Declarações Positivas para Combater a Negatividade

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Maria Fontaine

Eu gostaria de compartilhar algumas declarações edificadoras da fé, inspiradas pelo Senhor, que oro ajude a turbinar sua fé quando estiver combatendo a negatividade. A variedade é grande, mas se não tiver nenhuma que se encaixe perfeitamente na sua situação, espero que sirvam de exemplos e o ajude a encontrar expressões de fé que expressem o que você sente e as batalhas que trava.



* Não importa se me sinto capaz ou talentoso ou não, estou determinado a fazer o melhor que posso. O Senhor me criou, então Ele vai ter que fazer a obra através de mim. Acredito que ter fé é agir, não sentir, portanto vou fazer o meu trabalho por fé, não importa como eu me sinta.

* Cometi um erro hoje, mas estou decidido a crescer e aprender com ele. Não vou permitir que o desencorajamento e o sentimento de culpa por causa deste erro me derrubem. Em vez disso escolho louvar Você, Jesus, por esse erro, porque com ele posso aprender maiores lições sobre humildade. E agora vou me levantar e tentar outra vez.

* Estou progredindo porque estou decidido a lutar, e hoje me recuso a desistir.

* E daí se eu não sou perfeito? Estou lutando para mudar e crescer. Enquanto eu continuar seguindo Jesus e o que Ele me mostra na Sua Palavra, posso ter certeza que vou avançar e me tornar quem Deus quer que eu seja.

* Eu vou louvar Jesus hoje não importa como me sinta. Não quero saber se estou cansado, preocupado, ansioso ou desanimado com todas essas coisinhas. Hoje eu quero me sentir feliz, satisfeito, alegre e positivo. Portanto vou encher a minha cabeça com coisas boas, pensamentos positivos e palavras de louvor. Jesus, eu Lhe agradeço por este dia dedicado ao louvor!

* Eu talvez me sinta uma porcaria, e até seja, mas Jesus prometeu que sempre nos será dispensada a força necessária. Clamo essa força para hoje.

* Eu me recuso a pensar negativamente sobre mim mesmo. Vou olhar para fora, para os outros, para as necessidades das pessoas ou situações carentes, para as almas perdidas que precisam desesperadamente de Jesus. Hoje eu vou fazer algo positivo por alguém que cruzar o meu caminho. Vou fazer algo para tornar o dia das pessoas melhor e para elas serem mais felizes.

* Jesus me escolheu. Jesus pagou por mim. Jesus pagou o preço mais alto por mim. Eu valho isso. Fui comprado por bom preço, pelo sangue de Jesus, de tão precioso que sou para Ele. Sou precioso para Jesus e vou viver o dia de hoje para fazê-lO Se orgulhar de ter investido em mim.

* Não vou comparar a minha vida negativamente com a de outros. Jesus não reteria nenhum bem de mim,[1] então, se existe algo que eu gostaria mas não me é possível ter, posso presumir com segurança que não seria bom eu ter.

* Mesmo que eu não me saia muito bem no que faço, posso fazer o melhor possível em seja o que for, e vou fazer o melhor que posso não importa o que eu pense de mim mesmo ou dos meus talentos. Mesmo que eu não tenha nenhum talento em um certo aspecto, se o Senhor me pedir algo, vai me ajudar a realizar.

* Não importa o que penso, eu sou lindo. Sou criação de Deus e ele nunca diz “foi mal.” Sou exatamente como Ele quer que eu seja. Sou lindo, porque Ele me criou. Vou ficar satisfeito em qualquer situação que me encontre. Vou ficar agradecido pela maneira como Ele me criou. Vou ficar feliz pela maneira como Ele me formou. Quero que Ele saiba que não importa o que aconteça, eu O amo e continuarei louvando.

* Eu estou progredindo na minha vida espiritual, e cada dia Jesus me leva mais longe. O Senhor não me compara com os outros, então eu não deveria fazer isso também. Vou me contentar com a maneira como o Senhor me criou, com as experiências que Ele me confiou e a profundidade e a maturidade que Ele me deu. Vou continuar amando e servindo a Ele o melhor possível, não importa o que eu pense do progresso da minha vida espiritual.

* O Senhor me fez ímpar, com habilidades únicas, uma mente e personalidade só minhas, um sabor só meu para acrescentar a este mundo. Vou mostrar a Jesus que estou feliz com a maneira como me criou e em ser criação Sua, vivendo de todo o coração a vida que Ele me deu, satisfeito, feliz e animado.

*

O coração em paz dá vida ao corpo.—Provérbios 14:30[2]

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De fato, a piedade com contentamento é grande fonte de lucro, pois nada trouxemos para este mundo e dele nada podemos levar.—1 Timóteo 6:6–7[3]

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Bendiga ao Senhor a minha alma! Bendiga ao Senhor todo o meu ser! Bendiga ao Senhor a minha alma! Não esqueça de nenhuma de suas bênçãos!—Salmo 103:1–2[4]

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Tu conservarás em paz aquele cuja mente está firme em ti; porque ele confia em ti.—Isaias 26:3[5]

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Deleite-se no Senhor, e ele atenderá aos desejos do seu coração.
Entregue o seu caminho ao Senhor; confie nele, e ele agirá.—Salmo 37:4–5[6]

Publicado originalmente em abril de 2006. Adaptado e republicado em março de 2014. Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão H.R.Flandoli.


[1] Salmo 34:10.

[2] NVI.

[3] NVI.

[4] KJV.

[5] ACRF.

[6] ACRF.

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Positive Statements for Fighting Negativity

By Maria Fontaine
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I’d like to share some faith-building statements, inspired by the Lord, that I pray will help bolster your faith when you’re battling negativity. There’s quite a bit of variety in these, but if there aren’t any that fit your situation to a T, hopefully they can serve as examples and help you to come up with faith boosters that will express the feelings on your heart and the battles that you face.



* Whether I feel capable and talented or not, I am determined to do my best. The Lord is the one who has made me, so the Lord is the one who will do it through me. I believe that faith is doing, not feeling, so I am going to do my best, by faith, regardless of how I feel.

* I made a mistake today, but I’m determined to grow and learn from it. I am not going to allow discouragement and condemnation to drag me down because of this mistake. I choose instead to praise You, Jesus, for this mistake, because through it I can learn greater lessons of humility. And now I’m going to get up and try again.

* I am making progress, because today I’m determining to fight, and today I refuse to quit.

* So what if I’m not perfect? I’m fighting for change and growth. As long as I am following Jesus and what He shows me through His Word, I can trust that I am moving forward and becoming the person the Lord wants me to be.

* I am going to praise Jesus today regardless of how I feel. I don’t care that I’m tired, worried, anxious, or discouraged over these many little things. Today, I want to feel happy, content, praiseful, cheerful, and positive. So I am going to fill my mind with good things, positive thoughts, and words of praise. I thank You, Jesus, for this day dedicated to praise!

* I may feel like a mess—I may even be a mess—but Jesus promised that there is always strength available to me. I claim that strength for today.

* I refuse to dwell negatively on myself. I’m going to look outward, toward others, toward other needs or needy situations, toward the lost souls who are desperately in need of Jesus. Today I am going to do something positive for someone I come in contact with. I’m going to do something today to make their day better and to make them happier.

* Jesus chose me. Jesus bought me. Jesus paid the highest price for me. I am worth it. I have been bought with the price of Jesus’ blood; that’s how precious He deems me. I am valuable to Jesus, and I am going to live this day to make Him proud of His investment.

* I will not compare my life negatively with others. Jesus would not withhold any good thing from me,1 so if there is something that I would like but it is not possible for me to have it, I can safely assume that it would not be good for me to have it.

* Even if I’m not the best at what I do, I can do my personal best in whatever I do. And I will do my personal best no matter how I feel about myself or my talents. Even if I don’t have any talents in certain areas, if the Lord is asking something of me, He’ll help me to accomplish it.

* No matter how I feel, I am beautiful. I am God’s creation, and He never says “Oops.” I’m beautiful, because He made me. I am going to be content in whatever state I’m in. I will be thankful for how He’s made me. I will be happy for the way He’s formed me. I want Him to know that no matter what, I love Him and will be continually praiseful.

* I am making progress in my spiritual life, and each day Jesus is taking me further. The Lord isn’t comparing me to others, so neither should I. I will be content with the way the Lord has made me, what experiences He’s trusted me to go through, and the spiritual depth and maturity He has given me. I will continue to love and serve Him to the best of my ability no matter how I feel about the progress of my spiritual life.

* The Lord has made me unique; He’s given me unique abilities, a unique mind, a unique personality, a unique flavor to add to this world. I will show Jesus that I am happy with how He’s created me, and I’m happy to be His creation by living the life He’s given me to live, wholeheartedly, contentedly, cheerfully, happily.

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A heart at peace gives life to the body.—Proverbs 14:302

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But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.—1 Timothy 6:6–73

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Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.—Psalm 103:1–24

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You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.—Isaiah 26:35

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Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.—Psalm 37:4–56

Originally published April 2006. Adapted and republished March 2014.
Read by Irene Quiti Vera.


1 Psalm 34:10.

2 NIV.

3 KJV.

4 KJV.

5 ESV.

6 ESV.

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Open Your Heart to Mercy and Forgiveness

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Audio length: 10:36
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God’s mercy is endless, from everlasting to everlasting! His love and mercy and forgiveness and salvation never end! He never stops loving us, no matter what we do. He never rejects us or withdraws His love. He always has hope for us, no matter how far we’ve strayed.1

In spite of our sins and shortcomings and misdeeds and crimes, whatever they may be, the blood of Jesus covers all our sins, past, present, and future. If we will forsake our sin and turn to the Lord, our God will abundantly pardon.2 The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.”3 No matter what we have done! The only “unpardonable sin” is a refusal to believe in Jesus, rejection of Him as your Savior.

We have a God big enough to forgive not only our mistakes but our sins! He always has and always does and always will, forever and ever and ever! Like a stream, like a river, His love and mercy just keep flowing no matter what!—David Brandt Berg

*

Have you ever heard about Jesus’ encounter with a certain wealthy businessman of Jericho?4

Zacchaeus, the man in our story, was quite an infamous character, especially when contrasted with the many devoutly religious figures who walked the streets of Jericho, “the city of priests.”

He was the wealthy head of a large office of government tax collectors, and to the Jews, tax collectors (or publicans, as they were called) were the absolute lowest of the low, only to be compared with common prostitutes. Well known for being cheaters, extortionists, and robbers of the poor, these men were also considered traitors to their brethren, since, though they themselves were Jews, they worked for the much-hated government of Rome.

Here was a man with governmental authority to bleed from the people as much tribute as possible, and anything he could gouge from them above that went straight into his own pocket.

But one day something happened that completely changed all this for Zacchaeus. He had already heard all about Jesus and the many miracles which He’d performed, yet even more fascinating was the fact that, like himself, Jesus also had a bad reputation and was known to be a friend of publicans and sinners. In fact, one of Jesus’ own disciples, Matthew, had one time been a tax collector in Capernaum!

For some time Zacchaeus had wanted to meet the “carpenter-turned-prophet.” Would Jesus be my friend too?” he wondered. He had no real friends outside of his immediate family, and recently he’d begun to feel quite dissatisfied. He’d begun to realize that it took much more than wealth to bring true warmth and satisfaction. After all, he had practically everything money could buy, but something was missing. Exactly what, he wasn’t sure.

Then one day Jesus passed through Jericho. When Zacchaeus heard that He was in town, he dropped everything, closed up his office, and hurried off to see for himself. A large crowd, with Jesus in their midst, was already moving slowly down the road, but poorZacchaeus was so short he couldn’t see a thing. Quickly he spotted a large sycamore tree up ahead of the crowd. As Jesus passed by, maybe he could see him from that tree. Zacchaeus ran past the crowd and scurried up into the tree.

When Jesus finally reached the tree where Zacchaeus was, Jesus called, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down. I must stay at your house today!”

“Wha … what did He say?” Zacchaeus was shocked! “He called me by my name! He wants to stay at my house?” He answered, “Why, this is an honor! Please do come to my house! You’re so very welcome!” And Zacchaeus joyfully escorted Jesus to his home.

By the time they arrived, the crowd that followed stood outside murmuring indignantly, “How could He, Jesus, come to our fair city, a center for religious training, and yet choose to lodge with such a scoundrel as that?”

Then Jesus exclaimed, within earshot of the grumbling crowd outside, “Today salvation has come to this house! For truly the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost!” It didn’t matter how bad Zacchaeus had been before; the Lord’s love was more than enough to forgive.—Adapted from an article in Treasures5

*

The people of Jericho were very annoyed with Jesus when he visited Zacchaeus in his own home, “They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house,’ they said.”6 But the attitudes of others never prevented Jesus from welcoming sinners. So no matter what people think of you, remember that Jesus is always waiting for you to turn to him. He is full of mercy and compassion and never refuses anyone, no matter what their past. … Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.”7 On another occasion Jesus said he did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.8 Jesus spent so much time with sinners during his ministry that a rhyme was made up about him: “Behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners.”9

The leaders of the Jewish religion, the scribes and Pharisees, complained about Jesus because of his ministry to sinners. So he told parables about God’s mercy, the parable of the shepherd searching for the lost sheep,10 the parable of the woman sweeping the house to find the lost coin,11 and the parable of the prodigal son being welcomed back by his father.12 Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous who have no need of repentance.13 … [Let us also] talk of God’s mercy, “You are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent. Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence.”14 Our Psalm also assured us of God’s mercy, “The Lord is kind and full of compassion.”15

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Will you, like Zacchaeus, open the door and welcome Jesus in? There is a most beautiful verse in Revelation 3. Jesus says, “Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share a meal at that person’s side.”16 It is up to you to open the door to Jesus; he will not force his way in. If you open the door of your heart to Jesus, it will be worth it.

When you meet Jesus, you will not remain the same afterwards. You will want to give up sin and live a new life of grace. … If you really meet Jesus, you will be different. That is what happened to Zacchaeus. He would no longer cheat in the taxes. He promised, “I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.”17 When we receive the forgiveness of Jesus we are transformed. Let us turn to the mercy of Jesus and be healed of our sins and renewed and transformed.—Fr. Tommy Lane18

*

O Jesus, You’re so patient and loving with us all. You have dealt with us in great love. We are as a brand snatched from the burning and lifted up from the dust and nothing. We thank You for Your love, Lord, how much You loved us. You didn’t fail us. You didn’t give up on us, even though we looked like a hopeless case.

“For a little while I have forsaken thee, but with loving kindness and tender mercies have I gathered thee.”19 “For My mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, and so will I have mercy upon

thee.” “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”20 “For though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool!”21

“Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!” God’s mercy seems to be unlimited. His love is boundless. Praise God!—David Brandt Berg

Published on Anchor August 2015. Read by Debra Lee.



1 Psalm 103:3–14.


2 Isaiah 55:7.


3 1 John 1:9.


4 See Luke 19:1–10.


5 Published by The Family International in 1987.


6 Luke 19:7


7 Luke 19:10.


8 Luke 5:32.


9 Luke 7:34.


10 Luke 15:3–7.


11 Luke 15:8–10.


12 Luke 15:11–32.


13 Luke 15:7.


14 From the New American Bible.


15 Psalm 145:8.


16 Revelation 3:20.


17 Luke 19:8.


18 http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/year_c/31.htm#confession.


19 Isaiah 54:7–8.


20 Isaiah 55:7.


21 Isaiah 1:18.

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À Imagem e Semelhança de Deus

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P. Amsterdam

Disse Deus: “Façamos o homem à Nossa imagem, conforme a Nossa semelhança” … Assim Deus criou o homem à Sua imagem, à imagem de Deus o criou.[1]

Os seres humanos (macho e fêmea) foram criados à imagem e semelhança de Deus. Deus estava comunicando que ia criar seres como Ele. Não disse que seriam exatamenteiguais a Ele ou que aqueles que estava prestes a criar seriam divinos como Ele é, mas que os seres humanos seriam de algumas formas similares a Deus

Seres humanos foram criados para terem similaridades com Deus. Apesar de Adão e Eva terem pecado e se separado de Deus, e de toda a humanidade estar separada de Deus pelo pecado, não se perdeu completamente a semelhança com Deus. Após destruir toda a humanidade, exceto Noé e sua família no Dilúvio, Deus reiterou haver criado os humanos à Sua imagem. O Novo Testamento também fala da semelhança entre Deus e os homens:Deus fez o homem à Sua semelhança.[2]

Apesar de os humanos ainda serem a imagem e semelhança de Deus, a queda do homem trouxe mudanças. Até então, Adão e Eva viviam em condição de pureza e tinham capacidade de não pecar. Eles podiam escolher pecar, assim como podiam escolher não pecar. Depois da queda, isso mudou. Sua pureza moral acabou e o desejo e habilidade para permanecerem na vontade de Deus foi distorcido. Os humanos passaram a ser pecadores por natureza e, apesar de poderem optar por não pecar às vezes, o pecado é parte da sua natureza e não possuem a habilidade para não pecar. Ainda são criaturas segundo a imagem de Deus, mas esta foi alterada pelo pecado.

A natureza humana original é a que existia antes da queda do homem e foi corrompida pelos efeitos do pecado. Felizmente, nós, cristãos, podemos combater alguns dos efeitos de nossa natureza degradada quando acreditamos, obedecemos, internalizamos e aplicamos a Palavra de Deus. Quando houver a ressurreição dos mortos e os cristãos ressurgirem em glória e se reunirem aos seus corpos, seremos libertados dos efeitos da natureza do homem resultante da sua queda.


Características exclusivas da humanidade

Como os humanos são as únicas criaturas que Deus diz ter criado à Sua imagem e semelhança, são significativamente diferentes de todo o restante da criação animal. Apesar de os animais terem alguns elementos dessas características ou as ter em diferentes graus, a presença delas no homem é quantitativamente superior.

Assim como Deus é um ser plural na Trindade, os seres humanos refletem parte dessa pluralidade em que o homem e a mulher, sendo dois, se tornam uma só carne pelo casamento. Os humanos são seres pessoais. Interagimos e estabelecemos relacionamentos complexos uns com os outros

Temos consciência; estamos conscientes de nós mesmos, da nossa existência. Podemos nos conhecer, nos examinar e nos julgar. Somos seres morais e temos um senso interior de certo e errado

Possuímos livre arbítrio e autodeterminação. Temos a habilidade de escolher entre várias opções e, feito isso, avançar para a realização da meta escolhida

Nossos espíritos invisíveis imateriais são imortais. Deus sempre existiu e a imortalidade é parte da Sua essência, e, feitos à Sua semelhança (apesar de não sermos exatamente como Ele), o espírito dos seres humanos são imortais, no sentido de que viverão para sempre após se separarem dos respectivos corpos, no ato da morte.

Somos criaturas racionais, com a habilidade de pensar logicamente, raciocinar e estar consciente do passado, presente e futuro. Vivenciamos uma grande variedade de emoções.

Somos criativos. Não criamos no mesmo nível que Deus cria, mas somos dotados de criatividade de ideias e pensamentos e, assim, podemos “criar” música, arte ou literatura. Além de gerar ideias, podemos produzir as possibilidades de as materializar. Usamos uma linguagem complexa para nos comunicarmos.

Há outras maneiras de a imagem e semelhança de Deus se manifestarem na humanidade, mas estas são algumas das mais importantes.


A bondade original

A Bíblia diz que quando Deus concluiu a criação disse que tudo que Ele havia feito era muito bom. Isso incluía Adão e Eva. Lemos também nas Escrituras que Ele os fez justos.

Viu Deus tudo o que tinha feito, e que era muito bom. E houve tarde e manhã — o sexto dia.[3]

Como foram considerados muito bons, e tinham elementos de conhecimento, integridade e santidade, entende-se que Adão e Eva não foram criados em um estado de inocência com neutralidade moral, mas que eram moralmente íntegros. Do momento em que foram criados até pecarem Adão e Eva eram moralmente íntegros e capazes de não cometerem pecado.

Quando Adão e Eva pecaram, continuaram sendo à imagem e semelhança de Deus. Contudo, não tanto quanto antes. Não eram mais moralmente íntegros, como haviam sido, pois haviam desobedecido ao mandamento de Deus, corrompendo a natureza humana original.

Isso também mudou o relacionamento com Deus, pois foram expulsos do Éden e impedidos de retornar, “para que não estenda a mão, e tome também da árvore da vida, e coma e viva eternamente.” Nesse momento, a morte física passou a fazer parte da humanidade. Como Deus lhes disse que se comessem da árvore do conhecimento do bem e do mal certamente morreriam, conclui-se que se não o comessem do fruto dessa árvore não teriam de morrer. As Escrituras não nos dizem exatamente como isso aconteceria, mas expressa que a morte entrou na humanidade em consequência do pecado.


O plano de Deus para salvação

O fato de Adão e Eva haverem pecado trouxe mudanças na humanidade de proporções épicas. As consequências de seus pecados trouxeram uma separação entre Deus e a humanidade. Causou uma distorção e degradação da imagem de Deus no homem, de forma que este deixou de ser moralmente puro, e fazendo o homem viver em um estado de pecaminosidade, não mais capaz de não pecar. Por isso, a Palavra de Deus diz que todos pecaram e destituídos estão da glória de Deus.[4]

O espírito humano vive além da morte do corpo físico, mas este volta ao pó, conforme a sentença de Deus pelo pecado.

As consequências do pecado na humanidade estão profundamente legadas ao plano de Deus para a salvação. Na encarnação, morte, ressurreição e volta de Jesus, essas consequências são superadas. Sua morte e ressurreição trouxeram a salvação de nossas almas, o que significa que os pecados da humanidade foram expiados por Cristo e esse perdão está disponível a todos que O aceitarem. A separação entre Deus e o crente já não mais existe, pois a morte de Jesus trouxe a reconciliação entre Deus e os que receberam Seu Filho.

A vós também, que noutro tempo éreis estranhos, e inimigos no entendimento pelas vossas obras más, agora, contudo, vos reconciliou no corpo da sua carne, pela morte, para perante Ele vos apresentar santos, e irrepreensíveis, e inculpáveis.[5]

Pois se nós, quando éramos inimigos, fomos reconciliados com Deus pela morte de seu Filho, muito mais, estando já reconciliados, seremos salvos pela sua vida. Não somente isto, mas também nos gloriamos em Deus por nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, por intermédio de quem agora alcançamos a reconciliação.[6]

Os corpos de todos os crentes morrem, mas à volta de Jesus, serão ressuscitados (os corpos dos crentes que estiverem vivos nesse momento serão imediatamente transformados), e seus espíritos se unirão aos seus corpos e os corpos ressurretos e, corpos e espíritos, juntos, viveram para sempre.

Por meio do amor, graça e misericórdia de Deus, manifestos na morte e ressurreição de Jesus, os humanos receberam a oportunidade de superar todos os efeitos de seus pecados e da natureza pecaminosa. A morte física será derrotada conforme nos levantarmos dos mortos e recebermos nossos corpos ressurgidos e imperecíveis. A separação espiritual causada pelo pecado deixará de existir e a comunhão com Deus será plenamente restaurada. Em vez de sermos como o primeiro homem, o homem de pó, Adão, seremos como o homem do Céu, Jesus,[7] e refletiremos a Sua imagem.[8]

Publicado originalmente em julho de 2012. Adaptado e republicado em agosto de 2015.


[1] Gênesis 1:26–27.

[2] Tiago 3:9.

[3] Gênesis 1:31.

[4] Romanos 3:23.

[5] Colossenses 1:21–22.

[6] Romanos 5:10–11.

[7] 1 Coríntios 15:47.

[8] 1 Coríntios 15:49.

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God’s Help Through Life’s Storms

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Words from Jesus

Audio length: 10:02
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“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever!”—2 Corinthians 4:16–171

No matter what hardships the world may throw at you, you have—in Me—everything you need to persevere. Despair is a deep pit, and sometimes you totter around its edges, precariously close to falling in. Your only hope at such times is to fix your eyes on Me. The more perplexed you are—bewildered by complex circumstances—the easier it is to lose your balance. To keep from falling, you must change your focus from your circumstances to My presence. This requires strenuous effort on your part, because you have not fully accepted the limitations of your mind. Your natural tendency is to keep thinking about a difficult situation ad nauseam—trying to figure it out. However, I am always nearby, eager to help you change your focus time after time.

Though you may be hard pressed on every side, you need not be crushed by difficulties. You are not alone in your battles, because I will never, ever abandon you. Even if you are struck down by a fatal blow, you will not be destroyed. I am the shepherd and guardian of your soul—the part of you that is indestructible. I give you eternal life, and you will never perish. No one can snatch you out of My hand!2
I want you to make it

“Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.”—Hebrews 12:13

Just keep hanging on, no matter how difficult it seems and no matter how little progress you feel you’re making. I see your heart and I know what you are experiencing, and I’ll help you each step of the way. As long as you’re holding on and fighting, you’re making progress in My eyes and I’m pleased with you.

I know this is a very trying time for you; it’s confusing, and you’re faced with some very import­ant decisions. You’re battling to know what you’re supposed to do. You feel so unprepared and worn out spiritually that you feel like you can’t possibly do it. But I’ve promised that I won’t allow you to face more than you can take. I won’t allow one speck more than you can handle. You can trust Me completely on this, because I know exactly what you’re going through right now, and I won’t fail to pull you through if you keep fighting and keep trusting.

I know it all seems overwhelming right now, but I promise that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you just keep going one step at a time, you’ll come to the end of the tunnel and into the light. Things will not always be this way. You won’t always feel discouraged or worried, wondering what to do, because I will pull you through this battle and you will rise above to victory, as long as you hold on to Me.

I want you to make it! I don’t want to see you hurt or unhappy, and I’ll help you make it. But you have to understand that at times it will hurt a little, and at times you’ll need to make sacrifices. I can’t protect you from every single bit of hurt in life; there’ll be some hurt, but I promise that as you come to Me for comfort, I’ll comfort you. My comfort will wash away the feelings of hurt.

Come to Me whenever you feel discouraged or down. Don’t wait for days, or even for half a day. Come to Me and let Me speak to you and comfort your heart and give you words of encouragement to help you to keep going.

I won’t fail you. I’m here for you, and I promise to love you, to comfort, to encourage, and to give you the anointing and power to carry on, no matter what you are facing, if you come to Me.
I go before you

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”—Deuteronomy 31:84

I Myself go before you—opening up the way. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore, you need not be afraid or discouraged. I realize, though, that feelings often fail to submit to logic. So don’t be surprised when your emotions rebel against your will. David—who was both a mighty warrior and a gifted poet—expressed fearfulness, trembling, and even overwhelming horror in one of his psalms. Yet his trust in Me was genuine and deep. His life and His writing demonstrate that fear doesn’t “trump” trust: They can coexist. This is why David could proclaim, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”5

Trust is a relational word. It’s one of the prime ways you can draw near Me. When you are afraid, don’t blame yourself for having that very human emotion. Instead, acknowledge what you’re feeling; then affirm your trust in Me—out loud or in a whisper. This affirmation protects you from the lie that feeling fearful means you don’t trust Me. Even better, it brings you consciously into My presence, where you can find comfort and hope. The light of My presence illuminates the vast dimensions of My love for you—empowering you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep My love is.6
Don’t hesitate to ask for My help

“I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you. In just a little while I will be gone from the world, but I will still be present with you.”—John 14:18–197

Weakness is not something you are to be afraid of. When you’re tired, when you’re worn, when you’re feeling under the weather, don’t be ashamed or afraid to come and ask Me for help. Don’t try to get through, struggling the whole morning or the whole day—or longer than that—when you can come to Me and ask Me to help you. It saddens Me to see you become spent and discouraged because you try so hard to do something yourself when you don’t have it within you to do it alone, when you need extra help.

Come to Me whenever you need an extra boost, and I’ll carry you through. You won’t need to try to carry the burden; I’ll help you carry it. You won’t need to have to try to think everything through on your own; I’ll help you do that. The challenge won’t seem as big anymore as we tackle it together. With Me, you may still have to weather the storm, but at least you can rest assured that you have a good Pilot and your safety is guaranteed, even if it is a violent storm. I have promised that I will never leave you comfortless.

Published on Anchor August 2015. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.
Music by Michael Dooley.



1 TLB.


2 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).


3 TLB.


4 NLT.


5 Psalm 56:3.


6 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009).


7 TLB.

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What to Do If You Think You Have Food Poisoning

Beth Skwarecki, Lifehacker, Aug. 27, 2015

The worst food poisoning I ever had was a few days after returning from a weekend vacation with friends. When I finally dragged myself out of the bathroom, an email was waiting for me: “Is everybody else feeling okay? I know our dinner together was a few days ago so I’m sure it’s not that, but I just wanted to check.”

We never found out what food was the culprit, but there was only one meal we all shared and every adult there came down with vomiting and diarrhea about two days later. That’s classic food poisoning. But sometimes the situation is less clear. How do you know when you have food poisoning versus a run-of-the-mill stomach bug, and what should you do about it?

The truth is, there’s no medical difference between “food poisoning” and other diarrheal illnesses. The same germs that cause food poisoning are also common causes of stomach flu or traveler’s diarrhea.

In all of these cases, some virus or bacterium, or perhaps even a parasite, took the fecal-oral route from (sorry) somebody’s butt into your mouth. From the germ’s point of view, it’s a wonderful way to travel: you get eaten, trigger the person’s body to spew from either or both ends, then do your best to stick to surfaces that they or somebody else might touch.

Norovirus is a master at this game: in 2009, a passenger threw up on an airplane, and a flight attendant immediately cleaned up the mess. Over the next week, half of the flight attendants who worked on that plane got sick. In another case, members of a soccer team ate snacks from sealed bags that had been in the bathroom with a sick teammate. Investigators think that droplets containing the virus settled on the bags, and the other players got the virus onto their hands while eating. Call it food poisoning or a stomach bug–either way, they got sick.

Other organisms follow a similar route, but usually not with such ruthless efficiency. Maybe some fecal bacteria from the farm (say, E. coli) got onto some beef and into a grinder, and from there spread to several packages of hamburger meat. You leave the meat out too long–maybe in a cooler at a picnic that wasn’t as cool as it should have been–and the bacteria multiply. Then you cook the burger, but not all the way since you like them rare. Your immune system kills off most of the bacteria, but not quite enough. The bacteria make a toxin that makes you sick. Mission completed.

If you ate with friends and all of you come down with vomiting or diarrhea at the same time, there’s a good chance there was something wrong with that meal. But sometimes you can’t track it down so neatly and it’s hard to know where exactly the culprit came from.

Intuition is bad at helping us track down the source of food poisoning. People who get sick are likely to think back to their last meal or two, especially if it came from a sketchy restaurant. In truth, our biases probably influence where we point the finger.

But if you can’t always blame your last meal, who should you blame? It turns out there’s a pretty big window of opportunity, depending on what exactly made you sick. Norovirus will live in your body for 1 to 3 days before you show symptoms; that time is known as the incubation period. Campylobacter, common in poultry, takes 2-5 days. Clostridium perfringens may strike the same day, within 8-16 hours. E. coli takes up to three days, although the nastier forms may take as long as a week. Salmonella is another quick one, striking in as little as 6 hours or up to 2 days. And then Listeria (which is mild in adults but can cause miscarriage or stillbirth if a pregnant woman contracts it) will cause stomach-bug symptoms within the first few days but show its more serious complications weeks later.

To keep from perpetuating that fecal-oral route, be aware of the germs you’re probably spraying all over your bathroom. If you can isolate yourself from family or roommates, do that–for example, now would be a good time for your kid to spend the night at Grandma’s.

In the meantime, wipe up any stray bodily fluids, wash your hands (and make sure anyone remaining in the house washes their hands if they’ve been near you or things you’ve touched), and as soon as you’re feeling up to it, clean up any potentially contaminated surfaces with bleach.

One of the common complications from food poisoning is dehydration, so drink water and consider other liquids when you’re ready, like Gatorade or ginger ale or soup. It’s normal to not feel like eating for a day or two. You may want to ease back into eating with simple, bland foods like crackers.

It’s impossible to fully protect yourself from food poisoning, but you can improve your chances by cooking and handling food properly. Spoiled leftovers may not always taste or smell bad, so the rule there is “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Cook food properly. Temperature is a better gauge than color when you’re working with meat. Keep raw meats separate from cooked foods, and don’t let anything sit in the “danger zone” for more than two hours. That’s the temperature range in between fridge temperature and piping hot. Fully cooking food will kill bacteria and inactivate many bacterial toxins, so it’s a good rule of thumb for making sure food is safe to eat–but if you suspect a food has gone bad already, reheating it won’t guarantee it’s safe. That’s because a few toxins, like the ones from Staphylococcus aureus, can survive cooking.

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The Seinfeld Strategy to Stop Procrastinating in 2015

By James Clear, January 5, 2015

By almost any measure of wealth, popularity and acclaim, Jerry Seinfeld is among the most successful comedians of his generation.

However, what’s most impressive about Seinfeld’s career isn’t the awards, the earnings or the special moments–it’s his remarkable consistency. Show after show, year after year, he performs, creates and entertains at an incredibly high standard. Jerry Seinfeld produces with a level of consistency that most of us wish we could bring to our daily work.

Compare his results to where you and I often find ourselves. We want to create, but struggle to do so. We want to exercise, but fail to find motivation. Wanting to achieve our goals, but–for some reason or another–we still procrastinate on them.

What’s the difference between Jerry and the rest of us? I’m not sure about all of his strategies, but I recently discovered a story that revealed one of the secrets behind Seinfeld’s incredible productivity, performance and consistency.

Let me tell you what he does and how you can use the “Seinfeld Strategy” to eliminate procrastination and achieve your goals.

To explain the Seinfeld Strategy, it helps to know the following story: Some years back, Brad Isaac was a young comedian starting out on the comedy circuit. One night, he found himself in a club where Seinfeld was performing. In an interview on Lifehacker, Isaac shared what happened when he caught the comedy legend backstage and asked if he had “any tips for a young comic.”

Seinfeld told Isaac that the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes, and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. “He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red Magic Marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day,” Isaac recalled.

Seinfeld continued: “After a few days, you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain.”

You’ll notice that Seinfeld didn’t say a single thing about results.

It didn’t matter if he was motivated or not. It didn’t matter if he was writing great jokes or not. It didn’t matter if what he was working on would ever make it into a show. All that mattered was “not breaking the chain.”

And that’s one of the simple secrets behind Seinfeld’s remarkable productivity and consistency. For years, the comedian simply focused on “not breaking the chain.”

Top performers in every field–athletes, musicians, CEOs, artists–are all more consistent than their peers. They show up and deliver day after day while everyone else gets bogged down with the urgencies of daily life and fights a constant battle between procrastination and motivation.

While most people get demotivated and go off–track after a bad performance, bad workout or simply a bad day at work, top performers settle right back into their pattern the next day.

The Seinfeld Strategy works because it helps to take the focus off of each individual performance and puts the emphasis on the process instead. It’s not about how you feel, how inspired you are or how brilliant your work is that day. Instead, it’s just about “not breaking the chain.”

All you have to do to apply this strategy to your own life is pick up a wall calendar and start your chain.

There is one caveat with the Seinfeld Strategy: You need to pick a task that is meaningful enough to make a difference, but simple enough that you can get it done.

It would be wonderful if you could write 10 pages a day for a book you’re working on, but that’s not a sustainable chain to build. Similarly, it sounds great in theory to be able to deadlift like a maniac every day, but in practice you’ll probably be overtrained and burnt out.

So, choose a task that is simple enough to be sustainable and make sure that your actions are meaningful enough to matter. Doing 10 pushups per day could be simple and meaningful depending on your level of fitness and it will make you stronger. But reading a fitness book each day, while simple, won’t get you in better shape.

Don’t break the chain on your workouts and you’ll find that you get fit rather quickly. Don’t break the chain in your business and you’ll find that results come much faster. Don’t break the chain in your artistic pursuits and you’ll find that you will produce creative work on a regular basis.

So often, we assume that excellence requires a monumental effort and that our lofty goals demand incredible doses of willpower and motivation. But really, all we need is dedication to small, manageable tasks. Mastery follows consistency.

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A British House Overflowing With Lords Draws Scorn

By Stephen Castle, NY Times, Aug. 22, 2015

LONDON–Britain’s unelected and overcrowded House of Lords lost one of its members last month, when a newspaper exposé prompted the resignation of Lord Sewel of Gilcomstoun in Aberdeen, a former university lecturer who was accused of snorting cocaine with a prostitute and pictured wearing an orange bra.

But after this brief downward blip, the second chamber of the British Parliament seems poised to resume the long expansion of its ranks.

Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to nominate several dozen new members soon, continuing a tradition in which the party in power adds to its representation in the House of Lords, which, while limited in authority, can amend or delay legislation.

Though adding new peers to the Lords is standard in British politics, there is growing disenchantment with political institutions across Europe. Support for mainstream parties is fragmenting, and populism is on the rise.

The House of Lords is an easy target. Swollen numbers mean its ornate, gilded chamber is too small to seat all attendees on busy days, let alone the entire membership, while its age profile can make it look like a retirement home.

With 781 members entitled to vote, the Lords enjoys the dubious title of the world’s largest legislative chamber outside China.

“The House of Lords is growing out of control,” said Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, a group that promotes representative democracy. The society recently released a report that described the chamber as “a shockingly out of date and unrepresentative institution.”

More than half of its members are 70 or older, and just two are younger than 39, according to the society. Of the 781 peers, 589 are men.

Advancing years have not always brought wisdom, judging by the recent resignation of John Sewel, 69, who, as news reports gleefully recounted, was the chairman of a Lords committee responsible for upholding standards among members. That job ended when the tabloid The Sun on Sunday accused him of snorting cocaine off the breasts of a prostitute, and released a video that showed him consuming a white powder.

These days, members are less likely to be scions of the landed aristocracy than politicians, advisers or party supporters, ennobled as a reward for loyal service or other (sometimes financial) contributions.

Yet that has not prevented some peers from behaving as if they had strayed in from a distant country estate.

Last year, they resisted a cost-cutting measure to share catering services with the House of Commons, because the quality of their champagne might suffer.

More recently, The Daily Mail highlighted written complaints by unnamed lords and ladies about the food they were served, including one peer who moaned that a cheese crème brûlée consumed in February “wasn’t very cheesy,” and that a supreme of hake was “completely unadorned, with a hard crust on top.” Another member fumed that “cabbage, broccoli, sprouts and spinach have almost vanished completely in favor of root vegetables!”

Despite such privations, a seat in the Lords remains prized. With it comes a title and the right to claim up to 300 pounds, or about $470, as a daily allowance for attending sessions (without having to give up any other job). Benefits include a desk in the historic Parliament buildings and access to facilities like a parking lot, restaurants and watering holes, including the wood-paneled Bishops’ Bar.

For those who have spent their lives in politics, the House of Lords is also seductive because it gives them a public platform, and an opportunity to shape laws, without the inconvenience of standing for election.

Though much less expensive to the taxpayer per seat than the salaried legislators in the Commons, costs in the House of Lords are under scrutiny. According to the Electoral Reform Society report, in the 2010-2015 Parliament, peers who failed to vote even once in some years claimed a total of £360,000 in allowances, and the appointment of an additional 50 members would cost “at least £1.3 million per year.”

Kirsty Blackman, a member of the Scottish National Party who was recently elected to the House of Commons, described the House of Lords as bloated, outdated, undemocratic and a “horrendous waste of money.”

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The Surprising Science of Praise

Joel Peterson, Huffington Post, Aug. 19, 2015

As parents, we love to praise our children. When a daughter or son has succeeded in something at school, at home or in an activity, we love telling them, “You’re so smart!” “You’re so talented!” “You’re the best!”

After all, reinforcing a child’s success with praise is good for them, right? Well, maybe. But, it may depend on the praise that’s given, and certain kinds of praise can actually do harm.

Lewis Terman was a pioneering psychological researcher at Stanford University and was the person responsible for creating the Stanford-Binet IQ test in America between 1904 and 1915. He modified the original test created in 1905 by Frenchman Alfred Binet. In fact Terman coined the term “intelligence quotient” or IQ. He launched a study of high IQ students in 1921, tracking 1,528 individuals in what has become the longest running research study. Participants were followed throughout their lives using surveys about all aspects of their lives every 5 to 10 years. Current participants are in their 80s and 90s.

The study uncovered some highly interesting findings.

In 1968, Terman’s associate, Melita Oden compared the 100 most successful and 100 least successful men in the group, defining success as holding jobs that required their intellectual capability. For instance, those who were deemed successful were in professions such as medicine, while those deemed unsuccessful were in jobs such as sales clerk. She found that the IQs of the two groups were nearly identical; the difference being meaningless in any practical term. The big difference turned out to be in “will power, perseverance and desire to excel.” And these traits were discernible by grade school.

So we see that IQ may be less important than personal traits, like persistence. But are not personal traits fixed? Aren’t children born with unique personalities, which may predispose them to persistence or resilience? Maybe, but there is some compelling science that says that traits can be instilled or, at least, strengthened.

A former Columbia University researcher, who is now currently at Stanford, psychologist Carol Dweck, conducted a series of landmark studies with her colleague, Claudia Mueller, in the late 1990s about praise and education outcomes. Their findings have been replicated and expanded by numerous studies since.

The findings repeatedly showed that praising intelligence or talent made children actually less persistent, less confident and less resilient. Because intelligence and talent are things they can’t control, every challenging situation they faced became a confrontation that could discredit their being labeled intelligent or talented.

But praising improvement and the process children engage in–like their effort, hard work, strategy or focus–led to greater persistence, greater resiliency and greater success. Dweck and her colleagues showed that the traits identified by Oden are not fixed, but can be instilled and strengthened.

Especially in children and teenagers, the brain and personality–and personal traits–are being found to be elastic, adaptable and capable of change. Both for the better or otherwise.

Praising correctly can improve traits linked with education and life success. It involves praising for things, processes, approaches and outcomes that children can control and replicate on their own. What the praise should do is concretely identify these for the child, because he or she may not be able to link the correct cause and effect; link their effort or focus to a successful outcome.

Praise can help them make that connection and associate positive emotional reinforcement with that cause-effect connection.

Telling children they are the best may make them think that ability at something is fixed and they may avoid situations that could disprove their status as the best. But telling children they have gotten better because of what they did or how they did it, lets them know that ability at something is not fixed; that it can improve and they have the power to make it happen.

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