Can books change a culture?

If you know the ministry that we have here, then clearly I think that the answer to this is yes. With a library of over 500 books and a bookshop to sustain it, we believe that getting books into people's hands can help to change a culture and build up God's church.

Take a read of this quote from Spurgeon's sermon on 2 Timothy 4:13, "When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments."

Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher. A man who comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many. If he will speak without premeditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what they call a dish of dead men's brains—oh! that is the preacher. How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "Give thyself unto reading." The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master's service. Paul cries, "Bring the books"—join in the cry.

I pray that we can continue to make available the numerous resources that are available to Latin American Christians in any way we can. And by God's grace, may he use those resources to help people grow and change and become more like Jesus.

To read the rest of Spurgeon's sermon click here.

Happy New Year

Went for a little walk down to the market on New Year's Eve to stock up on some essentials like mangoes and bananas.

It was mayhem as everyone else was stocking up on their essentials....12 grapes to eat at midnight to bring good luck for the new year,

yellow underwear or red depending on what you're hoping for in the new year,

a mask for your paper person to burn at midnight to farewell the year that has been, and fireworks galore.

From our place we had a good view of fireworks all over the city and little bonfires up and down the street and across the valley as people lit their Año Viejos to jump over.

Happy New Year to you!