When we talk about Adam and Eve, we wonder why Adam ate the fruit, even knowing God’s command not to touch that fruit.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Adam had full access to everything in the garden and could eat from everything produced in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Right after God gave the command to Adam, He creates a wife for Adam, a wife who would be his helper.

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:22-24)

Here we see that God established the first family on earth. We could say that the first “marriage” was performed by God Himself.

Why Did God Create Eve from Adam’s Rib?

But why did God form the woman from the rib? We well know that, according to science, humans have 12 pairs of ribs. For many Bible scholars, the number 12 signifies governmental perfection. It appears as a multiple in matters related to government or dominion. We can understand that God is saying that the family is something perfect.

Everything God creates is perfect; He Himself, at the moment of creation, declares that it was good and blessed it. The family is something perfect, and what deviates from the original design is the work of the enemy, for he does not love the project called family.

Note that God first creates man and places him in the garden. Then, God commands man not to eat from the forbidden fruit, and then God creates the woman from Adam’s rib. Now here is the key. I would like you to share this view.

Adam and Eve were a couple united by God. Eve is the first to eat the forbidden fruit and then offers it to her husband. We observe that until Eve was created from the rib, the enemy does not appear, but from the moment God creates the woman, the enemy appears to make them sin against God.

Why Did Eve Eat the Fruit? What If Only She Had Eaten It?

Why did Eve eat the fruit? The serpent persuaded Eve’s heart, saying: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Eve used her free will, that is, her power of choice.

What if only Eve had eaten the fruit? Why did Adam eat the fruit, even knowing it was forbidden?

First, we understand that it was God’s purpose, for everything that happens in human life is under God’s control and will. We must look at this passage from another angle, because Adam and Eve were a family, and God does not approve of separation.

The enemy manages to undermine Eve’s mind to the point that she eats the fruit. If only Eve had eaten the fruit, we could say that the first divorce would happen in the garden, for Eve would be removed from the garden and Adam would remain, thus separating a family.

Adam then ate the fruit, and both were expelled from the garden.

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Genesis 3:23)

We understand that through disobedience, sin entered the world, and even though God knew the heart of man and that he would fail, God continued to preserve the family. The enemy may have caused man to sin against God, but he could not destroy the family that God had created.

Adam and Eve did not leave the garden merely as punishment for the fruit itself, but because of disobedience to God’s command. Eve set aside God’s counsels and followed the serpent’s counsels. Adam and Eve let themselves be seduced by the beauty of that fruit and by the serpent’s proposal that if they ate it, they would be like God.

The Preservation of the Family and the Sacrifice of Jesus

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and hid, upon discovering they were naked, God Himself prepared tunics of skin for them and clothed them. We understand that the blood of an animal was shed to cover man’s sin at that moment. We can see that this act already pointed to the sacrifice that would be made later by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross consisted of His blood shed so that we could achieve salvation and forgiveness of our sins.

John the Baptist, upon seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, says the following:

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians that Jesus Christ is the last Adam.

So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. And I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the prophecy that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:45-57)

The first Adam had full communion with God, but at one moment the first Adam failed in his mission. But later, Jesus appears, the last Adam, who came to show that it is possible to overcome death, to overcome sin, to overcome the afflictions of this world, and that it is also possible to regain communion with God.

Jesus Christ says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That is, the second Adam came to show us the way of salvation. Through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary, we were redeemed from our sins so that we might have life and eternal life.

What does faith mean? According to the dictionary, faith is a word that means “trust,” “belief,” “credibility.” Faith is a feeling of complete belief in something or someone, even if there is no evidence to prove the truth of the matter in question.

But after all, what is faith in the Bible?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. (Hebrews 11:1-2)

Faith is the firm foundation and evidence, that is, faith anchors our belief and makes us act contrary to doubts. Having faith in God is believing in His existence and His omniscience. Faith makes spiritual things become real, because when we believe in God in a way that leaves no room for doubt, His spiritual power becomes visible.

Faith has the power to bring into existence what does not exist, it has the power to bring healing, deliverance; faith has the power to perform great miracles, signs, and wonders.

Miracles That Happened in the Bible Through Faith

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. (Hebrews 11:11-12)

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. (Hebrews 11:17)

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. (Hebrews 11:23)

By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29)

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. (Hebrews 11:30)

By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:31)

Faith Comes by Hearing

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

What the verse in Romans 10:17 is saying is that faith is born when we hear about God, and this is called a gift:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

When we hear the preaching of the Gospel, God, at that exact moment, is offering us this gift freely. That is why preaching the gospel is of utmost importance, because through it, other people can not only know but also believe and attain salvation.

Unfortunately, not everyone who hears believes in the preaching of this genuine gospel, because many refuse to believe in God, refuse to obey His word, fulfill His commandments, and live a life in holiness.

The Just Shall Live by Faith

The Bible teaches us that the just must live in this world through their faith in God. This faith described here means firm trust in God and in the righteousness of His ways; it is a personal loyalty to Him as Savior and Lord, and also moral perseverance to follow His paths.

To live in this world and face all kinds of difficulties, we need to be firm in God through faith. The Word of God teaches that our faith should be like a mustard seed, that is, it starts small but grows and develops throughout the Christian walk.

The Types of Faith

Natural faith. When we talk about natural faith, we are saying that man is born already believing in something. The fact that someone believes that something they have not yet seen will become reality — like the hope for a better day — already means natural faith.

Saving faith. Saving faith is the one that leads man to have intimacy with God. Faith makes man believe that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

Supernatural faith. Through the Holy Spirit, faith is added in such a way that many times it is not possible to find explanations for such miracles that happen through faith.

Why does God love me so much? In many moments, we are overtaken by questions like this, and we want to know more about God and His infinite love. When we talk about God’s love for us, we think about who we were and who we are today, and we arrive at the key question of this Bible study: why does God love me?

When we speak about God’s love for human beings, we see a love so great, enveloping, and powerful. Even if we were to write a book here, we could not describe in it how great and powerful God’s love for man is.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV)

This verse brings teachings through which it becomes possible to understand why God loves me so much. John 3:16 reveals the heart and purpose of God toward humanity, teaching that God’s love is immense enough to encompass all people and the world.

God gives His only Son as a sacrifice on the cross for the sins that were ours, and the atonement for sins comes from the heart of God, who is exceedingly rich in love. Jesus Christ was in no way forced to make such a sacrifice, but He went to the ultimate consequences out of love for us.

It is worth highlighting here that, at the moment when Jesus is crucified, He says:

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34, NIV)

Through the great love of God, manifested through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we believe that He exists and that He loves us. Here, believing includes three main elements:

1. The conviction that Christ is truly the Son of God and the only Savior of the lost sinner.
2. Communion with Christ through our self-submission, dedication, and obedience to Him.
3. Full trust in Christ that He is able and also desires to lead the believer to final salvation and communion with God in heaven.

Perhaps you are saying: I don’t see the reason why God loves me like this! God’s love is manifested through Christ Jesus so that man would not perish. Here, when we speak of the word perish, we are not referring only to physical death, but to the dreadful reality of eternal punishment in hell.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, NIV)

The Word of God is saying that we should not fear those who kill only the body, for they cannot touch our soul. Instead, we should fear God, because He can destroy both soul and body in hell.

The Word of God teaches us that human existence does not end with death, but continues for all eternity, either in the presence of God or in the place of torment. Jesus teaches us that there is a place of eternal punishment for all those condemned for rejecting the plan of salvation.

We must keep in mind that God sent His only Son to die for us on the cross so that no one would perish. God does not desire that man go to hell, for everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Eternal life is a gift that God gives to man when he is born again, that is, when man raises his weary hands and accepts Jesus Christ as the only and sufficient Savior of his life. From that moment on, he decides to live something new.

Being born again means that if he stole, he steals no more; if he killed, he kills no more; if he prostituted himself, he prostitutes no more. Because now he is a new creature, he has abandoned the old practices and sins to live a life according to the will and desire of God.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, NIV)

And perhaps you have come this far and asked yourself: I have failed, sinned, done wrong—why does God love me so much? The great reality is that God, at this exact moment, is not looking at the mistakes you have made up to now, but He wants and is very interested in how you will be from here onward.

In other words, the decision you make from this moment on—to leave the old man behind and live in newness of life—is from here that God wants to deal with you. God’s love is so great that, from this moment, He erases all your transgressions and begins to rewrite a new story.

When we decide to abandon our sins, recognize our mistakes, and return to God with humility, imploring His forgiveness and mercy, His grace reaches and transforms us. God is teaching us the way to reach the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus Christ is the only way.

For He Himself says:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6, NIV)

Sometimes we wonder, faced with so many counsels that the Holy Bible has to give us: what does the Bible say about marriage and family? The answer is that the Bible speaks wonderful things about marriage and family. Through this Bible study on family, we can understand that in marriage and in the family, true love must be present.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)

Family is something so interesting, because through it we can see the great love that God has for the family. God leaves us the model of what the family should be like and tells us of its grandeur. The Word of God teaches us what the real value of the family is, values that should never be erased or modified, because the family is perfect.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. Then the Lord God made a deep sleep fall upon the man, and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24)

It is impossible to talk about family without talking about marriage, and it is impossible to talk about marriage without talking about family. According to the dictionary, family is defined as the group of people who have degrees of kinship or affective bonds and live in the same house, forming a home. Another thing we should highlight here is the pillar of the family, which is love. According to the dictionary, love is a feeling of affection and demonstration of fondness that develops between beings who have the capacity to show it.

The family must be founded on love, because it is the central base for the existence of the family. And the Bible teaches us how we should care for our family in every way.

Love According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love is Patient

When the Bible tells us that love is patient, it does not mean that loving is suffering, but on the contrary, it means that true love endures suffering. The only perfect love is the love of God, and it is this love that we should take as an example. We well know that any marriage and any family is subject to going through difficulties, difficulties that generate pain, but the love of the family remains intact.

The representation of this “patient” love is in the marriage vows, where it is said: “I promise to be with you in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty, loving you, respecting you, and being faithful to you all the days of my life, until death do us part.”

Have you noticed that everything said above is followed by “joys” but also by “sufferings”? “Patient” love remains intact when financial life is good and intact when financial life is bad, remains intact when we are employed, going to the best restaurants, and remains intact when a simple cake has the same joy as a restaurant. Because life is like stock market graphs: today we are in the green, tomorrow in the red. In other words, “patient” love is discreet in prosperity and alive in scarcity.

Love is Kind and Does Not Envy

Those who love God desire to see the good of their spouse, desire to love their family, and only desire and do good. In this, there are no second or bad intentions behind kind love. The true love described here knows no envy.

Envy is a strong and evil feeling that a person has of wanting to possess what belongs to others. It is a selfish feeling on someone’s part. Every action that originates from love is good and true, and never has the objective of hurting another person.

Characteristics of True Love in Marriage

Love does not boast, it is not proud. Those who love are not foolish or impulsive. Those who love do not treat the other with arrogance, because love brings with it meekness, patience, and kindness.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. Love is cautious and knows the limits of decency. There is no selfishness in true love; on the contrary, those who love care about the well-being and happiness of the beloved instead of their own.

It is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs; does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love is calm, understanding, and never aggressive. Love is not jealous, because trust is part of its “structure.” It is always ready to listen and understand, not to fight and condemn. It is always sincere and just, and seeks sincerity and justice.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. When we talk about love in the family, we are saying that there will be pain, there will be difficulty, and there will be waiting. But there will also be strength, there will be patience, and there will be reward.

Love and Respect in Ephesians

When we return to our anchor text in Ephesians, we can extract more information about love within the family.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)

In the verse above, we have something to highlight: love and respect. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ loved the wife (Church) in such a way that He gave His life for her, in the same way, God expects us to care for our wife in such a way that, if necessary, we give our life for her.

God places the man as the “head of the woman.” This was the responsibility that God assigned to the man, but we can describe four pillars that must be present in the family:

1. Provision for the spiritual and domestic needs of the family.
2. Love, protection, security, and interest in her well-being, in the same way that Christ loves the church.
3. Honor, understanding, appreciation, and consideration for the wife.
4. Total loyalty and fidelity in marital life.

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church. (Ephesians 5:28-29)

Based on the verses above, we come to a question for our reflection: do you love yourself? And perhaps you are wondering: but why is knowing if I love myself so important for my marriage or my family? The answer is simple, because it is impossible for someone who does not love themselves to truly love another person. Those who do not love themselves always put their desires first.

Have you noticed that those who do not love themselves, for example, if they have a bad financial life, will not encourage their spouse to have a better financial life? Those who do not love themselves will not encourage another to move forward, because they are not capable of stimulating themselves.

For this reason, it is important that we love ourselves, so that we can love our family. The greatest model of family love is that of Jesus for the church, a love that sets aside its own interests, that deprives itself of its glory and comfort, to give its own life in favor of its wife.

Automatically, respect and love for the husband are generated in the wife, because the church recognizes the act of love that her beloved husband performed. When we, no matter how many years we have been married or how many children we have, stop and recognize where we are going wrong and start acting differently, the marriage wins, and ultimately the family wins.

Do not let the flaws erase the qualities of your spouse and family. There is an area in our brain that, when we think something negative about our spouse, tells another story: its history. Precisely what we think are the qualities. Here we ask about the flaws, three qualities, certainly you will have an answer for all. And you can test the qualities you chose are three against the flaws you chose. What we want to simplify here is that qualities are always superior to our flaws, but when we look only at the flaws, we are prevented from seeing the qualities.

Think of two flaws and three qualities of your spouse. Which is greater, the 2 or the 3? The number three will always be greater than two. In other words, sometimes we cling so much to the flaws that we are prevented from seeing the qualities.

When we talk about marriage and family, we know that not everything will be just roses, because thorns exist and will always try to prick love. As we well know, the love from fairy tales, unfortunately, does not exist. The true love that comes from the heart of God: the original, pure, and perfect in its imperfections, the real and true love that God created.

“Barbara Flores – Love is like a small boat; to sail forward, the crew needs to be rowing in the same direction and with the same intensity. It doesn’t help if only one rows, only one commands; both need to be together, in the same frequency, the same intensity, so that when a strong wave comes, they can face it without making the boat sink. And even if the boat is leaking, they need to stay together, companions, to learn that it is possible to swim together. Love endures everything, endures a wave, an obstacle, a storm, and even when it no longer seems possible, there is always a way to save it. You need to believe, exert the heart, you need to row, re-love, love.”

The word repentance in the dictionary means: “Feeling of contrition or rejection, demonstrated by the sinner in relation to their sins, leading them to practice good to obtain remission.” We see the word repentance many times in the Holy Bible, and we understand that this is a most important point for us to achieve salvation.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (Acts 3:19, NIV)

The verse above teaches us that we must repent and then turn to God. Only then will our sins be wiped out. There is no conversion without repentance. In no way can we accept Jesus Christ and continue living in the same practices. Repentance generates in human beings a change of life, character, thoughts, and attitudes.

In Acts 3:19, we understand that God determined He will bless His people with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit under the prior conditions of repentance, turning away from the sin of the perverse generation around them, and converting: turning back to God, listening to everything that Christ, the Prophet, tells them, and always progressing in sincere obedience to Christ.

The Four Conditions for Revival in 2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

We need, constantly, to be turned toward God, renouncing our own wills and desires. We must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from wicked ways.

Humble ourselves: God’s people must recognize their faults, show sorrow for their sin, and renew their commitment to do God’s will.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, NIV)

We understand that “poor in spirit” means recognizing that we have no spiritual self-sufficiency and that we depend on the life of the Spirit, on divine power and grace to enter the Kingdom of God.

Pray: God’s people must cry out in agony, asking for mercy, being dependent on Him and trusting in His intervention. Prayer must be fervent and persistent until God answers from heaven.

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. (Psalm 102:17, NIV approximation)

God will in no way fail to answer a prayer made by anyone, for this is the only way we communicate with Him. God can make many things happen in our lives through our prayers, for His ears are attentive to our cry.

Seek God’s face: We must, with dedication, seek God’s face with all our heart and long for His presence, not simply try to escape adversity.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7, NIV)

The sinner must seek God while the promise to hear him is in effect, for the time to receive salvation here has a limit. The day will come when He will not be found.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:7-12, NIV approximation)

Turn from wicked ways: God’s people must repent sincerely, abandon specific sins and all forms of idolatry, renounce worldliness, draw near to God asking for mercy, forgiveness, and purification.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NIV)

The Threefold Divine Promise

When these four conditions are fulfilled, the threefold divine promise of revival is accomplished. First, God will turn away His wrath, hear the anguished cry, answer the prayer, and show compassion. Second, He will forgive sins, purify the people, and restore His favor, presence, peace, truth, justice, and power among them. Third, He will heal the people and their land, pouring out rain, favor, physical blessings, and the Holy Spirit, with spiritual awakening among His people and the lost.

When someone recognizes their errors, humbles themselves before God’s mighty hand, seeks His face in prayer with all their heart, and turns from their wicked ways, God looks upon them with mercy and reverses every sentence.

This verse remains valid even today, for our God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

For the Lord to do something in our lives, we first need an attitude of change. We are dependent on God, His care, and His mercy. We must seek Him until He answers and draw God’s attention to our lives.

There is no Christian life without dialogue with God through prayer. It is extremely important for the Christian to live a life of prayer and constantly seeking God.

It is necessary to recognize our wicked ways and abandon them. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done until now; what matters is from here on, how we will move forward from this moment.

Repentance is change in a person’s life! The one who stole no longer steals, the one who killed no longer kills, the one who prostituted themselves no longer does so, for now they live according to God’s will.

Allow God to change your life today! Repent and come to the fold, for the Lord desires to save you. You are important to God.

God loves the family and has a purpose with it. We can say that the first “marriage” on earth was performed by God Himself. After creating the heavens and the earth and everything in them, God creates man, and the Lord saw that it was not good for man to live alone.

God creates a companion, a helpmeet for man. The woman is man’s helpmeet who would be by his side to assist him. We could never begin this study without talking about the emergence of the family, because our patriarchs were extremely important in human history.

Understanding the Emergence of the Family

When we look at the previous verses in Genesis 1, we see God creating everything that exists only with the power of His word, saying “Let there be” and everything began to take shape on earth. When God creates man, no word of creation is spoken, but rather He makes the human being with His own hands.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:26-31, KJV)

God begins the development of the human being, and He shows immense affection for this moment, and gives us a privilege that no other being received: to be in the image and likeness of God. God then developed the human being, male and female, so that they could procreate and populate the earth. We understand that the earth would only be populated, that is, more human beings would only be born through a sexual relationship between man and woman.

In God’s word, the animals had their pairs, and only man was alone. God understands that it was not good for man to live alone, because man needed someone to be side by side with him to assist in his daily life.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:20-25, KJV)

God Himself creates the one who would be Adam’s helpmeet. The most interesting thing is that, to form the woman, God chooses a part of man’s body. God chose precisely Adam’s rib to create the woman.

Then we will observe scientifically what the main function of the rib is. The ribs are structures responsible for protecting and structuring the thoracic region. They are semi-arch shaped bones that connect to a central bone called the sternum, thus forming a large box for the protection of organs like the lungs and kidneys.

The ribs and their muscles are extremely important for human life, as they are responsible for defending the thoracic cavity, maintaining negative pressure, and allowing breathing. The ribs protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels.

And now we ask: why did God choose the rib? How many ribs does a human body have? We learned from a young age in school that a human being has 12 pairs of ribs according to science.

Now let’s go to biblical numerology: the number 12 (twelve) in biblical numerology means governmental perfection. God at that moment was instituting the first family on earth and we understand that within a family there is a government, rules, and obligations.

And for a family to be blessed, it is necessary that there be governmental perfection, which only comes into existence when man and woman walk in agreement and thought, where both respect each other and live according to God’s precepts.

The woman was created by God to be man’s loving companion and helpmeet. She shares in man’s responsibility and would cooperate with him in God’s plan for his life and the family.

When a man leaves his father and mother, uniting with his wife, that new family demonstrates God’s completeness over the family. The number twelve refers to something that was organized and instituted by God.

The family is something instituted by God, and for this reason the enemy fights strongly to destroy it. Even to this day, the family continues to populate the earth, thus fulfilling God’s purpose from the beginning where man should unite with his wife and multiply.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28, KJV)

Family Only Prospers if Everyone Is United

Nothing can exist or stand when there is no unity. Family is a work that only bears fruit if done as a team. It is no use for only one spouse to take on the obligations and responsibilities. The spouse who does not support the other’s growth is not only hindering the other but also hindering themselves from growing. In the family, no one achieves anything alone, because everything is a joint effort.

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. (Matthew 12:25, KJV)

Have you ever stopped to think that when a family decides to buy a car, for example, everyone gets involved? There is financial saving, husband and wife pool as much as possible and in the end everything works out, they achieve the goal.

Now when there is no support in the family, one has a positive idea, but the other has a negative idea that it won’t work. This generates in the family environment a feeling of incapacity and frustration.

But how to solve this? In the family, we must be able to forgive at all times, always apologize, and above all always put ourselves in the other’s place. It is necessary to know how to listen to the other and know how to dialogue, because dialogue is the soul of the family.

How can someone live in an environment where spouses do not know how to forgive? We may have “some attitudes” that will indeed hurt and sadden the other, but we must know how to release forgiveness and also recognize that we were wrong.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. (Ephesians 4:26, KJV)

This is a great verse that can be applied to the family, because we must keep control over our emotions, not allowing ourselves to be controlled by anger. God’s word warns us that we must calm anger before the sun sets, because the feeling of anger creates opportunity for the devil.

It is no shame for man or woman to recognize that they were wrong. Shame is not recognizing that we are human beings full of errors and defects.

Love Within the Family

This theme refers to Galatians 5:14 which says: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (KJV) Family requires that we love it as ourselves, overcoming faults, recognizing errors, and understanding defects.

We do not stop loving ourselves because of our defects, right? The same goes for the family, because we cannot stop loving it because there is a defect.

We should never make comparisons between our family and other people’s families, because each one has its own peculiarity, and this type of comparison generates frustrations and wear and tear in the family environment.

For husbands, the responsibility is not only to be the provider for the home and fulfiller of their obligations to their wife, but it goes much further than that.

The man must love and respect his wife, caring for her just as Jesus in His magnificent example as husband loved His wife (the church) in such a way that He gave His life for her.

Which husband is willing to give his life for his beloved wife?

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:33, KJV)

See that God’s word speaks to the husband and also to the wife, because she must treat her husband with affection and respect. We understand that love is not a task only for the husband or only for the wife, but it is a task for all. Respect in the family is in every sense, especially when we are not close to our spouses.

Any burden where only one person carries leads to overload, but when the weight is divided between the parties, it becomes much easier to go further.

Be Careful with Words!

In the book of Proverbs, we can find precious advice for the family and for living. One of the most important pieces of advice that Solomon leaves us is about the care we must have with words, because our word has the power to bless and to curse.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Proverbs 18:21, KJV)

From this verse we can reflect on what words we have spoken about our family? Have we spoken words of blessing or curses?

Never say these words inside your home. Unfortunately, nowadays, there are family environments where people do not know the meaning of words and the power they can exert over a person.

There are people who are now cursing their family, their home, and their children by saying words without knowing their meaning.

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. (Proverbs 12:18, KJV)

• Misfortune: Condenses darkness, breakage, and absence of the Divine.
• Shit: Calls rot, filth, and adversities.
• Son of a b*: Evokes hatred and family disputes.
• Cursed: Launches plague and embodies curses.
• Stupid/Idiot: Should be avoided especially with children and sons.
• Wretched: Draws lack, indigence, poverty, and penury.
• Naughty: In its base means condemned, suffering and wandering, cursed, malevolent, evil, bad. Calling someone “naughty” is cursing the person, because naughty means “condemned to hell”.
• Brat: Was a demon from ancient Mesopotamia, whose original name was Moloch, to whom child sacrifices were made. In Africa, its name was changed to brat, and thus came to Brazil.

A healthy family environment is one where people learn to say: good morning, good afternoon, good evening, to ask for blessing from elders, apologize, say “thank you” and similar things.

It is extremely important that every day we bless everyone who makes up our family. Casting words of blessing and victory over them. Teaching each one that we are dependent on God, because without His care we could do nothing.

At the end of this study, may we understand that no matter the struggles and adversities we may be facing in the family realm. With God as the center of our home, we can transform the family and make it a blessing.

First allow change within yourself first. Look inside yourself now and change, transform into a better person, be a wonderful husband, be a wonderful wife, be an excellent father, an excellent mother, be a great son.

We will never be able to change something if we are not capable of changing ourselves and letting God be the center of the family.

Understand the privilege that God has given you, because the family you have today perhaps you have only looked at the errors and defects. Out there are countless people in various social classes, from the lowest to the highest, who would give anything to have a family like yours.

Value, care, love, and let God be the center of your family. May God bless your life and your family.

Declare like Joshua: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! (Joshua 24:15, KJV)

When speaking of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we can already understand in advance that this should be a desire that must burn in the heart of those who serve Jesus Christ. For the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a clothing of power and spiritual authority. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is granted to all those who seek God and His word. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is given to all who raise their hands and profess their faith in Christ Jesus; who understood that it was necessary to be born again, allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within their hearts.

Jesus Christ had as His main goal to baptize His people in the Spirit. We can observe this when we see someone named John saying: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11)

John the Baptist clearly stated that he baptized with water those who had repented. He also makes it clear that after him would come someone mightier than he, someone far superior, whose sandals he was not worthy to carry. John then declares that the one who would come would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John the Baptist was teaching that the work the coming Messiah would perform included baptizing His followers with the Holy Spirit and fire. The baptism in the Holy Spirit grants us power to live for Christ and witness His great deeds.

All who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives must proclaim that Jesus Christ continues to baptize in the Holy Spirit, for He has not changed; He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ commanded the disciples not to begin witnessing until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and clothed with power from on high. And we understand that the disciples had to wait for the fulfillment of this promise in persevering prayer. Every Christian who longs for the baptism in the Holy Spirit must do the same: wait in prayer and perseverance.

Jesus’ Breath and Regeneration

On the day Jesus rose, He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

“Receive the Holy Spirit” establishes the fact that the Holy Spirit, at that moment, entered the disciples in an unprecedented way to dwell in them. We understand that this “receiving” of life through the Holy Spirit precedes the authority granted by Jesus to them, as well as the baptism in the Holy Spirit a few days later, on the day of Pentecost. We comprehend that regeneration and new life were being granted to the disciples at that moment. We can observe that the disciples also needed to be clothed with power by the Holy Spirit, so this baptism is an experience subsequent to regeneration.

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is experiencing the fullness of the Spirit. We can understand that this baptism was reserved to happen only from the day of Pentecost onward. Regarding those who were filled with the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost, we comprehend that Luke does not use the expression baptized in the Holy Spirit, as this event would only occur after the ascension of Jesus Christ. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (Acts 1:5)

It is a privilege to receive from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself the baptism in the Holy Spirit, for it is the Lord Jesus Himself who baptizes in the Holy Spirit those who believe in Him. And behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

We observe that when Jesus says “the Promise of My Father,” He refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives the believer heavenly power and boldness so that they can perform great works in the name of Christ and have effectiveness in their testimony and preaching. This power is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, in which the presence, glory, and operation of Jesus Christ are made present among His people.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Jesus Christ calls the Holy Spirit “Comforter,” that is, the Holy Spirit is literally “someone called to stand beside someone to help them.” The Holy Spirit is the one who strengthens us, advises us, is our help, our advocate, our ally, and our friend. When Jesus Christ says He will send “another Comforter,” Jesus is saying He will send another, but “of the same kind,” that is, the Comforter came to continue what Christ accomplished on earth.

The Holy Spirit (Comforter) would do for the disciples everything that Jesus Christ had done for them when He was among them. The Comforter would be side by side with them to help them, providing the right direction for their lives, consoling them in difficult times, interceding for each of them in prayer, and remaining with them not just for one day, but forever. Jesus Christ presents Himself as our helper, for when He was here on earth, He always sought to help others.

Jesus is also the one who intercedes for us in heaven. The Holy Spirit is our helper and the intercessor who dwells in us here on earth. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26,27)

The Results of the Genuine Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Prophetic messages of praise: What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Greater sensitivity to sin that grieves the Holy Spirit and greater pursuit of righteousness in deeper perception of divine judgment against ungodliness: And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 16:8)

A life that glorifies Jesus Christ: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13,14)

Visions from the Spirit: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:17)

Manifestations of the various gifts of the Holy Spirit: There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:4-10)

Greater desire to pray and intercede: Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41,42)

Greater love for the word of God and better understanding of it: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13)

A growing conviction of God as our Father: For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:15,16)

How to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

To receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the word of God mentions some prior conditions so that we can receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

1. We must accept by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.
2. We must turn away from sin and the world.
3. We must live a life of submission to God.
4. We must turn away from and abandon everything that offends God, so that we can then be “a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master.”
5. It is necessary to desire the baptism.
6. We must have great hunger and thirst for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
7. We must be in constant prayer, for many receive the baptism as an answer to their prayers in this regard.
8. We must wait convinced that God will certainly baptize us in the Holy Spirit.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit remains alive in the life of every Christian who has a life of prayer, testimony, worship in the Spirit, and fellowship. No matter how powerful the initial experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is in the believer’s life, if it is not expressed in a life of prayer, testimony, and holiness, it will soon become a fading glory.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit occurs only once in the Christian’s life and leads them to a life of consecration to God’s work, thus witnessing with power and righteousness. The Bible speaks of subsequent renewals after the initial baptism in the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit leads the Christian to a relationship with the Holy Spirit that must be renewed and maintained.

Therefore, if we seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit, upon receiving it, we must continue persevering in prayer and in constant pursuit of the heavenly gifts that God has to pour out on our lives. The Holy Spirit is our friend, counselor, the one who is by our side to help us in the walk of faith. We must have the Holy Spirit as our friend, talk to Him daily, sharing our difficulties, telling Him that we love Him, adore Him, and that He is important to us.

No matter how long we have been seeking this clothing of power. We must continue persevering in constant prayer, for God will certainly clothe us with this power and give us authority and power to perform wonders in His work. God will certainly baptize you in the Holy Spirit at any moment; just believe and continue in prayer.

We will serve God not just to say that we are Christians or because we attend a church. We serve God because our desire is to reach the kingdom of heaven through Christ Jesus! After all, what is serving? According to the dictionary, serving means working on behalf of someone. When we serve God, we are placing ourselves at the disposal for the growth of the kingdom. Making the Lord’s will be established on earth, bringing into existence the purposes of God.

Serving God means being willing to fulfill His will and His desire, to kill the self and live God’s will.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Serving God is renouncing our own wills, mortifying our desires, so that God’s will may be fully realized in our lives. God gave His own Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus Christ surrenders fully to the Father’s purpose. Jesus Christ positions Himself as the true example of the faithful, obedient, and God-fearing servant to His Lord.

Jesus Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

When speaking about the path that leads to salvation, we can observe that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself defines Himself as the only way to reach salvation.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ describes Himself as three extremely important pillars so that we can reach the kingdom of heaven. Within these three pillars, we will describe each one and understand how it becomes possible to achieve salvation through Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ Is the Way

Way means: means of achieving a result; direction. So, we will understand that Jesus Christ is the only direction we must take so that we can achieve our salvation. Only Jesus Christ can make the church achieve its result, which is salvation.

Jesus Christ Is the Truth

Truth means: circumstance, object, or fact; reality. There is no other truth besides the one Jesus leaves recorded for us in the Scriptures. Jesus Christ is yes, and always will be, the only truth. Everything He reported in the Scriptures has been fulfilled in our days.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:6-7) The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Luke 12:53)

Each verse quoted above has already been fulfilled in our days. When we believe in this truth that is the word of God, we are treading the right path so that we can achieve our salvation.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

Many human theories and their knowledge are indeed true, but there is only one truth capable of freeing people from sin, destruction, and evil dominion. This truth is found only in Jesus Christ and through the word of God. The Scriptures bear witness to the only truth capable of freeing man from sin, the world, and demonic power. No more revelations of “truths” are needed to complete Christ’s gospel or to make it more suitable, for Christ’s gospel is the only perfect solution.

The saving truth is revealed from God only by His Spirit and does not come from any person or human wisdom. When we recognize Jesus Christ as the only truth, we achieve liberation from evil dominion, oppositions, everything that can distance us from God.

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. (John 12:26)

Faith in Jesus Christ involves personal commitment to follow, keep these teachings, and be where He is. Following Christ includes denying oneself and taking up one’s cross.

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

The cross is the symbol of suffering, death, shame, mockery, rejection, and personal renunciation. Every Christian, when deciding to deny themselves, makes the decision to fight to the end against sin, fight against Satan and the powers of darkness to extend the kingdom of God.

The Christian must be determined to face the hostility of the adversary and the evil hosts, as well as face the persecution that arises from resisting false teachers who distort the truths of the Gospel. To reach the kingdom of heaven, it is necessary that we stop living for our own wills and live for God’s will and desire.

Jesus Christ Is the Life

Jesus Christ overcame death! Unfortunately, sin separates us from God; sin brings death, and only through Jesus Christ can we be resurrected and achieve eternal life. When someone raises their hands and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life, they begin to live a new life that is complete and full of peace.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26)

We understand that physical death is not a tragic end, but on the contrary, it is the passport to eternal and abundant life, and communion with God. “Shall live” refers to the resurrection; “shall never die” means that the believer will have a new, immortal, and incorruptible body that cannot die or deteriorate.

To reach the kingdom of heaven, it is necessary to allow God’s word to come like a seed thrown into our heart, to germinate, grow, and bear fruit.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15)

When God’s word finds shelter in our hearts, we begin to understand God’s purposes for our lives. From then on, step by step, we begin to produce fruits worthy of repentance. Through our lives, people are impacted by God’s power; we become instruments of God, for the seed that was planted fell on fertile ground.

Perseverance and Effort in the Kingdom of Heaven

The kingdom of heaven requires perseverance. Reaching the kingdom of heaven demands determination and purpose.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12)

Only those who make an effort can seize the kingdom of heaven. Belonging to the kingdom of God and enjoying all its blessings requires sincere and constant effort. It is a battle of faith, allied with an immense will to resist Satan, sin, and the perverse society in which we live.

Those who live according to the world’s will, neglecting God’s word, those who have little spiritual hunger, and those who pray rarely will never know the kingdom of heaven, for the kingdom of heaven is for people bold in faith.

Biblical Examples of Boldness and Calling

God calls to the kingdom people like Joseph.

There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9)

God calls to the kingdom people like Nathan.

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. (2 Samuel 12:7)

God calls to the kingdom people like Elijah.

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)

God calls to the kingdom people like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he vaunting himself against the LORD? (Daniel 3:16-18)

What Is Your Calling?

Have you ever stopped to imagine what calling God has for your life? We all have a calling from God for our lives, but it is not always easy to understand the calling God has for us. Today we will study about God’s calling. Click and discover your calling now!

God calls to the kingdom people like Mordecai.

And when they spake unto him day after day, and he hearkened not unto them, they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. (Esther 3:4-5)

God calls to the kingdom people like Peter and John.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:19-20)

God calls to the kingdom people like Stephen.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. (Acts 6:8)

God calls to the kingdom people like Paul.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

God calls to the kingdom people like Deborah.

And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Judges 4:9)

God calls to the kingdom people like Ruth.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. (Ruth 1:16-18)

God calls to the kingdom people like Esther.

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16)

God calls to the kingdom people like Mary.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)

God calls to the kingdom people like Anna.

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)

God calls to the kingdom people like Lydia.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. (Acts 16:14-15)

If you desire to reach the kingdom of heaven, be inspired by people like those we mentioned above. Each of them was bold before the presence of God; all denied the flesh, renounced their wills, mortified their desires, and renounced their lives to live according to God’s will.

We can conclude that we were called to populate the kingdom of heaven; we are not here on this earth as fruits of chance, we came with a purpose, a calling from God in our lives. God desires that we fulfill His calling for our lives and that, through our lives, we become capable of reaching other people for the kingdom.

May we, from today onward, reach as many people as possible, telling them that Jesus Christ heals, saves, delivers, and takes to heaven, for this word is faithful and true.

Forgiveness is something extremely necessary in the Christian life, as we must fulfill and understand the real power that exists in forgiving those who, in some way, have offended us. Do you know what the meaning of the word forgiveness is? Forgiveness is the human action of getting rid of guilt, an offense, a debt, and so on. Forgiveness is a mental process that aims at eliminating any resentment, anger, grudge, or other negative feeling about a certain person or about oneself.

In the religious sphere, the concept of forgiveness is related to the so-called “process of spiritual purification,” an idea that is present in almost all religious doctrines and consists of eliminating feelings harmful to man, such as anger, hurt, or the desire for revenge. Source: Forgiveness – Meanings.

God’s Goodness in Forgiveness

We understand that God is good; He forgives our mistakes and sins. His grace reaches all who truly repent of their sins and invoke His forgiveness.

For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5, NASB)

How Many Times Should We Forgive?

How many times should we forgive?

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22, NASB)

We understand that forgiveness is not just a mathematical sum, but it goes much further, because every time we forgive someone, even if they have wronged us more than once, we will forgive them as if it were the first time. We understand that when Jesus says we should grant forgiveness not seven times, but seventy times seven, that means 70 x 7 = 490 times.

What we understand is that forgiving someone 490 times means that, as Christians, we are willing to forgive as many times as necessary. Every day we ask God for forgiveness for our mistakes and sins committed through thoughts, words, and deeds, for our failures, and we have the conviction that He forgives us and cleanses us from all sin. In the same way, God desires that we come, every day, to be willing to forgive those who, in some way, have offended us.

God’s Inexhaustible Forgiveness

We can understand that God’s forgiveness is something inexhaustible for human beings, conditioned on our willingness to recognize and abandon sin and also to forgive our brothers. The release of forgiveness is something extremely important even for our prayer, because in the model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes it very clear.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12, NASB)

We can understand that we are asking God to forgive our debts in the same way that we forgive our debtors, that is, God will forgive us to the extent that I forgive my neighbor. If I am not able to forgive my neighbor, how do I want to achieve God’s forgiveness?

The Need for Reconciliation

The Bible clearly teaches us that it is extremely necessary to seek reconciliation, because without reconciliation it is impossible to receive God’s forgiveness.

Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions. (Mark 11:25-26, NASB)

God’s word is clear in teaching us that we only receive forgiveness when we are able to forgive and, when we become unable to forgive, we also become unable to receive God’s forgiveness. The release of forgiveness is necessary because sin generates physical illnesses and in the soul. There are people who cannot release forgiveness and are imprisoned in illnesses.

Lack of Forgiveness as a Disease

The lack of forgiveness is such a serious matter because it is a disease that starts in the soul and can be seen through signs in the human body. What we mean here is that when I cannot forgive someone, not only does the soul get sick, but the body also gets sick along with that feeling. There are thousands and thousands of people who are sick because until today they have not been able to release forgiveness.

Below, we will list some psychosomatic diseases that are generated in the body by the lack of forgiveness release. Understanding the power of forgiveness.

• Anxiety: Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, worry, or discomfort, being a normal human experience. It is also present in a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic syndrome, and phobias. Although these diseases are different from each other, they all present distress and dysfunction specifically related to anxiety and fear.
• Dysthymia: (lack of motivation, low self-esteem, laziness).
• Anguish: (emptiness of the soul, deep inner despair, loneliness).
• Depression: Depression includes a feeling of sadness (or, in children and adolescents, irritability) and/or loss of interest in activities. In major depressive disorder, these symptoms last two weeks or more and interfere with functioning or cause significant distress. Symptoms may occur after a recent loss or other sad event, but they are disproportionate to the event and persist beyond the appropriate time. Mood dysregulation disorder involves persistent irritability and frequent episodes of behavior that is excessively out of control.
• Oppression: (lack of reaction, imprisonment, blinded vision, slavery, obsession).
• Paranoia: (grandiosity mania, persecution mania, selfishness and egocentrism).
• Panic Syndrome: Panic syndrome consists of recurrent panic attacks that cause excessive worry about future attacks and/or behavior changes to avoid situations that could trigger an attack.
• Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality (psychosis), hallucinations (it is common to hear voices), false convictions (delusions), abnormal thinking and behavior, reduced emotional expressions, decreased motivation, worsening of mental function (cognition), and problems in daily performance, including in professional, social, relationships, and self-care areas.
• OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder): Total enslavement of the mind through exaggerated repetitions and absolutely destructive thoughts of normal mind functions.
• Madness: (total lack of control of activities: active mind, reason, memory, reasoning without synchronism, thoughts without connection).
• Suicide: Suicidal behavior includes completed suicide and suicide attempt. Suicidal thoughts and plans are called suicidal ideation.

Source: MSD MANUAL FAMILY HEALTH VERSION.

God’s Daily Invitation

All these are diseases that are generated in the human body when we are not forgiveness releasers, that is, we turn our body into a sick body. Every day, God invites us to be forgiveness releasers, but unfortunately, many times our heart has been found hardened. Unfortunately, human beings have preferred to kill love to live with pain.

One day, we were all in the condition of sinners and needed God’s forgiveness to reconcile with Him again.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23, NASB)

Only through Jesus Christ do we receive forgiveness, and Jesus left as an example that we should also forgive our brothers.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32, NASB)

Becoming a New Creature

When we raise our hands to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we become a new creature and begin to walk according to His will. And it is God’s desire that we come to be forgiveness releasers. God desires that we come to observe Christ’s steps and that we come to walk in the same way that He walked, forgiving our enemies and loving our neighbor.

Jesus Christ desires that we come to have a pure heart full of love, because love produces health not only for the body but also produces health for the soul. Unfortunately, many times we will be persecuted and even, why not say, cursed by certain people. Many times, being persecuted by someone saddens our hearts, but we have to know how to carry with us only feelings that do us good.

Blessing the Persecutors

From our mouth and from our heart must overflow only blessing words, that is, we have to bless those who persecute us. Our word has power and when we cast a word of blessing over the life of a person who, in some way, persecutes or saddens us, we change their history in the future. If we curse our enemy, certainly he will continue to be worse than he is today, because over him are cast only words of curse.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14, NASB)

Filtering What Does Good

When we live according to God’s will, we become forgiveness releasers and blessers, regardless of whether someone does us good or evil. In our life, we must perform a filtering of what does us good. What does us harm we must leave by the roadside, as if we were walking with two bags, one with a bottom and the other without a bottom.

In the bag with a bottom, we store everything that adds physical and spiritual health. In the bag without a bottom, we put everything that does us harm physically and spiritually, we get rid of all negative load, all hatred, all grudge, and all sadness. We must free up space in our body, mind, and soul so that we can experience the benefits of having a healthy life that comes only through forgiveness.

Avoiding Negative Feelings

We should never carry with us feelings like hurt, grudge, sadness, and so on. People who carry these bad feelings live for them. They live with feelings of evil, sadness, grudge, trying to do evil to other people, because in their lives is carried the scar of the lack of forgiveness release.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21, NASB)

Leaving Vengeance to God

God teaches us that vengeance belongs to Him to carry out, that is, we understand that when we are hurt by words and attitudes and hand it over to God’s hands, He is the one who judges that situation. Nothing goes unnoticed before God. And God contemplates us when we are offended, when our hearts are saddened.

God teaches us that if our enemy is hungry, we should give him food and drink. When we do this, we heap burning coals on his head. We cannot allow evil to overcome our good attitudes, because good is infinitely greater and produces health for our body and also our soul.

Release forgiveness, free your body, and heal your soul!

When we talk about confidence in God, we pause, meditate, and arrive at a single common denominator, where the question we ask ourselves is: in whom will I trust? Before we talk about confidence, we need to know its real meaning. Confidence means: belief that something will not fail, that it is well-made or strong enough to fulfill its function. We understand that trusting in God is knowing that He will never fail. It is trusting in His greatness and in His power to fulfill His projects and purposes over our lives.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. (1 John 5:14, KJV)

When we approach God, we have within our hearts the confidence that makes us believe that whatever we ask will be granted according to the will of God and that He will always hear us. Confidence in the Lord makes us intimate to the point of telling God all our secrets, our difficulties, and we draw closer to Him more and more. As we draw near to God, He also draws near to us. We must understand that the more we draw near to God, the more God reveals Himself, showing us His love, His care, and His mercy for our lives.

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22,23, KJV)

God is the only one in whom we can place our full confidence, for in Him there is no lie, no falsehood, that is, God does not go back on what He has promised.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19, KJV)

When we raise our hands to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we learn that we must tell God all our secrets. We tell everything that is stored internally within our hearts. Secrets that often even the closest friend does not know, but God, the faithful friend, hears us, advises us, teaches us, does not judge us, but with such great love He honors our confidence in Him. We should never trust only in ourselves, for it is necessary that we come to trust in God and in His divine guidance so that we can experience the best of God.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV)

Confidence in God makes us walk paths that we never imagined walking. God can straighten paths, God can transform the one who was lost in society, transform the most dangerous man on earth into a preacher of the gospel. God takes a homeless person and makes him a preacher of the gospel, God can transform those who had no value to society. We need to learn to trust in God, we need to learn to wait for God’s time to answer us.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, KJV)

We understand that trusting in the Lord is directly linked to waiting, for God will not always answer at the exact moment we ask. There are situations in which God will only grant us what we ask when He understands that we are ready to receive. Blessings granted at the wrong time turn into a great curse, causing physical and spiritual death, for it was not the time. Trusting in God is understanding that there is a time for the blessing to arrive in our lives. It is understanding that there is the right moment to live experiences with the Lord.

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. (Psalm 9:10, KJV)

Trusting in God is knowing that there is time to experience the various scenarios that God has prepared for our lives. When we accept Jesus Christ, we know His power and His greatness and, through the experiences we live day by day with God, we understand that the Lord never abandons us, regardless of the scenario we are living. Therefore, no matter what you are experiencing today. Just trust and see what God will do in your life, in your home, in your story.