Carnaval: License to sin

Carnaval in Rio, by VideoVik
It's Carnaval in Brazil, today Carnaval is all that TV is showing about. There is beautifull parades in great cities and, all night parties at street and at some clubs.
This is our biggest holliday closing our summer,(it's ever on Tuesday, and people back to work after Wednesday ashes) as it usually stays at the beggining of the year, most people (and even business) uses to take the year seriously just after Carnaval, it is because people uses to set up their vacations until Carnaval and after that, most people are back to work. Even churches have slow attendances in January and waits for this holliday to make some camps and after that, to start their seasons.
Carnaval was a ancient party tolerated by church where people used to have a more free behavour before observing lent, this is the spirit of the party here (except for the observation of lent), people go to party very ready for casual sex. We have lots of parties at TV showing very liberal behaviour.
It is ironic the origin of this party, it implies a very religious concern but in a legalistic context. It is, you are free to sin now, because when lent starts you will be santificating yourselves and you will not have this opportunity. In this context, sin is a need to be avoided instead of a bad thing that brings bad consequences to ourselves and to our relationships with God.
I believe this all happens because the way churches and religious people has preached about sanctification. Preaching against sin requires you mostly that you know how to persuade based on what you have learned, but showing a santificated life requires you integral practice of what you have learned. We know the way of God is allways the best, but how have we proved it? And how have we shown it? (James 1:22-25)
If you are thinking if you already read it last year, you did. I rewrited this text to be posted at Dream Awakener

Bono's Prophetic Vox

Yesterday we had a terrific show of U2 for 70.000 people here in São Paulo, today we will have another one, but I could see the show at TV, unfortunately tickets was very difficult to get and was beyond what we could afford to (phisically and financially).
Today I have found at J.R.Woodward part from an enterview with Eugene Peterson talking about U2 and their prophetic voice.
Worth to read!

Just Started!

Yesterday we have our first meeting to plant a new church in North Side of Sao Paulo. We could count on nine adults, four kids and trhee babies for this first meeting. We could talk about our thoughs and emotions on planting a church and meditate on our needs of relationship rather than our cronogram on planting a new community here.
I am happy to see this start up, we know we are beggining a journey, and not a small one. On this journey we will surely have more people gathered to us as well as some people leaving us on the way. But though we are far yet from effectivily planting this church, we had a hard way to get to this point, and I am so thankfull to see this dream of a new community comming true.
Counting on your prayers! We are just beggining. Our next meeting will be on March 3rd.

Equipper Blogs

On February, Kairos L.A. is lauching Equipper Blogs, I could saw JR Woodward project regarding those blogs and I found a very good plan that should cover most of what our churches need to be relevant today. Today those blogs are integrated to Woodward church, but he has plans also to cover a broader range of churches in this network.
I am participating on Dream Awakener blogs and the post below was my first participation on that. I would encourage you to follow what is going on these blogs:
Dream Awakener (Apostles)
Heart Revealer (Prophets)
Story Teller (Evangelists)
Soul Healer (Pastors)
Light Giver (Teachers)

Should we be indignated too?

Apprenticing Jesus, The Big Picture

It was not difficult to be impressioned on those reactions to Mohammad cartoon crisis, as with many things in Muslim lives, Islam showed a great zealously in their faith. Besides every controversy regarding press liberty or free attack to faith, in those times we are not free from comparisions, should we also react with such indignation? To what?
Should we indignate to people that deny God or mistreat Jesus as the son of God? Should we indignate to films that cheat on people that follow Jesus? Should we defend Jesus to defend our faith?
Considering the example from Jesus, his counter-reaction was not so alike, he sttoped Peter when he tried to defend him, He even healed the soldier that was arresting him (Mt 26:47-56), also, He cried to God to forgive people because they were not knowing what were doing (Lk 23:26-43).
But Jesus reaction was far from doing nothing, he reacted with Love. As told in Mt 25:31-46 He directed our indignation to unfair situations and our reaction to service.
If we wanted to defend him, we should see him as the hungry people, or as the thirsty people, or as the homeless, or as the shivering, of as the sicks or as the prisioners we see everyday, and react to this situation with service and love.
Yes, we should also be indignated! Instead of getting flags, lets get ourselves and react!

Starting up

Friday will be the day we will meet people invited to join us to church planting. I had very good responses and it is good to know that people invited were praying about it and are seeing this gathering a prayer answer!
I expect to joing nine adults, three children and three babies for this first meeting. We are walking with prayer and after this first meeting, we might have a better idea of how things will go on.
I have already found a good place to start meeting for our outreach programs, it is a hotel facility that would rent at a very good price to a small group like us.
Also, we have a very good responses from people that is following this church planting with prayers and it is the most important, I am counting also with yours!

Understanding the Bible

I have just read Understanding the Bible, from John Stott. In a midst of very good relaunches, one of our great editors launched this one.
I thought this book simplier than I would thing regarding Stott's books, he gave a very good summary of Old and New Testaments, summaries with nice details and edited by a way that would give the reader a very good understanding of what he is reading, specially when reading the Kings and prophets stories. I usually like to read Bible from Genesis to Revelations, and this kind of summary help me even more.
He gave us some reasons to trust Bible and the people that wrote Bible. Also, gave us some good tips about understanding and applying Bible truths by a very honest way.
We have a surge of lots of evangelical churches based on prosperity which sell truths very different that what was purposed from Bible, or purposed to a very different people by a different way. This is why I see Bible study as vital for our communities today, we need to search even more the Bible to get deep wisdom to help us and to reach people that are starving for it.

We are there too!

Though I saw snow just once in my life when I was in Chicago, five years ago. I love to see those winter sports and I am also glad when Winter Olympic games starts also. We might rarely have snow in all our territory but our staff in Turim is a very nice group.
Go Brazil!!!