Book Giveaway

This wouldn't be a blog without a book giveaway right?!?
Well the time has come! I want to give out a few copies of Secret Believers. This book has changed dramatically my view on the responsibility of our prayers for Christian's worldwide being born-again in places where their Christian lives might be rather short.
Prepare yourself to be challenged in prayers, challenged in the  way you see life and Christianity, and the question " Is Christ worth dying for ? , are you willing, ready, prepared?

Algeria

Signs of an impure heart

An Ignorant heart is an Impure heart.

To be ignorant of sin or Christ argues impurity of heart.(...) Ignorance is Satan’s stronghold (Act 26:18). The devils are bound in chains of darkness (Jude 6). So are all ignorant people. Impossible it is that an ignorant heart should be holy. It is knowledge that makes the heart good: “That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good” (Pro 19:2). For any to say that though their mind is ignorant, yet their heart is good, they may as well say that though they are blind, yet their eyes are good.

In the Law, when the plague of leprosy was in a man’s head, the priest was to pronounce him unclean. This is the case of an ignorant man. The leprosy is in his head: “He is unclean.” That heart cannot be very pure which is a dungeon. Grace cannot reign where ignorance reigns. An ignorant man can have no love to God: “He cannot love that which he does not know.” He can have no faith: knowledge must usher in faith (Psa 9:10). He cannot worship God aright (Joh 4:22). Though he may worship the true God—yet in a wrong manner. Ignorance is the root of sin. Blindness leads to lasciviousness (Eph 4:18-19; Pro 7:23). Ignorance is the mother of pride (Rev 3:17). It is the cause of error (2Ti 3:7), and, which is worse, a willful ignorance: “It is one thing to be ignorant; it is another thing to be unwilling to know.” Many are in love with ignorance: they hug their disease (Job 21:14; 2Pe 3:5). Ignorant minds are impure. There is no going to heaven in the dark!

A sincere heart is willing to come under a trial. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psa 139:23). That metal is to be suspected which men are afraid to bring to the touchstone. A sound heart likes the touchstone of the Word; it is for a searching ministry. Hypocrites fly from the light of truth; they fly from that light which would reveal their sin. They hate that physic [medicine]
of the Word that, meeting with their ill humors [evil inclinations] begins to make them sick and troubles their conscience. A gracious soul loves that preaching best which makes a heart- anatomy.

Are you pure in Heart?

 A pure heart abhors all sin.
1. A man may forbear sin, yet not have a pure heart.
a. A man may forbear sin for lack of occasion to sin. He may forbear sin as one may hold his breath while he dives under water, and then take breath again. The gunpowder makes no noise until the fire is put to it. The clock stands still until the weights are put on. Let a temptation come, which is like the hanging on of the weights, and the heart goes as fast in sin as ever!
b. He may forbear sin for fear of the penalty. A man forbears a dish he loves for fear it should bring his disease upon him of the stone or gout. There is conflict in a sinner between the passions of desire and fear. Desire spurs him on to sin; but fear, as a curb and bit, checks him. Nor is it the crookedness of the serpent he fears, but the sting of the serpent!
c. He may forbear sin out of a design. He has a plot in hand, and his sin might spoil his plot. Some rich heir would fly out in excess, but he behaves properly to prevent being cut off from the inheritance. How good was Joash while Jehoiada the priest lived! Prudence as well as conscience may restrain from sin.

Hiding God's word - The secret of Spiritual Progress

Hiding God's Word in our Hearts is the secret of spiritual progress.
" If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed."
The man who grows in grace is the man who grows in knowledge, and the man who grows in knowledge is the man who keeps close to God through His Word.
For spiritual progress this is the secret:
" Thy Word have I hid in my heart."
Whenever a Christian is growing in grace, experiencing more joy, more rest of soul, more peace of heart, more knowledge of truth,more blessing  in service, more hope in trial, more endurance in suffering, the explanation is as clear as it is simple. He is spending more time with his Bible.
There is no need for spiritual declension, no necessity for backsliding, no warrant for anything but ever joyous progress as we go from strength to strength through the year. But this will only be through hiding God's Word in our heart.

from Life Abiding and Abounding 

by W.H Griffith Thomas

Quench not the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

As fire is put out by withdrawing fuel, so we quench the Spirit if we do not stir up our spirits, and all that is within us, to comply with the motions of the good Spirit; and as fire is quenched by pouring water, or putting a great quantity of dirt upon it, so we must be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit by indulging carnal lusts and affections, or minding only earthly things.  

Matthew Henry Commentary

Holiness

 Pr. Stuart Ollyot

That old blue book...

I guess most of you that know us have come across Paulo's favorite book at the moment. Yes that blue old fashioned one (God's gospel of grace).

That collection of good sermon's has been the source of many pleasant hours being feed by man that knew the LORD in ways that we long to know HIM.

Well, I guess you also probably heard me saying that in the English language we are so blessed with good material so it is such a shame that we don't read more and have so little knowledge on things that could be so beneficial to our spiritual growth. I won't even start on saying how books are very expensive in Brazil and that there are an increasing, but really still small number of sound books translated into our language.So you get the point right? You've got to study your Bible and get all the good aid that is so widely available out there.

Anyways we just want to recommend Chapel Library  as they have all the " good stuff " in PDFs and if you are in New Zealand or some other countries on the list, the distribution of Free Grace Broadcaster is free of charge. So you also can get one of those nice little blue books that Paulo has :)...

So that's it... do let's us know what you found out there...

It is the habitual temper of every sanctified soul to hunger after the word of God as its necessary food, which there is no living without. Matthew Henry 

In Christ