Today I convey the importance of having an experience with God’s love. We can study the word and know it’s teaching but it is a daily experience with God’s Love that will change us. Part of this process is getting to know ourselves as we are known by God. 1 John 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”
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We just finished celebrating the Feast of Passover, and even though I grew up celebrating the biblical feasts ( Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and others), I have wondered if people may think it is a little strange for us to celebrate the festivals of the Old Testament. I have also had people ask, ‘Why do you even read the Old Testament?’ …
Today I teach about Passover and how it relates to us as Christians. In the book of Exodus, God delivered His people from slavery. They were not only slaves to Pharaoh, but also to the gods of Egypt. The Israelites had to stay in their houses with blood on the door posts to be set free. Today, we recognize that Christ’s blood is our covering. When we take communion, we take it in faith that we are no longer slaves to the gods of this world but we are sons of the Lord Most High.
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Today I reiterate the importance of loving one another. Our love, one for another, is key in this process of restoration. When we move in this love we activate principles of the Kingdom. John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I have been writing about the process of restoration of the church, and one of the things that impact the way I walk with God is the way I apply, in my life, the principles established by God. Sometimes we may have a sense that we have lost our closeness with God and that we are not being blessed. When we understand the principles of a walk in the Spirit we should not become confused when we feel that. It is important to learn that we are blessed when we obey the commandments of the Word of God. It is not enough to know something; we are blessed when we do the things we already know. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them (John 13:17).
One of the principles that impact our lives constantly is forgiveness. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray he included this principle. For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:14–15). Jesus also taught about this principle in a parable (Matthew 18:23-35). In this parable it becomes clear that the debt that God is willing to forgive us is infinitely greater than the debt that we are asked to forgive others.
We are approaching the time of Passover. During this time we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Salvation, Redemption, Forgiveness of our sins, and being born again in a relationship with God, the Father. We can only approach the communion table to appropriate the forgiveness of our sins when we are willing to let go of the offenses of others toward us. It does not mean that it is easy; it means that we recognize that we have been forgiven a lot more than we are forgiving others. The offenses of others toward us are not worth holding on to, when compared to the mercy and grace of God towards us, through the blood of Jesus spilled for us.
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 25:35-40
Matthew 5:23-24
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I loved studying about the Spiritual Disciplines when I took part at Shiloh University’s Spiritual Formation Class. I often go back to those lessons, seeking a practical application in my life. This blog is about an experience I had with the discipline of solitude. Recently, I took part in a Somatic Movement Class with a focus on breathing and gentle …
Today I explain the importance of having a revelation of God’s love for us. When God saved us, He opened the door for us to have a deep relationship with His love and His promises. His provision of everything pertaining to life and godliness, is available to us when we choose to open our hearts and receive His love.
On my last blog I started to write about the process of the restoration of the church. As I continued to meditate about this, one thing became very clear to me, one of the first things that must be restored is our revelation of God’s love for us. This revelation can only come when we trust that He is willing to have a relationship with us, even when we fail and make mistakes. If I believe that He is just waiting for my next sin to reject me, my walk with God will always be based on a fear of rejection, instead of a revelation of His unchanging love. “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). One of the ways to translate this last part is: He loved them eternally.
Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray to the Father. As a Father, God may discipline His children, but He never rejects them. In reality, in His love He wants us to grow in our relationship with Him. Sometimes it is very easy to confuse discipline, correction, and even punishment with rejection. In God’s faithfulness we see that He is not rejecting His children, even if for a while He has to discipline them. “He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:9–11).
The restoration of our relationship with God will never be based on our own religious merits, but on His faithfulness and unchanging love. “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love” (Micah 7:18). On the other hand we must be open for the discipline and maturing in our relationship with the Father, and also to become channels of the same love and acceptance to others.
John 3:16-17
Psalm 136
Luke 15:19-20
Hebrews 5:7-9
Romans 11:32
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As we approach the time of the Feast of Passover we are filled with anticipation to celebrate it as a family. The Feast of Passover is inexhaustible in its significance for us today because it represents the love and drive of God to see His people delivered from any obligation so they can come to worship Him only. During the first …
I have been writing about the process of restoration of the church, and one of the things that impact the way I walk with God is the way I apply, in my life, the principles established by God. Sometimes we may have a sense that we have lost our closeness with God and that we are not being blessed. When …
Today I link our personal walks with God to Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” We must have a drive and determination to walk every day in a way that will bring forth God’s presence.
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Today I dive into the keys of effective prayer. We no longer come as beggars before the king, but enter into prayer as sons relating to a loving father. Find out what is yours according to the sacrifice of the son.
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Today I illuminate Psalms 51 through the context of David’s life. We know David as a worshiper and a man after God’s own heart, but it is important for us to study his life and understand the man behind the Psalms.
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The history of the Church is a very interesting subject, but it is not always easy to understand why so many things went so wrong. On the other hand it is important to remember that from the very beginning the church started with this idea of restoration (Acts 3:19-21). There are so many scriptures that point to the fact that …
Today I relate God’s presence in the book of Esther to God’s presence in our daily lives. God is behind the scenes orchestrating our lives, but we still have to accept and walk in the authority He has given us.
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A while ago I took part in the Spiritual Formation class my husband teaches at Shiloh University. In it, I learned about the Spiritual Disciplines. We studied several messages by John Robert Stevens and also a book titled Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster (I highly recommend this class). It was an amazing experience to participate in this course. My …
Today I talk about giving the Lord the new worship He is looking for. Worship is not about performing a lot of earthy habits, it is about presenting ourselves as we are. We must be an honest and living sacrifice to God.
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This week in our Spiritual Formation class we are studying prayer and I started meditating on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray. Sometimes it is easy to think about prayer related to the things that we need, things we are looking for, problems that need to be solved, and circumstances that we think that …
Today I connect fasting with Matthew 22:37-40. God is not looking for us to fast in a way that shows off humility with a pious face. He is looking for us to fast in a way that changes us. What is the fast that He chooses for His disciples now? That we love one another.
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Don’t you love stories with happy endings? When the evil plot turns on its head, there is an amazing last minute deliverance and a threat is reversed that brings so much joy to all the people? If you do, you should definitely read the book of Esther in the Bible. Get a good translation like the NASB and enjoy yourself! …
Today I teach about our reaction to hearing the truth. Both Saul and David were chosen by God and both made mistakes, but only David broke his heart before the Lord when he learned the truth. Psalms 51:7 “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
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Our youngest daughter started having nightmares a couple weeks ago and it disturbed her to the point that she was afraid of going to sleep and only wanted to stay in our bed. She kept asking me why this was happening and when it would stop. I know as a mother our kids look to us to solve all their …
Today I relate God’s working in our lives to a contractor remodeling a home. God inspected the house and saw all its flaws, but still paid the highest price and sent the Holy Spirit to remodel it. It might hurt when the carpet gets torn out but we must trust God’s love during this remodel and let go of anything that would deter Him from dwelling in us.
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Today I speak about our pursuit for God’s love. Our walls protect us from the depth of love that can change us. It is time to knock the walls down and receive that God loves us to the uttermost. 1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
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I just came back from visiting my family and church in Niteroi, Brazil. It was a very good time and I was invited to bring a message while I was there. The message will be published in Portuguese but here is the summary: When you look at what Saul and David went through in their lives, one thing becomes evident: …
Today I express the need for us to relate as part of God’s Family. In a family you are always learning something, even when you make mistakes you never stop belonging to God’s family.
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“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NAS) I want to pick up the thread from the last blog. I’ve been thinking about how we always think we know everything; you see …
Today I bring a communion message which encourages our daily appropriation of Christ’s provision. Christ’s love for us is the same today as it was the day he went to the cross. When we receive communion it is a matter of faith and spirit that deepens our connection with Christ’s love.
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“…but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. ” (1 Corinthians 13:10, NAS) Last week as I was talking to my daughter the Lord started talking to me about how life is one big and long transition. When you think you have things figured out, there comes the next change in our lives! A baby is born, …
Today I continue teaching out of Luke 11 where Jesus follows the disciple’s prayer with the parable about being persistent for bread. We must keep asking for bread, not to meet our personal needs, but so we can meet the needs of those God places around us.
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If you are in Christ, you are to have abundant life, increasing and overflowing. Why is it then that sometimes we don’t feel the flow of life and joy? A lot of times it is because we simply disconnected from the flow that is in our relationship with Christ. In the book of Zechariah, we read about the vision of …
I convey the difference between knowledge gained through a relationship with Christ and knowledge gained from human efforts. God wants to give us knowledge, but if we are not careful our desire for knowledge will result in the same separation that Adam and Eve experienced. Philipians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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