Youth Choir to Curitiba Youth Congress

This past weekend my youth choir, Alfa (93 of us) traveling all night from Campinas back to Curitiba, Paraná to minister in the Central AG youth congress. Their youth pastor had heard us minister at one of the other churches in Curitiba a few weeks ago and invited us back for this congress. His youth group is going through a particularly difficult time right now and he told me that he saw and heard something is Alfa that wants in his group. The church in Curitiba is not easy to minister in. The people are bound up in their traditions so much that it's hard for them to enter into worship. The young people are ready for a change and that's why their youth pastor invited us. Alfa was incredible! They basically ignored the "icy" atmosphere and gave themselves to worship. I was so proud of them! The results were terrific. Take a look at some of the pictures.

Trip with the Youth Choir

Tomorrow night I leave with about 90 kids for another bus trip to Curitiba to minister in their youth congress. We have worked hard to get our music ready and the kids sound great. We have prayed a lot to get our spirits ready and now it's time to go!! I'll let you know how thing go.

Surprise !! It's your birthday.

The youth choir gave me a "surprise" birthday party on Oct. 16. We had youth choir rehearsal and then our youth meeting. I dismissed everyone after youth meeting but nobody moved. Finally one of the guys stood up and said HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! And the party began. I was exhausted by the time it was all over but very happy. They are too good to me.

Testimony of God's Grace

In last night's Biblical Ministerial Ethics class, I asked if any one had anything to report about what was going on in their lives. Some reported, that in spite of difficulties, God was doing works of grace and sustenance. There was one who was concentrating on several negatives aspects of her family life, basically kind of whining, when I interrupted her and called for help in prayer for her and her situation. After few minutes, a young mother gave a prophetic word "Be still and know that I am God" . The Portuguese has an interesting insight to the "Be still" part which is "Be quiet or calm down". I felt that that was so appropriate since there had a tone of exasperation in emphasizing the problem instead of firm faith in God and His provision . A few minutes later, Aldemar, a very large frame man of 40 gave a beautiful testimony of a tremendous revolutionary change in his Life just in these first two weeks of our month-long Biblical Ethics classes. He related that he has always been a very explosive person getting into all kinds of difficulty because of his short fuse reactions to any kind of irritating situation. Even though he accepted Christ as his Savior some 2o years ago, this serious problem had always persisted. However, our classes in conjunction with reading assignment were used by God to bring about a tremendous deliverance for him. He noted that now, several times a day , in situations where he normally would have lost control, God is doing a work of grace in givig him an unbelievable calm and self-control. Hallelujah!

Class update

We had a very interesting class discussion tonight in the Biblical Ministerial Ethics. It started out as a reaction to different students criticizing various ministers for unethical ministerial behavior. As I have stated on other occaisions in other classes, we must not fall into the trap of thinking that it is enough to just be against unbiblical behavior and liking the sound biblical teaching on certain subjects. Some feel that if we censor bad behavior in others and listen to preacher/teachers who also fight it that this of itsel makes all right. Not so.

(Jam 1:22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (Jam 1:23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (Jam 1:24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (Jam 1:25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

We must be changed by the operation of God's Word, His Spirit and His Grace continually in us. God's requirement is not just that we walk with the multitude that follow Him for a variety of reasons. Association with the right crowd and an afinity for the truth is insufficient; we must be ...doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving (Y)our own selves, by such a posture. (Jam 1:22) God will not ask us if we listened to good preachers or if we have read good sound doctrinal books or associated with good religiously conservtive people-----but are you a doer of the Word?

(Mat 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

I challenged them with the question--- What real difference will your having participated in these Bible School Classes really make in your character and behavior? That will be the final test when we all stand before the Supreme judge.

Youth Night

We are "slowly" developing our Saturday Youth Nights. I keep pushing the responsibility of planning and preparation onto my Praise and Worship Team. They are discovering that it takes a lot of work but the results are well worth it. Our goal is to have 100% of the youth choir participating!

Let there be no strife... between me and thee...

In tonight's class, God graciously visited us as I taught about avoiding strife, espedially between Christian brothers. I used Gen 13:5-18 to teach about trusting God when there is strife and things aren't going well. (Gen 13:7) And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: .... (Gen 13:8) And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, ... , between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. (Gen 13:9) Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. Abram demonstrates a complete confident faith in God to the point of allowing Lot to take what was apparently the best choice of land for grazing livestock, basically saying I'll take whatever is left. Let's be at peace. He demonstrates a tranquil faith in God. When one is living by faith trusting God, it doesn't matter if there is strife and maybe even selfish attitudes and actions by others that we could interpret as putting us in a bad position. God will take care of us. His attitude seems to be "When I obediently trust in God's character and faithfulness, I cannot lose, although it may look like it in the immediate time frame. But latter on (Gn 13:14-17) God tells Abram to look north, south, east and west because I will give you all of the land that you can see. It is possible that even the fertil land that Lot had chosen was included in this promise. To receive God's promise, we must go the distance (have long term faith that looks beyond immediate circumstances ) with a calm confident trust in God's righteous faithful nature. Rest in God's promise. Fret not... He'll do to trust.