Devotionals evangelize in Amazonas

Posted on Saturday, 16 July 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

For the last several months, I’ve stepped up the devotionals to a daily schedule, and have heavily advertised them through several means, including social media. Today I received this Facebook message from Ivan in the city of Manaus, located on the Amazon River.

Brother Randal, many people here in my Facebook [friends list] really like to read when I share your articles. This morning I received a message from a non-Christian girl thanking me for the article. I’ve already contacted a sister in the congregation near my house to evangelize her. A big hug!

We’re thankful the devotionals are being used to reach people. We never know how the Lord is using our efforts for his kingdom.

Just today an unfaithful Christian, converted years ago in a Christian family in São Paulo, living now in Taubaté, mentioned that he read the bulletins we post on the church website and then sends them to his mother in the capital, who likes them greatly. We never knew!

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Read the devotionals Brazilians read

Posted on Saturday, 18 June 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

In recent weeks, we’ve kept up the translations into English from Portuguese of our daily devotional called “Deus Conosco” (God with Us).

Since they don’t deal directly with reporting on the GoSpeak ministry, we post them to the personal weblog.

Today’s devotional is called, “So you want a good reputation?” Read more »

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27-5: Tea for Twenty-three

Posted on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

The GoSpeak mission report covering the month of May is hot out of the oven and served up in PDF format, ready for the clicking: gospeak27-05

In this issue, you’ll read about:

  • The big tea party at out house;
  • FPress book helps convert visitor;
  • New records set in areas of work;
  • Audio podcast recording and online writings;
  • New feature on BrotherhoodNews.com;
  • Prayer requests.

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27-04: Overview: Training people to serve the Lord

Posted on Tuesday, 17 May 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

April’s GoSpeak report (yup, we’re late) is now online with an overview of our training efforts in past years, which provides a bit of background for the latest effort, Advanced Bible Studies.

Sorry, no pictures this time, but a good one-page review of past and present works to help people become vessels of honor for the Lord.

To read the report, click on this link t download the PDF file: gospeak27-04

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Devotional record broken, thanks to God

Posted on Sunday, 24 April 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

daily devotionalsToday, we broke a record for the number of Portuguese-language devotionals on the “God with Us” website and mail list. During several months in recent years we’d managed 20 devotionals during the month. Today, we hit 21 meditations. We give thanks to the Lord who allowed us to reach this mark.

With still days to go in April, we hope to break the all-record, reached shortly after the service was begun in 1999, of 23. Pray we may also hit this all-time high.

We’ll tell you in the April report whether we made it or not.

In every email sent out about the devotionals, we include a link to an evangelistic study, “A Few Minutes with Someone who Loves You.”

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21 is devotional goal for April

Posted on Friday, 15 April 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Portuguese-language devotionalTwice we reached 20 devotionals a month for the Deus Conosco site and list, in Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010. It often gets pushed aside, as do other sites and lists, when real-time efforts take priority, as fund-raising did during 2009-2010.

So far this month we’ve posted 12 devotionals. With just over half the month left, barring some unforeseen situation, we hope to beat the previous record and post 21 devotionals. (The first year we hit 23, but that was ancient history.)

Please say a prayer for us that we can meet that goal. Read more »

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27-03: Groups help restart Brazil magazine

Posted on Thursday, 31 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Get the latest GoSpeak missions ministry report for March, 2011, in PDF format by clicking on this link: gospeak27-03

Among the stories in this month’s report:

  • Two groups to help restart Brazil magazine
  • New studies begun
  • QBT reaches 1000
  • Prayers

Please share this report with friends and congregations who will be interested in the progress of the gospel in Brazil and around the world. Use the share buttons below to pass along the news.

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On the first page of Catholic search site

Posted on Wednesday, 30 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Catholic search siteOur efforts are getting out in the public. Our website for the devotional articles called Deus Conosco (God with us) turns up on the first page of a Catholic search site when the key word “Deus” (God) is inserted.

Click on the image for an enlarged view. I had to shrink the text to get both the header and the listing for Deus Conosco, so it’s in small type.

We have no idea how the search site calculates its rankings or if they have some sort of filter against non-Catholic sites. It might be that we’re flying under their radar. Or, more likely, they’re using general searches.

But the slogan underneath the title is, “Everything about the Catholic Church.”

We’re glad to appear in their search results if it will direct people to the truth.

We gave the site an uplift last week with a new visual theme. Read more »

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Quick Bible Truths reaches 1000 Twitter followers

Posted on Saturday, 26 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

1000 twitter followers

A mark to celebrate! We’re thankful the Lord has allowed us to reach this goal. It happened just a few moments ago, on this Saturday evening.

To read about the rationale behind QBT, see this Feature article.

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New studies begun in SJC and Taubaté

Posted on Monday, 21 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Vicki began a new study last week with a beautician and her daughter. Conceição works in the beauty shop where Vicki and Leila enhance their natural gifts. For many months she has talked about wanting to study the Bible, but kept putting it off. Her daughter is 15 and showed good interest as well during the first study last Monday night.

Vicki got lost going to their house and coming back home from the study, but she made the 20- to 25- minute trip without any mishaps.

In Taubaté, Humberto and Aline had their second study with a young couple; the husband works with him on the military base.

They were also set to study yesterday with Humberto’s English teacher, but it was a no-show. He expressed confidence, however, that she would eventually sit down to study with them. Read more »

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New children’s home director secures donation of vehicle

Posted on Thursday, 17 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

When Vicki and I traveled recently to the chldren’s home (see report 27-02) for board meetings, we learned that Eduardo Favoratto, one of the elders of the Jundiaí congregation, had left his secular job in industry and, with a humongous cut in pay, accepted the job as director of the home.

With his experience, Eduardo’s getting the huge burden of paperwork in order and has already managed to secure the donation of a new Volkswagen van from a car dealership.

When all the documentation of the home is in order, Eduardo will be able to work with major industries and multinational corporations for donations.

Though this brother doesn’t plan to stay indefinitely in the director’s chair, he stepped in with a plan in hand to put the home well on its way to a more solid financial footing.

He’s capable and experienced in administration, so this development encourages us as we give Eduardo a solid vote of confidence.

The home’s website, for now, is this link. As with any benevolent work, help is always needed.

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27-02: Support and supplies for the children’s home

Posted on Monday, 7 March 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

What happened last month? Here are a few items from the vol. 27, no. 2 issue of the GoSpeak mission ministry report.

  • Vicki and I travel to the children’s home for meetings and to deliver supplies;
  • Daughter starts her first job;
  • Vicki starts new-convert classes … in English;
  • Randal does final revisions for a new Portuguese-language book;
  • Our family gets a surprise visit from a Christian businessman;
  • We make several prayer requests for local saints.

And more! And all this in a single page. Download the PDF file here: gospeak27-02

Please share this link and this report with your Christian friends and in your congregation. Lift up these efforts and needs, and these people, before the Father in prayer.

Thanks for your partnership with us in the gospel.

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1-min. video on 2011 objectives

Posted on Wednesday, 16 February 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Check out this short video of my mug explaining two of the main objectives shaping up for 2011, hosted over on posterous. I thought you’d like to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

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Taubaté, SJCampos churches move meeting spots

Posted on Saturday, 12 February 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Have moved or will move. That’s what happens when you don’t have your own property. (And sometimes when you do.)

As well, in this latest GoSpeak mission report, Christian pilot Ricardo Santos makes a forced helo landing, daughter Leila goes to camp for the last time, and churches make plans during January’s vacation month.

All here on a single page, in PDF format, the focus this month is on the Brazil efforts, as the GoSpeak ministry begins its 27th year: gospeak27-01

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Not everything or everyone is God

Posted on Friday, 21 January 2011 by J. Randal Matheny

Below are some recent Internet footprints we’ve left in various places around.

See this post on my blog, “God and Not God,” which points out pagan religion in modern guise, on a motivational website. No subject is more basic than the nature of God.

Also, check out several new religion links on Twitter’s Christendom News. Amazing things are happening in the religious world that Christians do well to stay abreast of.

On Forthright Magazine today, John Henson writes of an atheist who is “Abandoning Reason,” for lack of answer to proofs of God’s existence. The FMag email list is slow in getting the article out, for some reason. I’ve tried it twice, and have emailed the list service owner. (I missed my editorial this week.) Read more »

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