Endure…

As so often happens, during my (Matthew) quiet time with the Lord, a verse struck me as speaking to my situation at that moment. For you see, it is so easy to want lose heart and focus here in Equatorial Brazil. The culture is different. The language is difficult. The service at church is different and long. A trip to the store is, to some extent, different. These things are not sinful in and of themselves but it is so easy to allow yourself to focus only on these things. I am sure these are tools in the hand of the evil one too, used to divert us from our task and unfortunately I am at times easily diverted.

Nevertheless, our family was called to the mission field for a season and we should be focus on the task at hand for is a privilege to serve our Lord here, in this place and at this time. So, on one of those days when the heat was almost unbearable, the culture frustrating and one just wanted retreat to an English speaking television program and an expensive-to-run air-condition room, this verse confront me “… let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:1b-2a).” It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can bring to bear on us the weight of Scripture. Those words “lay aside,” “ensnares,” “run,” “endurance,” and “keeping” all seem to speak to me and say that I must again remember to treat this time of service to Lord as if it truly meant something…for you see it does. God did not bring the Gilpin family here for no reason. Rather, our sovereign Lord brought us here to reach the lost. So, on those days when it is hot (wait, it is always hot) and on those day when I am frustrated, I hope to remember to put on my running shoes, set my sights on the Christ and run!

Therefore, no matter where you are today, remember that you need to lay aside all those things that turn your attention from God and focus on the one that truly matters, Jesus Christ. Who endured even to the point of death for your sake and for mine.

Motivated By Love…

I think that a human is made to love… either a person loves themselves, loves others, or he/she loves God. Now, these are not mutually exclusive, rather our God-given ability to love often encompasses all of these types of love. The battle for many, and of course for me (Matthew), is to make sure that the love for God is given first place. This is against human nature, for we too often want our way even if we know it is not God’s way.

So, there are those days when Tara and I want to leave Brazil. It is not that we hate it here or that life in this place is as difficult as other places. We are blessed to live in a wonderful apartment, to have a S-10 4-Door pick-up, and to have only one current job which is to learn the language. However, some days we just want to pack up all we have and leave… then, as often happens, God speaks. Whether it is through a song, a scripture verse, an e-mail from a friend or prayer-partner, or though my little girl.

Now, you have heard me repeatedly speak of Lydia’s heart for the lost. Today, I was again amazed by her desire for those who need the Lord. Lydia, Samuel and I were at a stop light waiting to turn and as usual several people came up to our windows begging for money and selling everything under the sun. We seldom patronize these vendors nor do we give to those who beg. However, this day I told Lydia to give 50 centavos (about 0.30) to an old beggar who was missing one leg. As we pulled away, Lydia said, “Daddy, I did not tell him about Jesus.” After some discussion about learning language and about meeting people’s physical needs, she said, “Do you think Jesus is proud of me?”

What a beautiful reminder of the reason we are here, LOVE. For Christ loved us and His love for us makes us long to tell others of His love. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” So, on those days when I want to go home, do I die to self and live for Him? On those days when life is good, do I die to self and focus not on self but on the lost?

If you are child of God, I pray that you and I might have a heart for the lost like Lydia! If you are not, then know you are loved by a God and a little missionary girl whose heart is as big as her God.

I Want to Know You More…

Church is difficult. Each church service is at least two and one-half hours. Tara understands a good deal and I little. But, at times, even when I understand little, God speaks…

I sat in church recently, listening to the praise chorus I Want to Know You More being sung in Portuguese. I was singing it in English. During this time, when I again understood little, God spoke through the language barrier directly to my heart. I realized this night two important things…

First and foremost it has been my heart’s prayer for so long… to know my Savior more. As I sat in church calling out to God in song, I realized for the first time how my faithful Lord and Savior has answered this often unspoken prayer. For, he has allowed me to see his heart for people. Thank you Lord. Through the heat, the homesickness, the language learning, the cultural adjustment, just through all that is part of this mission experience God has given me a glimpse of His love for me by showing the love He has for others. Now, know this everyone, that this doesn’t magically make the day to day life easier but, if it brings me closer to Him, then all the hard days are worth their weight in gold. I hope that I can stand through the bad days and rejoice in the good ones, knowing that these experiences are teaching me to know Him more.

The other significant realization I took away was that I have often sung wonderful old hymns and fantastic contemporary praise choruses, truly meaning every word of what I was singing without ever knowing that my prayers would be answered in this place. The other night I was praying and singing in private… the chorus from the hymn Where He Leads I Will Follow came to my mind. It goes, “… where He leads I will follow, where He leads I will follow, where He leads I will follow, I go with Him, with Him, all the way.” How much more does this song speak to me today and in this place? I have sung the tune dozens of times not knowing what it might cost to see the words of this hymn worked out in the life of my family and me. Life in Brazil is wonderful but difficult, amazing but hard, but it is in this place that God has led us to follow Him. God is at work, will I follow? Am I willing? My prayer is that I will be true to His calling and that He will give me the strength to live up to the words of this hymn.

So, as you sit in church singing… as you look at a hymnal… as you listen to the next praise song on a CD or Christian radio... listen to the words. Let them speak to you. Sing them with a new perspective. Sing them as a prayer to God. Sing, Where He Leads I Will Follow, and mean every word. For, you see, we serve a wonderful God and He will answer your heart-felt, God-honoring prayers.