And the Word became flesh ...

“ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

What a wonderful “Good News” we were told by the evangelist John when, with such conviction, spoke about the birth and life of Jesus, The Christ in our midst. John brings to our minds the words of the prophet Isaiah that tells us that The Mighty God and Everlasting Father, also would be called Immanuel, and would be God with us.

What a privilege to be chosen and called by God to believe in this truth. Yes, privilege, but also responsibility to make this so great Good News known to everybody around us and not only, but … to the ends of the earth.

We arrived back at the end of another year. Christmas, December 25th, is the party and the date that the christian calendar separates to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Don´t want to be repetitive and much less tiring bringing up what you have already heard this year or even in previous years. We do not want to talk about how the world left Jesus at side and puts any other person, thing or felling in the place of our King.

But we do want to encourage you to share what you believe. To use this time as a great opportunity to show the true meaning of Christmas. To show the world who should be the real focus of this “party”.

Spread your love for the Lord Jesus. Wherever you are, be the Light of Jesus that shines for those who are in darkness.

Christmas means birth. Let this meaning bring to us the real size of the gift that has been given to us: A Life that came into the world to give us life … Life in abundance … Life in eternity … Life in Jesus Christ.

We wish you all a Christmas full of possibilities to make Jesus Known and a year full of achievements in 2010 with the fulfillment of God’s purpose in your lives.

A big hug !!!

... and the Earth shook !!!

It’s true, it really shook.

Around 1:30 in the morning I awoke with a sense of impact, as if something very heavy had fallen and hit the ground.

This movement was followed by several others, something like a pile-rammer working. I remembered that they are working to build a new building next to ours and as we are on the 4th floor we easily feeling any strong beat on the ground. So I thought they were working despite the inappropriate hours.

A few moments later, the shaking stopped and went back to sleep.

In the morning I said to the children about it, but they didn’t feel anything (sleepyheads!!!).

In the car, going to school with the radio on, we heard that, actually, an EARTHQUAKE, 6.1 on the Richter scale had shaken the entire Portugal, part of Spain and Morocco.

There was no damage or injury, but it is a shock to many people, as I heard one of the reports: "I dressed quickly and went to the street ... you know ... after the movie 2012 ... we need to be heed ... hahahaha."

It is worth thinking again: how we are weak and vulnerable ..... physically and spiritually ....

This way, the comparison is inevitable: we bring to our minds again our security in the Lord. He, the Lord Jesus, is our firm foundation, our shelter and our hope.

We again think also in the people who do not rest on this certainty and are still the subject of our proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel.

If … and only if ... we seek other points of relevance to this SEISM, we find a "coincidence" that happens on the very day that the Portuguese Government (Council of Ministers) approved the Gay Marriage .... even with the reaction of the Church and the Association of Families requesting a referendum to extend the discussion of the subject and not simply be treated by the Assembly as a reason for the fulfillment of the promise of political campaigning.

But ..... we won’t "spiritualize" the thing , will we?

The Lord is The Lord ... He never loses control of his creation .... He continues Sovereign.

Our focus has been and will always be to show Jesus to the world .... with compassion and sobriety ... in season and out of season ... with zeal and courage ... seeking to live the Truth that shows the God’s will for humanity.

In the remaining, claim once again, the mercy that puts us on our feet every morning and sustains us every day.

The earth may shake, but the sure of live by and in the Lord´s will does not tremble.

Until next time.

PS. Don´t forget to help me with the english grammar. Thanks.

FIEL .... once again, faithful!

"... Committed to the faith that was delivered to the saints..."

Based on verse 3 of the letter of Jude, the Editora Fiel has, year after year, made a wonderful work in its purpose to put resources available to the Church of Jesus Christ, in various situations and locations, in order to cooperate with the saints of God that form it.

In particular, I have been richly blessed by this ministry, since the first contact I had with these dear brothers in 1999. It wasn’t different this time.

Last week the Fiel held here in Portugal the 9th Conference for Pastors and Leaders. These were days of refreshment, fellowship, worship and, with all its importance, food for our lives. Reviewing dear brothers, share our joys as well as difficult times in our ministries and be able to hear persons who have dedicated their lives to the proclamation of the Truth, pure and simple Truth of the Word of God, is always a great gift. Once again, I was very blessed.

Watch the speeches and see the photos

As in previous years' Conferences, in Brazil and here in Portugal, where I had the pleasure of being accompanied by special brothers who always enriched my life with the simple fact of being at my side, this year Pastor Alex Branco held that post. We could talk, laugh, share theological positions, finally, develop our friendship and our fellowship. It was a very rich time.

I encourage you to seek more information from the Editora Fiel and learn more about these beloved brothers.

Earlier this week, we still have been gifted by the Lord with the arrival of our sister Katharine, from Brazil. She gave us the privilege of staying with us and bring joy with a captivating way to show the love of Christ in her life.

Despite the short time we had (Monday night and Tuesday during the day), we walk a little in Sintra and Cascais. She also had the opportunity to attend, with Cláudia, a prayer meeting with the ladies of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Cascais.

It was very good to talk, make the update of the news and to share what The Lord has done here to keep us up and at the same time allow us to show the world who is The Lord of our lives and how much difference makes to serve Him whit all our heart.

Katharine has been a blessing to our lives around our living and for us was a real honor to have her in our house .... despite the 4 floors that she had to go ... no elevator (hahahaha).

Thank you for visiting my beloved sister.

We continue here with the School of the Bible and the Course "Be an Approved Worker" (Portuguese Bible Institute). This has been a great blessing to me in particular. I have seen how the Lord has "shaken" with the hearts of students in various aspects. Some have already decided to continue in his theological training in order to graduate. For me, be the instrument in God’s hands for this is a great privilege.

It’s all for while.

See you.

PS - Keep helping me with the english grammar. Thanks

Strong Castel

"In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue: be my strong castle, fortress of defense to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, you lead and guide me. " Psalm 31: 1-3

Last week I visited the Moorish Castle, one of the historic points of Sintra. Located in one of the highest points of the region, the ruins of the castle, a fortress of refuge, give us the feeling of being back in time.

To Imagine the people who lived there, and the situations that they spent, brings to the heart a nostalgic feeling and at the same time, security and privilege.

There, in the highest tower of the castle, there was a card that had a very interesting fact about the glorious days of that fortress. The history tells that once a year, on the top of that tower, was lit a big fire for the people of the Village of Cascais, which stood for nearly 20 kilometers away, with the intent to show them that any time, under any attack, they would have in that place : shelter, refuge and protection.

As I prayed, looking at the ruins, I praised the Lord because He is my refuge and I can feel sheltered and safe on Him, protected by His mercy and grace. I praised the Lord Jesus because I can find peace and security in a “Castle” that will never be taken or put down, never will become a ruin, but rather, is Eternal, and worthy of all honor and glory.

We have many reasons to be grateful to the Lord. One is the simple fact that we can share our faith with those around us. I know that He has provided these situations where in a natural, clear and powerful way, we have shown this wonderful Jesus, Savior and Lord of our lives, that has sustained and driven us at all times.

To have the opportunity to speak to people from Portugual, Brazil, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Bolivia and many others who we do not even know what country they came from, has been a great gift.

Sometimes we let ourselves be discouraged by the “alleged” defeats suffered in the world that we live in and not realize that the Lord is doing wonderful things very close to us and, often, through us.

So, it is easy to see that He is the Lord and we, instruments in His hands, need to depend more and more of His will and purpose, and for mercy, rest in His protection.

Goodbye.

One morning at a time ...

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Thy Faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

This sure has been a great blessing in our lives here in Portugal.

We have learned a lot from each dawn .... indeed, from every moment that we have lived here. Look at the sun to rise on the horizon, among the buildings and houses, bring us the confidence that only "the mercies of the Lord" kepp us standing to glorify Him with our lives in every situation that we will have throughout the day. This is very good!

Last week was very full and we thank the Lord for it.

On Thursday, we completed the 1st month of classes at the "Be an approved worker" course. I have been the instructor of this course, serving the PBI (Portuguese Bible Institute) in one of the modules for distance education. It is a class with 25 students from different churches and nationalities.

Earlier, on Tuesday, was the 1st class of the subject of Hermeneutics, that I will be leading at the School of the Bible. The School works in the Baptist Church of Cascais. There are 12 students who are completing the module I in December and 5 or 6 attending to isolated subjects. Module II is now scheduled to begin in next January.

To teach, to share with these brothers what the Lord has taught me, has been a great gift for my life. It is a great privilege to participate in the growth of these "servants" who want to be prepared to show Jesus through their lives and ministries. Thank you Lord!

Erick, our oldest son, was ranked to the Superior School of Mechanical Engineering, located in Setubal. So, on Friday, we went there to ask for the details of registration and also know the place that is something like 80 km  far from here. He is very excited for this new step in his life. University is not easy ... pray for him.

On Saturday we went to the Poets Park in Oeiras, where we had a very nice time with the families of Pastor Alex and Pastor Luis. A beautiful place that allowed us a good conversation and time together.

Today we begin a new week. . . as family we keep going in the certainty that the Lord has sustained and blessed us. . . as servants who seek to please their Lord, we are still in the dependence of the Holy Spirit to do so.

This way we hope, one morning at a time, glorify the Lord in every moment of our lives.

See you later.

We start here ...

Hello everybody.

May the Grace, Peace and infinite Mercy of the Lord Jesus be with you, wherever you are.

We hope, through this blog, to share with you a little of what we have lived these days and, this way, shorten the distance that separates us geographically.

Portugal has been our home. A beautiful country with great history and a people who teach us, in many ways, the cultural differences that we are learning. We are out of our Brazil since May 2008. 1 year and 4 months. It doesn't seems so long, at the same time it seems an eternity. After spending 1 year and 2 months in Braga in the north, we are now in the region of Lisbon, near Sintra and Cascais.

We have been blessed by the Lord through the churches that have welcomed and loved us. This happened in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Central Braga, where we let beloved brethren that profoundly marked us with their tenderness and care, and is no different here at the Evangelical Baptist Church of Lisbon, where we were received with great respect and love.

The simple truth is: As servants of the Lord Jesus, called to show His love for all the Nations, despite all the differences, difficulties and struggles, He has taken care of us.

As a sailing boat, we have been expecting, day by day, for the "wind" that leads us in His purpose and will.

As I said ... is only the beginning.

See you soon.

PS . Sorry about the grammar mistakes ... help me with the corrections. Thanks.