Monday, August 27, 2007

Questions from Netherlands

In a meme played by Paul Abspoel, I asked him to interview me too, here are his questions:
1. The Church in Europe and North America is going through difficult times. What about the Church in South America in general and Brazil in particular?
In fact, church in South America is growing. In Brazil, churches that have the highest growing rates are the ones that started from last 20 years through a massive use of media, practicing a charismatic kind of lithurgy and comitted to signs, healings and prosperity. Though, leadership has been compromised by unethical behaviour and also because their assets have been growing besides their churches. Because of this, evangelical church have been lacking credibility. Due to this very quick movement, we are presenting a sourge of a pos-evangelical generation in Brazil too, a great challenge to people who are attaining to a more conservative theology here.
2. What do you like most about kids and why? Is this a quality that we can still have or strive for as grown-ups?
I love my children and the possibility of living with them, I have a doutgher of 7 and a son of 2, being their dad has been a wonderfull oportunity to learn and to see life so differently. What I like them most are their quality of being happy as long as they are awaked, they don't wait so much to have fun from a situation and I believe this is the think we have dislearned in our growing up, our concerns has taken our happiness away from us. When being with my children I learn again I should laught and smile much more.
3. Did you ever hear God or Jesus speaking to you in an audible voice? If so, please tell us about this experience. If not – how do you understand God’s will for your life?
There was once, in the middle of night I waked up to go to bathroom and a verse of the Bible came to my head "As a father have mercy on his child our Lord have mercy on the people that fear Him", it cames from nothing! This kind of thing happened also once before and I think I was remembered by God that He was with me in all my concerns mainly related to church planting and personal career.
As this not happens everyday, I try to move myself on the will of God asking him a lot what to do and guiding myself through the common sense that is feeded by Bible and prayer.
4. If you could suddenly have a talent / gift that you don’t have right now, what talent or gift would that be and how would you use it?
I recognize there is some people that are extra-sensitive, they feel through Holy Spirit some needs of people and tell things from God that fit very well to people situation, they are called prophets and though we have bunches of people acting as prophets without having such gifts we have to recognize that this gift exists but are not so common. I would like to have such gifts to help people directly in their needs.

5. Why on earth did God make mosquitoes?
Great question! It might be to have frogs feeded.

Thank you Paul for your very wise questions.
If you would like to be interviewed by me, find below the rules of this meme:

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

3 comments:

Paul said...

Hi Luis! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions - this is highly appreciated.
I recognize what you said about God bringing a Bible text to mind - and I also agree that God gave us His Spirit and Word to guide us.
And, being a dad myself, I couldn't agree more about what you said about kids. I would like to add to that: we also need to PLAY more and act crazy. Did you ever read Adrian Plass 'View from a Bouncy Castle' story? You know what? I will post a quote over on my blog about this. Check it out!

Anonymous said...

Great answers, Luis! I agree - the only good thing about mosquitoes is keeping the frogs fed!

I really like what you said about being happy and child-like, in spite of our concerns and daily worries and struggles. I firmly believe that Jesus laughed with the children, with His disciples, and with his friends and family while he walked here on earth. Laughter is a great stress-reliever!

Carol Douglas said...

What a pity that some, in their evangelical zeal (or corruption; who knows?) discredit the church. The most common criticism I hear about the church is about “hypocrisy.” I wish we didn’t have to clean up these messes, and I pray I am never the cause of such criticism. Great answers, especially about the mosquitoes.