Skip to main content

Sunny Sunday

By
On a sunny Sunday, I took a carload to Alagoinha, my two sons, Nicholas and Dylan, Joseph and Edda's son, Samuel, and a sister from church, Lucia de Fátima. We visited only one family in the city before meeting with the church.
This family was the first family I met in the city about 13 years ago. The father was an alcoholic, a daughter told me that if I was trying to make her leave the Catholic church that I could forget it. I told her that I was not trying to make her leave anything, I just wanted to study God's Word with her. This visit, though, they all mentioned how thankful they were to God that I came and taught them God's Word. The father no longer drinks. The daughter told me that she loves to see me and my family when we visit. The mother and one of the other daughters were both baptized years ago, but neither meet with the church anymore. The entire family goes to a denomination, but I am not giving up. I continue to visit and study God's Word with them. 
The visit to the church in Alagoinha was, in a word, joyful. We studied how Jesus tells us to carry our cross and to love him more than any family members or even ourselves. Then from Hebrews 10:19-25, we discussed the privilege of being in God's presence and the importance of encouraging one another towards love and good works. We all know this is true, but in Alagoinha, there is a man whose zeal for God, His Word and His church seems, at times, to overshadow the feelings and difficulties of the other members. 
The result of the study was a physical change in their body posture and on their faces. They seemed relieved and happier. The spiritual results I hope to see in the very near future. Please pray for the church in Alagoinha.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consecration

By
           We know that God can do anything. The question is what will He do? What will the Lord do in the lives of His people when they consecrate themselves to Him? We hope to find out.           Friday, May 22 nd , the Luna congregation had an all night vigil of consecration. We went from 9 pm to 5:30 am, and over 50 people participated, from the ages of 10 to 75 years. In the prayer corner, brothers and sisters signed up for time slots so that we would have prayer without ceasing. The vigil focused on Consecrating our Lives, in Gratitude, in Unity, in Service, and in Sharing . Each part consisted of prayer, singing, Bible Reading and Reflection, and practical activities, like in Service, we washed everyone’s feet, and then everybody joined in making breakfast for the group: homemade bread, fruit, tapioca and eggs, juice, and coffee. In Sharing, we ended with a wonderful meal together in family, talking about people with whom we want to share the gospel.           Spend
Post a Comment
Read more

Luna Men

By
The men of the Luna church of Christ have a weekly meeting for the purpose of edification and planning God's work in the congregation. Some are going strong, others have family problems, and we all want to grew in God's purpose for our lives.  Last night's meeting included a discussion of what really happened on the cross, on resting in Lord in the Psalms. We made plans about the upcoming Carnaval (Mardi Gras) retreat, and talked about the need to do some manual labor on our building.  Though the group was smaller this week, there is a hunger to serve. Five out of the six committed spending Wednesday ripping up a big wall that needs to be redone. Whether leading, studying, admonishing, evangelizing, or tearing up a wall, let God use us to His glory!
Post a Comment
Read more

Pentecost in Paraíba

By
"This is Pentecost in Cajazeiras," Rivaldo Café said, "Almost three thousand were baptized in Jerusalem, almost ten in Cajazeiras." A wild comparison, of course, but the excitement that produced it was legitimate. Six young men gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized on Saturday.   I was blessed to be there: the sixteen hours on a bus, going and coming, was worth it. I went to teach a weekend couples' seminar on the theme "God Gave Me You". The couples (around 12) were mostly parents of kids in the Right Step Program. The changes in these boys' lives have made an impression on the families, many of which have started Bible studies too.   Saturday morning, after the soccer practice, three of the boys asked to be baptized. We headed to the building. Café began filling the portable swimming pool while I talked to the boys about what it means to come into the Family of God.     Franze (15 yrs), Luam (14 yrs), Jorcelam (17 yrs)
Post a Comment
Read more