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Zechariah 1:3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.   Are you "away from" God? How can anyone be away from a sovereign God? We know that God is omnipresent, or everywhere present, so where could one go to escape him? Jonah tried to do that and he landed on a beach with a new perspective. David recognized, as a blessing, the fact that God knew everything about him, including his steps, thoughts and unspoken words (Psalm 139).  It took king Nebucadnezzar seven years eating grass in the fields before he came to his senses and realized that it was God who was really the power behind his success. A king that n...

Let's do a Bible reading today and see if you can deduce the theme of the following texts: Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:  1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be...

We lost a neighbor during the night. He died of complications from dengue fever. He was a beloved man and a very kind person. He knew my name and always called out, "Good Morning Michael!" often through a toothless smile. But he was good with names.  When such a man dies he leaves a hole in the heart of those who knew and loved him. He and his wife were very religious people. They had pictures of Mary and rosary beads hung in a special place in their humble dining room. They were involved in their church and in charity work as well.  I shared a short text from John 11 with his daughter this morning as she wept her loss. The verse I read was this, John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die..." Isn't this what we need to know when we stand near death or near one who has died?  Jesus said, "I am..." God's Great and powerful name. Moses was to use it to tell the people w...

"Pastor Mike! Please put our story in your next  book!" One of our teen girls came to me beaming. She is currently reading my second historical fiction biography. I told Ana that I was planning on telling the story of our new church in my fifth work. My editor and chief recently went to glory, so I will have to seek help in grammar and idioms. That stinks. However, I have published four books to date with her help, so I should be able to limp to the finish line with the fifth. My goal is to have it done by June, which is the date that I had promised my friend.  Have you written your biography? This is a question that I have asked many of my friends and family. If you have Google Maps, your story has been recorded geographically. Just go to Google maps and then click on “My timeline.” You’ll see most of your steps. It is rather startling the first time you see it. Google has been in your cell phone along every path you’ve taken.   We believers in Jesus Christ have it ...

  “Embrace Your Weakness” So I see the above article title as I sit to write. While my neighbor's kid has his idiot music so loud that it would wake the dead if anything but God could do such a thing.  As I analyze the title of that unread article I wonder what God is teaching me in this situation? These days, to speak out against the idiot culture seems like a scary thing to do. If we open our mouths we declare who we are and what we stand for. Which seems only popular if you are on the far left. So where do we Christians fit into this age? How far should we go to make a point? What is our responsibility and what should be our goal? Should we rock the boat or stay in our holy huddle? Are we to be Gandi types or George Parton types? These are all burning questions.  I believe that we have caved to the mainstream already in many ways. We are a nation of millions of Christians yet it seems that nobody is doing anything as we see our snile president bumbling and stumbling th...

Joshua had learned an important lesson from his earlier "spy-life". Two many cooks spoil the broth or too many kooks spoil the story. Moses had sent 12 chosen leaders to spy out the Promised land and they had come back with the "good and bad" news. So, Joshua sent just two. These two unnamed men encountered a frightened but wise woman at her workplace. In their interchange with Rahab, she opened her heart to the coming doom of her city but also expressed her confidence that there was hope for her family. Rahab was named because she would become an important figure in the distant future.  Hebrews 11:31 says,  By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. That is a revelation! It was her faith in the LORD that saved her and her house. Look again at what she said.  “ I know that the Lord has given you this land  - In her mind, and in fact, it was a done deal. The land was given. This was no...

“Hard times” is a phrase we’ve heard much lately and seemingly rightly so. But, imagine being born in a stable, being destined to live in poverty and rejection, and then dying a criminal’s death for crimes never committed. And then imagine the most wonderful Christmas gift in History wrapped up in this seemingly twisted scenario. Eternal Salvation is possible because of God’s will demonstrated in the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ; hard and seemingly tragic times that purchased our liberty. We who have experienced this inestimable gift remember with joy the first time that we understood the significance of our need and His redeeming sacrifice. In these difficult days let us not forget to whom we belong, the price of ownership, and the security and joy we experience because of Jesus’ hard times. We thank you for upholding our family in prayer and contributing financially so that we might be able to share this Good News in Brazil. Because of you and Him we serve. ...

We took 10 of our folks to Seminary openhouse in Curitiba. We visited one of he city's many churracarias and enjoyed fellowship around a great meal. Five of our folks went forward at the invitation to dedicate themselves to full time ministry. Pray for Ronaldo and Adailza, Alenildes and Joice, and Zelha as they seek God's perfect direction. While there we were able to spend time with Annie and Jackson, and Gabriel too. That is always a fun time.

In fact our day was NOT spend playing soccer as you might have expected with the Bob Jones University soccer ministry team here with us for four days. It was spent in ministry. The team ministered all day in the public school just meters away from our church. They sang in English, Portuguese, and gave testimony of Christ saving love in fourteen different classrooms in both the high school and the junior high. They played several games of soccer during the break time between classes. Hundreds of kids came to the court to watch the games and cheer for the Americans. It was amazing to realize what was happening. The Gospel was being shared and kids were paying attention. I had the privilege of translating for several of the classes and was blessed to be able to help these young men share their hearts with the Brazilian people. Pray for us tomorrow as we enter another public school near the church. This evening their ministry paid off with around a hundred kids present at church to watch.....

King's Kids is still going but attendance is really low. Saturday we had 8 with one visitor. I brought out the BIG BALL for the kids to play with and they loved it. The kids who are coming are faithful and Ana Claudia completed her third ribbon. One of the encouraging aspects of King's Kids is that Paulinho and Felipe, two of our teens are helping weekly. These two are really growing and we praise the Lord for what He is doing in their lives. Wednesday night Paulinho gave his first Bible study to another teen that he had lead to Christ a couple of week before. It is God's blessing to be able to see that kind of growth!

Just two more months in the States! Wow. Our return to Brazil is just around the corner and we are getting excited/sad. How can it be that one is excited and sad at the same time? A missionaries life is a mixture of both sentiments. Whether in the States or in Brazil we are home but we've left someone behind. We have friends and family on both sides of the Big Waters and thus the tug on our heart strings whether here or there. Of course our little bundle of joy Caitlyn has made this see-saw life even a bit more difficult.

Sandro and Gislene During my work with the Habiteto team I have gotten to know a young couple who are on fire for Christ. Sandro and his young wife Gislene are just four years old in the Lord but are about to embark on one of the biggest adventures of their lives. They will be going to study at our Bible College in Curitiba this coming February. Sandro was lead to Christ by one of his furniture making coworkers. He comes from a background which in his words was full of Godlessness and foul language. But, what energies used to be spent on using the Lord's name in vain is now employed telling others about his Savior. Sandro is the type of person that you simply cannot talk to with out him mentioning his Lord over and over again. Gislene came to Christ... I beg your prayers for this precious family. They will be going by faith and not by sight. Sandro, as I mentioned, is a furniture maker. He does good work. However, in a conversation just the other day he told me that he has never be...

I usually think of this blog as a ministry related extension. That is, I need to talk ministry or else don't talk. I've decided that I am going to change that perspective a bit and write about other things as well. It is not that my thoughts are necessarily innovative or unique but I believe that they will tell a story none the less. I love stories. They tend to relate details about a person that might not be revealed in a canned speech or monthly "prayer letter" format. I love to tell stories too. If you have followed this blog at all you probably have come to that conclusion. I like to write very interesting notes. But, I have come to recognize that "interesting" like art and perfume is people specific. By that I mean that each person is interested in what they are interested in. Some like it this way some like it that, so what is interesting to me might be completely boring or forgettable to you. With this fact in mind I'll continue to write about wha...

We live at the end of the world! Not really but sometimes it seems that way; especially when all of our friends are moving away. Are you crying yet? The neat aspect of living where we live is that we are but minutes (8 to be exact) from where our ministry is forming and it was God who put us here! How can we argue with that? Well... I don't usually have trouble arguing but I know that it's to no avail. It is interesting how that even here at the very end of the world there are still Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs). For some reason I have always had an aversion to JWs. I'm not exactly sure why but maybe it is because I, as a child, was terrified by my mother, when some JWs came to the door and mom slammed me against the wall half screaming half whispering, "Don't MOVE!!" As the poor souls knocked on our door we were like escaped prisoners, holding our breath and hoping that the police would not discover our presence. Saturday as we were preparing for the arri...

The Orchestra in the Woods trip turned into a jaunt to a local park. Of all things the National Park was closed because the day we went was a Holiday. Does that make sense to you? Me neither. We must be Americans. We had a blast anyway. I was glad that we didn't make the mountain trek because the day was sunny and hot. One of the highlights  of the trip was the excellent Bar-B-Que that Samuel and Junior cooked up. Another highlight was the fellowship that we had with our small orchestra group. I thought that I liked to take pictures. Junior took nearly 400 in just three hours! He likes his new camera. Sunday we had a "Thanksgiving" focus in our afternoon service. We met early and played a few games and then I preached from Psalm 100. We had over fifty present which was our biggest group in quite awhile. That evening I also preached at New Life Baptist who was celebrating it's 21st birthday. There was a great group, a good spirit and two huge cakes. It was a g...

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased Mar 4:8 As I learn more of my friend Cido’s story the more I am wanting to hear. He is a spiritual baby at 49 but keep your eyes on him he’s growing fast. What he is learning from the Word of God is taking his breath away as he begins to comprehend who God is and what salvation means. This last week I was asked by someone if I thought that Cido’s decision was genuine. That is a good question these days. Many make “decisions” to accept Christ and there is no apparent change in their life. In others there seems to be change but it is short lived. It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the sower where some seed falls in different soils and the results are different. The following story relates a tiny slice of Cido’s young Christian life that might help you and me to evaluate what kind of “spiritual fruit” Cido is producing. This is an election year in Brazil. The onslaught of propaganda is nearly unbearable. Pam...

Psalm 119 :81-88 Psalm 119:81 Kaph】 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.  82 My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, "When will you comfort me?"  83 Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.  84 How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors? 85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law.  86 All your commands are trustworthy ; help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.  87 They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.  88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.  Life has many problems doesn't it? We have seen a lot of them this last year. Never in our lives have we seen the likes of what the year has presented.  What kind of problems have you seen? Have you lost a loved one? Have you been attacked by an enemy? Have you suffered illness? Has someone ...

Prayer is necessary. Prayer is one way that we can speak directly to God. Prayer is even commanded. We are to pray without ceasing. We are to pray for our leaders. Being reminded that when Paul wrote this injunction that the leader was his future killer, Nero.  Why oh why do we struggle to pray? Let me give you three reasons real quick.  1. We don't realize what prayer is.  2. We don't see the urgency.  3. We have "better" things to do.  What prayer is - We forget or ignore the fact that prayer is our ability to talk with the Creator God. Did you know that God knows all the angles of life? He knows how your day, today, went. He knew it from before time. He's not worried about it. He knows your weakness and supposed strengths. He will help even more than he currently is helping you. He is God. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel and what you're thinking. Even though he already knows, he'll listen and help.  The Urgency - Forgive me but I didn't watch the...

I wrote this post a few years ago but it recently brought a smile to my face. So here it is again for your reading pleasure. Lessons From a Five year old  I had a neat experience with Brandon this morning. He is my five-year-old grandson. You can learn a lot by working with a five-year-old! Why, just a few minutes ago while cutting down a hedge the lessons were flowing.  I was straining my old guts out trying to cut through a 40-year-old plant with a bow saw. I had been at it for about half an hour when up walks Brandon. He grabbed one of my fresh cuts and jerks it out of the chorus line of shrubs. As he does he lets out a war whoop and says, “Grandpa, look what I just did!”  My thoughts went carnal, “You little runt! I’ve been straining and grunting for half an hour and you just come up and give a yank on a twig and yell, ‘Look what I did?’”. Then it hit me. That is so often what I do with my Father. He has worked, toiled and detailed every aspect of a particular situat...

Brazil is the worst country in the world for COVID.  I received these comforting words from a friend of mine yesterday who then concluded his email with, "Take care my friend and God Bless!"  I know that my friend meant well but his short paragraph reminded me of what James told the believers in James 2:16. How often we do this? We see a seemingly impossible situation and "pray" for the needy one and then go our way to cut the grass or buy a new cell phone.  Is my friend going to be able to help me in any way? Well, yes he can, and he probably does help me more than I do him. He can pray for me. When countries separate good friends, then we are left with the prayer option. We may be involved up to our noses in ministry at church, yet we can stop during our busy and whisper a "Nehemiah prayer". You know what a NP is right? It isn't Nehemiah's prayer uttered in the first chapter of the book that bears his name. It is that quick one that you can't...

  Still thinking about stones. I remembered Proverbs 22:28 and the fifth saying of the wise sage, 【Saying 5】 Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors. Why this verse came to mind I can only imagine that God brought it there. But why? The concept of not moving those stones is found in five other Old Testament texts, they are:  Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Proverbs 23:10 and Hosea 5:10. Let’s compare all five. Deuteronomy 19:14 (You) Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. Deuteronomy 27:17 " Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor's boundary stone. " Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"  Job 24:2 There are those who move boundary stones ; they pasture flocks they have stolen. Proverbs 22:28 Saying 5】(You) Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors . Proverbs 23:10 【Saying 11】...

I love stones. Not just diamonds and rubies but "normal" stones. I have always liked to find cool stones and I even lived in the "Gravel Capital" of the world for my first twenty years. However, it wasn't until we moved to Tatuí Brazil just a year ago that I literally stumbled into stone heaven. The stones here aren't particularly beautiful, just so different than what I have been used to. I like it here!  Thinking about rocks and stones made me realize how often the same appear in the Bible. The first text is in Genesis 2:12, where onyx is mentioned and the last verse is in Revelation 21:11, where jasper appears.  Abraham used stones to build an altar on which he was to offer his son Isaac (Gen 22:9). Jacob had several important encounters with stones. In one he had several stones for a pillow and during the night had a whopper of a dream about God. Jacob also set up an altar after God protected him from his dear brother Esau (Gen 33:20). He gave that altar...

Enoch was an amazing man. We hardly know anything about him but what we do know is incredible. He lived 365 years and pleased God so much in those few short years that God took him. Enoch is one of only two humans who didn't die.  What did Enoch know about pleasing God? He had no Google or Wikipedia. He didn't have a lick of the Bible. He had no Abraham, Moses or David as examples. Not even Job was written yet. However, one thing that he did have was Adam. Even though Enoch was seventh from Adam, Adam was still alive for Enoch's entire life. Adam lived to see Enoch's son Methusela.  One of the things that Enoch learned from his great great (5x) grandaddy is found in the book of Jude. Look what Enoch tells us about Eschatology, Jude 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodli...

A friend of mine died yesterday. How we met was rather strange. About five years ago I received a plea from a a woman in Fortaleza. It appeared on our church's Facebook page. "My son is in São Paulo and rented an apartment there. However, he was tricked into paying a lot of money for the apartment and in the end lost his money." This was the story. Could our church help him?  I didn't believe a word of this strange plea and didn't respond for quite a while. Another plea came a while later and I finally decided that I would call this woman's son to see if the request for help was legit.  Come to find out, it was! We ended up discovering a friend in the mentioned young man. He was a literal God send to our music program at Faith. He and his family have been faithful members for six years.  Elma, the mom, became a great friend too. She was instrumental in editing my four historic fiction books about my family. "A Couple's Life" was published here in...

How can you control something that the Bible says is uncontrollable? If the Bible says that something cannot be done, should we try to do it? I am thinking about the following verse in James 3:6-8   And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. You are talking about a nasty little creature there. What can we do? Jeremiah 27:9 tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  So we have a corrupt heart and a tongue that is set on fire by hell. How wonderful. What are we to do?  Jesus responded to another situation with these words that I believe apply here too, And Jesus looking upon them ...