As armadilhas do diabo (Series): Elijah

As armadilhas do diabo (Series): Elijah

  • As armadilhas do diabo: Elijah
    (Uma série tirada do Dr.. Carlos Stanley)

 

Elijah
(1 Kings 18-19)

As we continue our study looking at the lives of Eve, Achan, David and now Elijah, let’s consider the following question. What was the one thing that Elijah focused his attention on causing him to flee and want to die? He was threatened by King Ahab’s wife, Queen Jezebel, who was the most evil woman ever recorded in Scripture. She had a man cut into pieces because he would not sell his vineyard to her husband, King Ahab. She would stop at nothing to achieve her end goal. A worshipper and servant of Baal, she was cunning and deceptive like Satan the snake. To obtain whatever she desired, Jezebel would steal, cheat and lie. Ahab, on the other hand, was supposedly a believer of the One True God. Contudo, with her idol worship and sacrifice, Jezebel caused her husband to fall into sin against God. Without a doubt, she was evil to her very core. As a result of the atrocities that Ahab and Jezebel committed, God punished them by withholding rain for 3 ½ years. At this same moment in history, God raised up the prophet Elijah to confront Ahab and Jezebel regarding their sins and to proclaim judgment as a result of their idolatry.

Following his proclamation against the King and Queen, Elijah engages in a battle of sorts between the prophets of Baal and the children of God on Mount Carmel. Read the full biblical account in 1 Kings 18. Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to call down fire from the sky to burn up the sacrifice prepared for their god. All day they worship, cut themselves and cry out, but Baal remains silent. I love Elijah’s response—Perhaps your gods went on a journey, or they are sleeping. Next, it’s Elijah’s turn. He drenches the offering and the altar with water. Then, he cries out to God. Fire comes down from heaven consuming the sacrifice along with the entire altar. Elijah proceeds to kill 450 prophets of Baal with the sword, after which he runs to Ahab to say that rain is coming. Ahab tells Jezebel all that has happened. After hearing this, she becomes enraged and vows to kill Elijah within 24 hours. When Elijah discovers this, he flees for his life. Out of immense fear, he asks God to take his life because he doesn’t want to live anymore—all because of one woman.

Let’s reflect upon this scenario and apply it to our lives. When were you fearful and running for your life; was it due to an abusive situation or were you running away from your past? The Lord has shown me not to run, but to face things head on, while I am holding onto His righteous right hand. He will protect us. May He give us courage to stand on His Word and His truth.

Você é amado,
Toni

 

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As armadilhas do diabo (Series): David

As armadilhas do diabo (Series): David

As armadilhas do diabo: DAVI
Uma série tirada do Dr.. Carlos Stanley

(2 Samuel 11:1-17-12:1-10)

Essa semana, veremos os pecados do rei Davi, um líder militar de sucesso e um homem segundo o coração de Deus. Desviados pela luxúria, ele persegue ativamente a esposa de outro homem e se abre a todos os tipos de mal. Davi tenta esconder seu pecado de adultério com Bate-Seba, esposa de Urias. Ela fica grávida do filho de David, o que leva David a assassinar Urias. Deus envia Natã, o Profeta, para mostrar a Davi o erro de seus caminhos, e David é condenado. Embora, ele não escapa do castigo e das consequências de seu pecado. A vida de seu filho é tirada por Deus, e a espada nunca sai da casa de Davi (2 Samuel 12:10uma).

Através das Escrituras, observamos a rápida progressão do pecado na vida de Davi para que possamos aprender a proteger nossos próprios corações do diabo e de seus ardis. Ninguém está isento do pecado. Devemos fazer tudo o que pudermos para permanecermos imaculados do mundo, confessando os pecados diariamente, estando na Palavra e orando durante todo o dia.

O primeiro erro de Davi foi quando ele decidiu ficar no palácio na primavera, quando os reis costumam ir para a batalha. Um dia, entediado de deitar na cama, David decide caminhar até seu telhado, de onde observa uma linda mulher tomando banho. Quando não estamos fazendo o que Deus nos chamou para fazer e ficamos preguiçosos ou entediados, somos presas do diabo e seus demônios. Esteja sóbrio e vigilante porque seu adversário é o diabo, como um leão que ruge, anda em busca de quem possa devorar (1 Peter 5:8). Quem você acha que estaria morando perto do palácio de Davi? Provavelmente, seus guerreiros mais confiáveis. Ele pergunta sobre Bate-Seba e descobre que ela é filha de Eliam e esposa de Urias., ambos são membros das forças especiais de David, conhecidas como David’s Mighty Men. Ele os conhecia bem, pois eles serviram ao rei por muitos anos e sacrificaram suas vidas para mantê-lo seguro. Mas isso não impede David de persegui-la.

Vamos aplicar a situação de David às nossas vidas. Como eu me lembro, Eu tinha marcado minha consulta para fazer meu aborto, e eu sabia como me preparar para o próximo procedimento. Contudo, a caminho da clínica, Eu estava com tanta ressaca que parei para comer alguma coisa. Eu também estava dirigindo, o que mostra o quanto eu não sabia sobre os efeitos do aborto no corpo de uma mulher. Quando finalmente cheguei à clínica e descobriram que eu tinha acabado de comer, eles cancelaram o procedimento. Aqui estava Deus me dando uma saída. Mas eu peguei? NÃO! Remarquei meu aborto para dezembro 10, 1980, e no momento em que escrevo este artigo, semana que vem será 40 anos desde meu aborto. Eu deveria ter parado para reconsiderar o que estava fazendo, como David deveria ter feito, ainda assim, nenhum de nós fez. Como resultado, muitas pessoas sofreram um destino horrível por causa dos nossos pecados.

Deus lhe deu uma maneira de escapar do pecado, mas você não deu ouvidos ao Seu aviso?

Lemos que Davi envolve outras pessoas em seu plano pecaminoso quando pergunta a seus servos sobre a bela mulher e lhes diz para trazê-la de volta para seus aposentos.. Neste ponto, sua luxúria secreta foi tornada pública e conhecida por seus servos. Eles sabem que ele ama o Senhor, e ele está prestes a cometer adultério. Quando alguém está na liderança, ele ou ela é um alvo para o inimigo destruir, especialmente uma pessoa de fé em Jesus. Devemos nos proteger e ser diligentes porque o inimigo adoraria destruir nosso testemunho e nosso ministério. Guarde seu coração com toda diligência, pois dele brotam as questões da vida (Provérbios 4:23).

Como você se protege do inimigo?

À medida que avançamos na história, Davi elabora um plano para trazer Urias da batalha para casa, para que ele durma com sua esposa e pareça estar concebendo um filho, escondendo assim a gravidez de todos., exceto de seus servos e Joabe, seu comandante militar. Urias se recusa a ir para casa, para sua esposa, porque a Arca da Aliança e seus companheiros guerreiros ainda estão no campo de batalha.. Como resultado, ele não dorme com sua esposa, mas deita-se na porta do rei com todos os outros servos. Eles provavelmente estavam sussurrando, Não é esse Urias, marido de Bate-Seba??

Sempre que tentamos encobrir nosso pecado com outro pecado, nunca acaba bem para ninguém. Durante o tempo do meu aborto, Eu tive que esconder o fato de que meu namorado, o pai do meu bebê abortado, e eu estávamos morando juntos. Meus pais viriam à cidade para assistir à minha formatura na faculdade, então eu precisava encontrar uma solução rápida. No 3 anos que morei em Ohio, meus pais nunca visitaram, então pude viver como o diabo sem medo de ser descoberto. Mas o dia do acerto de contas estava chegando. Quando minha irmã cancelou seu casamento no verão de 1982, seis meses antes da minha formatura, Eu decidi me casar para encobrir meu pecado. Dessa forma, quando meus pais vieram em dezembro, meu estilo de vida seria aceitável. Olhando para trás, foram necessários muitos anos de aconselhamento cristão e trabalho de recuperação para finalmente me tornar a mulher que Deus me criou para ser. Ao longo dos anos, meu marido e eu tivemos um casamento muito difícil e estivemos à beira do divórcio duas vezes. Deus interveio graciosamente, e agora nosso casamento está mais forte do que nunca.

Quando você tentou encobrir seu pecado com mais pecado?

Uma citação famosa, “O pecado irá te levar mais longe do que você quer ir, mantê-lo por mais tempo do que você deseja e custar mais do que você deseja pagar.

Você é amado,
Toni

 

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As armadilhas do diabo (Series): Achan

As armadilhas do diabo (Series): Achan

As armadilhas do diabo: ACHAN
Uma série tirada do Dr.. Carlos Stanley

“Achan”

(Joshua 6 & 7:1–12)

Why is the love of money the root of all kinds of evil?

 

1 Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Joshua 6:18-19, God warned the Children of Israel, “And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accused things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

After Israel had won a huge victory in battle over Jericho where the Lord caused the walls to come crashing down, Joshua went to take the city of Ai. God commanded the children of Israel to refrain from taking anything that belonged to the people in Jericho. All the gold and silver would be brought into the storehouse for the Lord. If anyone were to disobey God’s command, they would be accursed. Unfortunately, there was an Israelite who did not heed the Lord’s warning as a result of his disobedience the battle was lost and 36 men died. Devastated, the children of Israel could not understand what went wrong. Joshua and the leaders of Israel cried out to the Lord, rent their clothes and put ashes on their heads. God responded by telling Joshua, “Get UP! There is sin in the camp, and that’s why you lost the battle. Someone has taken the accursed things from Jericho.” Joshua was given the responsibility to seek out the person responsible for sinning against God and for betraying the people of Israel.

Israel’s situation paints a vivid picture of how destructive sin can be. Many people are often affected by just one act of sin. Joshua discovered that it was Achan who had touched the accursed items by bringing them back into his tent and burying them. Because he allowed the sin of greed to control his actions, Achan’s whole family was punished for his actions. What a powerful example of the deadly effects of sin on an entire family and group of people. Sadly, Achan’s family suffered the consequences of his greed, which is the case for many families today. When a person in a family falls into grievous sin, all the members of the family are harmed by the effects of it. Because of God’s awareness of the destructiveness of sin, He protects us by giving us laws to guide us, not to punish us.

Why didn’t Achan trust God to provide for his family?

Why don’t we trust God to provide for all of our needs?

Why do people steal and take things that don’t belong to them?

Is it out of fear that I will not have enough, doubting that God will provide for me?

We may say to ourselves, “I cannot trust God to provide. então, I must take matters into my own hands and steal and cheat and lie to get what I need. No one will find out.”

Let’s apply 1 Timothy 6:10 to our society today.

Why does the love (obsession) of money open us up to all kinds of evil?

What is our motivation for the money?

Is it to provide for our families and to help others, or is it for personal gain?

Some people want to acquire large sums of money so that they can have greater power, control, and influence. We see this very same situation occurring today in several professions where the accumulation of wealth leads to pride, arrogance, power, influence and lawlessness. They become deceived and consumed with the notion that they are somehow better than you and me. I pray they repent and turn from their sins and receive the gift of salvation, which was purchased for them with the precious blood of Christ. If such people die without having repented of their sins, then they will stand before Christ and will be judged, according to what they have done, Romanos 2:6. They will be cast into hell where the fire is not quenched and there is wailing and gnashing of teeth. Separated from God for eternity, they will be tormented with the memories of all the evil they have committed in their lifetime. God will be much harsher with them than we could ever imagine. Let’s pray for those who believe they are superior to others and have no fear of God, that they come to faith in Christ.

Will you pray with me that the God of heaven and His Mighty Warrior Angels will dismantle this evil world system, which is opposite of God? They strive to divide, steal, kill, cheat and lie to get what they want all because they have chosen to follow Satan, the prince of this world.

Stay in community and be accountable to one another so you do not fall into temptation and a snare.

 

Você é amado,
Toni

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As armadilhas do diabo (Series): véspera

As armadilhas do diabo (Series): véspera

As armadilhas do diabo: EVE
Uma série tirada do Dr.. Carlos Stanley

“véspera”

Genesis 2:21
“And the senhor God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.”

Genesis 3:1–9
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Have you ever wanted something you knew you should not have or participated in something you knew you shouldn’t? Have you ever been tempted to sin?

The enemy tries to take our attention off of God and focus on the one thing we don’t have. For Eve, it is the fruit she cannot eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent has been observing Eve for a while. He cannot read her mind, but he watches for her reactions and her behavior patterns. He sees her approaching the tree and looking at the beautiful fruit. She is thinking, I wonder why God is keeping this from me. God is holding back something good from me. It’s because He doesn’t really love and care about me. If He did, He would let me have this fruit.

For those of us who have had children or have spent any time with children, we understand that children do not know what is best for them. They would eat junk food all day and watch TV all night. As adults, we know that is not a healthy way to live. We love them. então, we teach them and put up boundaries so they learn to make healthy choices. We do this because we care about their well-being and their future. God loves us too and wanted to protect Adam, Eve and the whole world from the destructive effects of sin. That’s why He told them not to eat of the fruit.

We see in Scripture that Eve has a conversation with Satan the serpent. That was her first mistake. Do not have a dialogue with the enemy. Do not even entertain his thoughts because he is more cunning then you know. We cannot reason or trust the enemy to lead us to do anything that would benefit us in any way. His ways always lead to death and destruction. That’s why knowing the Word of God is so important. When the enemy lies to you, you will know the truth and you will not fall into temptation or sin.

The second thing we see is Satan causing Eve to doubt God’s Word. He said, “You shall not eat it: for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) Satan said, “You shall not surely die, For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Becoming like “god” was all Eve needed to hear. Pride will destroy a godly person faster than anything else. I can be my own “god”. I can do whatever I want. I am in charge of my life. I don’t need God. I took that approach when I had my abortion because I thought I knew better. I wanted to be in control of my life. I am my own “god”. Look what that did for me and my dear son. He died as a result of my decision. Consequently, I was plunged headlong into deep despair, depressão, self-loathing and suicidal thoughts. Don’t listen to Satan. He will destroy you. Only God’s way leads to life, paz, joy and true freedom.

então, where was Adam when this was all happening? When Eve took of the fruit and ate it, Adam should have said, “What are you doing? God told us not to eat it.” But the scriptures say that Eve gave it to her husband, and he ate. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. Then, they sewed fig leaves together to cover up their nakedness and their sin. I, too, have done that in my life. I rushed to hide my sin never thinking about the consequences. Those decisions have never led to good outcomes for me. The fear of being unmasked is a powerful motivator. My false persona of being the good quiet one was in danger of exposure. Como resultado, I rushed my decision to have an abortion. In my mind, there were no other alternatives. Hurry up and take care of it, or do this before someone finds out that the good quiet one in the family is a phony. My whole life had become a lie.

God calls out to Adam, “Where are you?” God knew where Adam and Eve were. He wanted to give them a chance to come out of hiding and confess their sin. Contudo, they didn’t. We hide from God too. We isolate ourselves as Christians. We stop going to church or stop being accountable to people when we sin because it’s easier. Then we wake up one morning and say, “How did I get here?” It happens very quickly, my friends. It’s important to confess sin daily to God and to stay in a close Christian community like this group where there is accountability. Each one of us is just one step away from falling into grievous sin. Stay close to God, read His Word, memorize Scripture and stay in community with other believers. If you do this, you will be protected from the lies and the fiery darts of the enemy.

Keep your focus on God alone, and you will be safe.

Please share how you took matters into your own hands like Eve did? What was the outcome?

What have you learned from that experience?

Você é amado,
Toni

 

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Como Deus usou sua dor?

Como Deus usou sua dor?

(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Quando eu vim a Cristo com a idade de 34, Eu estava sofrendo de depressão severa, dor física nas articulações e fadiga. Procurei respostas de vários médicos, mas eles não puderam encontrar nada. Meus resultados de teste, Tomografias, Ressonâncias magnéticas e exames de sangue voltaram ao normal. Eu estava perplexo. O que há de errado comigo? Agora eu percebo que meu, lutas emocionais e de saúde eram a maneira de Deus chamar minha atenção. Por causa de como eu me sentia mal, Eu não podia participar de minhas atividades regulares. Foi nessa época de sofrimento que Deus começou a me atrair para si.

Como Deus usou o sofrimento em sua vida para chamar sua atenção? No meu caso, Deus usou minha dor, fraqueza, fadiga e depressão. Deus sabe exatamente como chegar a todos nós para que nos voltemos e nos concentremos Nele. Deus sempre usou meus problemas de saúde física para me lembrar de me apoiar nele. Ele usa o sofrimento para que primeiro, vamos perceber o quanto precisamos Dele em nossa vida e em segundo lugar, que tipo de mudanças precisamos fazer.

Quando eu tive a coragem de confiar em Deus e finalmente quis mais do que mera sobrevivência, Deus me encontrou bem onde eu estava. Deus usou minha angústia para me trazer a ele. Mesmo durante meu período de dor, Deus me usou para ajudar os outros. Quando eu segui Sua liderança, alcançando os necessitados, Eu recebi ainda mais cura para mim. Dentro 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, A Palavra de Deus diz, “Bendito seja o Deus e Pai de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, o Pai da misericórdia e o Deus de todo conforto, que nos conforta em todas as nossas aflições, para que possamos confortar aqueles que estão em qualquer aflição, com o conforto com que nós mesmos somos consolados por Deus. Pois como compartilhamos abundantemente nos sofrimentos de Cristo, então, por meio de Cristo, também compartilhamos abundantemente no conforto. (ESV) Deus nunca desperdiça nosso sofrimento. É tudo para um propósito específico. Alguns de vocês, queridos, têm sofrido por muito tempo, e meu coração está com você. Pode parecer muito solitário às vezes, mas Deus te vê. Ele te ama e tem um propósito para a sua dor.

Cristo sofreu uma morte horrível na cruz por nós. Ele também suportou tortura tendo sido açoitado, espancado, esbofeteado, atingido com varas e perfurado em seu crânio com uma coroa de espinhos. Se alguém conhece angústia e dor, é jesus. Venha para Jesus assim como você é, e ele vai te dar conforto. Só Ele pode carregá-lo quando você não pode dar mais um passo. Ele é o único que nunca vai te deixar. Ele não vai abusar de você ou tirar vantagem de você. O amor dele é puro, sagrado, justo e afirmador da vida. Seus caminhos levam à verdadeira liberdade e cura.

Como Deus usou o sofrimento em sua vida?

O que Deus está mostrando a você?

Um dia, Amado, estaremos na glória em um lugar chamado céu onde não há mais dor, tristeza ou choro - um lugar onde seremos abraçados pela paz e amor de Jesus.

Você é amado,
Toni

 

 

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