facility.

The walking movement has picked up a lot of momentum in a very short time. “The wind is behind our sails,” says Kate Kraft, a public health expert working with EBWC and America Walks. But she goes on to note that “it took 80 years to make America unwalkable, and it will take a lot of work to make it walkable again”.

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Why Determination Matters More Than Smarts In Getting Ahead

By Vivian Giang, Fast Company, Dec. 1, 2014

If you are constantly told you’re a genius, how would it affect your work ethic? Would it make you work harder because you know your ability, or make you lazier because you know you’re already ahead?

Carol S. Dweck, a leading expert in motivation and professor at Stanford University, studies the effects that praise has over mindset. What she’s found is simple alterations in wording greatly shape attitude toward work, and whether one will strive hard enough to reach their full potential.

In a series of studies, Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she and her team experimented on 400 fifth graders from different parts of the United States. The children were from varied ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

First, participants were given a series of puzzles to test their IQ. After they finished their test, they were told their score and praised in different ways. One group was praised for their intelligence and was told: “You got x number correct. That’s a really good score. You must be very smart at this.” Another group was praised for their effort and was told: “You must have worked really hard.”

The students were then given a choice as to what kind of test they would take next. They could either take one that’s harder than the first, or one that’s just as easy. A majority of the children who were praised for their intelligence chose to take the easier test, whereas 90% of those praised for their effort chose to tackle the harder puzzles.

Afterward, the researchers gave the students even harder tasks. They found the “smart kids” no longer enjoyed what they were doing and weren’t interested in practicing the problem sets. However, the children with grit believed hard work was all they needed and enjoyed the difficult puzzles, even if they couldn’t always solve them.

The students who had been praised for their intelligence believed their skills were innate—something they either have, or don’t have. Students who had been praised for effort believed that intelligence was something they had control over and could enhance through hard work, writes Dweck in the journal American Educator.

While Dweck’s series of studies centered on children, it’s important to note how having a particular mindset can affect you at any age. As someone with a fixed mindset, you believe basic qualities—like intelligence—are fixed traits. Since you are often praised for your intelligence, you want to continue remaining intelligent in the eyes of others so you shy away from challenges. You think failure is a personal attack on your intelligence, so you don’t recover as easily when goals go awry.

On the other hand, as someone with a growth mindset, you believe the harder you try, the more you’ll improve. You’re not afraid of taking risks, even if there’s a big chance you’ll fall flat on your face along the way. You believe your experiences will form new connections that will make you smarter. According to Dweck, those with a growth mindset have a higher chance of success in life.

“More and more research in psychology and neuroscience supports the growth mindset,” she writes in the journal Educational Leadership. “We are discovering that the brain has more plasticity over time than we ever imagined; that fundamental aspects of intelligence can be enhanced through learning; and that dedication and persistence in the face of obstacles are key ingredients in outstanding achievement.”

Those who were told they’re smart their entire lives believe intelligence alone will lead them to great success. Their intellect makes them feel superior, so they don’t spend time developing it. Over time, they stop growing because they fear challenges and failure.

Dweck’s research teaches us an important lesson about success: Smarts can only take you so far. The rest of the way is paved by grit and determination.

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This Is What Happens When You Drink 10 Cans Of Soda Per Day for One Month

Laura Kenney, Yahoo Health, December 1, 2014

It’s not news that soda is bad for us. But it is jarring to witness the physical effects drinking too much of it has on our waistlines.

George Prior, 50, has guinea-pigged his body to do just that.

Following in the body-hacking footsteps of Morgan Spurlock—the “Super Size Me” filmmaker who in 2004 ate three McDonald’s meals for 30 days straight—Prior began guzzling down ten 12-ounce cans of Coca Cola daily for one month to see how the whopping dose of added sugar would affect his healthy physique. He documented it all on his website, 10 Cokes A Day.

“I got the idea because I read that Jude Law drank 10 Cokes a day to gain weight for his Dom Hemingway role, and I was joking with one of my brothers that that was probably a diet for some people,” Prior tells Yahoo Health. “But then we realized that amount of sugar isn’t that far from the norm for many Americans, so then I got really curious what would happen to me if I really drank ten Cokes, and it sounded like a fun experiment.”

On day one, Prior reported in the video, “I’ve just gotten back from the doctor where I’ve had a complete physical. I’m 50 years old and in good health.”

The Los Angeleno then began consuming 10 cans of Coke per day. That’s an additional 1,400 calories and 390 grams of sugar per day.

On day nine, Prior woke up weighing 176 pounds, eight pounds heavier than when he started. “I’ve gained 2 pounds since yesterday,” Prior reported. “I don’t feel good.”

By day 15, Prior’s body fat had jumped from 8 to 14 percent.

And after the full 30 days, he had gained 23 pounds. “I feel heavier, I can’t wear my long pants to work anymore,” said Prior in the video. “My clothes all fit tightly and I can’t bend over easily.”

Ten cans of soda seems excessive, but Prior was consuming just twice the amount of added sugar that the average American eats daily. According to the USDA, Americans eat 156 pounds of added sugar every year, which breaks down to 194 grams per day. During his challenge, Prior drank 390 grams of added sugar daily.

The Recommended Daily Allowance of sugar for men is 36 grams, and 24 grams for women.

“Most people know that soda is not good for them, but for some reason, they think the risk of excess sugar consumption is less than that of having too much saturated and trans fat, sodium or calories,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D, wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic. “Perhaps it’s sugar’s lack of sodium or fat that make it the ‘lesser of several evils,’ or perhaps people are simply of the mind frame that what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

Sugar not only makes us pack on pounds, but it also can damage your heart, is linked to cancer, is as toxic to your liver as too much alcohol and can even make your brain age quicker and accelerate memory loss.

What did Prior do on Day 31, when the challenge ended? He threw away his unused cans of Coke. “If I have to drink another Coke in 1,000 years it would be one Coke too soon,” he said in the video.

While the “feeling of constant fullness and the basic inconvenience” of drinking all that soda were not enjoyable, Prior tells Yahoo Health “the worst actual physical discomfort was in the two days after I stopped drinking the Cokes,” which is when he “felt nauseated and tired and without appetite.”

But Kirkpatrick cautions that while many of us strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits—soda joins a long list with candy, cookies, cake, etc.—we are often duped by secret sugar-packed foods. “Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinades, crackers and even bread,” she says.

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Bênçãos nas Circunstâncias Atuais

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/bencaos-nas-circunstancias-atuais/
Uma compilação

Existem certas coisas que, para nós, constituem um “ato de adoração”. E quando ocorrem, é como se uma voz dissesse: “Tire os sapatos, pois o lugar onde está pisando é santo”. Mas afinal, Deus é onipresente, não é? Aonde poderíamos ir que não seria solo sagrado? Pode não existir uma sarça ardente, mas Deus está presente tanto quanto esteve quando Moisés reconheceu o sinal da Sua presença no deserto. Nós acreditamos estar fazendo uma boa obra quando damos aula na escolinha dominical. Mas e aqueles que passam a semana dando aula para crianças pequenas, ou jovens, em escolas públicas ou privadas, estariam eles fazendo menos em termos de trabalho a Deus? Consideramos um dever sagrado nos sentarmos à mesa do Senhor para partilharmos da Comunhão. Mas já pensou que também é sagrado nos sentarmos à mesa com nossos familiares para uma refeição?

Quando aprendermos essa lição, vivenciaremos o verdadeiro sentido e a glória da vida cristã, e nada jamais nos parecerá lugar-comum. Não devemos nunca minimizar a nossa tarefa, pois o trabalho mais humilde, se estiver de acordo com aquilo que Deus deseja para nós em um determinado momento, será de um esplendor celestial, porque estará sendo realizada por designação do Mestre. Podemos agradar a Deus tanto conduzindo uma vida tranquila e desempenhando nossas funções fielmente em uma posição humilde, enfrentando tentação, preocupações, e cansaço, como quando honramos e adoramos a Deus na Comunhão.

Nós achamos que estamos neste mundo para cuidar de certos negócios, cumprir deveres profissionais, cuidar de situações relativas à vida doméstica, a um ofício, qualquer que seja, quer de carpinteiro, construtor, pintor, professor, quer de dona de casa, ou que for que denominamos nossa vocação. Mas para Deus, essas funções servem para desenvolvermos caráter e nobreza. Com Jesus, uma oficina de carpintaria não é apenas um lugar onde se fabricam [coisas]—é um lugar para formação de caráter e de homens dignos.—J. R. Miller[1]

*

“Quem despreza o dia das coisas pequenas” (Zacarias 4:10).

Estas palavras de Jeová foram dirigidas ao Seu povo na antiguidade, após retornarem do cativeiro na Babilônia. Eles eram poucos, carentes, fracos, e estavam a ponto de serem engolidos pelos inimigos. Não obstante as circunstâncias desanimadoras, logo após regressaram, eles deram início à construção do alicerce de um templo para a adoração a Deus…

Em tudo, principalmente nas obras executadas pela graça divina, não pela força ou poder, mas pelo Seu Espírito, Deus sempre embute certas realizações de menores proporções. Em outras palavras, ocasiões quando a mão de Deus se revela de uma maneira mínima e aparentemente pouco garantida. Para convencer-se desta verdade, podemos ver o exemplo do carvalho, outrora uma pequena semente; os rios mais caudalosos, que têm sua origem em um pequeno olho d’água ou manancial; o filósofo, o guerreiro, o estadista, o poeta, todos já foram crianças de colo; uma nação hoje civilizada já teve uma população silvícola…

A época quando Abraão e sua família eram os únicos membros da igreja no Antigo Testamento foi de pequenas coisas. A época quando todos os membros da igreja do Novo Testamento podiam se congregar em uma pequena sala ao redor de uma mesa foi de pequenas coisas. E todo o resultado dessa igreja, não importa onde tenha sido plantada, e por mais vicejante que seja hoje, viveu uma época de pequenas coisas. Foi um dia impressionante para a igreja de Cristo na Nova Inglaterra quando todos os seus membros desembarcaram no litoral deserto, e ali, sem um santuário ou um teto sobre suas cabeças, adoraram a Deus. Provavelmente não existe uma só igreja neste país que não tenha sido pequena e fraca, e não tenha enfrentado muitas dificuldades. É possível comentar o mesmo a respeito de todas as sociedades e instituições organizadas para promoção e difusão do cristianismo.

Comentários análogos podem ser feitos a respeito da obra da graça de Deus no coração do ser humano. Todo cristão tem o seu dia de pequenas coisas, não importa quando. – Um dia quando seu amor, fé, esperança, conhecimento, utilidade e consolo aparentam ser de uma mínima proporção. Vejam Nicodemos e a noite quando ele procurou Jesus. Vejam os doze discípulos e o que eles vivenciaram até pouco depois do dia do Pentecostes...

Não devemos menosprezar os dias das pequenas coisas, porque significam o início de um período de grandes coisas. E elas vão acontecer, porque fazem parte da obra de Deus. E a Sua obra é perfeita e eterna.—Edward Payson[2]

*

Você não tem que ter a fé para fazer coisas que o Senhor não está lhe pedindo nem esperando que faça. Precisa ter fé somente para ser o que Ele o criou para ser e fazer o que Ele lhe pedir, não importa o que seja. Não tente ser o que você não é, tampouco se deixe enganar achando que não pode vir a ser e fazer o que Ele lhe pedir, não importa o que seja. Deus não lhe pedirá nada além do que sabe que você, com a ajudar dEle, é capaz de realizar.

Todos têm seu lugar e função para o Senhor, como as peças de um jogo de xadrez. E uma peça de xadrez não tem vontade própria. Quando o jogador a move de uma casa para a outra, ela não protesta, apenas se submete e fica onde é colocada, certo? Bem, você está nas mãos de Deus! Está nas mãos do Jogador Mestre, que o colocará onde quiser. Portanto, apenas confie que o Senhor vai cumprir a vontade dEle na sua vida.

Quando o guia conduz uma pessoa por um caminho que ela nunca trilhou, não diz o que precisará fazer antes de chegar à curva ou bifurcação. Ele espera até chegarem ao ponto em que a pessoa precisa saber o que fazer e qual o próximo passo a dar. É assim que o Senhor age. Na maioria dos casos, não é necessário, saber todos os detalhes do que você fará no dia seguinte. Jesus disse para não nos preocuparmos com o amanhã. Geralmente é preciso traçar planos, mas não se preocupar com o que acontecerá. Apenas faça o que Deus sabe que você pode fazer, o que Ele lhe pedir para fazer hoje, e prepare-se para agir assim no dia seguinte.—David Brandt Berg[3]

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


[1] Adaptado de The Best Things in Life (London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1907).

[2] De http://articles.ochristian.com/article13551.shtml.

[3] Mais que Vencedores (Aurora Production AG, 2002).

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Hoping for a Good Death

By Elizabeth Reis, NY Times, December 1, 2014

My 78-year-old father died recently after a sudden heart attack. I ought to have been prepared for the five days my mother, brother and I spent with him in the cardiac intensive care unit because I teach medical ethics at a university, and I am a member of a hospital ethics committee and have discussed many difficult end-of-life cases. But much of what happened—and what didn’t happen—came as a surprise to me.

My father got excellent care; his medical needs were attended to around the clock, and he received every available intervention. What I wished we had had, though, was a conversation with his physicians about end-of-life possibilities right from the beginning.

When my dad collapsed at a restaurant, the manager rushed over and performed CPR, but my dad stopped breathing several times during the resuscitation. The E.M.T.s shocked his heart six times in the four blocks between the restaurant and the hospital. During his five days in intensive care, he never achieved consciousness.

Doctors induced therapeutic hypothermia, a kind of deep freeze, to reduce the risk of brain injury by decreasing the brain’s oxygen demand, and then warmed him gradually over the next day or so. His eyes opened but never focused, he never looked at us or spoke again, but it was as if he was imploring, “Why am I still here? I just told you yesterday what I wanted if I was ever in this situation!”

And indeed, he had. Just the day before his heart attack, our family had a prescient conversation about end-of-life decisions. We all heard my dad say very plainly that he did not want any heroic measures to be kept alive, and that he would not want to live with any physical or mental incapacities.

“Not even a wheelchair?” my brother asked. “No,” my dad replied, “Nothing.”

And so when I arrived at the hospital the day after the heart attack and saw my dad hooked up to a ventilator to keep him breathing, a blood pump to keep his blood pressure up, an EEG machine to assess brain function, and an assortment of maybe a dozen IV medications and fluids dripping into his body, I recoiled not so much at the horror of the sight, but from the sad realization that he probably should have been left to die at the restaurant. My father would have been even more horrified than I was at his predicament.

But there’s always hope. Right? And because of that sliver of hopefulness, we kept him on those machines for five days, through the freezing and the thawing, the neurological assessments, the administration of one drug and then another to control this and that.

What I hadn’t considered before my father’s heart attack was the precise meaning of “not wanting to live hooked up to machines.” When people say that, it’s unclear whether they mean that they don’t want to live for the rest of their days in this condition, or that they don’t want to live for even a few weeks like that. The question of “how long?” is one we would all do well to consider.

If my father’s body improved enough to stay alive without the machines, but he never regained consciousness, then he would be doomed to what he most wanted to avoid. Honoring my dad’s wishes meant taking him off the ventilator while we still had that option.

The timing was key, but no one explained this or advised us how to determine when the time would be right. We now shudder that, because of hope, we were slow to see this choice and might so easily have missed it.

On the fourth day, my father’s cardiologist told us that despite some improvements toward stability, “the big picture was terrible.” Though no one can predict the future, we grasped that a full recovery was unlikely, and so we decided to let my dad die.

With the feeding tube removed, the ventilator detached and the multicolored EEG leads no longer emerging from his scalp, my mother could comb my father’s hair, and he looked relaxed, as the morphine and Ativan dripped slowly into his veins. He slept through the night and died peacefully the next morning.

Though hospital staff proved mostly supportive, we were jarred by the careless comment of one resident who entered the room and pronounced, “I don’t think you gave him enough of a chance.” To hear this moralizing judgment after the fact seemed unhelpful and even cruel. For many families, such words would have been devastating.

The biggest lesson I have learned is that every family should not only discuss end-of-life wishes but should act on them by filling out an advance directive. If my father had completed one, his end might have played out differently. By the time we told the medical staff that he didn’t want to be hooked up to machines, he already was, and we acquiesced in letting things take their course, with the hope that he might improve.

I can appreciate doctors’ reluctance to talk to families immediately about a patient’s ultimate demise. No one wants to dash hopes for recovery. But confronting the end from the beginning might alleviate some of the inevitable feelings of guilt that arise when people make the decision to end life support. Injecting a healthy pessimism—or realism—gives loved ones an opportunity to broaden the scope of their hope, to stretch hope in a way that accommodates a better death.

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A Ressurreição da Vida

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/ressurreicao-da-vida/
D. Brandt Berg

“Não fiquem admirados com isto, pois está chegando a hora em que todos os que estiverem nos túmulos ouvirão a sua voz e sairão; os que fizeram o bem ressuscitarão para a vida, e os que fizeram o mal ressuscitarão para serem condenados.” — João 5:28–29[1]

“Amados, agora somos filhos de Deus, e ainda não se manifestou o que havemos de ser, mas sabemos que, quando ele se manifestar, seremos semelhantes a ele, pois o veremos como ele é.” — 1 João 3:2[2]

Quando Jesus vier, acontecerá o grande e maravilhoso milagre da ressurreição. Todos que Lhe pertencem, todos os salvos, terão então uma ressurreição gloriosa, ou, se estiverem vivos, instantaneamente transformados e levados da face da terra. Todos iremos para junto do Senhor, para a grande Ceia das Bodas do Cordeiro, enquanto a Ira de Deus é derramada sobre os que restaram na Terra.

O regresso de Jesus e a nossa consequente ressureição são eventos mencionados várias vezes tanto no Antigo como no Novo Testamento. Esse grande acontecimento apocalíptico é mencionado muitas vezes e de várias maneiras. Embora não se possa encontrar a palavra "arrebatamento" nas Escrituras, ela se encaixa muito bem, pois resume o sentido e o contexto da vinda do Senhor nas nuvens, o soar das trombetas, a ressurreição dos mortos, a trasladação dos salvos e a reunião de todos nós com o Senhor.

O apóstolo Paulo oferece uma visão reveladora sobre esse maravilhoso acontecimento no capítulo 4 da sua primeira epístola aos Tessalonicenses: "Não quero porém, irmãos, que sejais ignorantes acerca dos que já dormem, para que não vos entristeçais, como os demais, que não têm esperança."[3] Ele diz: "Não quero que sejam tão desinformados a ponto de não saberem o que vai acontecer quando Jesus voltar. Não quero que lamentem a morte por não entenderem que haverá a ressurreição."

"Porque se cremos que Jesus morreu e ressuscitou, assim, também, aos que em Jesus dormem, Deus os voltará a trazer com ele."[4] Os que dormem em Jesus é uma maneira de falar muito usada, referindo-se aos “mortos em Cristo", aqueles que morreram no Senhor, cristãos nascidos de novo que já partiram para junto do Senhor. Todos que nos são queridos e já partiram desta vida estão com o Senhor. Os seus corpos, a bem dizer, estão dormindo e voltaram para o pó se já lá estão há tempo suficiente. Mas eles próprios, os seus espíritos, não estão dormindo na sepultura. Estão com Jesus. "Porque estar ausente do corpo é estar presente com o Senhor!"[5] Eles "partiram para estar com Cristo, que é ainda muito melhor![6]

Jesus vai voltar com os espíritos dos santos que já partiram, para eles poderem apanhar seus novos corpos ressurretos. Deus quer provar que Ele pode ressuscitar os mortos, por isso Ele os vai ressuscitar dos mortos, literalmente, mas em um novo corpo. Será um novo corpo ressuscitado como o que Ele tinha quando ressurgiu dos mortos. Vai ser lindo! Os novos corpos da ressurreição, glorificados e sobrenaturais vão ressuscitar e se juntar aos seus espíritos no momento da vinda de Cristo.

Portanto, os mortos em Cristo vão voltar com o Senhor, e Ele diz que "nós, os que ficarmos vivos, para a vinda do Senhor" — aqueles que ainda estivermos vivos quando Jesus vier — "não precederemos os que dormem."[7] O significado literal é que não antes dos que dormem. O Senhor diz que eles ressuscitarão e ascenderão primeiro. Os que morreram no Senhor e foram para junto dEle ressurgirão antes.

"Porque o mesmo Senhor descerá do céu com alarido, com a voz de arcanjo, e com a trombeta de Deus! E os mortos em Cristo ressuscitarão primeiro!" Os que morreram no Senhor vão ressuscitar primeiro! Nós que estivermos vivos, provavelmente iremos ver a ressurreição dos mortos! "Depois nós os que ficarmos vivos seremos arrebatados juntamente com eles nas nuvens, a encontrar o Senhor nos ares!"[8] Com uma súbita, sobrenatural, milagrosa e poderoso golpe de Deus, Ele agitará a sua varinha de poder e pronto! Nós que estamos vivos seremos transformados, transladados e arrebatados incorruptíveis para junto do Senhor nos ares. E depois ainda falam da emoção de saltar de paraquedas! Nosso corpo vai mudar ali mesmo, de um corpo meramente vivo para um corpo que vai viver para sempre!

"Eis que aqui vos digo um mistério; na verdade, nem todos dormiremos" nós não vamos morrer todos no Senhor, alguns de nós ainda estaremos vivos quando o Senhor vier "mas todos seremos transformados."[9] Ele diz que é um mistério, visto ser bastante difícil compreender e explicar. Afinal, como explicar que um velho corpo corrupto e apodrecido que está na sepultura há centenas ou até mesmo milhares de anos, vai voltar à vida perfeitamente íntegro e até melhor do que antes?

"Todos seremos mudados num momento, num abrir e fechar de olhos, ante a última trombeta" — em instantes, no tempo que leva para piscar. "Porque a trombeta soará, e os mortos ressuscitarão incorruptíveis, e nós seremos transformados."[10]

"Porque convém que isto, que é corruptível, se revista da incorruptibilidade, e que isto, que é mortal, se revista da imortalidade."[11] Por um milagre, Deus vai transformar nossos corpos como aconteceu com Jesus. Obviamente Jesus não ficou na sepultura durante tanto tempo como algumas pessoas.

"Ele transformará o nosso corpo vil, para ser conforme ao Seu corpo glorioso, segundo o Seu eficaz poder de sujeitar, também, a si todas as coisas.”[12] Vamos ser como Jesus depois da Sua ressurreição! Ele caminhou com Seus seguidores e conversou com eles. Até comeu e bebeu com eles. Jesus cozinhou para eles.[13] No nosso novo corpo ressuscitado, poderemos comer, dormir, beber, e fazer seja o que for que podemos fazer agora. Mas também poderemos fazer algumas coisas que nunca pudemos fazer com nosso corpo natural.

Jesus não só podia fazer todas as coisas normais e naturais, mas quando estavam todos em uma sala com as portas trancadas, de repente Ele passou pela porta e entrou.[14] E poderemos atravessar paredes, portas, voar através de tetos, aparecer e desaparecer exatamente como Jesus fez. Poderemos nos locomover não só à velocidade lenta do som ou da luz, mas à velocidade do pensamento.

Quando Jesus apareceu de repente aos discípulos naquela sala trancada, diz que "eles espantados e aterrorizados, pensavam que viam algum espírito."[15] Eles estavam mortos de medo, porque pensavam estar vendo um fantasma! Mas Jesus lhes disse: "Tocai-Me, apalpai-Me e vede que sou Eu mesmo, não um espírito; porque um espírito não tem carne nem osso, como vedes que eu tenho."[16] Ele não disse carne e sangue, "porque a carne e o sangue não podem herdar o reino de Deus", pois "a vida da carne está no sangue."[17]

O Seu corpo ressurreto era de carne e osso. Mas, logicamente, bastante diferente dos corpos que nós agora temos. E quando Ele disse a Tomé, que duvidou: "Põe os teus dedos nas marcas dos pregos na Minha mão e chega a tua mão e mete-a no Meu lado; e não sejas incrédulo, mas crente"[18], Ele mostrou que, se os ferimentos ainda estavam lá, só podia ser o mesmo corpo de quando Ele morreu.

Quando Jesus voltar e a grande trombeta soar, vamos trocar o nosso modelo atual de corpo, cansado, velho, carnal e terreno, por um modelo celestial, completamente novo, como o de Jesus depois da ressurreição. "Amados, agora somos filhos de Deus, e ainda não é manifestado o que havemos de ser. Mas sabemos que, quando Ele se manifestar, nós seremos semelhantes a Ele, porque, assim como é, O veremos."[19] Quando Jesus vier, nós O veremos como Ele é, face a face, e seremos literalmente como Ele.

Os corpos do futuro, sobrenaturais, milagrosos, ressuscitados e transformados, vão ser como os anjos de Deus. "Porque já não podem mais morrer; pois são iguais aos anjos; e são filhos de Deus, sendo filhos da ressurreição."[20]

Lembre-se que, apesar de ganhar um novo corpo ressurreto, vai continuar sendo você. Você vai ter a mesma aparência, só que melhor, muito melhor. Mas vai ser você, com o mesmo corpo, caso contrário não seria uma ressurreição. E se o corpo natural e carnal de alguém se decompôs completamente e voltou ao pó, ou se a pessoa foi cremada e as cinzas lançadas em uma vasta área, se Deus tiver que pegar cada próton, elétron e nêutron e formar os átomos de novo e a criar do pó outra vez, ou das cinzas, ou da fumaça, ou seja lá do que for e de onde for, Ele o fará, e juntará o corpo da pessoa novamente.

"E, se o Espírito daquele que dos mortos ressuscitou a Jesus habita em voz, aquele que dos mortos ressuscitou a Cristo também vivificará os vossos corpos mortais, pelo Seu Espírito que em vós habita. Ora Deus, que também ressuscitou o Senhor, nos ressuscitará a nós pelo Seu poder. E, quando isto que é corruptível se revestir da incorruptibilidade, e isto que é mortal se revestir da imortalidade, então cumprir-se-á a palavra que está escrita: Tragada foi a morte na vitória. Onde está, ó morte, o teu aguilhão? Onde está, ó sepultura, a tua vitória? Mas, graças a Deus, que nos dá a vitória, por nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo."[21]

Publicado originalmente em maio 1983. Adaptado e republicado em setembro 2014. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] RC
[2] Salvo indicação contrária, todos os versículos são da versão Revista e Corrigida, João Ferreira de Almeida.
[3] 1 Tessalonicenses 4:13.
[4] 1 Tessalonicenses 4:14.
[5] 2 Coríntios 5:8.
[6] Filipenses 1:23.
[7] 1 Tessalonicenses 4:15.
[8] 1 Tessalonicenses 4:16–17.
[9] 1 Coríntios 15:51.
[10] 1Coríntios 15:52.
[11] 1 Coríntios 15:53.
[12] Filipenses 3:21.
[13] Veja Lucas 24:43; João 21:9–14.
[14] Veja João 20:26.
[15] Lucas 24:37.
[16] Lucas 24:39.
[17] 1 Coríntios 15:50; Levítico 17:11.
[18] João 20:27.
[19] 1 João 3:2.
[20] Lucas 20:36.
[21] Romanos 8:11; 1 Coríntios 6:14; 15:54–55, 57.

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God in a Manger

http://anchor.tfionline.com/post/god-manger/
A compilation
Audio length: 7:52
Download Audio (7.2MB)

What is Christmas? The answer may just surprise you.

For many, Christmas is the time to think of Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. While the birth of Christ is a special and miraculous event, it is not the primary focus. The central truth of the Christmas story is this: the Child of Christmas is God.

Christmas is not about the Savior’s infancy; it is about His deity. The humble birth of Jesus Christ was never intended to conceal the reality that God was being born into the world.

But the modern world’s version of Christmas does just that. And consequently for the greater part of humanity, Christmas has no legitimate meaning at all.

I don’t suppose anyone can ever fathom what it means for God to be born in a manger. How does one explain the Almighty stooping to become a tiny infant? Our minds cannot begin to understand what was involved in God’s becoming man.

Nor can anyone explain how God could become a baby. Yet He did. Without forsaking His divine nature or diminishing His deity, He was born into our world as a tiny infant.

He was fully human, with all the needs and emotions that are common to us all. Yet He was also fully God—all-wise and all-powerful.

For nearly 2,000 years, debate has been raging about who Jesus really is. Cults and skeptics have offered various explanations. They will say He is one of many gods, a created being, a high angel, a good teacher, a prophet, and so on. The common thread of all such theories is that they make Jesus less than God. But the biblical evidence is overwhelming that this child in the manger was the incarnation of God.

One passage in particular, written by the apostle Paul, captures the essence of Jesus’ divine nature and underscores the truths that make Christmas truly wonderful.

Colossians 1:15–20 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For … all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”—By John MacArthur1

*

According to God’s plan of salvation, Jesus’ humanity is as important as His deity, because our salvation depends on Jesus being both fully God and fully man.

Because He is one of the persons of the Trinity—God the Son—salvation is possible. Only one who is God can bear the weight of the sins of the world. Only one who is eternally God can bring a sacrifice of infinite value and render perfect obedience to the law of God, bear the wrath of God redemptively, and so free others from the judgment of the law.2

By the same token, only one who shares in humanity can make salvation possible. Because the first man, Adam, sinned and brought condemnation to all men, it was necessary that another human bear the punishment and receive God’s judgment upon himself—for only a human being can vicariously represent mankind.

In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.3

It was therefore necessary for Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity, to become incarnate, to take on full humanity, to be both fully God and fully man, to make salvation possible.

Often people focus on the deity of Jesus and push His humanity into the background. But while Jesus was God living on earth in human flesh, He was just as human as you and me. He had the same physical needs and weaknesses that we have. He had the same physical and mental limitations. He had the same emotions. He was tempted to sin and had internal spiritual suffering, just as we do. He was a man, and He was born, lived, and died just like any man. He had human nature, meaning both a material body and a rational soul, or mind.—Peter Amsterdam

*

The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16–17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God’s becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself.4 Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”5—From gotquestions.org

Published on Anchor December 2014. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.

Footnotes:
1 www.gty.org.
2 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: 1996).
3 1 Corinthians 15:20–22.
4 1 John 4:8.
5 Romans 5:8.

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Sovereign Man - Simon Black

December 3, 2014
Santiago, Chile

When Francisco Pizarro returned to Spain from the New World in 1528, he told King Charles I of the vast material riches that were found in abundance on Peru’s shores.

He petitioned for permission to conquer the new lands in the name of the crown, and was granted governorship over a vast amount of territory as long as he succeeded in conquering it.

Hungry to get their hands on Incan gold, some 168 Spaniards joined him on the conquest.

In the first battle, the Incans lost 2,000 men while the Spanish lost only 5.

In subsequent battles against the Spaniards, Incan troops were massacred in horrific numbers due in large part to Spain’s technological superiority.

(It also didn’t hurt that the Incan empire was undergoing a civil war at the time.)

The Spaniards would go on to conquer the rest of Incan lands over the next 40 years, which included parts of modern day Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

And over the next few centuries the Spanish empire would grow to encompass a significant portion of the Americas, some parts of Africa and the East Indies.

Spain was, in fact, the greatest power in Europe during a significant chunk of the renaissance, and she had her overseas dominions to prove it.

How times have changed. Today Spain is in financial straits, and most of her former colonies are in far better economic shape.

And as the gloomy economic landscape in Europe has dried up opportunities for young Spaniards, many have started to look to South America to start new careers.

Between 2008 and 2012 an estimated 700,000 Spaniards have left home in search of greener pastures, choosing to go to places like Colombia, Peru, and Chile.

Unencumbered by a language barrier and without much culture shock, they’re finding that they’re able to rise up the career ladder much more quickly than they could back home.

The shortage of skilled labor and advanced training in these countries means that foreigners are able to obtain higher paying jobs than they could back home.

Some recent college grads find themselves occupying senior level positions after just a few years because there is no one else around qualified for the job.

Even folks who are not with a large corporation or hold an advanced technical degree still have valuable skills.

Just by virtue of being a consumer in the West, for example, you know much more about proper customer service than people in countries that aren’t constantly exposed to such high standards.

I see the same situation in dozens of countries all over the world as I travel. There are many places where local talent and skills simply aren’t catching up fast enough with economic growth.

They are hungry for skilled labor and the entrepreneurially-minded.

This bespeaks a greater trend of our times: some of the best opportunities are abroad. And in uncertain times, you have to carve an independent path to achieve success.

I was always told growing up that if I studied hard and worked my way up the corporate food chain that I’d become successful. Did they tell you that lie too?

That entire premise is fundamentally broken.

But the good news is that it’s never been easier to venture abroad in search of some of the most enticing opportunities out there.

And the transition is not nearly as treacherous as it might seem.

Our ancestors spent months on a boat with a good chance of never coming back. Today we can hop on an airplane and wake up on the other side of the planet.

We can communicate with friends and family with a mouse click. And we can even meet people and conduct research before we arrive.

All the tools and technology exist to make the transition abroad extremely smooth.

It just takes independence of mind to break out of the current mold and embrace the tremendous opportunity you can find overseas.

Until tomorrow,

Simon Black
Founder, SovereignMan.com

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