K

    One of the new people in our church is a brother whom I'll call K. He is up from Brazil on a six month visa before returning home. He doesn't speak English. As with most church cultures, what he is familiar with is pastor centric. His mother, also a non English speaker is up visiting. K introduced me to her as "Pastor." After our gathering I went over to him with a bi-lingual Bible that another brother gave me last year. My Portuguese is halting as I don't know the verb changes, and my accent is atrocious but by the grace of God I have made it my business to know His Word. So i showed K Matthew 23:8, and Romans 8:29, two of many verses that show the importance of our brotherhood in Christ. K read them aloud in Portuguese. Then I managed to say that offices or gifts like elder or pastor (using the Portuguese words) are important but what is more important is our brotherhood because that is eternal. The Holy Spirit helped me remember the way in which a Portuguese speaker expresses that concept, (literally "for always"). I saw the gleam of revelation in K's eyes as he looked to me and said, "irmao" (brother-I don't know how to reproduce the accent mark) and then to himself as well. As Paul the apostle said in a different context, "The Word of God is not bound!" (2 Timothy 2:9b ESV)
     Another encouragement from yesterday was a young brother A whom God is moving in powerfully. At the very end as I was getting into my car to return home he came up and asked for a book which I had offered to the church (Basic Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem). A expressed a desire to find 4 people who would pray consistently for the neighborhood in which we are ministering, and finally asked me to pray for him personally. I asked whether he had any specific need. He said no, just to bless him. What a basic, wonderful request and yet how often do we ever do this? Happy to comply. Thank you, Jesus