Alcoholic saved

I have just been listening to the testimony of Sebastião in the Saquinho community in the municipality of Flores who came to the Lord 5 years ago under the ministry of our pastor Nemias (Nehemiah). Sebastião was an alcoholic but his life has been completely transformed by the power of God. PTL!

Yesterday was a public holiday in Brazil being 'All Saints' Day' which is known here as the 'Day of the Dead', with the cemeteries packed out with people visiting their family graves and remembering their loved ones who have past away.

All our pastors in the region of Vazante, where Pastor Nezinho Abílio lives, got together and visited our brother yesterday having a lovely time of fellowship. The pastor is undergoing treatment for stomach cancer and values your prayers. 

Bible Bytes (13): Faith that overcomes the world!

"This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God". (1 John 5:4-5)

Victory over the world comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The world brings vain philosophies, challenges and temptations, but our victory is not found in our own power, but in our faith in Christ. Through faith in Jesus we are more than conquerors because He overcame the world.

Bird Feed

I have just swept up the mess the birds (Sparrows and Ruddy Doves) make when I feed them otherwise Liz moans! I also put water for them as in this heat (38 degrees in the shade today!) they sure need it. I have just heard Black Anis and Great Kiskadees in the garden too.

Last night the 3 Patos pastors were in action in different towns. Pastor Rafael took the communion service and preached in Patos, I preached at the inauguration service of our new church at São Mamede, and Pastor Murilo preached at Imaculada.

10 new converts were baptized at the weekend at our Princesa Isabel first church (we have 2 there). The baptism was conducted by local pastor Robério assisted by elder Ailton. This church is the oldest of EAB/ACEV churches having been inaugurated by Albert (Eduardo in Brazil!) Mundy and his wife Daisy (Dora in Brazil!) in 1943. God is faithful and souls are still coming to Christ there. 

Another date for your 2027 diary: the annual EAB concert at the Cadnam Methodist Church in the New Forest has been set for April 17th. 🎺

Flores

Pastor Nemias (Nehemiah) reports a special children's evangelistic campaign which took the gospel to 120 children and 70 adults in the town of Flores in the state of Pernambuco. Also ate the nearby rural community of Mombaça they also evangelized 26 children and 15 adults. PTL!

Yesterday Liz coordinated the church/school jumble sale and sale of the 'rubacão' lunch which is a traditional dish of northeast Brazil made with rice, beans, sun-dried meat and coalho cheese. A number of sisters from the church helped including Deborah Maria, Elza, Rosângela and Gerlânia. 

Last night I took the weekly Green Pastures service and preached on 'Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life' (John 11:25). It was a blessed meeting.

Sadly QPR lost away to Southampton 4 x 1 yesterday. 😭

During the month of October this blog was read 1,029,236 times. Our thanks and greetings to one and all, and a happy November to everyone!

Bible Bytes (12): Perfect Love

"Perfect love drives out fear". (1 John 4:18)

Rest in God's acceptance with the dawn of each new day. Trust in the promises of God's word. Share Christ's sacrificial love with others rather than being insecure and defensive. For perfect love drives out fear.

Jumble Sale

Liz is very busy organizing another church jumble sale to be held at the Patos School to raise money to help us finish off the building of our new church at Ipueira. Our jumble sales also help the poor giving them the chance to purchase good clothes with dignity and very low prices. 

Please pray for our work with the deaf 🦻led by profoundly deaf pastor Luiz Carlos. Every Friday he teaches Brazilian sign language to new interpreters and every Saturday he leads the main meeting of the week for the deaf at the Care Centre. On Sundays the service is interpreted to the deaf with a small section of the church filled with deaf folk. During the week Pastor Luiz Carlos cares for the deaf flock individually and in small groups. 

Bible Bytes (11): Lay down your lives for your brothers!

 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers... so let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth". (1 John 3:16,18)

God's love is essential in the life of the Christian. God's love in us must constantly grow in action and in truth.

China return

Our worker Betânia and Bible College student Henrique got back from their mission to China yesterday so thank you for your prayers. Betânia will be sending me a report once she has rested up so I will let you know about the details of the blessings and challenges of the mission.

Please pray for our radio evangelism at Flores and Imaculada that the Lord might touch many lives and save many souls through this ministry. 📻🙏

Bible Bytes (10): Do the will of God!

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever". (1 John 2:17) 

"God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes you to do what you can and to pray for what you cannot, and aids you that you may be able". (Augustine) 

"Happiness and fulfilment are discovered by doing God's will". (Boyd Bailey)

Action Child

Now is the time of year for the EAB Action Child and Action School reports, letters and photos for the second half of the year as we do 2 reports a year in May and November. Marian has chased me up on this today so I have requested the reports by November 7th from all our teachers from our 14 schools. I am also working on a new child for sponsorship from our Flores school as requested by Marian. This work with about 800 very poor children educating them, feeding them and teaching them about Jesus is so important and such a blessing.

I have just heard two audio messages from a mother of a little boy who goes to the EAB Action School at Juazeirinho. The mum is over the moon with how much her son's reading has improved since he started going to our school. Praise the Lord for this encouragement, and be encouraged Marian who is the EAB UK Action Child Coordinator! I know it's a lot of work but it is making a great big difference in the lives of hundreds of very poor and needy children. If you would like more information about sponsoring our schools and children please contact Marian Rashleigh at missionmr@ntlworld.com 

Liz went to the Patos Women's Fellowship meeting yesterday held at our school and no less than 14 women from the area came and heard the Gospel. PTL!

Bible Bytes (9): Walk in the Light!

"If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin". (1 John 1:7)

Walking in the light involves open, honest alignment with the Lord. Walking in the dark means hiding from the truth. Walk in the light!

Integral Mission

 EAB/ACEV believes in integral mission. Integral mission is preaching and practicing the Gospel. Integral mission is evangelizing, planting churches and teaching the word, whilst also caring for the poor and needy drilling wells, building them toilets, distributing goats, and running extra help schools for underprivileged children. Integral mission is taking the parable of the Good Samaritan seriously caring for the man attacked by robbers and caring for him, different from the Levite and the Priest. Integral mission is listening to Jesus say: "Whatever you do for one of the least of my brothers you do it for me". We live for Jesus! We love God and our neighbour! 

Dates for your diary in 2027: 10-day evangelistic outreach with a 100+ team at Juru from January 8th to 17th / Carnival Camp at Green Pastures from February 6th to 10th / Easter with Good Friday on March 26th and Easter Sunday on March 28th / ACEV/EAB General Conference at Conceição on May 21st and 22nd.

Last night I took part in the Patos Men's Fellowship and was to have brought a study on Romans 7:19-20, but numbers were down so we just had a time of prayer together.

I send special greetings to Marian Rashleigh and all friends in the Southampton area saying sorry for the whipping QPR are going to give you this coming Saturday at St. Mary's! 😃

Bible Bytes (8): A day is like a thousand years

2 Peter 3 tells us that "with the Lord a day is like a thousand years... so the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise... but is patient not wanting anyone to perish" (v 8 - 9).

Praise God he doesn't want anyone to perish but wants all to come to repentance. Come to Jesus today!

Nest

I have just been looking at a Ruddy Dove's nest in the Rose-Apple tree in our garden. The female is proudly laid on the eggs and doesn't bat an eyelid with us really close to her. It's a beautiful scene. 🐦

Our 4-Legs project team is lining up the further donations of sheep in the municipality of Princesa Isabel 🐑 and of pigs in the municipality of Diamante. 🐷

Please pray for new church plants at São Mamede, Santa Teresinha, Ipueira, Catolé do Rocha, Campina Grande Novo Cruzeiro and João Pessoa Bessa. May many come to Christ through the ministry of the Gospel in these towns.

Last night I took 2 men home from the Care Centre after they received treatment from our dentist. They live in inaccessible rural areas where there is no public transport.

Bible Bytes (7): Springs without Water

2 Peter 2 warns against false teachers who "are springs without water and mists driven by a storm" (v17) who will end up like "dogs returning to their vomit and pigs returning to the mud" (v22).

May God keep us from heresy, firmly planted in the holy word of God, far from sickly dogs or muddy pigs!

Bible Bytes (6): The Morning Star

"Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts". (2 Peter 1:19)

God's prophetic word is a light like the day dawning and as the morning star rising in our hearts. We must pay attention to God's word because it's origin is not just human but of the Holy Spirit. It is light in our darkness!

Evangelism

Please pray for all our constant evangelistic endeavours. We have a team evangelizing the Patos market every Saturday morning and another team evangelizing the men's prison every other Wednesday. Then we have a team evangelizing at our school every Wednesday and another team evangelizing the rural area of neighbouring São Mamede on Mondays. We also have 2 ministries of radio evangelism with one at Imaculada up in the mountains and the other at Flores in the state of Pernambuco. And all this evangelism goes together with Gospel tract distribution and Bible distribution. May many yet this year come into the Kingdom! 🙏🙌

The Brazilian presidential election finished without incident and surprisingly incumbent President Lula was re-elected with 51.79% of the second round vote and his opponent Flávio Bolsonaro received with 48.21%. 

Bible Bytes (5): Be examples to the Flock

"Be shepherds (pastors) of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock". (1 Peter 5:2-3)

May God help all of us pastors to be servants! May God help us to be humble and not lord it over anyone! May God help us to be examples!

Bible Bytes (4): Serve others administering God's Grace

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms". (1 Peter 4:10)

Serve others! Serve God!

Bible Bytes (3): Calling your husband Master

 "They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master". (1 Peter 3: 5-6)

When I pointed this scripture out to Liz I won't tell you her comment! 😉 Culture bound concepts need to be carefully handled. Take for example Deuteronomy 21:18-21 where the killing of a rebellious son is advocated! May God give us humility and wisdom in Biblical interpretation and application.