The Word became flesh

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14
Holy Bible

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Lutheran Church of Portugal

A Prayer for Christmas

Lord God, heavenly Father, you sent your angels to tell lowly shepherds not to be afraid but instead to rejoice at the birth of the Savior, Christ the Lord. Drive all fear from our hearts, and lead us to rejoice at the news of our Lord Jesus, true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary. Open our hearts to hear the choirs sing of all your promises, lead us in penitence to view the manger, and then let us return to our daily lives glorifying and praising God for all that we have heard and seen, in the name of that Christ child. Amen

WELS - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
www.wels.net

Luke 1:30-33

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."

Luke 1:30-33
Holy Bible

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Lutheran Church of Portugal

Christmas Prayer

Father in heaven, on this day you gave the world the gift of your Son, Jesus. We marvel at the mystery of the manger, that this child could be both man and God, both humble and divine, both the Prince of Peace and the price of peace. So great is the love of God that even though our sin required such a sacrifice, the Light of the world still descended into our darkness. We kneel before the virgin-born God wrapped in cloths and sing the angels' song: Glory to God in the highest! Amen.

1 João 4:9

"Nisto se manifesta o amor de Deus para connosco: que Deus enviou seu Filho unigénito ao mundo, para que por ele vivamos."

1 João 4:9
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

João 14:6

"Disse-lhe Jesus: Eu sou o caminho, e a verdade e a vida; ninguém vem ao Pai, senão por mim."

João 14:6
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

João 3:16-17

"Porque Deus amou o mundo, de tal maneira, que deu o seu Filho unigénito, para que todo aquele que nele crê não pereça, mas tenha a vida eterna. Porque Deus enviou o seu Filho ao mundo, não para que condenasse o mundo, mas para que o mundo fosse salvo por ele."

João 3:16-17
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Provérbios 21:2-3

"Todo o caminho do homem é recto aos seus olhos, mas o Senhor sonda os corações. Fazer justiça e julgar com rectidão é mais aceitável ao Senhor do que oferecer-lhe sacrifício."

Provérbios 21:2-3
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

De todo o meu coração te busquei

"De todo o meu coração te busquei: não me deixes desviar dos teus mandamentos. Escondi a tua palavra no meu coração, para eu não pecar contra ti. Bendito és tu, ó Senhor; ensina-me os teus estatutos."

Salmos 119:10-12
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Galardoador dos que O buscam

"Ora, sem fé, é impossível agradar-lhe; porque é necessário que aquele que se aproxima de Deus creia que ele existe, e que é galardoador dos que o buscam."

Hebreus 11:6
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18
Holy Bible

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Lutheran Church of Portugal

Tiago 3:9-10

"Com ela bendizemos a Deus, o Pai, e com ela amaldiçoamos os homens, feitos à semelhança de Deus; De uma mesma boca procede bênção e maldição. Meus irmãos, não convém que isto se faça assim."

Tiago 3:9-10
Bíblia Sagrada

Chamados a ser como Cristo

Não somos chamados a ser como os outros cristãos, somos chamados a ser como Cristo!

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

A eficácia da oração

"E esta é a confiança que temos nele, que, se pedirmos alguma coisa segundo a sua vontade, ele nos ouve."

1 João 5:14
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Romans 15:13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13
Holy Bible

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Lutheran Church of Portugal

2 Coríntios 12:9

"E disse-me: A minha graça te basta, porque o meu poder se aperfeiçoa na fraqueza. De boa vontade, pois, me gloriarei nas minhas fraquezas, para que em mim habite o poder de Cristo."

2 Coríntios 12:9
Bíblia Sagrada

Salmo 145:1

"Eu te exaltarei, ó Deus, rei meu, e bendirei o teu nome pelos séculos dos séculos e para sempre."

Salmo 145:1
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Marcos 1:1-3

"Princípio do Evangelho de Jesus Cristo, Filho de Deus; Como está escrito nos profetas: Eis que eu envio o meu anjo ante a tua face, o qual preparará o teu caminho diante de ti. Voz do que clama no deserto: Preparai o caminho do Senhor, Endireitai as suas veredas."

Marcos 1:1-3
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Thoughts Of Faith

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

John 14:6
Holy Bible

Thoughts of Faith
www.tof.org

Thoughts of Faith is a mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

The Beginning

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:1

The Beginning

There are some phrases used in the Bible which can quickly catch my attention. One of those is "in the beginning." These are the very first words of the very first book of the Bible, and they explain how everything came to be. Similar words are used by Mark, but not in the context of creation. They are used to signal the beginning of God's work to rescue the lost.

Prior to the coming of Jesus into the world, God used promises to guide his people. He also used many visual helps which included a system of sacrifices. As people faithfully listened to the promises and offered their sacrifices, they expressed their trust in the Lord and what he would do for them.

Mark's record of the life of Jesus signals a dramatic change. He shifts the believer's focus away from the sacrifices and promises to their fulfillment. Mark announced the coming of Jesus and the good news of God's forgiveness and peace. It wasn't that the assurance of forgiveness and peace didn't exist prior to Jesus' coming, but now there was no mistaking what God had begun. Today, I need to rely on this precious proclamation to address my sin and guilt.

Where do I look when my guilt gnaws at me? Where do I look when my conscience is seared by the blazing testimony of God's justice? Where do I look when my self-earned goodness leads only to despair? There is only one answer, and it is Jesus.

This is the answer Mark provides and proclaims. His words are the call to look at what God has done. With his Gospel account he reveals what Jesus did from the beginning of his earthly ministry to the end of it. He reveals Jesus' humble coming and his faithfulness to his Father's will. He reveals Jesus' powerful acts of love and unsurpassed words of compassion. He also reveals Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. This is the good news I long to hear, and desperately need to hear.

The beginning. These are very specific words and very descriptive words. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus is the beginning of my hope, my comfort, and my peace with God. It is also the beginning of my confidence of life in heaven.

Prayer:
O dearest Lord, I thank you for sending Jesus into the world to be the Savior of all, and I thank you for revealing him to me as my Savior. Give me the faith I need to trust him in all things for this life and for the life to come.

WELS
www.wels.net
www.WhatAboutJesus.com

Tiago 1:2-6

"Meus irmãos, tende grande gozo quando caírdes em várias tentações, Sabendo que a prova da vossa fé obra a paciência. Tenha, porém, a paciência a sua obra perfeita, para que sejais perfeitos e completos, sem faltar em coisa alguma. E, se algum de vós tem falta de sabedoria, peça-a a Deus, que a todos dá, liberalmente, e o não lança em rosto, e ser-lhe-á dada. Peça-a porém, com fé, não duvidando; porque o que duvida é semelhante à onda do mar, que é levada pelo vento, e lançada de uma para outra parte."

Tiago 1:2-6
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Eclesiastes 11:5

"Assim como tu não sabes qual o caminho do vento, nem como se formam os ossos no ventre da que está grávida, assim, também, não sabes as obras de Deus, que faz todas as coisas."

Eclesiastes 11:5
Bíblia Sagrada

Marcos 4:35-41

35 Naquele dia, quando já era tarde, disse-lhes: Passemos para o outro lado.
36 E eles, deixando a multidão, o levaram consigo, assim como estava, no barco; e havia com ele também outros barcos.
37 E se levantou grande tempestade de vento, e as ondas batiam dentro do barco, de modo que já se enchia.
38 Ele, porém, estava na popa dormindo sobre a almofada; e despertaram-no, e lhe perguntaram: Mestre, não se te dá que pereçamos?
39 E ele, levantando-se, repreendeu o vento, e disse ao mar: Cala-te, aquieta-te. E cessou o vento, e fez-se grande bonança.
40 Então lhes perguntou: Por que sois assim tímidos? Ainda não tendes fé?
41 Encheram-se de grande temor, e diziam uns aos outros: Quem, porventura, é este, que até o vento e o mar lhe obedecem?

Marcos 4:35-41
Bíblia Sagrada

A tua benignidade é melhor do que a vida

"Porque a tua benignidade é melhor do que a vida, os meus lábios te louvarão."

Salmos 63:3
Bíblia Sagrada

Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura
Igreja Luterana de Portugal

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Romans 10:9-10
Holy Bible

Salmos 42:11

"Por que estás abatida, ó minha alma, e por que te perturbas dentro de mim? espera em Deus, pois ainda o louvarei. Ele é a salvação da minha face e o meu Deus."

Salmos 42:11
Bíblia Sagrada

How do I know there is a God?

Have you ever thought about how many things you know and believe without having seen them? Take gravity for instance. No one has ever seen gravity, but I see evidence of it is all around. As a matter of fact, we depend on it for almost all of our everyday activities. Gravity holds our cars on the road. It keeps us from floating away into space. We would be in serious trouble without it.

Look at God in very much the same way that you look at gravity. You have never seen him, but you see evidence that he must exist in the world. Whether taking in a soft summer sunset or a late night display of the constellations, know that someone took some serious time and effort to get things just right. The Bible puts it this way, "Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." (Hebrews 3:4)

Have you ever taken time to look closely at the world in which we live? Get up a little earlier than normal tomorrow and let the sunrise speak for itself. You decide which is more impressive, the beauty of the sunrise or the fact that is has risen every day in the history of the world. You will hear an inaudible voice in that sunrise. It is God's voice. (Psalm 19:1-4)

Perhaps you are more impressed with detail. Take time to count the hairs on one of your arms from your wrist to your elbow. As you notice the delicacy with which each hair is connected, consider how hard plastic surgeons work to duplicate a "normal" hair pattern. They never do get it quite right, do they? All of this is part of God's great attention to detail and more evidence that he does exist.

We have never seen God, but, like gravity, we know he is here. He has taken the time to leave evidence of his existence all around the world in which we live. Take time to notice it. You will see that he is very real. If you want more, definite information, take time to get to know him better in the Bible.

WELS
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
http://www.wels.net/what-we-believe/questions-answers