May 8, 2008

Brazil Is Very Open To The Gospel

It is amazing to see how open Brazilians are to the Gospel. God has truly prepared a great harvest here in Brazil, and we are privileged to be a part of this great work of God. We are always excited about seeing God touch and save so many people, and we are happy about how open Brazilians are to the Gospel, but at the same time we are somewhat sad.

When you see such wonderful people that are very open to the Gospel, you cannot help but think about how different it is in the US. The difference is incredible. How can a nation founded by Christians and long considered a Christian nation be so closed to hearing about Jesus ? Why do so many people have hard hearts towards the things of God ? Why are many other nations and people groups in the world far more open to the Gospel ? You hear about God doing awesome things in other parts of the world, and touching & saving great numbers of people in many places other than the US. Why is it like this ?

I definitely do not have all of the answers, but there are some things that are clear when you live outside of the US for awhile. Materialism is much greater in the US, even within the church ; people here generally are more humble, and more kind-hearted ; life here is harder for people than in the US, and people are used to having less ; there are many poor people in the US, but there are far more here ; people here are needy, and they know that they need God and His help ; people here seem to have a greater reverence and fear of God than in the US ; many Brazilians have a genuine interest in God and in His Word, and in having a personal relationship with Him.

Before we blame all of the liberals and non-Christians in America for all of the problems, these Bible verses are interesting to read:
2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Psalm 81:8-14 - "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you - if you would but listen to me. You shall have no foreign god among you ... I am the Lord your God ... but my people would not listen to me; they would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own devices. If my people would but listen to me, if they would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes." God is speaking to us, His people, the church. He's not speaking to non-Christians, but to His people. If we would be different, then God could and would change the way things are in the US.

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