I’ve never been far from the church. At three weeks old, I was baptized in the congregation where I learned what love and support looked like at their best – a moderate voice in a conservative branch of the Lutheran church who surrounded me with grace, quiet but committed faith, and love in abundance, with heart connections that continue to this day. It was everything infant baptism is supposed to be – claimed by God, marked by the Holy Spirit, sprinkled into a community of faith who raised me in faithful Christian practice until I chose the faith for myself of my own accord.

Graduation from Fornalha seemed to come too soon – the work God sealed in me came after Carlos called my name, afterI was handed a certificate, not before. The Spirit of God began working in me the night of graduation a new heart, and by the Spirit’s power through the hands of so many wide open vessels that night, I cried and rested and laughed my way into something new that I’m still discovering. What I knew, though, was that something had changed. I leak tears even now as I type for the grace that seemed to have swept into me, for how full of Jesus I knew I was meant to be and was starting to become, for the newness of Life and Joy and Courage I was experiencing. And so – baptism the next day? Yes. Not because the first one didn’t count, but because I was never so sure of resurrection – for even me.

I waited eagerly in line, cheering each one baptized before me, all the while receiving prayer and blessing for mais e maisfrom each praying leader and fellow student, and when my turn came, all I could do was run to the water. Run toward the death for the joy of resurrection. And I can still hear the words ringing in my ears, “Keri, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” I realized later that I didn’t even think to turn and hug them when I splashed up from the water. I ran again, full of Hope and Joy, toward the waiting world. Because all I knew was that I had come to Life and that I had so much Life to live.

By Kerri LaBrant

There is a level of intimacy that words can not express. This connection of intimacy between two persons that allows one to know the other in an infinite way. When we fall in love, we desire this intimacy, and the truth is that we have not come to know this relational connection by healthy models. Men and women have not been examples of relationship with ourselves, with the neighbor, with God. That is what I want to talk about: it is needed to bet naked. What am I talking about? Do not get confused, dive in the Word with me and let us understand this.

When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the garden (Genesis 1 and 2). They were naked, without clothes. God had created one for the other. They had become one flesh. That was the Father’s plan. And then you know the story, Adam and Eve eat of the fruit they were instructed not to eat, and they immediately realize they are naked (Genesis 3:7). So they seek something that would cover them. As we read through these scriptures for times we miss these details, and we do not understand why they were naked, or why immediately after they covered themselves. There is a strong reason of being naked or not. Adam and Eve were exposed to a new idea they did not know yet: integrity.

They were made relational beings, and they were nude, and they were not ashamed. Why? Because they had the understanding that they were one. During Eve’s creation, He said to the couple: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother… and they shall become one flesh”. This statement is not just a beautiful poem, it is a strong sentence about God’s nature. The word found in the original manuscript for this text for “one” is Echad. Echad is used other times in the Old Testament; when the Lord says “Israel has one God” the word is Echad. And in many other times Echad means the one of God. That is, Adam and Eve in their union reflected the oneness and image of God. It is here that everything gets deeper, marriage is the reflex of God. It was not for poetic purpose that Jesus taught about the Kingdom as a wedding feast, or when Paul refers to Christ as the groom and the church as the bride. Echad reflects who we are, it reflects who God is.

Though the modern and corrupted system of the world has been replicated in all society, including within the church this false reality of unity. People sleep together but they have no responsibility with each other. People become objects of lust, and they are treated as objects in sensual and erotic magazines and videos, taking away the humanity of the people God created. That is why the girl that slept last night with the guy she had just met wants to call him the next morning, she wants to know the future of their relationship. She wants to get naked, she wants to know the infinite being in this man. That is God’s sexuality inside of each one of us looking for Echad. And as we know, people have sex and they do not get naked. Children that have no father, divorced parents is acceptable and normal. As human beings created at God’s image, we have devalued what God has made so valuable.

This devalue exists because we do not know who we are, we do not know who we are because we do not know who He is, and not knowing who He is we can not know who people are, and Echad is only a beautiful poetry, it is no longer taught or inspired, for we do not get naked.

We are not naked before ourselves, we lie and deceiving ourselves.

We are not naked before others, we use masks, we are not real.

We are not naked before God, we do not even know Him.

Being naked is to have intimacy, i.e., it is the exact connection of outside with inside. That is extremely dangerous, we become vulnerable, we become real. We will never be able to truly know Christ unless we get naked, exposing every area of our lives. Here is where we do not conform with the world, but we are transformed in the renewal of our mind. We need to repent for covering ourselves avoiding the mind of Christ.

Integrity is to be in the outside exactly how you are in the inside, yes, I am talking about having integrity and intimacy with God, with yourself, and with your neighbor. Does it not sound like the model of Jesus? Every day I find out more in this walk how I need so much more of this transformation, I need it more than anyone else. We need to be naked, live in transparency, it is time to be real. And you? Do you think it is also for you?

By Jonathan Costa, Vice President of Shores of Grace

During the transitional months between first and second year of theBethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM), I had the opportunity to spend time with our Bethany Vila’s princesses.

During that time, I taught a little about what I learned in my first year at BSSM dealing with art and art therapy.
The most shocking part for me was to see how much the girls love art, already have a skill for art, and most importantly their creativity. It was through these moments I got hear their stories and their dreams.

One of the girls who is very talented said her dream was to be able to draw and paint. She shared with me that every time she asked her mother to buy drawing materials, she never did. Her mother claimed there was no money, but she was able to buy things for her partners. Some of the other girls never had experience with art, much less with Jesus. Often during the class, I would put on worship music, and they would begin to sing and healing broke out. One of the girls painted a swan and a toucan intertwined with a tear in the middle of them. She explained that even with the disagreements between people, Jesus always restores relationships which is represented by the tear. This coming from a girl who came from an abusive home with no hope in relationships. The most beautiful part is when I asked her how she came up with that conclusion, she simply said she heard this from Jesus.

Bethany Vila is a place of transformation. One of the most beautiful things I heard was during a visit with my family. It had been more than a year and a half since I have seen my family. But it is when we return to the seeds, we sow that we see what has flourished as long as the seeds were planted in a correct way of love. It was when I returned from my visit that I heard something flourished. One of the staff told me that one day the house was so silent that the caretakers began to look for the girls and found them in the art room. The girls were painting, praising God and in perfect harmony with the Father. This happened for several days. This was two girls with the most complex cases of abuse.

Through the art, they could receive Jesus, a touch of the Father’s love, produce the fruits of the Spirit, and have fun. I want to thank the “Pursue Missions Team” for donating arts materials for the girls atBethany Vila for this period. God is creative. He created and formed the world through his creativity and then with the power of the Gospel. We carry the hope of glory, and he uses all areas to bring the Kingdom to earth, including the arts.

By Elaine Arruda

There are two days dedicated to spending lots of money on ‘stuff’: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. At least, here in America, I know that’s true. I’m not sure about the rest of the world – well, I’m pretty sure third world countries don’t have the same insanity, I mean excitement, seen here in the USA.

There’s a third special day at this time of year in America. It’s called Giving Tuesday. Although, I think every day is a Giving Day, don’t you? It should be that way. Lately, the news seems to just be focusing on people taking, criticizing, disagreeing, or arguing. Giving is what will ‘make America great again’. Giving really demonstrates how much a person cares about the people and the world around them.

I KNOW there are people who give every day. In fact, I know their names. I’ve spoken to them. Shared meals with them. Helped them. Loved them. I know lots of givers. Most of the ones I know give because Someone gave to them. I’d like you to meet some of those givers I know. I don’t exactly KNOW all of them. In fact, I can’t even speak the language some of them speak but I’ve seen the results of their giving of themselves. I’ve seen how they love.

You can see their faces in the photo above. This year on #GivingTuesday I hope you’ll consider giving to Shores of Grace Ministries so these givers can continue giving to “the least, the lost and the last”.