The Long Game

God is touching hearts and changing lives in various parts of the world, and we recognize that as His people are obedient to share what He has done and communicate the gospel, the Word will go forth and salvation will flow. Isaiah 57 states:
15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners.
19 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the Lord, "And I will heal him."

He is the One who saves, the One who heals the broken heart. Jesus brings restoration and redemption and that passage brings insight into who He is. 

In the Amazon rain forest of northwestern Brazil, the Spirit of God is moving.  A CBN.com story relates:

The Amazon River here in the northern part of Brazil is filled with hundreds of these small tributaries that in essence snake through the jungle, and over the many years evangelical Christians have been traversing these waters in an attempt to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Amazonian people.

The rain forest covers 6 million square miles in South America, with a population of some 30 million people.

Josué Bengtson is a local pastor who, according to the article, "has spent decades traversing the river's intricate network, first as a missionary then as a pastor spreading the evangelical message of salvation."
He is quoted as saying: "Back when we started evangelizing in this region, we had just a few workers and, in some municipalities, pastors had to walk 10 to 15 km to open a congregation," adding, "Today, almost all medium-sized churches in the Amazon have a small boat."

Thousands of churches have been established in the area, and the pastor relates that "In the first six months of this year we baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people..."

CBN also highlighted the work of Esequiel Santo, who stated, "I was 15 years old when God called me to reach the unreached peoples of the Amazon..." The article says:

Santo spent 32 years as a missionary in the jungle's interior.

"One of the biggest challenges was the isolation and getting used to living among the indigenous or riverside communities," Santo said. "But God was with us in the work, we saw lives being transformed, so many people heard the gospel and now we are seeing the fruits."

The article goes on to say:

José Eustaquio Alves, a leading Brazilian sociologist, says evangelical churches here benefit from long term pastors or missionaries like Santo who foster deep community ties and growth.

He says: "I think that the revival that we have been waiting for here in Brazil is happening in the Amazon..."

CBN concludes the article by saying:

Evangelical Christians often must rely on small canoes or medium-sized boats to hold church services and other ministry activities as they reach remote regions.

Meanwhile, church teams from Brazil's major cities send volunteers here to conduct educational, humanitarian, and medical missions.

This outreach often helps introduce people to the gospel message.

These pastors, missionaries and many others laboring in this vast expanse believe the shift is more than just a change in religious practice – it's a movement that promises to redefine the region's spiritual and social landscape for generations to come.

So, in the midst of the trees, in the forest, God is growing lives devoted to Christ. And, He is reaping His harvest, with thousands coming to the Lord and being baptized, an outward expression of the inner work of the Spirit.  We can be reminded that God is not bound by time, space, or location - He will provide the means for His Word to go forth.

We can also reflect on the importance of planting seeds.  Apparently, this move of God is something that Christians in the Amazon region have been praying and trusting God for.  Now, the seeds have grown into a bountiful harvest.  They didn't give up - those called to share the gospel have continued to be faithful, to wait on God.  That's a great lesson for all of us; we may not see the end result, but we recognize that, as it's been said, the results are up to God - in His time, according to His plan. We are called to be faithful servants who are devoted to doing His will.