Skip to main content

The Heart of Man

            There is a place in the heart of man that can only be touched by God.  If man does not let God near this place, man will never be changed.  Fabiano is a man who travelled and served the pastor and members of his denomination.  Fabiano is an alcoholic, and he was winning the battle but fell, weak to his vice.  After going on a drinking binge, his services and travelling were no longer needed by the denomination of which he was a part.  He was left alone. 

            Antônio Germano has been visiting Fabiano for some time, long before the above story took place.  Antônio had been telling Fabiano that he needed to follow the truth.  Fabiano would listen and even agree that some of the things the denomination does are not in accordance with the God's Word, but he would not change. 

            Antônio and I went to visit Fabiano this past Sunday.  He is sad and ashamed by his behavior, but most importantly, he seems repentant.  I don't want to be naïve: I know that only time will tell if his love for the Lord will overcome his love for alcohol.  I am excited, though, to see his desire to honor Christ with his life.

            He also said during our visit that he wants to begin meeting with the church in Alagoinha and learning more from God's Word. 

Please pray for:
  •  God to move into Fabiano's heart so that he will have the strength to recover from alcohol and sin;
  • God to give wisdom to Antônio Germano and Zezito, these two men are working with the church in Alagoinha;
  • God to increase the faith of the members in the church in Alagoinha;
  • God to give me wisdom and patience to work with the church in Alagoinha;
  • God to raise up more men to work with the church in Alagoinha.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

For the Kids, Part III

    In the USA, there are two special days during the year that children love: birthday and Christmas. Brazil adds one more: Children's Day. On this day, children receive a present and since it coincides with Our Lady of Appeared Conception, Brazil's patron saint, it is also a national holiday.     Each week we get kids from the Castelo Branco neighborhood together at the square in front of Dona Terezinha's house to talk about Jesus. For Children's Day, we invited the parents to watch the kids perform a play of the "Prodigal Son," then each kid receives his or her fill of cotton candy, cake, and a sack full of goodies. The parents who came received a Today's Portuguese New Testament and an invitation to the weekly Bible study at Terezinha's.     Lori Hagewood has organized this activity for three year with the help from Terezinha, Joseph, and Michel (from the China Taiwan restaurant). Michael, Ashton, and Tif...

Pedro's New Family

           Good Christian parents are invaluable in bringing about children’s faith, but in the absence of such, the younger generation must take up Christ’s banner and follow for themselves. Pedro and João have been coming to our church meetings for a long time. Their parents, though, haven’t even visited, showing no interest whatsoever, except for an internet search to make sure their kids weren’t getting into anything crazy.            This past Sunday Pedro gave his life to Christ and was baptized into a new family. I admire young people who break with family tradition for the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let our Lord be praised through the dedication and sacrifices that young people make.

The Planting, the Watering, and the Increase

Emesson started coming to Bible Club over a year ago, when Neil Schultz and Cait Beckloff, our AIM team, were teaching it. For several months, they planted the seed in his and his sister's hearts. Unfortunately Neil and Cait's time in João Pessoa ended. In 2014 Bible Club received a boon when Erick and Jenny Paddy, former AIMers, returned to the field and picked up teaching the Bible Study for English speakers. They watered the sprouting seed in Emesson's life until God's Word became more important for him than just practicing his English. Last Wednesday night, God gave the increase, adding Emesson to the Family of Christ. Sometimes things don't happen when we think they should, but God is in control; His time is best, and we must thank Him for playing a small part in His plan.