Compartilhar\ Sharing

Compartilhar is a Portuguese word for sharing and is often used when one is teaching the Word of God. Saturday evening the church in Vitoria gathered. We had a time of worship, testimonies and I shared about the ultimate purpose of God, which is that He be glorified. We took a tour of the Bible on this subject including the following verses: Isaiah 43:7, 48:11, Habakkuk 2:14, John 16:14, 17:1-5 (the beginning of the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the New Testament), Romans 16:27, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 2:5-11, 4:20, 1 Timothy 1:17. 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 13: 20-21 & a little application using 1 Peter 4:10-11. Major themes were that glorifying God is eternal, and that the Persons of the Trinity do this with one another, and that this is why we were created- why all of creation was made.
    As the car in which i arrived was being parked, i asked Asaph if he could ask the worship team to play a particular song, my favorite Brazilian worship song, based on Romans 11:36.  "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." As we walked into the building I was delighted to hear that they were playing that very song.
     After the teaching, we had a prayer vigil that lasted well into the next morning. Prior to the meeting i was informed that i would be staying at a home in a neighboring city that night instead of the next. I had about five minutes to pack. This is a good example of the need for flexibility.
    My new hosts, Hid & Clemmi, welcomed me warmly, even at 3 in the morning. The next day Hid & I took a walk along the praia (beach) He was born in the town and remembered when most of it was just trees. That evening we went to a meeting in Vilha Velha where i was asked to share again. My translator was a fervent young woman named Susanna, who had lived in the US as a child. Due to conversations i had with people in the previous week I felt led to share on spiritual formation, and in particular the crucial importance of the love of God and the truth of His word.  I used fewer verses that included Galatians 4:19, Ephesians 2:1-9, Proverbs 5:14, and Romans 8:9-11. I used more of my testimony.
   This morning I was taught a Portuguese worship song, and received an extensive lesson in the language. God is faithful.