Baptism of Bruno and Ronicia 29-05-2009

GLORY BE TO GOD

Another party was held in heaven, because of Bruno and Ronicia, a special couple who have just accepted Jesus in their lives. We give thanks to everyone who has been praying for them, and please keep praying because we need the help from the body of Christ to strengthen one another.

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

SWEET VALENTINE

COUPLES' PARTY - SWEET VALENTINE

14th February, 6 p.m.

Theme: Living with Love

Address: Rua Filipe Folque, number 21 A/B, 1050 Lisbon - Picoas

Near the metro stations "Parque" (blue line) and "Picoas" (yellow line).

Contacts: +351 96 379 26 26 / +351 91 302 32 89

igrejadecristo_lisboa@hotmail.com

Please confirm your presence by the 12th February

Babysitting: 2 €

Sunday 18-01-09

… Facing the future

Biblical text: Hebrew 11:30-31 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

Complementary text – Hebrew 12:1-3

Thought of the day:

The conquest of Jericho by Joshua is not a simple subject. Does God take sides? Is it necessary that one part is destroyed so that the other part wins the land? Genesis 15 and 16 gives us a deeper point of view on this subject (in the days of Abraham, the measure of inequity of the Amorites was not yet full, but it was already full in the days of Joshua). God’s judgment over the Canaanites, comparable to the fall of Sodom, is a proof that God makes justice in this world claiming for justice. God does no want for the sinner to die, but instead He wants the sinner to repent and live (Isaiah 18:31-32).
Rahab’s example shows us that, even if we stand in a place that is being punished and judged by God, we can still repent and be saved. Jesus said it is easier for a prostitute to go to heaven than for a righteous man (Mathew 21:31-32). The same happened in this story. Rahab understood perfectly well that the arrival of the Israelites was a sign that God’s judgment was to be shed over that town. The other inhabitants of Jericho are described as being “disobedient”, showing that they didn’t understand the signs that it was the time for their salvation.
We may stumble on the “white lie” of Rahab (Joshua 2:4-6), but her clear confidence in God’s will made her win an honorable place among the “heroes of faith” referred to in the book of Hebrew.
This text in the Old Testament seems to contradict the love of God, so let us read John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” In the New Testament, God’s judgment is always behind God’s love: it is the love of Jesus Christ that protects us from the judgment (Romans 5:8-10). The story of Rahab, in its own historical context, is an eternal example of the reality of those who are in Christ. We must have the courage to abandon all the unrighteousness and all the sinful practices of this world and find salvation in Jesus Christ.

Worship and Thanksgiving:
- The holiness, the righteousness, the love and the mercy of God;

Intercession:
- For us to abandon unrighteousness and sin and return to God;
- For holiness, clear profession of our faith, defense of truth and of the plan of God;
- For the environment, globalization and the fears concerning the future; for the “tax collectors and sinners”.

Saturday 17-01-09

… Living consistently

Biblical text – Hebrew 11:24-28 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”

Complementary text – Romans 12:1-2

Thought of the day:

Yesterday we meditated on the blessing of parents who get involved in their children’s life. Today’s text is a classical example of the blessings that come out of that practice. We read about a man who was separated from his family when he was still a baby, and was raised away from his natural environment. Did he loose the track for his life? No, never! On the contrary, he recognized the thin contrast between a luxurious life among the pagans and the spiritual power of his roots.
We may think that a person, who becomes, by chance, part of the royal family, will hold on to every opportunity he may have. But in fact this man (of whom so many are envious) saw the hypocrisy of all that sparkle and enchantment. He would not find the true life there. Instead, he found the true life on the calling of his people: a people that were calling him to fellowship with God, since Abraham’s days.
To belong to this people, to have part on the promises received from God, it became Moses’ reason to live and the guiding for his entire path. A path that caused him to be cursed, to suffer a socio-economical fall and to share the same pains and oppression of his people, until the day they were released, by God’s will.
Moses did not allow himself to be tempted by the contingencies of his life. On the contrary, he found a path among his roots. For that reason, his life could now be shaped in the presence of God. And his reverence for God released him from fearing his people and from fearing those, the favor of which could not bring him life. He found his true home in those roots, where God poured out the power of life.

Worship and Thanksgiving:
- God’s plan and omnipresence;
- God’s love for the Jews;
- To thank God for the roots over which we can build our faith;

Intercession:
- For wisdom; for the ability to make good decisions;
- For courage, faith, holiness, calling…
- For those who lost orientation and for the end of ethical confusion.

Friday 16-01-09

Passing on the blessing

Biblical text – Hebrew 11:20-23 “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King’s edict.”

Thought of the day:

Yesterday we meditated about the hope in faith and in eternal life as being the true source of hope. Contrary to what is commonly believed, the biblical hope is not “avoided worldwide”. In fact, the biblical hope releases us from the fear of death (Hebrew 2:14-15), for a full existence to be lived here and now. As paradoxical as it may seem, it is the precise security of eternal life that makes it possible for us to conform ourselves to this life, filling it with hope – beyond our own generation: He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26). It is this certainty of our Patriarch that should inspire each one of us. Therefore we, the Christians, should not complain about the “constant debasement of times” (historically it would be foolish, since many things have improved and continue improving). Can’t we see that the constant murmuring and complaint darkens the horizon of our children?
Our faith will give them realistic models: they will not expect that the contingencies of their future life will come out of the “progress” of society. On the contrary, they will look for their life style and their satisfaction in God. And this God will be the same for our children as he was for us!
Therefore, we should kindle and nurture a culture of blessings, by faith. Let us pray confidently for our children and for the next generations. Let us encourage them to trust in God: a God that can bless them in their path even more than he has blessed us in ours.

Worship and Thanksgiving:
We worship God for his faithfulness, his resources and his immutability;
God was present in every moment of History;
God blesses every generation;
God assures our security.

Intercession:
For the next generation: children and youngsters;
For role models in God’s likeness: mothers and fathers in the faith;
For courage to live and profess our faith;
For a culture of blessings.