“ He (David) took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” (I Samuel 19:5)

You remember that when David killed Goliath, his life changed. From that moment on Saul became jealous of him and wanted to kill him. So David hid himself in Ein Gedi. Today Ein Gedi is a national park in Israel and people from all over the world come to visit it. The lesson of Ein Gedi is very real. 1 Samuel 19:5 says that Jonathan spoke to Saul saying: “He (David) took his life in hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw and were glad.”  But, in reality, the heart of Saul wanted revenge because of his jealousy of David.

Today we who work in community need to learn this lesson from Ein Gedi. David was hiding from Saul in these caves on the western side of the Dead Sea. But Saul found out where he was and came to kill him. As Saul went inside one of these caves to relieve himself, David came from behind and took a piece of his robe. David showed it to his soldiers and later said he could not kill Saul because he was the Lord’s anointed (I Samuel 24:6).

David said to Saul, “ May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you” (I Samuel 24:12). In these caves David won the greatest battle of his whole life, the forgiveness of Saul.

This saying touched the heart of Saul, he became convicted of what David said and at least momentarily he forgave David also, saying”You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me”  (I Samuel 24:18).

Are you holding forgiveness back from someone? We make judgments based on what we think or perceive, but our discernment fails and we sin against others by what we say to them. Are you holding back forgiveness? For almost a lifetime, Saul suffered, and his attitude or unforgiveness brought unclean spirits in his life to torment him many nights. Are you holding back forgiveness from someone one?

These are days in which God will use many of us to do the work of the kingdom. It’s harvest time. A life lived for God will come to a place in which God will use you to reach many, and each life has a moment. In my life, this is the moment. More will come to the kingdom in the next 5 years then ever before.

Unforgiveness holds the anointing of God from being released in your life. Forgiveness is the central theme of the gospel. Forgiveness is why Jesus came. You cannot forgive, you cannot be forgiven. You cannot forgive, you cannot serve with anointing! That is it!

Rick Bonfim

Mom, Dad, and friends,
How can I possibly describe my time in Brazil? Is it possible to go to a place and change the course of your life multiple times? As Rick Bonfim, our pastor, said to me, “God has completed His work for you.” Indeed He has! His work in me, His purpose for this trip was made complete. I have returned whole, joyful, and ready for all that God has planned. Hallelujah! It just makes me feel like dancing! A fellow team member told me that he saw a change in me during the trip; I had adopted a “cloak of peace”. YES!! FINALLY!!! Don’t you just love it when God exceeds all possible expectation?

Our focus for our Bible studies last week was condemnation vs. conviction, effects of unbelief, and the workings of spiritual fruits/gifts. One particular teaching stuck with me about the redemptive blood of Jesus and covenant.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”…………Romans 5:6-9 NIV.

I loved this teaching, because in it we find that we can accept righteousness when the blood of Jesus becomes our identity. We can apply the blood of Jesus to all that we do! His blood is the new covenant and always brings about a promise. We can have lives of redemption and promise when we realize that even our mistakes do not change our identity. It is God’s job to act on these promises of blessing, to do the impossible on our behalf. Our job is to only live out our identity and expect Him to show up! How often do I pray without expecting? I pray that God will transform me daily into His image. I want to be like the father of the prodigal son, so closely watching, anticipating, and expecting the impossible. I want to be searching the horizon for what I know God will do for me.

Last week, we traveled from the state of Rio to the region of Minas Gerais. We were headed for a Methodist church in Alem Paraiba. I received incredible blessing from that church! The worship was outstanding and the people poured God’s love into us with their acts of service. The second night after the service, I was getting on the bus to go back to the hotel. I heard a team member calling my name, followed by a member of the church’s worship team. Carla felt led to give me her favorite handmade bracelet. It is a black beaded bracelet with the name “Jesus” and the Brazilian flag. She had been searching the church for over 30 minutes to find me, hug me, and give me that bracelet. Can I even begin to tell you how much I cherish this sweet gift? I will never forget her act of kindness and the way that it blessed me.

It is such a simple thing, but how often do I choose to be a “Carla” in someone else’s life? I remember too many missed opportunities! Lord, please show me new ways to serve you.

Our last church service was at Igreja Batista do Calvario. We started off the night with just a few in the congregation and ended up with a packed house. My final memory of ministry in Brazil was praying for a man at the altar that night. A call was given to those never baptized, or seeking salvation.

A precious older gentleman, probably a farmer in this rural community, came to me for prayer. I do not speak Portuguese and he did not speak English. Claudio, our translator was praying with someone else, so it was me, the man, and the Holy Spirit. I knew that God could bridge this communication gap and began to pray scripture from Romans 10 over him. As the Holy Spirit began His work, the man began to weep cleansing tears…a captive set free! God gave me eyes to see this man had been claimed from Satan’s grasp and was released into eternity. Even though he went back to his seat several minutes later, his eyes never left mine. It was as if we were bound together, sharing an unspoken secret of what God had done for him. In heaven, we will finally be able to chat about it!

This trip reminds me that I serve a God of grace, mercy, and undeserved second chances. I am so grateful that He is so faithful to me! On our closing day, we had a foot washing ceremony and Rick Bonfim, prayed some prophectic words over each of us. Mine began with these words, “Satan tried to destroy you…”
Indeed he did! As Jesus told Peter, Satan was permitted to sift me as wheat. Why? Because I had created my own kind of kingdom. It was pretty, successful, fun, but was only an illusion.

I had created a barrier in my relationship to the only thing that really matters to me…Jesus. I had not chosen His perfect will for my life and was not fulfilling the purpose for which I was created. When my glass house came crashing down, I knew where to turn and I clung to Him with all that I had. Actually, He held on to me. After months of turmoil, wrestling, destruction, I would NOT let go, nothing would ever shake me from Him again! I am coming away broken and finally FREE to be “me” in the Lord. Joy truly does come in the morning. My prophectic blessing ended with these words, “But the gates of hell will not over come you.” The words are from this scripture:

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not ovecome it.”…………Matt 16:18 NIV.

Praise Him for the wonders that He has done and will do in my life. I pray that my life may be a cornerstone for His kingdom, as He begins His new work in me. Bless you all for your love and support on this journey. You have truly carried me to my Redeemer.

Dancing with Him,
Jennie Armstrong