Adventures in Brazil: Final Observations

On December 25th i completed my third visit to Brazil, which lasted a full month. This follows previous visits of three weeks, and three months, respectively. Traveling and living in Brazil is definitely a mixed bag. Traveling to and from the US requires at least 24 hours of flying and waiting in airports. Have never had the slightest difficulties in customs with either the US or Brazil. Should say that almost all of my interactions with Brazilians are with committed Christians. The hospitality of the believers to someone who is a foreigner, and barely speaks their language is extraordinary. Yet sometimes i feel like royalty, something i would prefer to wait for in the heavenly realms when all believers will reign with Jesus. I am fed delicious, healthy food with lots of fruit juices available. Yet sometimes they want me to eat four or five meals a day, and more with every meal. Normally i have a schedule with set times for meals, prayers, reading the Word, reviewing memory verses and adding new ones, Portuguese study, and exercise. In Brazil my schedule goes out the window, and I need to be diligent and creative to do these things. They are extremely attentive to any possible need, and always willing to accommodate me. The challenge is twofold. One not to expect this when i return home; the other is the feeling of living in a fish bowl with me as the pet fish. I am dependent in many ways that i would not normally be. I do not have a car, a cell phone, regular or reliable Internet access. I am not supposed to go anywhere by myself for concern over robbery or assault. As a tall, pale person, everyone seems to know that i am a "gringo" before i open my mouth and confirm this. Sometimes people in stores will say your friend is not a Brazilian, is he? On the other hand I am driven everywhere ( I dislike driving, my clothes are washed superbly on a regular basis; my expenses are minimal. The biggest is giving. While i am not allowed to pay for anything, this can be irksome at times. A slowly increasing comprehension of Portuguese opens more doors; i still have trouble with anything beyond a slow, basic conversation. I have only met three Brazilians fluent enough in English that I have confidence that they understand what I am saying, and that i am being understood. The rest of the time is tricky. There are many opportunities to share the Word with individuals, small and large groups, which i treasure. I do need to use "translator" English but this is no hardship. I would like more opportunities to learn from the Brazilians. As a supposed "pastor" I am treated like royalty. I would rather stand at the end of the food line rather than the front, especially after i heard an idiomatic expression for an overweight person is that they eat like a pastor. The best part of my time in Brazil is the many opportunities to have true fellowship with young adult Christians in a way that is extremely rare for me here. In every setting there are young people who want to hang out with me, talk, receive and honor. Maybe half speak some level of English; the others do not but the time is always sweet and rich in the Lord Jesus.

Adventures in Brazil: 24 Hours

Wednesday afternoon Vinci brought me to the airport in Vitoria about 4pm. ( There is a 3 hour time difference between coastal Brazil and Eastern Standard Time. 1:00 EST) We talked for a little while and he had a small coffee. This is usual in Brazil although i am told by many that Brazilian coffee is stronger than in the US. I don't drink coffee so i don't know) Another close friend joined us, and he left. Apparently in Brazil the biggest Christmas celebration is actually New Year's Eve. He was expecting 35 people to his home that night, people in the church who did not have family to be with. The information on the boarding pass said gate 5, so i waited and got in line. By the grace of God the man checking the passes realized that I was in the wrong line, and should be at gate 3. Both planes were going to Sao Paulo but there are 3 different airports serving the biggest city in Brazil. Again by grace the other plane had not departed. The plane was only half full and i had three seats to myself. Upon landing in Sao Paulo I needed to figure out how to get to the next gate. I tried one place, and the attendant told me to go to Terminal 3. I really do not know how someone who does not speak and understand some Portuguese could function by themselves in an airport. The woman who gave me the boarding pass in Vitoria was the first one to use any English with me and i still got into the wrong line. Kept walking and looking until i finally found the American Airlines representative in a far corner. She doubled as a security person and asked the standard questions about whether anyone had given me anything to take with me, in English. I then went to the customs area. This was much quicker than i remember probably due to the large numbers of foreigners coming to the recent World`s Cup soccer championship. A young woman asked for my passport, and entrada, a form one receives upon entering the country, which must be returned in order to leave. She also asked me the number of my flight, which, by grace i understood in Portuguese. Then i purchased a seltzer water and pastry, with the usual rigamarole about exact change, a ongoing hassle that i still do not completely understand. After waiting several hours boarded the plane to New York, which was quite full. I had a window seat in a row of three, which meant that I was basically trapped for nine hours. Have never been able to sleep in something moving like a plane, bus or car, and this was no exception. The person in front of me put their seat back, crunching me in an almost immobile position, and the person behind me was an adolescent male in perpetual motion. Finally in New York before six, which meant that we had to remain on the plane because the US customs workers do not begin until then. After the original purchase of my tickets, the airline had changed the flight time, giving me 45 less minutes to catch the plane to Boston. An airline representative gave me a priority envelope, including boarding pass, which allowed me to circumvent part of the first customs line. This went smoothly. Then i waited for my luggage. The belt stopped and started several times. Finally all the luggage was off the plane but not mine. This discovery took considerable time. I got the attention of an airline rep, who eventually informed me that my suitcase was in Miami. By grace everything of value was in my backpack, which i always keep with me. So I went through the second customs line without difficulty, went from the first floor to the third, and eventually got into a long line waited to go through the TSA security. After awhile i got the attention of another airline rep, with my red priority envelope, and was brought to the head of the line. Hoping that the gate number had not changed I went to gate 8, where the final boarding was taking place. Made this half full flight with maybe 3 minutes to spare. This was a short flight. Took the silver line to South Station, managed to purchase a bus ticket without having to wait hours for the next one. The bus was considerably fuller than usual. On the two hour ride I almost fell asleep. Arriving in Springfield I was met by a brother and his wife. By then it was noon and he wanted to have lunch on the way back. Immediately i had to adjust because in Brazil the midday meal is normally about 2pm. I was surprised at how many people were eating at a McDonalds on Christmas Day. Finally a little after 1pm, after 24 hours of travel I arrived home. Final observations about my time in Brazil will appear in the next post.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 19

While staying in Guarapari (sp?) I watched a small bird flutter outside the window. The colors were striking, a black helmet shaped band on top, a horizontal band of white, a horizontal band of black again which included the beak, and a bright yellow chest plumage. When the back was turned the colors were a nondescript gray/brown. The heat was extreme my last days there, about 40C or over 100F. Monday evening my host family drove me to a general meeting in Vitoria, the final one of the year, where, to my surprise I was asked if i had anything to preach. God instructed me many years ago to be "ready in season or out of season" ( 2 Timothy 4:2), or ready at anytime. Again i shared on the simple life, the only message that I gave in all three cities. My new hostess (and translator) remarked afterwards that she thought this was the most important message that i had ever preached because i live it out every day. Again a number of people interacted with me about the Word afterwards, a refreshing and welcome experience. Saw a number of friends from previous visits. Thank God for them. Afterwards we ate at midnight. ( Not unusual) It will be strange to return to my normal 7am/noon/6pm eating schedule. Tuesday night i finally had the opportunity to go to the home of my friend Norberto for dinner. His wife Ruth cooked a splendid meal, which we began about 9:30 or 10 with their son and one daughter. Vinci and Samia are the life of the party. As more people came, the conversations got louder and more animated. After awhile i understood nothing. In contrast, Norberto spoke with me later, one on one, in response to the message about the simple life, with reflections on capitalism and Christianity. Unfortunately I did not understand all the details of his nuanced thoughts. Wednesday was taken to lunch by my friends Getulio and Ana. Both speak good English but for the first time we conversed almost entirely in Portuguese on a wide variety of subjects. For some reason they are easier to understand than many others. Later that day Vinci took me to the airport, which will be the subject of another post.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 18

Let me begin with a few observations. Generally speaking, police do not enforce traffic laws directly although there are places where they stop everybody. Speed limits are enforced electronically. Many deliveries are made by young men with small motorbikes, pizza for example. They weave in and out of traffic. I saw an accident involving one this morning. Today took a walking tour in a city possibly spelled Guirapari, a place of 120,000 inhabitants with many beaches. Many Brazilian tourists frequent this area. We went to a little loja (store) owned by one of the pastors in the church, which sold mostly women's accessories, handbags and the like. We also stopped at an ice cream store. You select as many kinds and toppings as you wish on a self-serve basis, and pay by weight. Last night went to the final meeting of the year for the church here. About sixty, including children, attended. Two Christian families live in this three story building, which contains one large courtyard on the ground floor, and another on the third. Ages ranged from two months to almost ninety years, a welcome sight after the normal age segregated American churches. We had a powerful time of worship, and then a long testimony of the goodness of God from a brother whose infant son had survived numerous physical challenges. Someone had prepared a video comemorating the past year in the life of the church, complete with three songs in English. Music in English is heard everywhere in Brazil, to my dismay. Afterwards I shared in English about the armor of God, and how all six parts point to Jesus, the subject of a prior post. Two volunteers helped me illustrate the principle of standing firm ( 3X in English)together. The original prearranged translator did not show up for some reason, so a guest from another church volunteered to translate. As with so many of my translators it was his first time but his courage and faith in Christ proved equal to the task. I am not sure who this is for but i am breaking in quite a few translators for somebody to follow in my footsteps.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 17

Last night went to the wedding of dear young friends Asaph & Karen. This is the second wedding that I have celebrated in Brazil, and I will try to highlight some of the differences. About five hundred were invited to an ornate room rented from a society of lawyers. Many people must have put a lot of work into the decorations and set-up. As is increasingly common, an professional wedding coordinator was employed. The mix of guests was not primarily younger as would normally be the case in the US but a even balance of young and middleaged. We waited at little tables that would seat seven or eight. In contrast to the US which uses groomsmen and bridesmaids, a much larger group composed the wedding party. There were relatives, close friends, and the groomsmen and bridesmaids although only about four of each of the latter. These came in gradually in a slow procession with musical accompaniment. Before the final entrance of the bride the music changed. There followed a short sermon from the groom's father, a pastor, concentrating on Psalms 127 and 128. Then the brides' father, a former pastor, officiated which concluded with the call for all pastors present to come and pray for the couple. At least thirty responded. The highlight was the bride singing a song to the groom, only the second time that i have ever seen this. Certain readers will remember the first time. Meanwhile a small battalion of waiters clad in white shirts and black vests had begun to serve refreshments. Beverages included Coke, water, something similar to orange juice, and Guarana, the fruit based soda available everywhere in Brazil. This was followed by an unending series of "salgados" a type of hors d!oeuvre. They are small, baked, salty, and have various fillings. I almost forgot the most unusual difference. During the reception a group of young men, friends of the groom, carry a shirt sized box around to the different tables where people are seated, soliciting donations for the honeymoon. In this case, whenever someone made a donation they were rewarded with a little break dancing, and the traditional little piece of a man's tie, cut on the spot for them. To my surprise there was no dancing but of course what i refer to as "barulho," the incessant desire of Brazilians to talk and laugh at the same time. I saw many friends. Of course i had my usual problem with some whom I knew that i had met previously but could not remember where or what their name might be. This morning found a kindred soul in my new host, whose name i do not know how to spell. We took a long walk down the beach and onto a trail that wound along the sea. This probably lasted two hours. My Portuguese is gradually improving because my current host family does not speak any English. As has been said many times, immersion is the best way to learn a language because there is no other choice.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 16

Several relaxing days in Vila Velha, neighboring city to Vitoria in the state of Espirito Santo. My hosts are incredibly hospitable. They live a few blocks from the beach and I have several enjoyable jaunts there, the last with one of their adult children, who speaks good English although we spoke mostly in Portuguese. We covered such topics as tatoos, self-defense, whether the people of God go directly to be with the Lord after they die or at some subsequent time. We also drank coconut water out of a real coconut, always available on Brazilian beaches. The day before had done a similar walk with another Brazilian friend whom i first met in the US. Tonight i go to a wedding. Brazilians are not exactly restrained so i assume i will finally get to sleep about five in the morning. The night before there was a house group meeting with about twenty people, many young adults. My host is a avid, serious student of the Word of God who also plays guitar, and who has some major handyman/fixit skills. Upon moving into his present home he redid most of the interior. After this meeting several of the young people approached me with some questions which i attempted to answer in a mixture of English and Portuguese. As always i was impressed by how rapt their attention was, and their willingness to interact with someone much older than themselves. One of the questions had to do with the spiritual state of the church in America. Last night i was invited to the home of people who hosted me last year as well. We had Brazilian pizza. They lived in the Atlanta area for seven seven years with their two daughters. Both of these young ladies are amazingly fluent. The younger is the most fluent English speaking Brazilian that i have met in my three visits to Brazil although now she has some serious competition from several brothers in Porto Alegre. The parents told me about a little farm that they have purchased in the mountains that they hope to show me on my next visit.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 15

Several nights ago i had the privilege and pleasure to speak to a group of special people, the disciplemakers of a church in Brasilia. These people pour their lives into others, making sacrifices of time, energy, and money to help them to become more like Christ. Wagner,one of three pastors in this church, and my host for the week, and i had spoken about what was the most important message that God had given me. I responded, "The simple life." As I have blogged about this previously I will summarize by saying that we live simple lives following the example of Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9) not being choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this life ( Luke 8:14) using and purchasing only what we truly need even if we can afford more ( Luke 12:15). The reason is so we can fulfill the greatest commandment ( Mark 12:30, Luke 9:23) by giving the life that God has given us for others. The setting was a crumbling public school. My message was punctuated by a thunderous hammering of rain on a rather leaky roof which thwarted even a microphone and amplifier which several brothers set up. My translator, a brother who lived in the UK for seven or eight years is rather soft spoken but did a God honoring job of putting my words into Portuguese. Despite all the noise the brethren listened patiently, took notes, and asked good questions afterwards. My last day in Brasilia some friends took me to a restaurant for almoco- the largest meal of the day, sometime in the early afternoon. We had pleasant conversation. Later in the afternoon Diego came to take me to the airport and spent half an hour explaining how the message about the simple life had impacted him. Knowingly or not, many people have practiced the principle of Galatians 6:6 with me in Brazil. I have flown in and to Brazil many times now, and normally need only five to ten minutes to complete the process of giving the luggage, securing the boarding pass, and going through security. This time was different. Many hundreds of people were in lines that snaked around the interior of the airport, one of the largest in Brazil. Diego told me that the government workers in Brasilia, the capital of the country, normally take their vacation at this time of year. I have never seen such big crowds. The plane was half an hour late but finally was seated and had an uneventful flight to my final Brazilian destination of Vitoria.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 14

One of the differences between cultures is the hand motions or signals that are made. For example, in Brazil pedestrians do not have the right of way unless they make a special movement with their hand and arm which i will attempt to describe. One hand and arm is stretched forward horizontally and raised and lowered several times. Another fascinating movement, which i think may occur more in the south is a snapping of the thumb and the middle finger together accompanied by an emphatic, almost violent movement of the forearm anywhere from three to six times. This is used to indicate emphasis or the desire for something to happen rapidly. It is done only in a group conversation. A third is a thumbs up movement which has several purposes. One is to indicate pleasure or agreement about something that was said. Used in a slightly different manner it produces a signal inquiring whether a parking space is available. Nicer restaurants in Brazil sometimes have limited parking which is supervised by an attendant. Many streets have informal attendants who will watch your car or even do some cleaning in exchange for some change. Yesterday was a relaxing day. In the morning accompanied by two friends who wish to remain anonymous, purchased some Portuguese language worship CD's ( yes, i know that i am a caveman with technology) to enjoy and help to learn Portuguese through repetition. We had almoco, Minas style, ( Minas Gerais is a state in Brazil with a distinctive cuisine) and an enlightening conversation as i continue to explore the reasons behind the fruitfulness of the brethren here. In the evening met with the three elders of the church. This is one of the secrets. Normally one leader in a church becomes overwhelmed with the load of responsibility, two leaders often have unresolvable conflicts, but three or more produce a diversity of gifts, and an spiritual equilibrium. This also allows for one at different times to minister elsewhere without undue stress on the church.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 13

Yesterday the church in Brasilia went to the "chacara", a little farm in the country, which they do on occasion. They were also joined by visitors from other churches. About two hundred, including children, came to this gathering. We began with a time of vigorous praise and music with guitars, vocalists, a drummer, and a trumpet player. This was followed by a teaching, testimonies, prayer for a number of people, and even a brief sharing in Portuguese by yours truly. One of the elders spoke about the ongoing efforts to paganize the country through legislation. Currently abortion is illegal in Brazil but there are major efforts to eliminate this protection. Afterwards we spent the usual several hours of "almoco" the midday largest meal of the day. I had the opportunity to speak with a number of people including some whom I had met previously. One in particular was a young woman who had been on the team that had visited Canada and Boston this summer. Unlike many Brazilians that I have met she was not shy about speaking to me in English. The icing on the cake was that her level of English was about the same as my level of Portuguese so we were really able to help one another. Another man whom i had met last year and I had a nice conversation. He introduced his family to me, all of whom spontaneously hugged me, a complete stranger. The night before a number of the brethren and I attended another performance by the same symphony orchestra that I had heard previously. This time they played scores from famous films, some of which i did recognize. There are many things about any other culture to which one must adjust. Classical music can be very subtle with many nuances, and listening requires rapt attention. Brazilians are so relational that they need to discuss the music during the performance, and take pictures and videos on their mobile phones.

Adventures in Brazil Part 12

Been having some Internet accessibility problems since arriving in Brasilia so will need to rely on my notes. Went to a grupo caseiro (in the home)meeting the first night and shared about fasting. Once again rapt attention was paid. Davi translated for me with a little help from Gabriel. Afterwards they had a little game where a person selected a folded little piece of paper, opened it to find a question. Mine was, if i could be someone in the Bible, who would it be and why? I choose Tychicus because he is little known, and because all five mentions of him in the NT are very positive. After answering the question one had a choice of various wrapped gifts. On a different night there was a similar game where people picked a little piece of paper from a basket with a biblical virtue written on it, and chose a person whom they believed had that virtue. Then the process was repeated, and everyone received a little bag with chocolate. That evening had a meeting at the home of Wagner, who shared using diagrams. This inspired me to share the "hand" illustration, and the "throne" diagram. In both cases there were between 15 and 20 people. This time Gabriel translated for me, and did the computer diagramming. A young married woman understands English very well but was a little shy about speaking. We made a deal that she could only speak to me in English. normally I try to speak in Portuguese with everyone. Davi gave me a little book that he wrote about fasting, very well done with extensive Scriptural details. Another evening I had dinner at a Brazilian barbecue restaurant, Gaucho style, with Beto, his wife, and another couple. The waiters just keep bringing the food. If I lived here for a year I would gain a hundred pounds. Beto spoke about the ongoing efforts to paganize Brazil through the legislative process. The next morning several brothers came over to the house for breakfast. One whom i had met the previous year gave a testimony of how God had used me in his life to understand that in the Body of Christ there is no American or Brazilian but we are all one in Christ Jesus.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 11

Had to wake up at 3:40 in the morning for the second segment of my adventures in Brazil in order to get to the airport an hour early for a six o,clock flight. Faithful friend and brother in Christ Samir took me. May the Lord Jesus bless him abundantly for all his service and work of love for me. The first flight to Sao Paulo was uneventful except for the heavy set man in the seat in front of me who immediately reclined his seat all the way back, crushing my knees. Waited in S. P. for about two hours, boarded another crowded flight to the capital of Brasilia, and arrived about 11:30. This flight had many men in business suits whom I assume were government employees. Before finishing my account of my time in Porto Alegre, will offer a few miscellaneous observations. The sidewalks are normally broken and lumpy. Street cleaners and garbage men work mostly at night in gangs of ten or more, clad in uni color jumpsuits. Many streets have cobblestones. The word in Portuguese, spelled somehwat phonetically is pa,ra,lay, lay, peep, e doh. They are tough on tires. Virtually all homes and apartments have security measures with various combinations of high walls, fences, some electrified, guard dogs, doormen and even security services whom you call before entering or leaving your home. These wait in marked cars to insure that you have safety. In Brasilia met the two sons of Wagner, my new host. Lucas was on his way to Vitoria, which i will visit later, and Diego, whose "noivado" or betrothal ceremony I had attended the previous year took me to his dad's house. Met a new friend, Davi, a young man who lived in Jerusalem for almost a year. Later Davi, Wagner, Mayara, and I went to a symphony. One of the brothers in the church plays the trumpet. We heard "Clair de Lune" by Debussy, "The Idyll of Siegfried" by Richard Wagner, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and Christmas music by Leroy Anderson. The orchestra did very well considering the venue, a Catholic church with the doors necessarily open to the street. At one point I heard several minutes of fireworks outside. One reality of Christian life in Brazil is that one does not go to bed before midnight. We went to a nice restaurant and had Brazilian pizza with turkey breast and veggies, followed by a sort of open crepe with strawberries and chocolate.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 10

     Normally I am rather serious, somewhat reserved, and have regular habits with regard to my eating and sleeping schedule. Give me enough time with Brazilians and I turn into a wild and crazy guy. Readers may recall that last Sunday two other brothers and myself visited a small church in a neighboring city. On our way back to Samir's home I was burdened for this group and felt the Holy Spirit wanted a larger group to return. During the week Samir and I invited a number of people after we had checked with the leaders involved. Most of the invitees had previous plans so i ended up praying for even six or seven. Hopefully several women would be a part of this group to pray for the women there.
   As i am writing I am reminded of Ephesians 3:20 that begins "Now unto him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think..." God provided a team of not just ten or even twenty but thirty-four people to visit this little church. They worshipped, fellowshipped, prayed  and encouraged. I was seated in the fourth row. Two chairs away was a very sad younger woman who was not worshipping with us but had her arms folded in front of her. We had prayed for this same woman the week before. On her right was a young woman who had expressed some concern and hesitation about visiting this church as she did not know anyone there and was unaccustomed to this type of ministry. She began to talk to the afflicted woman. Then another young woman on our team who had been seated with her brothers on the other side of the church slipped into the empty seat beside me and began to minister to the same woman. They "tag teamed" together beautifully in the compassion of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to minister to this sister.
    Our worship was facilitated by a young couple with a powerful worship gifting aided by another couple on vocals and guitars, and a brother i had not previously met who played flute, saxophone and harmonica. In addition we had a drummer (always my favorite). The place was rocking for Jesus.
   Samir preached powerfully. I am always amazed at the attention spans of the Brazilian believers because he spoke for quite awhile but except for trips for water  (it is summer here and blazing hot) the people paid close attention. He invited those who wanted prayer to come to the front, and at least ten did. I think normally someone in a pastoral role would pray for these people but Ephesians 4 shows that the saints are to be equipped for the work of ministry. ( 4:12) All I did was to invite members of the team to come up (pointing because it was so noisy) two by two to pray. ( 2 women to pray for a woman, and 2 men to pray for a man. This worked beautifully) I believe the true leader is more like a coach who directs a team but the players play the game/do most of the ministry.
     Spoke briefly in Portuguese, asked for a final song as it was already late, and began dancing. ( This is a scary thought, I know) Soon there was a conga line with adults and children. Afterwards an older woman whom had been particularly afflicted the week before came up (we had prayed for her and her husband earlier in the evening) with two female friends to ask for prayer. She had a totally different demeanor with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (  1 Peter 1:8) We prayed for both of her friends.
    Finally as the team assembled to return to P. A. one of the young sisters on our team wanted to get ice cream. Samir asked me if this was OK? Understand that normally I do not eat after 7 and I am asleep by 10:30, about the time of this question but how could I spoil their fun? They all wanted to go to McDonalds (pronounced  mackie donalds in Portuguese). They joked about introducing me to this restaurant. Mcdonalds and Coke may be subject to scorn in the US but in Brazil they are incredibly popular. So we drove a long ways to a McD's. I have never seen so many cars and people at one. At least forty cars clogged the drivethrough and there was a line of at least fifty people inside. Wisdom prevailed and we went to another Brazilian restaurant. However, I think that we traveled every street in P. A. to get there.
     We were caravaning with about four vehicles as our original team had dwindled to about fifteen people but every time we came to a stoplight all the windows came down, the music blared, the Brazilians are singing (they like to sing along) and dancing as best they could in a car. Meanwhile, me Mr. Serious, was doing this with them. We finally came to the restaurant around midnight, changed tables several times waiting for rather slow service and ate the Brazilian version of a cheeseburger. Many did have ice cream or milkshakes. Arrived at the house around 1:15 totally wired and got up at six with a charley horse. That will teach me, or maybe not.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 9

     Today I went to the Ceia do Senhor, the Lord's Supper, with the church at a place in the country that I purchased some years ago. There are several buildings on the property but the church has too many people to fit into any of these so they set up a sound stage, and hundreds of the ubiquitous white plastic chairs that one sees all over Brazil. Then followed an blessed blending of worship, testimonies, prayer, and teaching.
   First we worshipped beginning with a song called "Jesus, in your presence" written by Asaph Borba. Even though I have never seen the lyrics, i have sung this song so many times that I am beginning to know them. Then at least twenty people who had received baptism in the last month came and were prayed for. An elderly woman gave a testimony about how God had healed her cancer. More testimonies, prayers and sharing followed.
    Then a humble brother named Nilson, one of the deacons, who had just returned with his wife from a two month ministry trip to Scandinavia, preached a strong message about faith. Matthew 7:29 says that Jesus spoke as one with authority, not as the scribes, and Nilson followed His example. Then Moyses, one of the spiritual fathers of this church, who was instrumental in starting it some decades before, got up and spoke. The temperature was about 95F, and those on the stage had no tree shadow to protect them from the sun. Moyses is eighty-eight years of age yet he spoke with vigor for some time in preparation for sharing the Lord's Supper.
   At least 25 men had prepared to serve the bread and the cup. The beautiful practice here is to share your bread with others around you. Afterwards the cup was served by the elders and others. Again the love was powerful. Following the Ceia, God blessed me with conversations with a number of people including Abner, Elias and Raquel, Ana Quezia, Timoteo and his wife, Eduardo, Eduardo and Bruno, Calebe and Romi, Nilson, Rogerio,and i probably have forgotten others.
   Tonight the Lord has provided a team of 12-15 people to return to a little church outside of Porto Alegre. May He be glorified, and may His will be done.

Adventures in Brazil Part 8

Last night I had some time with Elias, another of the deacons here, and his wife Raquel. They host a meeting in their home, which I discovered later is the oldest continuously running group in the church at some thirty years. Normally a professor of English participates in the group, but last night he was not available so I had to share in Portuguese. These Brazilians are amazing. They paid rapt attention to a man whom they do not know, who speaks ungrammatically, mispronounces many words, and who is a foreigner. I have a hard time imagining an American audience doing the equivalent.
     i shared about Isaiah 66:2, and the theme of "trembling" at the Word of God. This means that His Word is more important in our lives than our own thoughts or opinions. Even if we do not like or understand the Bible, we are still obligated to obey. The group was diversified in various ways, and I was happy to see my new friend Jeronimo, a retired police officer. Afterwards a number of people wanted to take their picture with me. Many Brazilians do this regularly.
     Before the meeting Elias and I took a walk in his neighborhood, and down to a nearby park. It is called Moinhos do Vento  (Windmill) because there is an authentic replica of the old wooden windmills such as one associates with Holland. There we enjoyed coconut water, a common sight in Brazil. Many people have little carts with bags of cocnuts. They slice off the top of one, and you can either have the entire coconut or a cup of the liquid. After we returned to another of the many wonderful meals that Raquel prepared, one of the sisters came early and shared how my teaching of last week about living a simple life had impacted her. This is one of many examples of the brethren here practicing Galatians 6:6.
     The spiritual reality of the church here is astonishing. I have many opportunities to interact with individual leaders, and with them as a group. The ongoing love and harmony between them is evident and inspiring. The way in which all of the brethren has welcomed a stranger who does not speak their language fluently is amazing. Time and again people come and greet me, often with a few words of rehearsed English.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 7

Yesterday was another full day in the Lord. In the morning attended a meeting of the elders and deacons of the church. We read and studied Revelation 10-14. Unfortuanately i cannot completely follow a freewheeling conversation, but several parallels were made between OT events and those in these chapters.
    Afterwards I heard an encouraging testimony. Some nights before I had taught at a home gathering. Unbeknowst to me, one of the attendees was a young female doctor who was not a believer. Apparently what I shared impacted her to a point that when my friends followed up with her the next day, she received Christ. I wish I could experience the same things in the US.
    Then I met with a friend and brother named Calebe ( Caleb) who is one of the few truly fluent English speakers that I have met in Brazil, someone who speaks idiomatically. He began learning at the age of five through computers. He spoke of his plans for marriage and missionary work. In his mid-twenties He is one of the most spiritually mature  people that I have ever met.
   Afterwards I went to a private hospital to have an endoscopy exam. While I have heard that the public hospitals are very substandard, I did not observe any difference between this place and a good American hospital. Most of the time was spent waiting because I had misunderstood the requirement of 8 hours of fasting beforehand to mean fasting from food. While I had only drunk water, apparently this would cloud the issue. No problem. I read the Word and reviewed a number of my memory verses.
   The actual exam was no problem. They put something in my nostrils, hooked me up to an IV, had me lay on my left side with one leg extended and the other not, and finally put a type of mouthguard in to protect my teeth. I didn't even have to count to five or anything. I woke up in the recovery room. Both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist spoke conversational English. The nurses did not so I had to ask them to speak slowly. There were no side or after effects. The only pain was the bill, which was far less than in the states.
     Later that night Samir and I prayed for a young brother in the church, a musician and songwriter, who had wrenched his back playing soccer. Marcelo is one of the many Brazilians who does not speak English whom God uses as a motivation to keep studying Portuguese.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 6

     Yesterday was another packed day in the Lord. They are so full that they are blending into one another, and I am having a hard time keeping track. In late morning Samir & I met Erasmo and his wife Gelsa, an older couple who have been instrumental in the work of the Lord here, for lunch at a nice buffet style restaurant with too many food choices. He told me about his conversion and experiences with the Holy Spirit. For many years he was a professor in a Methodist seminary. He also studied in Switzerland. After a profound experience with the Holy Spirit, his whole perspective changed. He and another professor, who also had a similar experience, started the church with whom I am fellowshipping. Some thirty-five years later, they are still going strong.
     Afterwards we visited a museum of technology with three floors of exhibits. These included hydrology, electricity, the human body, natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes, and natural history exhibits with indigenous animals. Then we went to the church building to meet with a group of women. Erasmo has facilitated this group for over thirty years with his wife. He asked me to teach on prayer and fasting. The ladies were attentive through the translation, which was done by my new friend Rogerio.
   Later that same evening Samir and his wife Lu hosted the weekly meeting of their disciples. We had about eleven. Samir had asked me to teach about ministry teams in preparation for a follow-up visit to a suburban church that we visited last week. Spoke about the need to receive and give love, the truth of the Word, and the individual gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each believer.
   After advice from an apprentice surgeon and brother in the Lord, this morning went for a consultation with another brother in the Lord, who is an experienced surgeon. He recommended an endoscopy, which will occur tomorrow. The cost is minimal compared to the States, and he has trained in Brazil and Japan.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 5

Whew!!!  God continues to fill me with incredible opportunities to live for Him. Yesterday was supposedly a rest day, and I was able to review all of my memory verses, have some good times of prayer including praying for a little church that God told me to adopt for intercession, and work out my finances.
    In the early afternoon Samir and I went to a restaurant "livre", where for a set price one can eat all they want from a buffet. I am learning to stock up on the fruits and vegetables and go easier on the rest. Then we went to the airport to pick up Nilson, a friend from my last visit, and his wife, who were returning from a two month visit to brethren in Scandinavia. They told us a little about God's work in northern Europe.
    Inbetween we dropped off an offering to the pastor of Brasa church. Their building had burned down in a fire sometime before. Then I was taken to the home of Asaph Borba, probably the most well known Christian musician in Brazil, referred to as the father of modern Brazilian Christian worship music. He has traveled the world for Christ including many visits to the US. Soon, he, his son, and I were in a taxi heading for a benefit concert to raise funds for the church whose building had burned down. He is a very down to earth man, and we had a pleasant conversation.
     We arrived at a large municipal building in downtown P. A. He invited me backstage to have a little snack with about fifty other people, either musicians, relatives, or others involved with the concert. There I had fellowship with a young man, Marco A, who is a photographer, a very precious brother in Christ; another brother and vocalist named Marcelo, who has an extensive ministry in Eastern Europe, and Asaph,s brother Abner, who is a recording engineer for their studio.; and to Andre, one of the vocalists.I was also introduced to the mayor of the city, a brother in Christ. P. A. has 1.5 million people.
    Afterwards I was given V. I. P. seating with a number of others third row center. Asaph was accompanied by a number of his relatives, and a band. I am beginning to recognize some of the Portuguese worship songs, and to learn the lyrics. The auditorium seated about 5,000 and it was packed. Brazilians are very animated. They stood up the whole time, did choreographed movements, sang along with the band, and as we say in English, "rocked out."
   I should mention that the burned church building had hosted a ballet school, and we were treated to a very nice little performance by nine teenagers. We also saw a video of the burned out building and the plans for rebuilding. Then we saw a video about Project Water, an effort to provide clean drinking water for poor people in dry areas of Brazil. This was initiated by a brother named Juliano Son, the most well known Christian singer of the younger generation in all of Brazil. He and his band had come from Sao Paulo to play at this benefit. I have heard him preach on a You tube video.
   While Asaph is more like a folk singer, Juliano is like a rock star. Unfortuanately the music was so incredibly loud, that even the Brazilians sitting next to me could not decipher the words. The crowd did not seem to mind but after awhile my ears began to hurt.
     On the ride home with a car load of Brazilians, Asaph's wife told me that playing in this building, which is used for many city cultural events, represented a major spiritual victory. She said it was the first time that Christians had been allowed to use the building in the almost forty years of their ministry.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 4

     Yesterday was the best day yet as the work and anointing of the Holy Spirit becomes more powerful. In the morning got up earlier and went to the Sunday morning service. In contrast to the Saturday meeting, which has younger people, this gathering has middle aged and older people. Our brother Erasmo facilitated our time together. We had a time of worship facilitated by a fervent young man named Nick, who would also translate for me, and then broke up into groups of four to pray for one another. Very powerful to have several hundred people praying for one another for an extended period.
     Afterwards I finally got to share the message which was weighing most heavily on my heart. This was about living the simple life, following the example of Jesus. We looked at the thorns in the parable of the Sower, the cares, and riches and pleasures of this life, that choke the Word so that the fruit does not mature. Also used Hebrews 13:5, Luke 12:15, 34, 14:33, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2, and 2 Corinthians 8:9. As is usual a number of people followed the admonition of Galatians 6:6 to share all good things with him who teaches. In Portuguese or limited English they did their best to communicate.
    At 4 Samir, a brother named Rogerio and I were off to a smaller city about forty minutes away. Rogerio has a language school where he teaches English and Portuguese. He speaks fluent, idiomatic English and even told me a subtle, word play type of joke that I had never heard before. We went to the house of an elder named Mauro. Samir mentioned that I would speak on the subject of fasting, and Mauro showed me five little books that he had on the subject whereupon I said that he should teach me.
    Spoke about fasting with the church, a small one of maybe thirty adults. Samir facilitated worship, which included a song with choreographed dance movements. Rogerio translated with fluidity and competence. During this time I had been sensing that God wanted to do something else so I made an offer to pray for anyone who was undergoing spiritual attack. This is what the Holy Spirit really wanted to do. Almost every person in the church lined up to receive prayer. Each had either a physical or spiritual situation requiring prayer or deliverance. Afterwards I had some sense of what Jesus experienced as the crowds came to Him. The Holy Spirit moved with power, and as time went on I began to receive more clarity in how to pray and minister. Samir, Mauro, and another elder named Emilio prayed with me, and Rogerio did a herculean job of translation. The Lord began to give me verses for different ones, and then even specific instruction.
   My prayer is that I have the opportunity to follow up with this group. The first step is adding them to my daily list of intercession. May God be always glorified.

Adventures in Brazil Part 3

God is working here in Brazil in a wonderful way. The other day I had an opportunity to meet with a "father in the faith" named Moyses along with a group of others to whom he ministers. He had just returned from a grueling journey with travel delays, lack of sleep, and much ministry yet at the age of eighty-eight he was still full of spiritual and physical vigor. What a blessing!
     Saturday morning was invited to meet with the elders and deacons here. Again am amazed at the harmony and interaction that they share without any apparent tension. There is mutual respect and cooperation among these men that is very rare in my experience.
     In the evening I was given the opportunity to share the Word of God with a group of mostly younger people. I spoke about the value of memorizing the Word of God. One fascinating thing that they do here is the manner in which offerings are received. People take envelopes of different colors according to what type of offering that they are given. Several elders/deacons stand at the front of the church. Lines form for the people to bring their offerings and they are greeted with a handshake or a hug as appropriate.
    This morning had yet another opportunity to share the Word, this time about the simple life. This represents a major work of God in my own life. Galatians 6:6 expresses a principle that those who receive the Word of God are to share with those who teach. These brethren practice this. After every message people come up to me; to greet me and to respond to what was preached. Some speak in Portuguese; in which i am not fluent, and others in whatever limited English that they may have. All have been touched by God and express this to me in the most encouraging way.
   Along the way I have many conversations with my friend, brother, and host Samir as we help to learn each other's language. He is a very godly man who ministers to many in many places.

Adventures in Brazil Part 2

Life here in Brazil is so full that already the memory of the past few days has blended together. In my time with God and Samir in the park we looked at Lamentations 3:22-23. He sang a song in Portuguese based on that verse and i sang the one in English. He asked me to sing it again, and recorded it on his phone. Then we met with a little group of people and he asked me to sing it again. Finally that night we met with another group of people, and lo and behold, he asked me to sing it a third time. The group at night was a house group of almost twenty adults hosted by a brother who is petro chemical engineer. His parents are missionaries in Asia, which i hadn´´t known. Shared a little bit about the love of God with this group.
    Yesterday God gave me time with Calebe, a young brother in his mid-twenties with amazing spiritual maturity and understanding. The way in which he has approached relationship with the woman whom he hopes to have as his future wife reflects this. He prayed alone for six months, approached several people close to him about it, and prayed for another six months. Then he spoke to a wider group of people and prayed for another six months. How many people would invest a year and a half of prayer before ever speaking to the woman about their feelings. Even at that point he was prepared for her to decline. Happily she didn´t yet they are still in a premarital state respecting one another.
    Last night Calebe translated for me so i could share with the young singles, about 150 people, about how to practically have Jesus on the throne of our lives rather than ourselves. The primary way is through learning and obeying the Word of God. One way in which we do this is through memorization, getting the Word in our hearts and minds. We looked at Psalm 119:11, the example of Jesus in Matthew 4, and of Peter in Acts 2 where he quotes from Joel, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110.
    Afterwards I had conversations with a number of people. This is one of the major blessings that God gives me in Brazil; that the generations have far more interaction and relationships than they do in the US. One was with a brother named Daniel, a fervent believer with whom God will do wonderful things.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 1

     Monday morning I arose at 6 in the morning to begin my third trip to Brazil. At 7 my faithful brother in Christ Sandy, loaded me into my truck, and we set off for the bus station. Arrived about forty minutes later and then waited for about the same length of time before the bus to Boston departed. Busses are certainly much better than they were thirty-five years ago, about the last time i used them.
     Had a one hour layover in Boston before boarding another bus and completing the first leg of my journey to the airport. receiving my boarding pass and going through security did not take long, and i waited several more hours before i could board the plane. This first leg was a short one to NYC. Actual flying time was about 45 minutes but we waited in the plane on the tarmac at least that long before we could depart.
    Arrived at JFK airport and found my way to the Brazilian airline which would take me on my way. Waited some more and then boarded this much larger plane for an approximate flying time of ten hours. Unfortunately at my height i cannot sleep on planes.
   Arrived in Rio de Janeiro, went through customs easily, and received my next boarding pass for the third leg to Porto Alegre, the largest city in the south of Brazil. Waited a few more hours, boarded the plane, and arrived in mid-afternoon. My good friend Samir greeted me, and took me to lunch. This was at a very common, popular type of buffet restaurant where the amount of food on your plate is weighed and you pay accordingly. Then we went to his house and greeted his wife and two young daughters. I was exhausted.
    That evening we went to the home of a brother named Paulo Cesar, and his wife Rosa, a middle-aged couple with three young adults children, all of whom i had met on my previous visit. We had Brazilian barbecue, and i was asked to share with about a dozen young adult believers. I spoke on the need to believe in and receive the love of God.
   The following day Samir and I made a brief visit to his fellow deacons, although in actuality they do the work of elders/pastors. Had a heartfelt reunion with these brothers. Then i returned to PC´, home. More food; Rosa loves to cook and serve. Then he and i took a walk around the neighborhood. He is blind, but has amazing ability to get around not only his home but also his entire neighborhood. He knew we would come to the next street, and told me about a pond before i could see it. Sure enougfh we saw it, and a turtle sunning itself on a rock. We also visited the home of a man named Mario, and PC knew exactly where it was.

   Samir arrived and took me to his house. Then Jimmy arrived and took me to his apartment. He is a very cheerful brother who gave me a ride in his vintage VW bug the last visit. Jimmy is the facilitator for a group of young adult believers. After they arrived he asked me to share the Word with them. My Portuguese is better but still insufficient for teaching but they had arranged for a brother who had lived in Australia to translate for me. Spoke about inspiration of the Word of God but took this out of the realm of theory by looking at real life examples. Am always amazed at the receptivity of the believers here. All paid rapt attention even though they had either worked or gone to school during the day.
   Today Samir and i took a walk to a park where we sang, prayed and read the Word together. Afterwards we went to a little meeting at the home of Moyses, an eighty-eight year old brother who acts about 20 years younger. Samir shared the Word from Matthew 24.
   Porto Alegre has a number of horse drawn carts which i have not seen in any other Brazilian city.

There Are Only Two Kingdoms

     When one reviews the course of human history from the time that people first begin to congregate in cities, rule by one leader, usually titled king, is the norm. Genesis 10 speaks of Nimrod, son of Cush, that "he began to be a mighty one on the earth. (v.8)  "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh (cities) in the land of Shinar." (v. 10 NKJV) To those versed in the Bible this should not be surprising because the Scripture spreaks of two major kingdoms- the kingdom of this world, and the kingdom of God. Each has a ruler. The devil rules the kingdoms of this world. ( 1 John 5:19) and Jesus is the King of the kingdom of God. ( Revelation 19:16)
   With this perspective the idea of democracy, that somehow humanity can govern themselves, rests on a false premise. I believe it was John Adams, the second US president, who said that democracy can only work with a moral people. The difficulty is that we are not moral. ( Romans 3:10-18).
    Several days ago the current president of the US put himself above the law by unilaterally creating law, a power which the Constitution of the US does not grant to anyone in his office. The Constitution offers a theme that the US is to be a nation of laws not men; i.e. that no one is above the law like a king would be. This has decisively shattered with considerable support among many in the country. And there is no apparent way to prevent him. Again this should not surprise those who study and reflect upon the Word of God.
    The Presidents at least from the time of Theodore Roosevelt over a century ago, with the notable exception of Calvin Coolidge, have steadily increased their power. The current Chief Executive has simply accelerated an ongoing process. This is possible and inevitable because someone must be on the throne of our lives. We naively imagine that we are but in reality there are only two Kingdoms.

The Simple Life

THE SIMPLE LIFE

One of the best liked promises for Christians in the Bible is the one found in Hebrews 13:5, where Jesus says that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” This assurance is especially important in those times when we do have to face situations on our own. Yet it is instructive to look at the remainder of the verse. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.” (ESV)

What is Jesus saying here? He will supply our needs, and He is far more important than money or the things that money can buy. But we need to trust Him. This is very difficult for most people because money is a very emotional subject and tied in with our sense of personal identity, worth and value. We are judged by the world, and often in the Church, by our possessions.

Jesus is very clear in His teaching on this subject. Matthew 6:33, part of the Sermon on the Mount, says “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” We need to get our priorities right. In Luke 12:15 we read of a man who wants Jesus to tell his brother to divide an inheritance with him. Jesus responds “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” But we believe that it does by what we think we need to have.

For many years I thought that I did not have a problem in this area because I was not rich...by American standards. Then one day the thought hit me. What if God is not judging things by American standards? Then I asked Him what did He consider rich to be. I was led to 1 Timothy 6.

“But godliness with content is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing , with these we shall be content. But those who desire to get rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” ( 1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV)

This passage begins with a common sense saying for we do not come into the world with anything and we do not take anything with us. The next sentence is challenging. How many would be satisfied with just food and clothing and nothing else? No Computer or smart phone? No exercise equipment? Nothing with which to listen to music? All the pleasures and conveniences of life?

The contrast between this and the next sentence is striking. “But those who desire to get rich...” Is God saying that in his economy having more than food and clothing makes us rich? I believe this is what He told me. What does the Bible say to the rich?

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

Jesus did not come to suffer and die for our sakes so that we can do whatever we want. As Romans 14:9 makes clear “For to this end Christ both died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” He did not come to be a part of our life but to be our life. He did not come to help us to live our own life but to be Lord of our lives. He will not share the throne with us.

In Matthew 28:18 Jesus declares “that all authority in heaven and earth is given to Him.” On that basis He commands his followers to make disciples. This is not optional for genuine believers in Christ. We find a number of characteristics of those who are His disciples in the gospels. John says they will abide in the Word (8:31-32), will love one another (John 13:34-35), and will bear much fruit. (15:8)

One key characteristic is often neglected. Found in Luke 14:33, the Scripture reads, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” How then can we justify living anything other than a simple life?

In my own personal journey in this area I find progress yet more needs to be done. After moving out of an apartment upon retiring, I got ride of 90% of my possessions, retaining only what would fit in a small car. By the grace of God I give to His work on the earth and I live very frugally. The externals are good but my heart needs further purifying. Recently I heard an Indian preacher assert that everyone has a love of money. He may be right. God knows. I am encouraged by what I have seen in the many Brazilian homes that I have had the blessing of staying in. Although these are all middle or upper middle class people they do not have all the knickknacks and clutter that one associates with American dwellings. As Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34) ESV

Zac Poonen

I have deleted the previous post about this brother due to concerns raised by a close friend and brother in Christ. I apologize to previous readers for aspersions cast.

Voting & Other Matters

     As with virtually everything else in the Christian life the involvement of believers in politics is controversial. Some believe it is mandatory; others believe it is sinful, with variations in between. I'll let others debate this. Yesterday i had the opportunity to vote. The individual whom i voted for in the governor's race received about 19,000 total votes, or about 1% of those cast. He was also the only candidate for that position who opposed the slaughter of unborn children and the homosexual agenda. His funding totaled $28,000 in contrast to the many millions raised by the other four candidates. In the races for state representative and US representative the Democratic party candidates ran opposed. The man whom i voted for state senator lost by a few hundred votes.
     Did my votes make any difference? Probably not. Our trust as disciples of Christ cannot be in the political or economic systems of this world. It must be in Him alone.
   Why do "Christians" celebrate Halloween? Whatever its origins clearly it is now a satanic holiday. Why do we try to mirror the world and have "harvest" parties to appease our culture and confuse our children. Do we not know or believe or obey passages like 1 John 2:15-17?
     "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." ( NKJV)
     "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." ( Romans 12:2 NKJV)

Why I Sold Apple Stock

     One of the ways that the Lord Jesus has provided for my life and ministry is through investing in various corporations. Sometime ago I purchased Apple Corp. stock, which has proved to be one of the best investments that I have made. I had no intention to sell. However, last week, the news was trumpeted throughout the media that the CEO of this company was "gay and proud of it." As a disciple of Jesus Christ this presented me with a dilemma. Could I continue to invest in and thus support a company led by an individual who so blatantly opposes God's will? I sold the holding. Below is a brief essay detailing the teaching of the Bible on this subject.
       

Homosexuality- a Biblical perspective

In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, in the very first words said by God to humanity, He gives us the incredible privilege and responsibility of bearing His image. "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Gen. 1:26 ESV) No other part of His creation, not animals nor even angels, is accorded this honor. After giving mankind dominion over the earthly creation the text continues, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27) God could have chosen to create only one gender or multiple genders. His sovereign will was that two genders, male and female, best expressed His image. Men and women share equally in being image bearers.

The more detailed creation account of people in chapter 2 tells us that God brought a woman to the man. (Gen 2:22) No animal was found as a helpmeet for Adam. God could have created another man to be Adam's helpmeet or could have created two women. But they would not have expressed God's image in the glorious way in which a man and a woman are created to do. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Gen. 2:24)

This same verse appears again in Ephesians 5:31 when Paul the apostle is writing about God's primary purpose for the institution of marriage. Immediately following we read "this mystery is profound and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Eph 5:32) The entire passage from verse twenty-two to the end of the chapter gives us a fascinating parallel between the husband/wife relationship on the one hand, and the relationship between Christ and the church on the other. Careful reading reveals that God's intent is for a godly man and a godly woman to be a divinely ordained illustration of the marriage relationship between Christ the bridegroom and his bride, the church. The marriage of two men or two women distorts this picture.

One of the blessings of the Bible is that it does not bend and shift with every cultural change. "The grass withers, the flowers fall, but the Word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8 cf. 1 Peter 1: 24b-25a) Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mk 13:31) The real issue is whether we as Christians will abide in His word (John 8:31-32) and truly be His disciples or whether we will also bend and shift with every cultural change. One of the realities of aging is that one can potentially gain perspective. The phenomenon of "gay rights", tolerance, advocacy, gay marriage etc. has only gained force in the last generation but God has not changed His mind.

In the old covenant He said, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) Homosexual relations was one of many sexual sins for which the penalty was stoning. "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." (Lev. 20:13) This is the primary sin for which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. "But before they laid down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they said to Lot. "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them. (sexually)" Lot responded (v.7) I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly."

A similar incident by the Benjaminites of the city of Gibeah precipitated a war in which almost the entire tribe was exterminated. (Judges 19:22ff) Both 1^st and 2^nd Kings tell of male cult prostitutes in the land. The authors' comment in 1 Kings 14:24 is "they did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel." In the 1 Kings 15 example King Asa "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his (fore) father had done" by putting away these people. Josiah, the last righteous king before the Babylonian conquest of Judah, "broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes. (2 Kings 23:7)

Turning to the New Covenant we find "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18) As the passage continues we find that those who commit homosexual acts are among this number. "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." (Romans 1:24-27)

Those who practice homosexuality, in company with a number of other unrighteous people, will not inherit the kingdom of God. "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9-10) Even the "law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality… and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted." (1 Timothy 1:9-11)

The Lord has not given us the luxury of picking and choosing what parts of His Word we will believe and obey. Either we take the whole package or none of it. The same God who sent His only Son to die for our sins as the supreme expression of His love for us (1 John 4:9-10) and who has promised eternal life to those who follow Christ has also commanded that sexual relations be limited to one man and one woman within the bounds of holy matrimony.(1 Thess 4:3-7) "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." (Hebrews 13:4)

Let us not be conformed to this world (Rom 12:2) but make it our aim to please Him. (2 Cor. 5:9) May we draw courage from the example of Micaiah, son of Imlah, who stood against 400 false prophets. (1 Kings 22) "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Rom 15:4)

Disobedient to Parents

DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS

Today I hope to explore one aspect of the larger question of child-rearing. The Scripture has very clear direction for those who have surrendered to the God of the Bible and desire to follow His wisdom rather than the “wisdom” of the world.

When we consider what God wants from us we find that obedience is of major importance. The Holy Spirit, writing through Paul the apostle, says “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith...” ( Romans 1:5 ESV) He concludes this long letter with the same phrase “according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith...” ( Romans 16:26)

Jesus speaks very clearly on the same theme of obedience. Three times in John 14 alone (vv. 15,21,23) He equates love with obedience. “If you love me you will keep my commands.” ( John 14:15 ESV) Luke 6:46 asks “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do what I say?” 1 John 2:5 says “whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God...” ( Mark 12:30) 1 John 5:3 states “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” ( ESV)

If this is what God desires for those who believe in Him, would He not want the same for children? We find that He does. Ephesians 6:1ff says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise) that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land,” echoing the fifth of the ten commandments.(ESV) Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” (ESV)

In studying a different subject I had occasion recently to look over the various lists of grievous sins found in the New Testament. In several of these it is striking to find that along with sins such as murder and hatred of God we find the phrase “disobedient to parents. ( Cf. Romans 1:29-32) The following verse applies just as much to disobedient children as to murderers or slanderers or inventors of evil. “Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32 ESV).

2 Timothy 3:1-8 offers a chilling prediction of the last days before the return of the Lord Jesus. Among the evil of people who are “proud, arrogant, abusive, ungrateful, unholy, brutal, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” is the phrase “disobedient to parents.” (v. 2)

So if disobedience to parents is disobedience to God, and we have the desire and opportunity to teach our children to obey us so they can obey and please God, what methods should we employ? Should we bribe or cajole? Should we reason or attempt to persuade? Perhaps some of the latter as the children get older. But the Word of God prescribes a very clear form of discipline and particularly in the case of defiance or disobedience.

“Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24 ESV)

“Discipline your son. For there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” (Prov. 19:18)

“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (Prov. 29:15)

“Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” (Prov. 29:17)

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell.” ( Prov. 23:13-14 NKJV)

Perhaps the refusal of “Christian” parents to follow God's wisdom is part of the reason why so many children that grow up in “Christian” homes do not follow the faith of their parents. If we truly believe that we express our love to God through obedience to Him, then we shall make every effort to teach our children to do the same.

*Note: It is beyond the scope of this post to look at the balance between affection and discipline or the scenarios in which corporal discipline could be used or other principles relating to that theme.

Hit The Road

     Actually I do not know why one would "hit" the road, a rather painful prospect but that is an American slang expression for going to travel. Friday morning arose early with the help of an alarm clock, "hit the road," and ninety minutes later picked up my friend and brother Chris who had asked to join me on my rounds. We have known each other fourteen years and he has been a faithful friend and brother.
     We drove to northern New Hampshire from his home in Connecticut, enjoying the last of the autumn foliage, and good fellowship. There we met up with Ray, the brother who is discipling me. As it was almost noon we spoke a little before going out to lunch at a little, casual sandwich shop. Ray has been developing relationship with the owners to present Christ. We enjoyed several hours of true fellowship before driving on almost another two hours to see Dan.
    I wanted to show Chris some of the written materials that either Ray had given me, or I had produced. Dan was ready for a little review so we looked at the "What is a Disciple Worksheet?, "Basic Maturity Questions," and several others. We enjoyed a good pasta meal, returned and prayed and counseled together.
   Chris and I camped out in the basement. Thankfully he didn't snore. In the morning Dan treated us to breakfast, including his famous bacon before we drove another hour to Steve's house. God has been working in Steve's heart in a wonderful way, and he made an important commitment to Him. We had taken a walk with Dan the previous night, and were blessed with an hour's jaunt along the ocean with Steve. He also reminded me of a video called "Revival Fire," that he and I had listened to many years earlier. I hope to find it on the Internet. I believe that true revival begins with ongoing, intense prayer, bursts into flame with repentance of the Church, and then affects those who do not yet believe.
    Steve's wife Cis made us a hearty lunch and then we went onto Tom's home. God is doing exploratory surgery in Tom's spiritual heart. May He continue the work that only He can do. May I be faithful to pray.
From Tom's to our next stop, a meeting with a small Brazilian church, was about two hours. Chris wanted roast beef, which i had not had for some years so we stopped to get a sandwich for dinner. To our surprise Steve appeared with some friends. Was a wonderful Godincidence.
    Finally we arrived at the home for the gathering. Chris was greeted, enjoyed the people and especially the message about rejoicing in the Lord through a very good translator named Mariana. Unfortunately we had a two hour drive back to his home in the dark and rain so we could not stay too long.
   Slept well and in the morning enjoyed breakfast and fellowship with Chris and his wife Carolyn. Another hour and a half brought me back to my own dwelling. This was a wonderful experience for both Chris and I. He said he would like to do this again in the future.

Flee!

   As we respond to the greatest commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength ( Mark 12:30), which shows God's intense yearning for personal relationship with us, we find that our own sin separates us from Him. How do we overcome temptation and sin? Recently i received a message from India through a friend and brother in Christ. The first thing that this brother shared was to flee or run from temptation. Our pride causes us to think that we can embrace temptation but not succumb to it.
    The Bible speaks differently. In 1 Timothy 6: 9-11 Timothy, a man so trusted by Paul that he left him in the major city of Ephesus to combat false teachers ( 1 Timothy 1:3), is told to flee the love of money. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 the Holy Spirit through Paul says to flee sexual immorality. Later in chapter 10 the Corinthians believers are told to flee from idolatry. (verse 14) Finally Timothy is told to flee youthful lusts. (2 Timothy 2:22) When confronted by the lascivious intent of Potiphar's wife Joseph fled. (Genesis 39:11)
     Money, sex, idolatry and lusts are some of the most powerful drives known to humanity. God tells us to flee. We will not overcome them by our own unaided human efforts. As Jesus states clearly in John 15:5 "apart from Me you can do nothing." If Jesus needed to pray to the Father for strength and help then surely we do also. As the Indian author says we should look to the example of our Lord, "who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear..." ( Hebrews 5:7 NKJV)

Living in a Pagan Society

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV) Thus the Bible predicted almost two thousand years ago.
    There is disagreement about whether the US was ever a "Christian" nation. I can't imagine anyone making the claim today. One sign of a pagan society is a continual need for "victims," and these are paraded before us daily in the media. We learn about murder and rape and victimization.
    Our society believes that animals are more important than people although only humans are made in the image of God. ( Genesis 1:26-28) We have rejected God's creation of marriage between one man and one woman. We glorify the sensual and the perverse. Children are held to be smarter than their parents. Consideration for others is lost. We have slaughtered about sixty million unborn children, creating a death toll beyond that of Hitler or Stalin or Mao. Our governments, designed to protect our freedoms, take more away each day. We Christians hide in our churches.
     "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will the end be of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now 'if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"  (1 Peter 4:17-18 NKJV)

Persecution

     In over forty years in the church in America, I have heard almost nothing preached or taught on the subject of persecution. Probably this is because we have not experienced the overt suffering and even death that many of our brothers and sisters around the world have had. Yet 2 Timothy 3:12 is clear. "All those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." I suspect one reason why we have not had the same level of persecution as those in many countries is that we have not lived in a very godly way. We have allowed the society to push us into our church buildings. We have had little impact on the surrounding culture.
     Yet persecution is coming nonetheless. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." (John 15:18) The prince of this world hates Jesus and His followers. Persecution is a prominent theme of 1 Peter, for example. In chapter 2:21ff Peter writes that we have been called to follow the example of Christ in suffering. In chapter 4:16 he writes, "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." ( 1 Peter 4:19 ESV)
    Hebrews speaks of the same suffering for our faith. "But recall the former days when... you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated." ( Hebrews 10:32-33 ESV)
   Paul was imprisoned for his faith, and he and all of the other original apostles except John were martyred. We see ever increasing prejudice and hostility against Christians in the US. A couple in Idaho face arrest, imprisonment, and loss of their wedding business for refusing to marry gay people. Pastors in Houston are facing the same punishment for refusing to give up their sermon notes and e-mails. This is just the tip of the iceberg of anti-Christians sentiment here. Don't kid yourself. If you live godly in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

   This perennial question is particularly relevant in light of the current Ebola situation. Looking at this from a Biblical perspective will offend many but that is to be expected.
    Apart from the goodness of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God's perspective is that we are not good people. The belief that people are inherently good and that their problems arise from their environment or some other outside source is a central tenet of secular humanism. The Bible does not agree.
     In the time of Noah, God "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) Romans 1:18 begins a long passage that reads as an indictment as a prosecuting attorney would bring charges in a court of law. "For the wrath of God is revealed  from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." Verse 29 relates specific charges. "They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." Similar lists are found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:1-4.
   Titus 3:3 says "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. In a similar passage in Romans 3: 10-18, the Bible says "None is righteous, no, not one... no one does good, not even one. The Scriptural view of reality is that we are not good people apart from the righteousness of Christ received through repentance and faith.
    What about bad things? If a person who has steadfastly rejected Christ becomes infected with Ebola, for example, and as a result, repents of their sin, disobedience and independence from God, then even if they succumb and die, this represents God's mercy as that person will enjoy "pleasures at His right hand forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) Should a Christian contract this disease, their inner peace, steadfastness with Christ, and hope of the future with Jesus could influence some who do not believe to receive Christ.
    From a Biblical perspective the question in the title above is invalid.

Tuesday Observations

     One of the biggest problems with the current Ebola situation in the US is that neither the politicians or the media can be trusted to give us the truth. In all likelihood a lot of people (victims) will need to die before anything constructive is done. The ongoing need for victims is one of the hallmarks of a pagan society.
     A different situation is the individual accused of killing a Pennsylvania State trooper. He has been on the loose for a month now despite the efforts of many hundreds of highly trained law enforcement personnel. If one person is so difficult to apprehend, what would happen with a dozen terrorists running around?
     As I continue to interact with Christians from so-called Third World countries, I find that many of them are far more serious about their faith than most American Christians.
   I find that walking for exercise is one of the best things that I can do for my health, both physical and spiritual. Yesterday I was able to recite all of my memory verses plus pray for a number of people during my jaunt. And i felt invigorated doing this.
     New memory verses for today are Judges 21:25 and Proverbs 14:34.  "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes." "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." In the US everyone does whatever they want with little regard for others. Our sin is a reproach to us. May God have mercy on our disobedience.
   
   

Observations about Peter and Paul

     As readers of the Gospels know, Peter is the spokesman for the 12 disciples, the one who is always first to do things. But nowhere in the four accounts of the life of Jesus do we see Peter using Old Testament Scripture. Jesus did constantly but Peter did not follow His example until... the Day of Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit we see Peter saturating his sermon with the Bible. He begins with the end of what we know as Joel chapter two, proceeds to the end of Psalm 16 and adds Psalm 110:1. And three thousand repent and are baptized. Hebrews 5:13 states "Everyone who partakes only of (spiritual) milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." Verse 14 continues "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised  to discern both good and evil." (NKJV) What have they used to discern good and evil? The Word of God. What are they skilled in using; the word of righteousness. One way that we know that we are maturing is when we can minister the truth of the Word of God to ourselves and to others.
     On another note the Lord showed me something about apostolic ministry this past week. Over time a handful of individuals have indicated that they thought i have an apostolic ministry. The primary reason seems to be my traveling around to encourage various churches. Some years ago i was led to do a study on the characteristics of those in apostolic ministry in the New Testament. This causes me to say that i simply do not have apostolic fruit.
     However i do think about the nature of this ministry. I have only known two apostolic brothers personally. Both they and I have the same problem, one which Paul avoided. We spread ourselves too thin. The brother with whom i have relationship currently has fifty-five different congregations looking to him for guidance and covering. Even assuming that it was possible for him to travel every week, which it is not because he has a family and local responsibilities, this would mean visiting every group only once a year. When i was visiting twenty house churches i could see them about the same once a year. Even if this went on for a decade it would not be possible to develop strong relationship or train the Timothys of the next generation.
   Paul avoided this by staying in one location for longer periods of time; eighteen months in Corinth and three years in Ephesus for example, so that he could develop these relationships and train younger leaders. This is much more difficult than flitting in for a day or a week.

What We Believe

    After people have been in the "Church" for awhile they learn the "Christian" answers to the "Christian questions. They "know" that Jesus is God or that He is Lord. But do we believe? I can study the gospel, and explain it Biblically but if i do not actually present it to people do i believe the gospel or just know it?
    Most Americans, including many who identify as Christians, seem to believe that if someone has enough money- whatever that amount is- that they will live a good life. The ever increasing number of lotteries and state sponsored gambling venues testify to this. Yet the Bible teaches something different.
"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches make themselves wings, they fly away like an eagle toward heaven." (Proverbs 23:4-5 NKJV)
"He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." ( Luke 12:15 NKJV)
"And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." ( 1 Timothy 6:8 NKJV)
     We live what we believe. If someone believes that "God helps those who help themselves," then we will rely upon our own personal abilities.
   I knew a man who is a conspiracy theorist. The only topic that he ever wanted to talk about was how the government was responsible for the 9/11 attacks and related topics. His belief governed how he spoke and lived.
   As "Christians" we can know many things but we show what we truly believe by what we live. Luke 6:45b says "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." We speak what we believe. Hebrews chapter 11 contains a summary of many Old Testament saints. Again and again we read that this person or that person by faith did something. Mental agreement did not keep Noah building an ark for a hundred years, or Abraham abandoning his city and relatives to go to an unknown destination. True faith produces obedience.
(Romans 1:5, 16:26)

The Bible Says

Probably the most famous thing that many people believe that the Bible says is that "God helps those who help themselves." Many years ago i remember a man adamantly maintaining that it was in there somewhere even though he could not tell me where. By the grace of God I have read the entire Bible through dozens of times in several languages and a number of versions. The statement God helps those who help themselves is not in there.
   There is a related problem which i hear constantly. Christians say "God says," or "the Bible teaches." In many cases what they are saying God does indeed say and the Bible does teach. The problem is that most Christians, even those who have walked with God for decades, have no idea where the Bible says or teaches the things that they are opining about. Without the verification of specific verses or passages in the Bible it is just their opinion.
    This can and should be remedied but it will take some work. Consider the example of Jesus. When He was tempted by the devil how did He respond? By quoting the Old Testament. ( Matthew 4:4,7,10) The psalmist says that he "has stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11 ESV) What does this indicate? They memorized the Word.
     In modern times we have an advantage that people in earlier eras did not. We have printing and newer technology so that the Scripture is readily available in most languages. We also have chapter and verse divisions not present in the original text. Thus we have a simple way to find things in the Bible. If we are willing to put in the work to memorize verses or passages of the Bible complete with the reference (book,chapter and verse) and then review them regularly we will have the word stored in our hearts ready for the Holy Spirit to use. I recommend learning and reciting the reference before and after the verse. Then even if you forget part of the verse you will usually remember the reference in order to find and review it.
     One big barrier to this is the belief that we can't memorize. This is an easily refuted lie of the devil. We remember many things such as the date of our birth, our social security number, the names of relatives, and information pertaining to our work or school. I don't have to look up how many quarts are in a gallon because I have memorized that there are four. I don't have to ask someone what the name of the ocean is that separates the US from Europe because i have memorized the name Atlantic.  I believed this lie until i began to actually try to memorize. Over one thousand verses later including six psalms and four NT letters later I know it was a lie.
   Memorized Scripture not only helps to minister to others by showing them where the Bible says something but is also helpful in prayer and in teaching and worship. May we grow in our faith and practice.