The fire of God fell in Brazil!

I set foot in Brazil for my second time this year and God showed up in a powerful way. Each time I go back to a country, my awareness of the culture and spiritual atmosphere grows. Relationships are also strengthened and these elements help to make ministry more effective and fruitful. This trip definitely built upon the last, and the favor God has given Make Way Ministries in the country is very evident. This year, PLM Brazil made the decision to publish my book, Pile of Masks, in Portuguese. We made the book available throughout the trip and many people purchased copies, with the proceeds going to help PLM Brazil. It is humbling to have the book getting into the hands of many people throughout the country. Several people shared with me that the church in Brazil needs to address the issue of hypocrisy, so the message of my book was timely and warmly welcomed.

Brasilia- First Sunday Morning and Evening

After nearly twenty-four hours of travel, I arrived in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, on Saturday night. The next morning would be the start of twelve days of preaching and traveling. On Sunday morning, I was invited to preach at Pastor Airton’s Church called ICCR in Brasilia. I spoke there last year, and it was a blessing to come back and have a chance to minister this year as well. The Lord put a message on my heart from Matthew 24 and 25, about being prepared for the return of Christ. I shared from three parables and spoke about how a lifestyle of preparation should impact our priorities. It was a great time together and we were all challenged by the Word. It was a blessing to fellowship with the precious believers of ICCR.

That evening, I spoke at Igreja Famílias Benditas in a neighborhood called Vincente Pires. This was my first time ministering at this church. Pastor Eronaldo and his wife are passionate people and they are pastoring a church made up of mostly young families. Our service that night was powerful, as the Lord gave me several prophetic words before I ministered and many people were touched even before the sermon. I shared a message about reaching out to the world with the Gospel. Our altar ministry was filled with the presence of God. Many lives were touched, and many children and young people were hungry for a touch from the Lord. One young boy in particular really touched my heart. We wept together as I prayed for him. Afterwards, he told me through the translator that he couldn’t put into words how special it was to him that I would come and what the Lord was doing in his life that night.

Caldas Novas- Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning, Paulo, the Director for Pure Life Ministries Brazil, and I traveled to a city about four hours from Brasilia called Caldas Novas. I spoke at an Assemblies of God church on my last trip, and they had us back for a two-day conference. It was a rich blessing to see so many people I had connected with last year, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship after each service. Both of the services were powerfully anointed by the Holy Spirit. On Monday night, I spoke from the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel and shared about how the presence of the Lord is like a fire in our hearts. We sought the Lord for His presence at the end of the message and had a move of the Spirit as people passionately pursued Him.

On Tuesday night, I shared about developing a lifestyle of evangelism. Before the worship, I felt the Lord give me a word for a mother who had an estranged relationship with her daughter. Out of several hundred people in the service, one woman raised her hand to acknowledge that it was her. I shared what the Lord had put on my heart and we prayed with her. She fell to her knees weeping under the power of God. It was so special for the Lord to speak to one of His daughters and call her out from the crowd. A couple of people responded to an altar call for salvation as well, praise the Lord! After the message, we prayed for many who felt a call to missions/ evangelism. The Lord moved again, and afterwards, there were many who wanted personal ministry and prayer, so we stuck around and ministered to many who needed it.

Uberlandia- Wednesday and Thursday

From Caldas Novas, we traveled a couple of hours to another city called Uberlandia. A large Presbyterian Church called Quinta Igreja Presbiteriana de Uberlândia had invited us to do a two-day conference as well as speak at a city-wide ministers meeting. On Wednesday night, I spoke a message about King Solomon, with principles from his life that can help us avoid many of the mistakes that he made. The people were very responsive and Pastor Lucio and his wife were very gracious to us.

On Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ministers from different denominations throughout the city. I shared much of my testimony and also talked about how to deal with sexual sin in the ministry, from both a personal perspective as well as a ministry perspective. One young man in particular seemed to be very affected by the message. Afterwards, my translator and I had an opportunity to speak with him, and he broke down weeping about some personal issues in his life. Because of that, he proactively sought out biblical counseling and I believe the Lord is going to do a great work in his life.

That evening, I spoke a message about the return of Christ and encouraged the people to pursue holiness, have healthy relationships, share the Gospel, serve God wholeheartedly, pursue God passionately and be prepared to suffer as needed. We took some time to seek the Lord and allow Him to speak to our hearts. There was a strong connection made between the church and PLM Brazil that I believe will open up many doors in that area of the country.

Brasilia- Friday and Saturday

On Friday evening, I was invited to speak at a National Baptist Church of Brasília. They asked me to come in and speak specifically about the topic of sexual sin. I shared my story as well as basic biblical principles of sexuality. Before the message, I felt led to give a call for salvation and several men stood in their seats to pray to surrender their lives to Christ. Afterwards, we gave a call for anyone who was personally struggling or knew someone who was and wanted to pray for them. Several responded, and by speaking with some of them after the service, it was evident that God was touching their hearts deeply.

I ministered at the Baptist Church that Paulo and his family attend on Saturday night. I spoke a message about not allowing the fire of God in our lives to be put out through distraction, compromise or neglect. There was a sweet presence of the Holy Spirit during the worship and message and the people were very grateful for the ministry. I believe God ministered to many hearts that night.

Brasilia- Sunday Morning and Evening

On Sunday, I spoke at two services in the same building. Each church was affiliated with the same denomination and their congregations share the building on Sundays for their worship services. On Sunday morning, the church had many young people and Pastor Frederico was a passionate man who had trained many of the teenagers on the worship team to play and lead worship. I felt led to pray over their worship team before the message. I spoke about the story of Achan and gave a warning about what can happen if we hide our sin from others. It was a blessing to be with these believers.

On Sunday evening, I returned to the church to speak in Pastor Atila’s church. During worship, the Lord redirected my message and I ended up sharing about what happens when the fire of God falls in our lives. We had a powerful time of ministry after the message and the leadership of the church laid hands on me and prayed. I experienced the Lord’s presence in a special way, and I’m grateful for how the Holy Spirit ministered to their congregation.

After the service, we went to pick up my wife, Brittany, who had flown into the country to spend the final week with me in ministry. The Lord opened up some doors for us to minister together, and it was a blessing to have her there with me.

Brasilia- Monday and Tuesday

A church called Dokimos in a local area called Gama invited us to do a two-day conference on Purity of Heart. They asked me to speak on the themes of repentance and holiness. The church was filled with many young families. After a rich time of worship, I spoke Monday night on the beauty of repentance. I shared some basic principles about repentance and closed with the stories of the rich, young ruler and Zaccheus. When we had a time for people to seek the Lord, many came forward to be prayed for, crying out to the Lord. One couple in particular shared about a significant breakthrough they had experienced that night. They said that they believed the Lord had orchestrated the trip just for them!

On Tuesday evening, we returned to Dokimos Church and I spoke about the world system and why we need to be separated from it as believers. It was a tense atmosphere, which is typical when I share these kinds of messages. At the close of the service, I thought about giving a salvation call, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to. After praying for the people, Pastor Luis came up and gave a call for salvation, and several responded. I was so grateful that the Holy Spirit had laid the same feeling on his heart. Our two evenings at this church were a real blessing and the Lord was faithful to move. In the final service, the pastor and leadership team had Brittany and I come on stage to pray over our family and ministry. It was a special time being ministered to.

Brasilia- Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to be a part of a podcast for a church in the city. I was interviewed on the topics of repentance, holiness and sexual sin. We had a rich discussion and I strongly encouraged all who might be listening and are struggling with sin in their lives to bring it into the light and reach out for help. I pray that many will get in contact with PLM Brazil who are in need. It was a great experience to be a part of the podcast and I pray many will hear its important message.

On Wednesday night, Pastor Eronaldo from Igreja Famílias Benditas invited Brittany and I to speak at his church. We shared our story together, each highlighting lessons that we have learned through our experience that we thought would be a help to the families in the church. The Holy Spirit’s presence was evident. We offered to pray with anyone who wanted prayer, and many came forward. While we were praying for one woman, a demon began to manifest, and we took authority over it and commanded it to leave. We then prayed with the woman a prayer of repentance. The Pastor’s wife took over ministering to her and she testified that the woman got free that night, praise the Lord! Many of the families wanted prayer, and we laid hands on many and prayed into the night. It was an incredible time in the Lord.

On the final night of ministry, Brittany and I were invited to share with a group of about forty people at the home of a precious family who hosted us for most of the trip. Hamilton and Vanessa lead a small group in their home, and they asked if we would share our story with them. Brittany felt that we should also conclude with a foot-washing service. We shared our testimony together and the people were touched. Then, we went out to the pool area and asked the couples to wash each other’s feet while Brittany and I washed the feet of those who were without a spouse. We prayed many prophetic prayers over people and many were deeply ministered to. As I looked around the pool, many couples were praying for one another and weeping in each other’s arms. It was a special, intimate time, and we were told that many were talking about it the day afterwards.

Final Thoughts

Trips like these are both incredibly exciting and very exhausting. Preparation before the trip can be extensive, and the hardest part is that many of the places I go, I have never been to, so I am preparing for a service in a culture and denomination that I am unfamiliar with. This usually leads to feeling unsure and inadequate going into the trip.

But then, when I step foot in the land, and begin to see God moving, I realize how much of the second-guessing and insecurity is really just spiritual warfare. I am so amazed at how the Lord continues to open doors, anoint the ministry and change lives as we go out to minister. As is typical of my ministry, I was able to speak to multiple denominations and church cultures. I so appreciate the diversity of the Body of Christ. This trip was also special because it provided a couple of opportunities for me to minister alongside Brittany. The Lord has given her a lot of wisdom and the women were very grateful to have a chance to hear her speak as well.

Brazil is a special country, with a diverse culture and its own unique spiritual challenges. However, the same Holy Spirit who moves in other places is alive and well in Brazil, and He is doing a great work in the hearts and lives of those who are open to Him. I was so humbled and grateful to play a part in what He is doing in this wonderful nation.

Thank you to each of you who prayed for the trip as well as financially support Make Way Ministries. Trips like this do not happen without the prayer and financial support of people who give their time and money sacrificially so that lives can be touched around the world. To make a tax-deductible gift to Make Way Ministries to help us reach the nations for Christ, you can go to our Donate page.

I shot a nine-part Vlog of the trip describing what the Lord was doing each day and it also contains footage from the services. You can watch the first Vlog here:

A Great Time of Ministry in Europe!

My fourth trip to the Netherlands was a fruitful one. I’m so grateful for the connection that the Lord has made between Make Way Ministries and several ministries in that country. The Netherlands has an interesting culture, with a rich Christian heritage and significance in world history. As I’ve traveled there over the years, it has become more clear to me how Satan has used both worldliness and religion to keep many Dutch people in bondage. On the one hand, you have about fifty percent of the country who claim to be atheists or agnostics today. The lure of sex and drugs brings people from around the world to Amsterdam, where prostitution is not only legal, but considered one of many other career choices a person can make. I was told by a pastor that other cities in the country are now starting similar “red light district” areas and that prostitutes have even unionized. The sensuous culture and worldly influence has created an atmosphere for the enemy to seduce people away from the faith.

On the other hand, there is a deeply religious half of the country that trace their Christian heritage back to the time of the Protestant Reformation. Theology is held in very high regard among the Christians in the Netherlands, and unfortunately, an intense dedication to the teachings of John Calvin have left many people in a religious rut. Being taught that salvation is something that we can do nothing to obtain and a very strong emphasis on God’s sovereignty keeps people from engaging with simple aspects of true faith including repentance and believing in Jesus for salvation. Because of this, many young people in those churches live in open sin, with the belief that if God is going to select them to be saved, it will happen without any effort on their part. It’s interesting to see how truth can be distorted just enough that it can bring great deception into the lives of people. Many of the born-again believers that I have met over the years had grown up in these churches that they refer to as “hypercalvinist.” Some have left those churches for other churches with a more evangelical message. Others have chosen to stay in the traditional churches in hopes of being a testimony to the people there. Thank God that He can get a hold of someone’s heart who his open to Him!

The First Sunday Service

I made it to the Netherlands safely after two flights and reconnected with many of my friends and ministry partners after a year and a half. The next morning, I preached in a church for the first time in the town of Ermelo. They have a vibrant community of young families who prioritize relationships with one another. Each week, they take communion together, worship, eat a meal and then fellowship at each other’s homes into the afternoon. The church has a policy that if their attendance grows close to 100 people, they will split off, as they do not want to grow too large to keep their intimacy. They already started a sister church for this reason. I spoke from Matthew 12 about Jesus’ clash with the Pharisees over the issue of the Sabbath and talked about the difference between religion and relationship. I had a chance to go to the elder’s home and have a great time of fellowship with many of the believers. It was a blessing to connect with many of the students from my previous trips to the Netherlands, some even from my first trip in 2017. It was humbling to hear how many of them could still remember some of the things I taught and they shared how it had impacted their lives, glory to God!

Teaching at the Gospel Mission Bible School

The next day, I began teaching a series of six lessons with the Gospel Mission Bible School students. These lessons took place Monday-Wednesday for three hours in the morning. My previous trips have all been in November, so this trip was unique in that I was teaching on the final week of their school year. At the end of the week, they would all pack up after a year of study and head to other parts of the Netherlands and some even in other countries to serve the Lord. To hear their zeal for the Gospel and willingness to sacrifice to serve the Lord was very encouraging. The weeks’ lessons were all based on the topic of “Principles for the Worker in God’s Vineyard.” I taught on the fear of man, finances, loving the people you serve, pride and humility, prayer and fasting and several other topics. The students were hungry to learn and had some very thoughtful questions and comments. It was a blessing to get to know them, just before they launched out into their own ministry assignments.

Men’s Night with Heart for the Family

On Tuesday evening, I was invited by Job, the leader of a ministry called Heart for the Family, to speak to a group of men on the topic, “Men, Rise Up!” I’ve worked with their ministry several times in the past, and I so appreciate Job’s heart to provide quality ministry to families in the Netherlands. We traveled to a town called Krimpen aan den IJssel. After a time of food, prayer and fellowship at the home of some friends, we headed to the meeting. Gideon was my translator for the night, and he did a great job. Quite a few men came out, some I’ve met in the past, and others I met for the first time. I shared twelve principles from the story of Nehemiah that reveal how men can rise up to their calling from the Lord to be the men He created them to be. The men were very responsive and our time of small group discussion after the message showed their desire to apply the principles to their own lives. It was a great night of ministry and we left encouraged that the Lord had spoken to many hearts.

Church Service in Westkapelle

The following evening I left with Arjan, the leader of HeartCry Ministries. I met Arjan on my first trip to the Netherlands and God has used him in a great way to foster of movement of young people in the country with a desire to know and serve the Lord. We travelled to Westkapelle, a beautiful town right on the ocean in south Holland with an evangelist friend of ours named Arthur. Before the service, we had time to pray along the ocean and have some food and fellowship. We had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a young man in an ice cream shop. He was clearly searching for meaning in his life, and we had a chance to share testimony and talk about what Jesus had done in our lives. He allowed us to pray with him and we asked the Lord to reveal Himself in a tangible way to the young man.

We then went to a church in the nearby neighborhood, where I spoke on the life of Solomon. I shared about his life and how he had so much potential in the Lord, being blessed with such wisdom and influence, and yet he used it for personal gain and his life ended on a downward spiral. I warned the people to make sure that we all stay true to the Lord, obeying the Word, keeping our passions in check and submitting our wills to His. It was a great service and a blessing to meet Pastor Jochem, who translated me, as well as his congregation.

Amsterdam23 Conference

The next morning, I took a train to Amsterdam to attend the Amsterdam23 conference. A couple of months ago, I connected with the lead evangelist of our denomination, and he mentioned that there would be a big evangelistic conference in Amsterdam in June. It just happened to be on the week that I was already in the Netherlands, so I felt that the Lord was wanting me to attend. Thursday was the only day I had free, so I went to the conference all that day. It was an amazing experience. Thousands of believers from 80 countries had come together to discuss how we can reach the world with the Gospel. There were some big services, breakout sessions and collaborative group discussions on the topic of evangelism. I was able to connect with many people and was so encouraged in my own life and ministry. To be able to meet people from all different countries, with one important focus, was a beautiful experience. I had a difficult time finding the series of trains to get back to the Bible School, but the Lord had me bump into a man named Wim, who guided me through the train stations as well as drove me back to the Bible School that night. The entire time, we were sharing testimonies with each other. He had an amazing testimony of how the Lord had saved him, and so many stories of the Lord’s provision and guidance throughout his life. It was certainly a divine connection, and I was very grateful to have met him.

The Filadelfia Bible School Conference

The final weekend of the trip, we had a conference for the Filadelfia Bible School students. I spoke three messages on the topic of Discipleship. There were about 80 students in attendance, and we had a wonderful weekend together. My good friend and the leader of the school, Leander, translated me for the messages. It is always a rich blessing to minister together, and have deep conversations about our hearts throughout the trip. My messages were on the Call, the Work and the Heart of the Disciple. I really enjoyed speaking on what it means to truly follow Jesus as well as give practical instruction on how to develop an evangelistic lifestyle. Throughout the weekend, I had a chance to talk one-on-one with many people. Whenever I share my testimony, it is not uncommon for a man to pull me aside for ministry because he is struggling with sexual sin in his life. I had several of those discussions that weekend and I believe that the Lord really ministered to many. One young man in particular had a huge breakthrough in his spiritual life during the conference. God is so good! We had some time for fellowship as well as an afternoon to play sports, and I ended up playing volleyball for a couple of hours, which was a lot of fun.

My final message on the heart was one that I had struggled with the whole time I was preparing for the trip. I wanted to share from the Sermon on the Mount, but I couldn’t seem to really nail down what the Lord wanted me to say. After delivering the message, we opened up a time for responding to the Lord, and several were deeply moved, kneeling down, praying and weeping before the Lord. I was grateful that the Lord used the message despite my own insecurities and being unsure about the message.

The Last Sunday Services

My final day of ministry was Sunday. Due to the Filadelfia conference continuing on that day, I wasn’t able to go with anyone into the city of Rotterdam. I borrowed a car and had to trust the Lord to get me where I needed to go. I first traveled to a Romanian congregation, led by a friend of mine named Chris. His wife is from Romania, and they started a church for people in the area who speak the Romanian language. This was the second time I had spoken at their church. I shared a message about making sure our intimacy with the Lord is kept the top priority in our lives. It was a blessing to be with them, and I always love hearing worship and prayer to the Lord in other languages.

After the service, I met with Pastor Hugo and his wife Ilse, the pastors of ACR Rotterdam Pentecostal church. I speak at their church every time I go to the Netherlands, but this was the first time we were able to spend some time together for fellowship. It was a rich time of conversation, as we spoke about ministry challenges as well as getting to know one another on more personal level. We spent the afternoon together, and I preached that night about keeping the fire of God burning in our lives. The people were very responsive. I prayed for many and the Holy Spirit spoke to many of them. One lady was in need of a house, and was in a very desperate situation. Pastor Hugo reached out a few days after the trip that the Lord had provided her with a beautiful home. What a faithful God we serve!

Final Thoughts 

Overall, my fourth trip to the Netherlands proved to be very fruitful for the Kingdom. I have seen how the Lord has given me the unique ability to not only cross over cultural boundaries, but also to minister across denominational boundaries. It is such a blessing to be able to have fellowship with people from all areas of the church, because I can see how each part of the Body of Christ has strengths that we can all learn from. Sometimes, we allow our differences to keep us from coming together as one. But all of us have some to offer the Body of Christ, and my prayer is that we would all take time to fellowship with believers from other backgrounds. I’m encouraged to see how the Lord is continuing to raise up young people in the Netherlands with a calling on their lives, and how He is bringing people of all ages into a saving faith. Despite the enemy’s attack on the country, God is at work, and I believe the seeds that were planted on the trip will come to harvest in God’s timing.

Thank you to each of you who prayed for the trip as well as financially support Make Way Ministries. Trips like this do not happen without the prayer and financial support of people who give their time and money sacrificially so that lives can be touched around the world. To make a tax-deductible gift to Make Way Ministries to help us reach the nations for Christ, you can go to our Donate page.