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.