fiel

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Dana

I overheard some of the conversation of two college girls that went with us to Brazil. They were discussing a Portuguese phrase they had seen on several cars in Natal: “Deus e fiel” – which means “God is faithful.” These young ladies were recounting the many ways God had proven faithful in their own lives. How it must please our Father in Heaven to hear young people declare His faithfulness. I think it pleases Him when people of any age acknowledge this part of God’s character. “Great is Thy Faithfulness” is a powerful hymn of the Church.

God can’t help but be faithful – that is who He is. Paul told Timothy, “Here is a trustworthy saying: ‘If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will disown us; If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.’”

Wouldn’t you like to be defined by your faithfulness to Christ and His Body? The challenge for me is the challenge the coach often gives his players: “Don’t quit! Endure! Finish strong!” And the opponent whispers: “Let up! Give up! It’s OK to quit!” It is easy to predict the disaster an athlete invites with a ‘shrinking’ attitude, but what about the disciple?

The apostles seemed to know they had to go the distance: “Not that I have obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Jesus not only saved us, He took hold of us – for a purpose. His instructions are simple and each believer must listen to His voice and ask for wisdom and grace to complete the race he’s been given to run. “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.”

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

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rich

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Dana

Once when Kinsey was just six or seven years old, a group of us went to a Braves’ game. Kinsey and I were walking together when a man in shabby clothes came up to us asking for money. I watched my little girl reach into her pocket and pull out a five dollar bill and give it to the man with a big smile on her face. It was all the money she had and I was so proud of her. Later, she was confused when someone criticized her generosity saying it was foolish to give to panhandlers who were probably going to buy drugs. I watched an innocent girl’s joyful expression change to a worried one, wondering if she had done something wrong. I think Jesus restored her joy, but how we must keep our eyes on the Master for instruction and approval.

There were several compassionate responses to last week’s story of Perecles. If he had an address, I could send shoes, clothes, and other necessities to the homeless Brazilian. Of course, he and many others we met that Christmas night probably need food worse than anything. Kinsey, who turns twenty Monday, took special interest in a pregnant lady who looked like she was going to go into labor any second. Kinsey sat next to her and rubbed her huge tummy and told her about the homeless mother in Bethlehem many years ago who had the Baby that saved the world. Our hearts go out to those in dire circumstances and I pray God will show us how to serve the poor and needy in our own cities. If anyone criticizes you for helping, just ignore them.

I want to confess a deeper lesson learned in the story of Perecles. It is hard to hide from God’s penetrating Word. I was the American who gave away his shoes on our first stop on the streets of Natal. Any of us would have done the same. My shoes were rather old and I had another pair in my suitcase. The truth is I didn’t give away those shoes with much love in my heart. As I listened to Ben pray and looked at the bare feet of Perecles and recognized my feet were about the same size, it seemed God was saying, “So, what are you going to do… stare at his feet or meet the need?” How do you tell God you signed up to go on a mission trip, not to give away your stuff? So, my reaction was pretty much a no-brainer. But here’s the way I really felt: I would have gladly given my shoes to any of the other homeless people in that location. They were all listening to a message, waiting patiently for their food, and following the rules. Perecles was annoying. He never followed directions and seemed only concerned about being first in line. He was dirty and he didn’t smell very good. I gave him the shoes simply because he was bold enough to declare his need.

When I saw he had run nearly a mile to our next stop, my initial impression was confirmed: “This guy just wants handouts. What a mooch!” The Father knows the hearts of all people and He has the power to change us in an instant. Perecles told Fernanda that as we drove away, God broke his heart and he couldn’t stop crying. He knew he had to find our group and give back the shoes to a guest of his city. You don’t know how humbling it is to have a homeless man get down on his knees and put shoes on your feet. I didn’t want them back, but Fernanda wouldn’t let me stop the outpouring of generosity.

Now here’s the kicker: When Perecles rose and looked me in the eye, I saw the love of Christ in his face. I knew a poor man had given a greater gift than a rich American, but did this beggar also possess a greater measure of the fruit that most pleases the Father? And if so, where did he get it? “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” God, help me.

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:17-20

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Sapatos do Natal

Posted on January 9, 2009 by Dana

We landed in Natal mid-afternoon on Christmas day. Our friend Anna and many of her family and friends picked us up and took us to a wonderful house where we stayed the week. After an incredible meal provided by Anna’s dad, we joined the church to take food, drink, and clothes to the homeless on Christmas night. Thirteen Americans and about twenty Brazilians hit the streets of Natal in the Name of Jesus.

Natal is the largest city in its state with close to one million people. Almost two hundred thousand inhabitants are foreigners, most from Europe who moved to enjoy the climate and beauty of the northeastern coast. As in our cities, there are many poor and needy people. The pastor of the church we worked with became a hero of mine from day one. He knew where to find the hurting and as we stopped at different locations, Orlando went into the streets and alleys announcing food and fellowship for all.

The first place we visited was near a bridge in a rough part of the city. As a small group of homeless men and women gathered, Orlando asked us to share a message of God’s goodness and sing a couple of songs in our language. Anna’s nieces, Renata and Fernanda, were our excellent translators. After we sang a couple of Christmas songs, our new friends sang worship songs in Portuguese.

Soon after we stopped, I noticed a man immediately walk to the car containing the food and clothes. He did not seem to want to wait until after the devotional time to receive the blessings. Being the ex-assistant principal I am, I wished I could have told this young man named Perecles to be patient. I’m sure Orlando said this to him, but he did not seem to listen. Eventually Perecles attached himself to our tallest team member who was wise to get Fernanda to translate. Perecles pointed to his bare feet and told of a time that a bus ran over him and practically destroyed both feet. “But I cried out to the Lord and Jesus healed me completely. But now, as you see, I really need some shoes.” This particular team member wears size sixteen shoes, quite a bit bigger than the feet of the homeless man, so he shared that God has a way of providing for our needs at just the right time and that he would pray God would provide for Perecles. Another team member walked up as this prayer was being offered and noticed that his feet were about the same size as the homeless man’s. At the end of the prayer, the American took off his shoes and gave them to Perecles, who put them on and hugged both foreigners and kissed them on the cheeks, which is the custom of the land. Soon after this beautiful moment, we hopped back into cars to go to another location.

I guess we had driven a little less than a mile when the pastor parked his car on the side of the road and started calling for all to come to the feast. We repeated what we had done at the first stop with different individuals sharing. A larger crowd gathered at this place and as I watched things unfold, I noticed something familiar out of the corner of my eye. It was Perecles! “How did he get here?” I thought to myself, “He is just coming to get more handouts.” My disciplinarian mind was kicking into high gear, but never had I been so wrong. Perecles motioned for Fernanda and the American in sock feet to come to him. He rattled off some Portuguese and Fernanda translated. “When you drove off, tears came to my eyes and I cried and cried. I had taken the shoes of a guest of our city. This is not right.” Then Perecles took off his new shoes, got down on his knees, and put them on the confused American. After tying them, he rose and hugged his new friend. The American tried to explain that he did not need the shoes and that he wanted to give them away, but Fernanda wisely shook her head. She saw what was happening. A man who had nothing was experiencing the joy of giving. “I am used to going without shoes,” Perecles said. “I can’t let a guest go barefoot!” Many tears were shed that night as a tiny section of the Body of Christ from Atlanta joined a tiny part of the Body of Christ from Natal to proclaim the love of our King.

Every night we were in Brazil, we met with different groups of Christians and seekers. On a couple of occasions, our Brazilian friends shared the story of the Christmas shoes, the title of this writing. At the end of the story, the teller would often ask a question. All of us knew the answer. “So tell me, who gave the greater gift?”

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” Luke 21:1-4

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Feliz Natal

Posted on December 18, 2008 by Dana

Please pray for Anna Leitao and her family in Brazil. This week her uncle died suddenly of a heart attack and everyone is heartbroken. The funeral was yesterday and the family would appreciate all prayers from the Body of Christ in this difficult time.

We first met Anna several months before the 1996 Olympics when she was twenty-eight years old and in charge of organizing young people coming from all over the world to witness for Christ on the streets of Atlanta. She brought missionary friends from several nations into our home and we were all quite mesmerized by the different languages… Portuguese, Korean, German, Hindi, Chinese, Afrikaans… This was the first time I really got a taste of the expanse, the diversity, and the unfathomable beauty of the Body of Christ. Anna became a Christian in Brazil at age nineteen and has shared about her Savior on every continent (except Antarctica) for over twenty-one years. Peter wrote about believers that chose “not to live the rest of earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” I see this as a description of our Brazilian sister and anytime she is in Atlanta she seems to always share exactly what the Lord wants us to hear.

Anna has an incredible heart for young people and Taylor, Kinsey, and Karlyn love her. She’s given them rides on her motorcycle in Hawaii, defeated them in ping pong in our basement, and prayed for them as a friend. What I’ve loved to witness over these years is the humility of a gifted leader. I’ve learned from Anna that our natural talents don’t bless the Kingdom too much unless we offer ourselves fully to the Lord and depend on him for direction. This, of course, is not as easy as it sounds… especially for us Americans who struggle with patience. Anna might argue that Brazilians have less patience than Americans, but her example of dependence and submission to our Father in Heaven has blessed me tremendously.

For years we’ve talked about accepting Anna’s invitation to join her on an outreach in Brazil. So this Christmas, Lord willing, between her work in Cape Town, South Africa and the Indonesian island, Bali, our family and twelve others from church will visit her home town, Natal… which just happens to mean “Christmas.” We hope we can bless and encourage Anna’s family, the church, the homeless in the city, children, and our dear friend. Of course, I predict we’ll receive far more blessing than we give. (I’ve found that’s the way God often worksJ.)

So, I won’t be writing for a couple of weeks. We would appreciate your prayers as we fly south Christmas Eve. And I wish you all: Feliz Natal! (Merry Christmas!)

Tchau (bye), Just practicing my new language… (Not quite fluent yetJ)

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’” Luke 2:25-32

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unless

Posted on December 11, 2008 by Dana

Immaculee Ilibagiza, the Rwandan woman who forgave those who slaughtered her family, Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Holocaust survivor who forgave the Nazis that killed her loved ones, and Elisabeth Elliot, the American missionary who forgave the Auca tribesmen who murdered her husband and four others in Ecuador, are not the only Christians called to radical obedience. Each of these ladies would say God’s grace empowered them to say ‘yes’ to the One who also forgave his enemies. “Christ in us, the hope of glory”… allows us to do what seems impossible. Our part is to say, “Yes, Lord,” yet often in the less-spectacular, day-to-day opportunities, we resist our Teacher. To forgive, serve, and love our neighbor, our fellow worker, or our spouse does not sound too hard, yet…

The problem with following Jesus is that he wants to consume every area of life: family, friends, enemies, finances, entertainment, work, home, mind, heart, body… You can’t truly be a disciple and limit God to a couple of hours of church per week. “King,” “Lord,” and “Master” are titles that give Christ all authority and his words bring us to places of decision. “Unless you deny yourself…” “Unless you pick up your cross daily…” “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood…” “Unless you let me wash you…” “Unless you change and become like little children…” Fill in the blanks to find the cost of discipleship and notice that Jesus never apologizes for his requirements.

The amazing truth is that obedience results in the victorious, abundant life Jesus promises. The disturbing truth is that when we refuse to obey, we not only quench his life in us, we hinder the work of God in others. Had Immaculee, and scores like her, not forgiven their enemies, the whole nation of Rwanda would be different today… different in a very disastrous way. If Corrie ten Boom had not forgiven her captors, God would not have been able to use this “tramp for the Lord” so powerfully to travel the world proclaiming “there is no place so dark that God’s light cannot shine.” Had not Elisabeth Elliot forgiven and returned with her young daughter, Valerie, to the very savages that killed her husband, the world may never have heard the wise words Jim truly believed: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

God used these yielding believers to bring souls into his Kingdom.

Unless we say ‘yes’ when Jesus directs, we cannot fully know his mysterious ways or his marvelous power. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” May we yield totally as he builds!

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1

Luke 9:23; John 6:53; John 13:8; Matthew 18:3

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