Sundays away from London always seem strange to me. Whatever time zone I am in my thoughts turn to home at 2:30pm GMT and wonder how the TGP ecclesia is.  We are very much on the road now. It seems that the demands here in Sao Paulo mean that we will not after all be visiting Rio on this trip [apologies to our friends there who were anticipating our arrival there later in the week].  Two churches today. The first Ciao Fabio s Pathway to Grace station in Sao Paulo where I felt right at home amidst the TGP like informality.  It was a real blessing to be among such a mature group of saints who appreciate the rhythm of the Gospel music.   I was invited to speak and did so from Acts chapter 8:26ff drawing on the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch emphasising his immortal words upon hearing the gospel and seeing the water asked Philip What can prevent me?   It is a seminal story of restoration. In it we see how God restores and reinstates the outcasts.  How many of us know only too well the fear that the things we did to gain acceptance in the old world might now bar us from full acceptance in the new world. But God gives grace. All that has been damaged and alienated by sin is reconciled and restored by grace.

In the afternoon we headed out of the main city of SP to a small city in the Campinas region.  There we were welcomed by the precious Alexander and his family.  Having acquired land they had built a true Casa Linda [beautiful home] on it. Then they had given the remaining parcel of land to the poorer members of the ecclesia to build homes for themselves on. When the development is finally finished it will house some 30 families who will live in community there.

As the evening drew in and the meeting drew near we watched the fires burning as the sugar cane farmers having harvested their crop prepared the ground for the coming season s bounty.  As I watched the smoke climbing into the sky I couldn t help thinking what an interesting metaphor. I had wanted to speak from Hosea 6 that evening and now I had my confirmation from the acrid smoke that issued from the cleared ground. It was all the encouragement that I needed.    A tense but wonderful night ensued courtesy of the Great Physician cleared the ground for the new life of Christ to bud in their hearts.  The book was well received among the brothers and sisters today, [we sold everything we had with us].

It was now late into the evening but as I told you before this is Brazil and so its off to a restaurant in trendy Campinas. We arrived back at the hotel around 2:30 a.m. not the 2:30 I am used to anymore but then this is Brazil and these are great days to know freedom in Christ and besides which I had finished met my corporate deadline I could lie in tomorrow before we go to the TV station late afternoon.

Sola Agape

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