01 May 2005

scrolling notes on Target Europe (part III and last)

well, I hope I can do this, but I really wanna finish scrolling my notes on the conference Target Europe...specially for those who have been following it...sorry that is taking so much time, but being on the road is not easy to find a place to sit and relax while you type...I'm actually in a internet cafe in Kentish Town Road, Camden, London...and I also want to write later about the rest of my trip in England...but I'll make another post for that...O.K., I'll keep scrolling my notes on the conference (forgive my english mistakes by the way) :

GOD HASN'T GIVE UP OF EUROPE...
HE DIDN'T FINISH HIS WORK
- we need to be set apart from the system & GOD WILL BREAK THE OLD MINDSET.
with our mindset changed we will go in the power of the Holy Spirit -> THE SYSTEM WILL NOT RESIST... :-)

Next day we spoke about African countries and how we have a huge dept towards them...
(I'm just thinking now that usually we speak about Africa's dept towards western countries, but it's so the oposite)
THERE'S A URGENT AND DEEP NEED OF FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION...
God spoke personally about this to me, as I am both portuguese (or european if you prefer) and Angolan (African)...actually God has been speaking that to me in different times...I believe a lot of bad stuff can be broken in the spiritual realm through repentance, forgiveness and prayer...both for Portugal and for those countries which were colonized in our past...the church specifically need to have a great role on this, 'cause initially the portuguese ships went discovering new lands so that the Gospel could be spread...even the first thing they would put in the land to mark their presence was not a flag, but a cross made of stone...if we get to go to these countries and watch how the church is there, we 'll realize that we didn't took only the Gospel, but we also imposed our culture...most part of christian communities in Angola and Cabo Verde(that's what I've seen) have so little expressions of their own culture...simple things like the worship style and the gathering format, but so important...well, I could say so much more on this, but I won't take more space here...
I just feel to share very breefly and experience of a pastor and a reporter in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a month after the Tsunamy...they found out that those people hated portuguese because of what they did in the past (also in the name of Jesus unfortunately)...they even say that the tsunamy was a curse from the portuguese who were there exactly 500 years ago...they actually had to ask Holland for help to kick the portuguese out of there...soon they felt convicted of our national sin and they had to do something about it, so they went to look for some local churches...they attended 2 gatherings, one with 2000 people, other with 200 and they had permission to ask forgiveness for our past...there was brokeness in both places and a pastor even confessed that till that time he hated portuguese too... God even gave them the opportunity to ask forgiveness to a budist leader (the second most important) who received it... God does turn bad things into good if we are willing to submit to Him and humble ourselves...
we need to be aware of this things 'cause God wants to bring healing to the nations through us...

Back to the conference now...they even mentioned a meeting that took place in Berlin in 1984 which gathered 14 different nations to decide the borders in Africa...the interesting and sad part of the meeting was that none of those countries were Africans...how weird is that !!! for more info e.mail

There was also a girl called Louise from an organization called "SPEAK" who shared about their work and how we as christians have the obligation to speak for those who cannot speak and change things in the system that are not according to God's will...they basicly organize campaings exposing different social unjustices as they also pray for changes...(I'll speak more about it in another posting)for more check www.speak.org.uk

there was still someone sharing about finances, and how that is so much part of the battle...
- the enemy is trying to keep us poor and keep us from the duties that we have, the priviliege that we have to care for the poor (that's a key to release more finances)
- Finances are under atack

Money represents God's blessing in our lives ( this doesn't mean that we are under God's curse when we struggle with money, because we do)
when we give our lives to Jesus and confess Him as our LORD, this means He is Lord of our money too as well as all other areas...so we lose the right to do what we want with our finances...instead, we become stewards of all that He gives us: time, money, gifts, talents, etc...all for the sake of others...
If we're faithfull He will give us more...
We have a lot of needs: water, oxigen, food, etc...God allowed these needs in our lives so we may recognize we're totally dependent on Him to provide...
THERE ARE ONLY 2 THINGS WE CAN TRUST IN:
- Our own hands (give me, give me...save, save, save...)
- Jesus (who gave His life for me when He had everything)
Jesus says to us "-I'll make sure you'll have all that you need, but trust in my character...I AM FAITHFUL !!!
so, we can trust God when we have needs...

THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO NOT TRUST THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD...
We need to be good stewards of the money God gives to us.
THERE'S A SEASON OF CHANGES ABOUT FINANCES TOO...GOD IS GONNA CORRECT SOME THINGS...
WE(CHURCH) HAVE BEEN TAKING MONEY FROM PEOPLE BUT WE'RE NOT USING IT HAS WE SHOULD...WE ARE NOT GIVING TO THE POOR...

In Europe we are used to apostles we plant churches and then settle down being supported by those churches...it doesn't necessarily need to be like that...an apostle, pastor, prophet, evangelist and any other christian can have a regular job if that's God's way...
Paul was building tents at the same time he was planting churches and training other apostles...in fact, he was renting himself a house where he was having his meetings with his co-workers...aCT 20:33-35
SO, WE WILL SEE A CHANGE ON THAT ALSO...APOSTLES WORKING AND EVEN SUPPORTING THEIR DISCIPLES...
Paul did all things in the name of Jesus...preaching, teaching but also working and serving the local community...
AT THE SAME TIME, AS WE DO THIS, GOD WILL RELEASE FINANCES AS NEVER BEFORE...NOT FOR US TO BECOME RICH, BUT FOR US TO HELP THE POOR AND SUPPORT OTHER MINISTRIES...
Nee 13:10-12
The problem is that we've not been good stewards...because THERE IS MONEY !!!

- SOME ARE MARKED TO BE GIVERS, GOOD STEWARDS...
- SOME HAVE TO OVERCOME THE FEAR OF SHAME ABOUT FINANCES (NEED TO FIGHT FOR THE PROMISSES OF GOD)...
- SOME ARE UNDER THE WORDLY SYSTEMS...
- SOME WILL BE BLESSED IN THEIR JOBS IN SOCIETY...
- SOME ARE DOING REAL PIONEER WORK, IT'S THEIR CALL TO SERVE THE LORD ...
THERE'S WAR TO CUT THEIR SUPPLIES...WE NEED BREAKTHROUGH IN FINANCES...THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE ENSLAVED BY THE "CHURCH"...WE ARE NOT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY...WE NEED TO HAVE TO RIGHT MEANING OF WHAT IT IS TO SUPPORT SOMEONE FINANCIALLY...
(finish my notes here)
Well, I have to say that while this guy was sharing about all this, I was feeling really rich :-) ...not that I have a lot, but I miss nothing (that's my definition on being prosper)...
in the end we raised up an offering, both to cover our expenses of the conference and to give to the poor...
But I just felt I should give an offering to switzerland in the name of Portugal...I believe we need a lot of insight about finances in Portuguese church (mostly because of some "churches" who preach a lot on "prosperity" and turn people to the wrong focus of the Gospel)...we (portuguese) usually are the ones who receive help from other european countries, and I believe we have been trusting that too much...we don't consider giving, because we are a "poor country" among other european countries...so that was the reason I felt to give an offering to switzerland, one of the richest countries in europe, also mentioned during the conference...I went to the guy who was sort of leading the gathering and told him what I was feeling...he directed me to a swiss couple and I explained what I felt...before that I asked the Lord how much should I give(I had some euros for my trip) and he told to keep 20 euros...so I looked in my purse and realized I had 70 euros...so my offering was 50 euros...As I said, I explained the couple that they should offer that money to someone else (it was mentioned also that Switzerland has been retaining money more than giving, so that would be a profetic act for them as well) and then I prayed for them...they prayed for me also and I was touched when they started to ask forgiveness for the way they mistreat portuguese people there, giving them the worst jobs and so....waw, I knew that but I was far from thinking about it...in the end she also shared with me that 10 minutes before I went to them they have given their last £5 trusting that God would provide...Waw, isn't God amazing...the guy went on saying that after they give those 50euros, God will give 10 times more again :-)
YES, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD'S...IT'S A BIT WEIRD AND CRAZY, BUT IT WORKS BETTER !!!
This wasn't over...the day after I got a lift with a friend who lives in London and guess what...God told her to give me £100, also in a prophetic way, releasing finances in the Portuguese nation... WAW, what else can I say...
with that money I could also bless people along the way...actually, I gave more than I kept...but anyway, I didn't need all, I missed nothing :-)...I'm not saying this to bost of myself, but to glorify God's faithfullness and the truth of His word...I'm not giving so I can receive either, because I know God will give me what I need anyway...I'm just really thankfull for the way God has been providing for me, and it's so cool to trust Him...I went through financial struggles many times, I'm one of those in a pioneer situation wandering how should I do it... but God has never let me down...HE IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME !!!
Thanks for the patience of reading...I know I can get too detailed sometimes, but I just see God in every little thing and we should praise Him for that :-)

Shantii, shantii

Baba

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

makes interesting reading...you've a heart for the old colional stuff then...eh eh