A Demonstration of Love...

Recently, Andy (another missionary here in Belém) and I visited a local Assemblies of God church. We were preparing for a team of statistician which are looking at the rapid growth of this denomination in Brazil. When we arrived, Andy and I were directed to sit up front with all the pastors and leadership of the church. While sitting up front and listening to announcements, one of the pastor leaned over to Andy and told him that he wanted to tell him his testimony. Andy told him he would love to hear it. So, instead of waiting till later, the man began to tell the tell during the announcements. I recount this and his testimony because it is one of the clearest views of Godly love and compassion I have every heard... and because it is true.

The story goes...
This young man and current associate-pastor was once a rabble-rouser. In his own words, he use go out and "do what men do." With a young wife at home, he would spends his nights with a bottle of alcohol, an another woman, and often using some illicit drug. The relationship between the two, I am sure was strained at best. One night, the young man came home extremely late (actually he came early the next morning). As he arrived, he was met at the door by his wife. He said, he knew that this was it... he was sure that she had had enough. So, he sat down and prepared for the worst. Rather than yelling or lashing out at the unfaithful man, this Christian wife simple ask one question and performed one act which changed this man life. She look at him and simply wanted to know when he was going to stop living life this way. Then she took off his shoes, which I am sure smelt of the previous evenings activities, and washed his feet. The young man said that this one act of love broke him and he began to weep. He then look at Andy and said, "...now look at me, I am a pastor."

This story is a beautiful example of how a Christian can love like Christ. This young woman would have been justified in her anger. The worldly would have cheered her on if she would have hurled household items at him. Many think she would have been right to leave him and move on to a healthier relationship. The way he chose to treat his wife incites within many of us anger and desire for revenge. However, she ignored all those nature responses. The lovely Christian woman chose to forgo her revenge and to love instead... and God chose to use this outpouring of love to call to salvation this young man. I know that this young lady's relationship with the Lord must have been and I am sure still is so beautiful and close... for you see, she saw her husband through the eyes of Christ.

Oh, that we, that I, would love this way. To love those who wrong me. To minister to those who hurt my family. To look through the circumstance and to see the person with the eyes of his or her creator.

I pray that this story affects you the way that it affected me... to make you realize the importance of Christian love especially to those who are lost and dying in their sins.

A call to arms...

I just read this morning, a very familiar story for many people... the tale of David and Goliath in the seventeenth chapter of 1 Samuel. For those of you who may not know the story or have not read it in some time... it begins with the army of the nation of Israel cowering in the shadow of the Philistine army and it’s champion, the giant soldier Goliath. He is daily taunting the ranks of the Israelites. The Israelite see an insurmountable task... to defeat the obstacle before them. In the mist of this, we see the youthful David, the youngest son of Jessie of Bethlehem, arriving to bring supplies to his older brothers and return with news for his father. David sees the fear among the ranks and begins to question the soldiers. We soon see this young shepherd, who refused to don the armor of a warrior, walk out to meet the giant Philistine. With a simple sling and stone the young boy kills the man who held the Israeli army at bay.

Why do I write about this story? Why recount the tale again, though for many it is such a familiar story? Because I was struck again by David… here we see a young man, one who would later be king over God’s people and the writer of much of the Psalms, have faith in his Lord. Unlike so many around him, he stood up and ask the question, "...Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26)" Wow! What a statement. He stand with these veteran soldiers and challenges their courage and devotion. Later in the account, David says to Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." Standing before a seeming insurmountable foe, David speaks with conviction and total faith in the outcome.

I wonder how often I am the armies of Israel, cowering in the corner of life. Wonder when God will step in and save me. I am unsure how often I have been David standing before giants in my life with the confidence of this young man. Oh, that I would have the faith to stand and say that I am a servant of the Most High and you will not win this battle.

Each of us daily fights the giants in life, whether we do this on a personal level or as part of the body of Christ, we must stand like David and say who are these people or this circumstance that it should defy the soldiers and armies of the living God. Let us fight so that the whole world will know that their is a God!

In the Presence of God...

Recently I have been reading through book of 1 Samuel. As I was reading the second chapter of this book I was struck one theme that was apparent... that Samuel was consistently in the presence of the Lord. One example of this is at the end of 1 Samuel 2:21, which states, "Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord." This chapter was both an encouragement and a conviction for me. I am the father of three children (the third due in about six weeks) and a missionary on foreign soil. At times, life here is difficult and frustrating... especially when I realize that my children are missing out on so many things. I wish so much that I could take them places that I love in the States. I want to buy them so many things. I want them to eat American cuisine to their hearts delight. I want them to have towels that have been dried in a dryer. I want them so much to spend time with grandparents, cousins, and aunts/uncles. But, at this time all of those things are not possible. However, our whole family has the privilege of serving God on the foreign mission field. So, like Samuel of old, I believe that my children are being given a special gift... to grow up in the presence of the Lord.

The conviction from the chapter was two fold, first do I truly trust my children to the Lord as Hannah did with Samuel and do I make sure that my children see the presence of the Lord in my home and in their Father. I can truthfully say that their are many times when I fail at both of these task. The good news is that I am a work in progress... every day my Heavenly Father changes me to conform to the image of His Son. Therefore, I hope that as my children grow older each day and each year, they see more of the Lord's presence in their home and in their earthly father. I hope that each of you aspire to see your children grow up in the presence of God and then you do something to make that a reality.