Marcou da Besta

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Quase Deuses - Baseados em fatos reais - dublado

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Alcance o seu Potencial -- 2ª Parte

Da série Roadmap

Temos fé no plano de Deus para cada um de nós, no entanto precisamos dispensar qualquer mentalidade que nos limite e impeça de nos tornarmos tudo o que Deus deseja.

Nascido para vencer

Uma mentalidade estreita e uma atitude derrotista podem ser um empecilho para alcançarmos nosso potencial pleno. Algumas dessas mentalidades são:

“Já tentei e não deu certo.”

“Isso nunca foi feito.”

“Tem pessoas mais qualificadas que farão um trabalho melhor.”

“E se eu errar? E se eu falhar?”

“Dá trabalho demais.”

Enquanto pensarmos assim, seremos incapazes de superar obstáculos ou cumprirmos nossa vocação.

No seu livro Power of the Plus Factor, Norman Vincent Peale relata a seguinte história:

Certa vez, caminhando pelas ruas tortuosas de Hong Kong, passei por um estúdio de tatuagem. Na vitrine havia um display dos desenhos disponíveis, como por exemplo, de uma âncora, bandeira ou sereia. Mas uma opção que me deixou chocado eram três palavras que poderiam ser tatuadas na pele de alguém: Nascido para perder.

Entrei no estúdio impressionado e apontei para as palavras. Perguntei ao tatuador chinês se alguém realmente pedia para tatuar aquela frase terrível, Nascido para perder no seu corpo. Ele respondeu que algumas pessoas escolhiam a frase.

Retruquei não acreditar que alguém em sã consciência faria isso.

O tatuador simplesmente colocou a mão na testa e disse em um inglês macarrônico: “Antes tatuar no corpo, tatuar na mente”.

“Tatuar” nossa mente com pensamentos negativos reduz a probabilidade de sucesso no longo prazo. Se não acreditamos verdadeiramente em algo a nosso respeito, é impossível agirmos de tal mesma maneira. Muitas vezes vejo pessoas sabotarem suas próprias vidas devido a uma mentalidade errada.

Precisamos nos perguntar: “Qual opinião acerca de mim mesmo me limita? Estou em uma caixa?” Quando você pensa ou diz: “Eu nunca conseguiria fazer isso”, não estará limitando o Senhor? E se Ele quiser expandir você e fazê-lo crescer em um determinado aspecto? Você poderia estar retardando o seu próprio crescimento com um modo de pensar que o limite e impeça de avançar.

“Como pensa no seu coração, assim é.”[1] A maneira como você se vê, o que espera de si mesmo, a imagem que tem de si mesmo e o que pensa de si tem muito poder.

“Todas as coisas são possíveis com Deus.”[2] Precisamos ter fé e lutar por aquilo que acreditamos que o Senhor deseja que realizemos.

George Bernard Shaw disse:“As pessoas sempre culpam as circunstâncias pela sua condição. Eu não acredito em circunstâncias.  Aqueles que avançam no mundo são os que procuram as circunstâncias que desejam, e, se não as encontram, as criam”.

Para progredir é preciso ter um plano pessoal de crescimento. Segue-se algo que o Senhor disse a respeito do assunto:

Para chegar a qualquer lugar é preciso um mapa, um plano, uma visão ou meta quanto ao tipo de pessoa que você sabe que Eu desejo que se torne. Depois é preciso se empenhar em adquirir as virtudes necessárias e retirar os vícios para poder alcançar a meta. Busque-Me para saber o que desejo que faça com a sua vida. Pense em alguém que admira, em uma carreira que gostaria de seguir no serviço a outros. Pergunte-Me o que é necessário para se tornar esse tipo de pessoa, ter um desempenho excelente nessa carreira, e permanecer na sua vocação, e Eu o orientarei. Dessa forma terá um propósito a seguir.   

Alcançar o seu potencial significa se tornar o que Eu desejo que você seja. Você tem talentos especiais e também um propósito especial para estar na terra. Mas para encontrá-lo, não pode ficar parado esperando que Eu ou outros o desloquemos até à porta e digamos: “É por aqui. Entre”. Você deve fazer todo o possível para desenvolver o seu potencial e se preparar para o plano e desígnio que lhe tenho reservado.

Eu o desafio a crescer, a fazer as difíceis escolhas de abrir mão de certas coisas e acrescentar outras à sua vida, mesmo não sendo fácil.—Jesus falando em profecia

Seguem-se mais conselhos sobre desenvolver um plano de crescimento pessoal, do livro Desenvolvendo Líderes na sua Equipe de Trabalho, de John Maxwell:

As pessoas acham que crescimento pessoal é o resultado automático de estar vivo. Sabe, não é. O crescimento não é automático nem forçosamente vem com a experiência ou coleta de informações. O crescimento pessoal deve ser deliberado, planejado e consistente… Quero enfatizar que exige um plano. É preciso criar um plano e segui-lo.

Passos práticos para o crescimento pessoal

Separe um tempo cada dia para o crescimento. Este passo tem dois conceitos importantes. Desviar-se é uma das coisas mais fáceis. Tempo de crescimento sem planejamento estratégico no dia não dá em nada, porque somos muito ocupados. É preciso encontrar um horário que funciona e incluir na sua agenda. E então cumprir como faria com qualquer outro compromisso. E é preciso que seja diariamente, no mínimo cinco dias por semana. Educadores relatam que as pessoas aprendem melhor com aulas mais breves e regulares do que em períodos menos frequentes.

Além de um plano diário, recomendo também estudar diferentes materiais em momentos que outros considerariam uma perda de tempo. Por exemplo, sempre que viajo levo livros com bom conteúdo, mas talvez não tão substanciais como as leituras diárias que faço. 

Coloque em prática o mais rápido possível o que aprende

Apenas ter conhecimento de algo não significa que absorveu. Para isso é preciso colocar em prática. Toda vez que aprender algo, é bom se perguntar: “Onde, quando, e como posso usar este conhecimento?”

Cresça com alguém

Diversas pessoas da minha convivência compartilham coisas comigo e eu com elas. Dividir o seu aprendizado aumenta seu insight, melhora seu relacionamento com a outra pessoa, lhes dá uma visão comum e você terá que prestar contas daquilo. Cria também uma conversa com substância.

Ajuda bastante pensar em como pode fazer mudanças na sua vida para ter maior realização, ser mais produtivo no trabalho e serviço ao Senhor, e progredir para a glória de Deus!

Roadmap foi uma série de vídeos produzido pela AFI para jovens adultos. Publicado originalmente em 2010. Adaptado e republicado no Âncora em janeiro de 2020.

Original link found here:

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[1] Provérbios 23:7.

[2] Mateus 19:26.

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Be All You Can Be! - Part 2

Besides having faith in God’s plan for each of us, we need to rid ourselves of mindsets that limit us and keep us from becoming all God wants us to be.

Born to win

Limiting mindsets and defeatist attitudes can hold us back from reaching our full potential. Some of these mindsets are:

“I’ve tried it in the past, but it didn’t work.”

“It’s never been done before.”

“There are others who are more qualified and who can do a better job.”

“What if I make a mistake? What if I fail?”

“It’s too much work.”

As long as we think like this, we won’t be able to overcome obstacles to fulfill our calling.

Norman Vincent Peale relates this story in his book, Power of the Plus Factor:

Once, walking through the twisted streets of Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio. In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available. You could have a tattoo of an anchor or flag or mermaid or whatever. But what struck me with force were three words that could be tattooed on one’s flesh: Born to lose.

I entered the shop in astonishment and, pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, “Does anybody really have that terrible phrase, Born to lose, tattooed on his body?”

He replied, “Yes, sometimes.”

“But,” I said, “I just can’t believe that anyone in his right mind would do that.”

“The Chinese man simply tapped his forehead and in broken English said, “Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind.”

Once our minds are “tattooed” with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish. We cannot continue to function in a manner that we do not truly believe about ourselves. Often I see people sabotage themselves because of wrong thinking.

We need to ask ourselves, “What limiting mindsets do I have about myself? Have I put myself in a box?” When you think or say, “I could never do that,” are you limiting the Lord? What if the Lord wants to stretch you and make you grow in that area? You could be stunting your own growth through mindsets that limit you and hold you back from going further than you have gone before.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”1 How you see yourself, what you expect of yourself, your own self-image and self-talk have great power.

“With God, all things are possible.”2 We need faith, and then we have to fight for what we believe the Lord wants us to accomplish.

George Bernard Shaw said:“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they cannot find them, they make them.”

If we want to progress, we need a personal plan for growth. Here’s a word from the Lord on this point:

To get anywhere you need a map, a plan, and a vision or a goal of the kind of person you know I want you to become, and then work toward gaining the virtues and removing the vices that will help you to get there. Seek Me about what I want you to do with your life. Think of someone you admire, or a career in service to others that you would like to have. Ask Me what it takes to be that kind of person, to excel in that career, to abide in that calling, and I’ll lead you. Then you’ll have something to strive toward.

Being all you can be means becoming what I know you can be. You have special talents, and beyond that, a special purpose for being on this earth. But to find it, you don’t sit and wait for Me or others to put you in front of the door and say, “Here, walk in,” but rather you do all you can to develop your potential and prepare for the plan and purpose I have for you.

I challenge you to grow. I challenge you to make the difficult choices of forsaking certain things, and adding other things to your life, even if it’s difficult.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Here’s more on developing a plan for personal growth. This is from the book Developing the Leaders Around You. Author John Maxwell says:

People think personal growth is a natural result of being alive. Well, it’s not. Growth is not automatic; it does not necessarily come with experience, nor simply as a result of gathering information. Personal growth must be deliberate, planned, and consistent… I want to emphasize that personal growth requires a plan. You have to create a plan and follow it. 

Practical steps for personal growth

Set aside time daily for growth. There are two important concepts in this step. First, time for growth must be planned. Getting sidetracked is one of the easiest things in the world to do. Growth time that is not strategically planned into the day soon disappears because our lives are busy. People must find a time that works for them and schedule it into their calendar. Then they must guard that time as they would any other appointment. Second, the time set aside must be set aside daily—for no fewer than five days a week. Educators report that people learn more effectively in shorter regular sessions than long, infrequent blocks of time.

Besides having a daily plan, I also recommend going through materials during times that other people normally consider wasted time. For instance, whenever I travel I take along books that may not be as meaty as my daily reading but that have good material.

Apply quickly what you learn

Simply knowing a thing will not make it part of you. To do that, you must apply it. Each time you learn something new, it’s good to ask yourself, “Where, when, and how can I use this?”

Grow with someone

I have a number of people around me who share things with me and whom I deliberately share things with. When you share what you are learning with others, it increases your insight, builds your relationship with them, gives you a common vision, and holds you accountable. It also creates worthwhile conversation.

It is helpful to think about how you can change things in your life to bring greater fulfillment, fruitfulness in your work and service to the Lord, and progress for God’s glory!

Roadmap was a video series created by tfi for young adults. Originally published in 2010. Adapted and republished on Anchor January 2020

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1 Proverbs 23:7.

2 Matthew 19:26.

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Another step to the Cashless Society

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Update on Angola Mission 2020

In the month of January 2020 the industrial stove promised by the local government arrived. The owner of the company that installed the stove was very impressed with the project, which helps school and feed up to 80 young Angolans a day  He promised to help bi-monthly. Little by little the Lord is answering our prayers and progress is being made. Here are some other photos from the recent months of 2019.

We will be finishing the cupboards to have a fine area for cooking and serving the food to the children.

Here is the kitchen area from the outside. Things are looking a little better.

The new guard we have hired to live on the property and help with the projects is here teaching the children. The children are very attentive as they have little or no intellectual input other than what they learn from adults. They have no electricity at home, so no television, no books, no mobile phones, no radio, which makes them very attentive to whatever the teacher is teaching. Adults are a fountain of information to many of Africa's youth.

The children following their teacher during exercise time.

Life is still quite simple in some parts of the world.

Don't you think it is worth it to invest in the lives of these children who have so little? With $100 we can pay the salary of the guard/teacher. With $100 we can buy the food we need to feed the children.

With a little help from those of us in richer countries projects like this can grow and progress and we can fulfill God's commandment to help the poor and needy. By doing so, we can bring God's blessing into our lives and have the assurance He will help us in our moments of affliction because we have heard His cry and have attended to the needs of the poor.

With a small monthly donation you can help make a difference in the lives of these children. But you may think, "What difference does it make, there are so many. We will never be able to eliminate poverty. So why bother?" My friend, at least we can try and our efforts will bring meaning into our own lives as a result.

Please consider becoming part of this project. Together we can make a difference. Contact me by WhatsApp at +0351 915016534. Thank you, Dennis, for Project Benguela / Association Nova Dimensão and-pt.org

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Is Abortion Before Implantation Biblically Permissible?

By Greg Koukl at Stand to Reason

I recently spoke at a church on the topic of embryonic stem cell research and was challenged by an audience member who gave a biblical defense for killing the early human embryo. The attendee cited Leviticus 17:11, which says, “For the life of the creature is in the blood.” She argued that shortly after conception, the developing human embryo is still travelling down the fallopian tube and has not yet implanted in the uterus (the woman’s womb). Prior to implantation, she argued, there’s no blood. And without blood, there’s no life, as Leviticus 17:11 suggests. Therefore, killing the embryo before implantation should not be described as killing a human life.

Since January 22 is the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (the landmark Supreme Court decision that made abortion the “law of the land” in the United States), I thought it would be appropriate to address this claim that challenges a component of the pro-life position.

There are several ways to respond. You can challenge the facts of the claim, or you can accept the claim and follow it to its logical—and possibly absurd—conclusion. Let’s begin by challenging the facts.

First, scientifically speaking, an individual human life begins at conception, not at implantation. This is a biological maxim. It’s even the opinion of most scientists. A recent survey of biology professors at over 1,000 institutions around the world revealed the following result: 5,337 biologists (96%) affirmed that human life begins at conception. Only 4% rejected that view. Therefore, the claim that the pre-implanted human embryo is not a living human being goes against scientific understanding.

Second, the human embryo before implantation is identical to the human embryo after implantation. There’s no difference in kind, only in degree of development. The pre-implanted embryo is not a different creature with different DNA than the post-implanted embryo. Rather, both are the same kind of organism with the same DNA. That means if it’s permissible to kill the human embryo before implantation, there’s no morally significant reason why we shouldn’t be able to kill it after implantation.

These are scientific considerations, though. They challenge the facts of the claim. It turns out, however, that you can also respond to this challenge by employing a tactic we teach at Stand to Reason: Taking the Roof Off (also known as reductio ad absurdum). This approach begins by accepting their claim as true and then asking what logically follows. If their claim leads to a ridiculous outcome, then we can reject their rationale. As you’ll see, there are at least three absurd consequences to their view.

First, assume it’s true that Leviticus teaches humans are alive only when they have blood in them. It turns out there’s no blood in the human embryo even immediately after implantation. In other words, according to the rationale that a human is alive only when he or she has blood inside, that would mean even an implanted embryo isn’t alive. It isn’t until day 21 (or 2 weeks after fertilization) that red blood cells form and a heart begins to pump blood.On this view, not only would killing the pre-implanted human embryo be permissible, but so would killing the human embryo after implantation and, indeed, during the first three weeks of gestation.

Second, if life is in the blood, then some animals that don’t contain blood are not alive. Jellyfish, for example, lack a brain, lungs, a heart, and blood but are clearly alive. Insects, amoebas, and many other animals that don’t have blood are also living. How does this understanding of Leviticus 17:11 make sense of living creatures that don’t have blood? It can’t.

A third absurdity is that if life is in the blood, then anything with blood should be living. For example, a fresh human corpse would still be “alive.” After all, immediately after death, a dead body still contains living red blood cells (alive for a limited time, of course). Surely we wouldn’t say it’s possible to kill a human corpse simply because it has blood in it. That would be absurd.

At this point it’s reasonable to wonder what the Leviticus passage actually means if it doesn’t mean what was suggested by the attendee of my event. That’s a fair question, but let me offer a thought. Even if we don’t know the correct interpretation of Leviticus 17:11, that doesn’t mean we can’t be confident of the incorrect interpretation. Surely the passage can’t mean that only humans with blood are living human beings who deserve protection because of the absurdities that arise given that understanding.

Reading the passage in context, however, gives us a clue as to the meaning of the words in verse 11. God tells Moses, “I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood.” The principle: Don’t eat blood. Why? God explains His rationale in the next verse: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” (Emphasis mine.) God forbids eating blood because it gives the animal life and, during animal sacrifice, the blood is spilt to atone for your sins and give you life.

This is a picture of the atoning work of Christ, whose spilt blood washes our sin away and gives us life. Since we now have life, we’re called to protect the life of every human being, no matter their stage of development.

Original document found at Is Abortion before Implantation Biblically Permissible? https://standtoreason93.tumblr.com

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