PHRASE IN THE PICTURE: AS MUCH AS YOU WANT OR CAN DISRUPTION THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS, THE RESIDUE AND SWEAT ALWAYS STAY IN YOU!

One day, a boy came into his house, stamping his feet on the floor and screaming in annoyance.

His father called him, the boy continued to say, irritated:

"DAD! I SWEAR I'M VERY ANGRY! Pedro shouldn't have done this to me, so I hope everything goes wrong for him! I HATE him!"

His father, a very wise man, calmly listened to his son, who continued saying:

"Imagine he humiliated me in front of my friends. I DON'T ACCEPT THAT!

I hope he gets sick so he doesn't go to school anymore."

The father continued to listen; He went to a corner of the house's garage, where he took a bag full of coal that he took to the bottom of the garden and proposed the following to his son:

- "Do you see that white shirt on the clothesline?"

You get the idea that it's Pedro and every piece of coal in this bag is a bad thought of yours directed at him.

THROW ALL THE COAL IN THE BAG, UP TO THE LAST PIECE.

I'll come back later to see how it turned out."

The boy took it as a game and started throwing coal, but as the clothesline was far away, few coals reached the shirt.

When the father returned, he asked:

- Son, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

- Tired, but better dad! Look, I hit some pieces of charcoal on the shirt.

The father took the boy by the hand and said:

- Come with me, I want to show you something.

He placed him in front of a mirror in which he could see his whole body.

WHAT A FRIGHT! He was all stained and only his teeth and eyes were visible.

At that moment the father said:

- "son, as you can see, the shirt is a little dirty, but it is NOT comparable to how dirty you are."

The evil we wish on others comes back to us and multiplies in us.

As much as you want or can disrupt someone else's life with your thoughts, the residue and dirt always stays with you.

- TAKE CARE OF YOUR THOUGHTS, because they become words.

- Be carefull whith your words, because they turn into actions.

- TAKE CARE OF YOUR ACTIONS, for they become habits.

- TAKE CARE OF YOUR HABITS, for they shape your character.

- AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHARACTER, BECAUSE YOUR DESTINY WILL DEPEND ON IT.

A.D.

 

 IT WAS LOST AND WAS FOUND. REJOICE WITH ME!

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

The Parable of the Lost Sheep is one of Jesus' parables that talks about God's amazing love. This parable is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7). A study of the Parable of the Lost Sheep shows how God himself actively seeks out the sinner and rejoices when he rescues him.

In the Parable of the Lost Sheep Jesus talks about a shepherd who has a hundred sheep. But one of those sheep ends up getting lost. So he leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and goes in search of the one lost sheep. He doesn't stop, he doesn't give up until he finds her.

When the shepherd finds the lost sheep he lays it on his shoulders with great joy. Upon arriving home, the shepherd summons his friends and neighbors and tells them to rejoice with him for having found the lost sheep. Jesus ends the parable by saying, “I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.”

(Luke 15:4-7).

Context and Explanation of the Parable of the Lost Sheep

As already stated, the Parable of the Lost Sheep can be found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Basically the two accounts are identical, although it is possible to classify Matthew's text as being an abbreviated parallel compared to Luke's text.

But analyzing the texts of Matthew and Luke, the historical context clearly seems to indicate that Jesus told this parable twice. This means that he used this parable on two different occasions and for different purposes in his earthly ministry. Despite this, the main message of the parable remains the same. Let's take a closer look at the explanation of the Parable of the Lost Sheep in each of the two Gospels.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep in the Gospel of Matthew

In the Gospel of Matthew the context that prepares the introduction of the Parable of the Lost Sheep is Jesus' teaching that God is a loving Father. He takes care of his flock; He places his angels and uses all means necessary to bring about his purposes.

Then in Matthew 18:1 the disciples ask Jesus the following question: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”. To answer that question, Jesus placed a boy in their midst and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

Then Jesus warned the disciples about the danger of causing one of the little ones to stumble or even despise them in any way. It is in this sense that Jesus told the Parable of the Lost Sheep. His point was to emphasize that it is not the Father's will that “one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14).

Although Jesus literally used a child in this context, it served as an illustration of a very important spiritual truth. This means that by using a boy, Jesus was referring to those whose faith maintains the simplicity of children. In view of this purpose, the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew teaches us that God, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep, also seeks and takes care of those who are his. He will not let any of those who belong to him be lost.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep in the Gospel of Luke

In the Gospel of Luke the context of the Parable of the Lost Sheep shows a situation in which Jesus had been surrounded by publicans and sinners who gathered around him to listen to him. Publicans were Jews who worked for the Roman Empire as tax collectors.

The Jews of the time considered publicans as traitors who extorted their own brothers. The so-called “sinners” were all other morally marginalized and disreputable people. These people did not live up to the norms set by the rabbis; for this reason they ended up excluded from Jewish society by the religious leaders. The Jewish people were advised not to have any contact with these people, let alone eat with them.

However, Jesus was often accompanied by these people; he even sat at table with them (Luke 5:27-29). Jesus even chose Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his twelve apostles. Such things caused the Pharisees and scribes to be scandalized and to murmur.

They failed to see the true purpose for which the Son of God came into the world, namely, to seek and save the lost. So in order to expose the reproachable and unjust behavior of religionists, and at the same time once again offer them the opportunity to convert from such perversity, Jesus told three parables. They were: the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Drachma and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The explanation of the Parable of the Lost Sheep

Watching shepherds grazing sheep was commonplace and familiar at that time. This means that in the Parable of the Lost Sheep Jesus once again used a very common practice to compose his story and convey his teaching.

So Jesus' listeners were very familiar with the scene described by him. Furthermore, all of them, especially the Pharisees and scribes, knew very well the Old Testament passages that show God as the Shepherd of his sheep (cf. Psalms 23:1; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:15,16).

Jesus began the Parable of the Lost Sheep by asking, “Which of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not go in search of the lost sheep?” (Luke 15:4). In this question Jesus teaches that every good and zealous shepherd will necessarily look for the lost sheep. He will do this even if it means leaving the other ninety-nine sheep while he searches for a single stray sheep.

Following the parable, Jesus makes a point of describing the shepherd's joy in finding his lost sheep (Luke 15:5,6). He gathers his friends and neighbors to celebrate together. This scene is what sets up the main lesson of the parable that there is a great feast in heaven when a lost sinner is found (Luke 15:7). This joy is the result of the search and providential care of the Good Shepherd.

About this, Jesus himself with his words and his work revealed the size of this care. In the Gospel of John we read the following declaration of the Lord Jesus: I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Who are the ninety-nine sheep?

In Luke 15:7 the Lord Jesus says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance." Scholars find this statement difficult to interpret.

Notice that in Jesus' words the ninety-nine sheep represent righteous people who do not need to repent. So who would these people be? There are different interpretations that try to answer this question. We will mention the two main ones here:

The first interpretation considers that the ninety-nine righteous are those people who truly do God's will and follow His commandments. There is also joy in heaven for the conduct of these people's lives. However, when a sinner repents, then the joy is even greater. It is like a stray sheep that has been recovered, a lost coin that has been found, and a lost child that has returned to its father's house.

The second interpretation considers that the ninety-nine righteous are people who only have the appearance of righteousness. In other words, they are righteous people in their own eyes and therefore they think they don't need to repent. That's because someone who thinks he's righteous obviously shouldn't have anything to regret.

While both interpretations are good and demonstrate truths confirmed by Scripture, the second interpretation is the one that best fits the context of the Parable of the Lost Sheep in the Gospel of Luke. When Jesus told this parable he was with the miserable sinners who surrounded him to hear his words. Meanwhile, there were also some representatives of the religious, who prided themselves on fulfilling the Law. These people considered themselves righteous and murmured in the face of Jesus' attitude.

In this respect it seems clear that Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees and the scribes, along with those who followed them. Therefore, the ninety-nine righteous probably represent the murmurers who trusted in their own works.

Here it is worth remembering that before that Jesus had already been censured by the Pharisees for getting together with reproachable people. But the Lord Jesus always made it clear that He did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners (Luke 5:30-32). Through a parable, on another occasion Jesus also rebuked some people who thought they were righteous, trusted in themselves and despised others (Luke 18:9).

But regardless of the adopted interpretation, the important thing is to understand that the emphasis of the Parable of the Lost Sheep is precisely on the lost sheep, which was sought, found and celebrated. This means that Jesus' message in this parable demonstrates that if a human shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep to look for one that was lost, what can be expected then of the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for the sheep? He will certainly seek and rescue the lost sinner.

Lessons from the Parable of the Lost Sheep

The Parable of the Lost Sheep teaches many lessons of extreme importance for the Christian life. First, the parable teaches that one person is needed. We are often used to situations in which we fatally think that one more or one less makes no difference.

This happens because humanly we are prone to look much more at the ninety-nine sheep than at a single sheep that has gone astray. But fortunately the Good Shepherd does not act that way. For Him, a single sheep is already needed, for none of His sheep can be permanently lost (John 10:28).

Second, the Parable of the Lost Sheep teaches that the shepherd seeks out his sheep. Anyone who has ever seen a flock of sheep and paid attention to their behavior knows how limited they are in every way. Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd who feeds them. That is why the shepherd is always on the lookout for any problem that may occur with his flock. He undertakes to protect the herd from any unforeseen events.

So Christ, as a Shepherd, goes after the man who is utterly unable to do anything for himself. It is the shepherd that goes after the sheep, not the sheep that goes after the shepherd. Salvation is the work of divine sovereign grace! God is the one who goes in search of man, not man who goes in search of God.

Man alone, even though he thinks he has many skills and capabilities, does not have any condition to find the way to the fold of salvation. Alone the lost sheep would never have been found! Likewise, God finds the sinner who is lost in sin and who alone can never escape falling into the abyss.

Men spend their lives taking comfort in many things. Some look to religions; others in material goods; and others on status and fame or anything else that might satisfy them. However, when the sinner is rescued from his perdition and feels welcomed in the arms of the Good Shepherd, there is nothing left for him but to admit that it was not he who found Christ, but Christ who found him.

Third, the Parable of the Lost Sheep teaches that we should learn from the Good Shepherd's attitude. In front of the lost, we can adopt different attitudes. We can hate them, we can be indifferent to them, we can welcome them if they come to us, or, finally, we can seek them out.

Consequently, the Parable of the Lost Sheep also warns us about the danger of being like the Pharisees and scribes. We must donate ourselves to the task of announcing the Gospel that finds and restores the lost. Christ did not hate publicans and sinners, nor was he indifferent to them. On the contrary, Jesus did even more than just welcome them. Indeed, it is often He Himself who went in search of the lost and despised (Luke 19:10; Matthew 14:14; 18:12-14; John 10:16).

The message of the Parable of the Lost Sheep invites us to an important reflection. We must constantly ask ourselves: What has been our attitude toward the lost?

Source: https://estiloadoracao.com/parabola-da-ovelha-perdida/

IT IS SAD THAT WE ARE CHRISTIANS AT SUPPER, PAGNS IN OUR JOBS, AND DEMONS IN OUR HOMES. STEPHEN CHARNOCK.

Hypocrisy is pretense. God wants his followers to be honest and just, without hypocrisy. The hypocrite hides his faults to appear "very holy." This is wrong. We need to acknowledge our mistakes in order to receive forgiveness and mend our lives.

Hypocrisy is injustice. The hypocrite judges the mistakes of others but ignores his own. In so doing, the hypocrite judges and condemns himself! His own words pick him up.

Hypocrisy is also saying that you follow God but not obeying his commandments. We often say that we have surrendered everything to God when in fact there is still much that we have not submitted to him. But God always forgives those who repent of their hypocrisy.

how happy is that

to whom the Lord does not lay blame

and in whom there is no hypocrisy! While I kept my sins hidden,

my body was wasting away from so much moaning. For day and night

your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was running out

like in dry weather. So I acknowledged before you my sin

and I did not cover up my faults.

I said, "I will confess my transgressions,"

to the Lord,

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalms 32:2-5

Therefore, you who judge others are inexcusable; for you are condemning yourself in what you judge, since you who judge practice the same things.

Romans 2:1

Therefore, get rid of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all kinds of backbiting.

1 Peter 2:1

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs: beautiful on the outside, but inside you are full of bones and all kinds of filth. inside are full of hypocrisy and evil.

Matthew 23:27-28

In the meantime, when a crowd of thousands had gathered, to the point where they were trampling one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. nothing hidden that will not be discovered, or hidden that will not be known.

Luke 12:1-2

"Why do you notice the speck that is in your brother's eye and not notice the beam that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a beam in yours? Hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Matthew 7:3-5

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, "'This people honors me

with the lips,

but your heart is far from me. In vain they adore me;

your teachings

nothing but rules

taught by men'".

Matthew 15:7-9

If we claim to have fellowship with him but walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 1:6

They claim they know God, but by their actions they deny him; they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Titus 1:16

If a brother or sister is in need of clothes and daily food and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and be fed," but you don't give them anything, what's the use of that? ?

James 2:15-16

Like a bad tooth or a dislocated foot

is confidence in the hypocrite

in time of difficulty.

Proverbs 25:19

"Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Like a layer of nail polish

on an earthen vessel,

the friendly lips

can hide an evil heart. Who hates disguises his intentions

with the lips,

but in his heart he harbors falsehood. Though your talk is smooth,

don't believe him,

for their heart is full of evil. He can pretend and hide his hate,

but his wickedness will be exposed in public.

Proverbs 26:23-26

But Jesus, realizing their evil intention, asked: "Hypocrites! Why are you putting me to the test?

Matthew 22:18

Breed of vipers, how can you who are evil say good things? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Matthew 12:34

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Such teachings come from hypocritical men and liars, whose consciences are seared

1 Timothy 4:1-2

“Therefore, when you give alms, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, in order to be honored by others. your left hand does not know what your right hand is doing, so that you may help in secret, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:2-4

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They like to stand praying in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by others. I assure you, they have already received their full reward. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:5-6

"When you fast, do not look sad like the hypocrites, for they change the appearance of their faces so that others may see that they are fasting. I truly say that they have already received their full reward. When fasting, fix your hair and wash your face, so that it will not appear to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father who sees in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18

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We live in an age where the truth is overlooked. People do not believe in the absolute truth, each one builds their own version of the truth, which fits their way of life.

The Bible doesn't say Jesus is just a truth, it says He is The Truth. This means that He is the embodiment of truth and there is no truth outside of Him.

God wants to change our lives with his truth and only Jesus can remove the blinders and ties of lies that prevent us from living happily and with dignity.

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

And they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free."

John 8:32

Truth is the essence of your word,

and all your righteous ordinances are eternal.

Psalm 119:160

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John 17:17

guide me with your truth and teach me,

for you are God, my Savior,

and my hope is in you all the time.

Psalm 25:5

Send your light and your truth;

they will guide me

and they will bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

Psalm 43:3

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

By his decision he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be like the first fruits of all that he created.

James 1:18

He who is the Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

So stand firm, having the belt of truth around your waist, putting on the breastplate of righteousness

Ephesians 6:14

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KEYS TO YOUR LIFE!!!

 

One day Jesus will return and everyone who loves him will be taken to Heaven. The dead will be raised and believers who are alive will be changed. All together we will ascend to Heaven to live there forever. This event is known as the Rapture.

Jesus was raptured 40 days after he was resurrected to prepare a place for us in Heaven. Enoch and Elijah were raptured - they didn't die, they went up to Heaven alive. Some people in the Bible also went to Heaven in spirit in a vision. And one day we will join them.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I will prepare a place for you. And when I go and prepare a place, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you may be where I am.

John 14:1-3

Having said this, he was lifted up on high as they looked on, and a cloud hid him from their view. And they kept their eyes fixed on the sky as he ascended. Suddenly there appeared before them two men dressed in white, who said to them, "Galileos, why are you looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will return in the same way you saw him go up."

Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

We say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who are asleep. For, given the order, with the voice of the archangel and the resounding of the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Therefore, beloved, while you wait for these things, strive to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless.

2 Peter 3:14

Having led them to the vicinity of Bethany, Jesus raised his hands and blessed them. While he was still blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Luke 24:50-51

He lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked with God; and he was no longer found, for God had taken him away.

Genesis 5:23-24

By faith Enoch was taken up, so that he did not taste death; "and he was not found any more, because God had taken him away", for before he was taken away he received testimony that he had pleased God.

Hebrews 11:5

Suddenly, as they were walking and talking, a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire appeared and separated them, and Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind.

2 Kings 2:11

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. And I know that this man - whether in the body or out of the body, I don't know, but God knows - was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable things, things that a man is not allowed to speak.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

After these things I looked, and before me was an open door in heaven. The voice I had heard at the beginning, speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up hither, and I will show you what must happen after these things."

Revelation 4:1

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“He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:13-14