Lord, this is a time of year when many people, including preachers, are moving. You know the reasons and motives of each one's decision to move. We pray that you will bless those whose lives are being uprooted, that they may find their grounding in your eternal nature.

May each move bring gains for the Kingdom. May those preachers who are moving find new opportunities, new enthusiasm for ministry, renewed eagerness to study and preach the Word. Father, cause many souls to be saved by these relocations.

And bless, too, those who choose to remain where they are. Bless them for their perseverance, their patience, their love for those who surround them.

We know all is possible because Jesus "relocated" from heaven to earth and will soon move us from earth to heaven. Amen!

I'm needing to update my Portuguese site and reconfigure everything, including all the English-language stuff. Urgently.

2004

Victory Over the Darkness, Neil T. Anderson. Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1990.

Finished in August. I did a short review of this work here and here.

Restoring an Evangelistic Phenomenon, Roger E. Dickson. Winona, Miss.: Choate, 1986.

The subtitle "An Examination of New Testament Mission Messages" well describes the content of these 43 short chapters. A book every Christian should read. Not much here I'd differ with.

Redeeming the Times: Addressing Issues of the Church in the Present Age, Russell L. Dyer, Tommy F. Haynes, Jeff A. Jenkins, eds. Oklahoma City, Okla.: Clarity Pub., 2004.

Sixteen chapters deal with several hot topics, as well as with other topics not so high-profile, but which deserve good thought. The many typos and errors in the book frustrated my reading, but the content is good. I think Haynes went too far by saying, "The theory of essential doctrines being determined by the 'closeness to the cross' is foreign to scripture" (p. 64). Let us be careful that, in battling false doctrine, we don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Overall, though, a fine addition to our polemic literature.

God is the Audience, Owen Olbricht. Delight, Ark.: Gospel Light Pub. Co., 1991.

Finished 26 May 2004. Simple and forceful. We need more teaching like this centered on God.

Over the Vast Horizon: Authorized Biography of Guy N. Woods, Harrell Davidson. Obion, Tenn.: Harrell Davidson Publishing, 2003.

My first introduction to Guy N. Woods was his debate with a Pentecostal preacher in SE Mo., or west Tenn. when I was in high school. He effectively showed the error of that doctrine. Later, as a student at Freed-Hardeman University, I heard him direct the Open Forum. In Brazil, I had some contact with him on ham radio. So it was with interest I read his biography. It includes five of his meeting sermons and details his debates.

Our God and Savior, many are weak in faith, having been drawn away by discouragement from divisions, by hurts in relationships, by problems with finances, health, or personal struggles. You are the Great Shepherd, who has meticulously counted each sheep and knows when a single one goes astray.

We pray that the weak may be strengthened, that the doubting may acquire certainty, that the ensnared by sin may break free from their bonds. May the discouraged find perserverance, the hurt discover the balm of Gilead, the bogged down in problems enter the peace that passes understanding.

We know, Father, that these need our presence, our prayers, our encouragement. Put us in the street, on the doorsteps, in the living rooms of those who need us. Because Jesus came to our rescue. Amen.

For Leila's birthday (which was Wednesday) we rented bowling lanes and then in the alley's snack area we had burgers and a cake. Here are a few shots. At left, Mom lights Leila's cake.

Above, the group sings "Happy Birthday," first in English, then in Portuguese.