Job 4 (summary): Eliphaz

This chapter and the next contain the first speech by Job's friend or comforter Eliphaz. Eliphaz insinuates that Job's suffering is a result of hidden sin. For "should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?" For the innocent do not perish, Eliphaz says, nor are the upright destroyed. But those who sow trouble reap what they sow! Eliphaz even cites some sort of vision where a spirit questions human piety before God saying "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his maker?" For human sinners "are crushed more readily that a moth!

Senior Leadership Meeting

Yesterday afternoon we held an on-line meeting of our senior leadership team which lasted an hour and a quarter and was very good. We discussed a problem and a couple of more minor issues. We value your prayers.

Yesterday I continued my keep fit endeavours with Pilates in the morning and Aquarobics in the afternoon. 🏃

Last night I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and Pastor Rafael gave the study on the Great Day of the Lord in Zephaniah 1:14-18. The praise was led by Rogério and Rogaciano.

Yesterday was a difficult day bidding farewell to David Shearing. It was he that invited Liz to travel to London in October 1966 which led to Liz and I first meeting. David was such a faithful supporter of EAB and always proposed that the minutes were correct at the trustees board meetings. He was a lovely brother!

Amy Gough

A young Bible College student from Southampton, Amy Gough, will be joining us next month for just over 2 weeks with the focus on participation in this year's 10-day evangelistic outreach at Soledade. She will also be visiting Barra de Oitis, Diamante, Vazante, Caroá, Manaira, Princesa Isabel, Juru, Tavares, Imaculada, Matureia, Teixeira and Green Pastures, ending up with a day on the beach. 😎

Yesterday we had our second doses of the vaccination against Shingles. I understand that in the UK the Shingles vaccination is only one dose, but here it is two with one before we went to Europe and the other now.

This morning we had the sad duty to watch our dear friend David Shearing's funeral service in Southampton online via YouTube. There was a good crowd present. David was a faithful servant of God till the end, aged 88, and was at the EAB AGM on October 25th of which he was a trustee. We had a long chat on that day.

Job 3 (summary): Job Speaks

After 7 days silence Job cursed the day of his birth. Job poetically struggles here to come to terms with his horrific suffering. Job wished that the light of his birth become darkness. He curses the joy of birth calling on the monster of the deep Leviathan to be roused in its place. Job wished that his mother's womb had been closed, or that he had been still born, or that he had died soon after birth. Job lamented the knees that had nursed him and the breasts that had fed him. Job asks why those who long to die are not allowed to and talks of the joy of reaching the grave! Job says his groans pour out like water and that what he most feared had come upon him and he had no peace.

São Mamede

Last night I travelled with the Patos Men's Fellowship to the town of São Mamede where I preached on Mark 4:21-25 and 'The Lamp on a Stand'. Chief of the police and deacon Esau led the service which was very good with about 40 people hearing the Gospel in the middle of the street.

Last night QPR beat Birmingham 2 x 1 at home and find themselves in the playoffs section of the Championship! 😎

Tomorrow will be the funeral of our dear brother and EAB Committee member David Shearing at the Millbrook Christian Centre, Southampton at 12 noon. The service will be streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7InN3MrkrlA

David Irish

It was lovely to receive David Irish's Christmas letter from Australia. Our good friend David was a missionary with his late wife Margaret in Papua New Guinea for many years and went back there this year. Next year he will be going to Zimbabwe to visit his brother Peter. David has a special place in our hearts as it was he who arranged the lunch for Liz at my house on Good Friday, 1967 when our courtship started.

I am now posting my news daily here on my blog, and no longer every other day as previously, so as to keep news shorter.

2 armed men stole 8 engravings by French artist Matisse and 5 from Brazilian artist Portinari from a library in São Paulo. The value of the works stolen is said to be "incalculable".

Our granddaughter Louisa and her husband Tiago have flown to England to spend Christmas with Louisa's family.

3 were baptized at the weekend from our Tavares church and 5 were baptized from our Belém church.

Please pray for our little church at Travessia where the local catholic priest is threatening people with a ban on christenings and the likes if they attend services at our church. Please pray for Pastor Francinaldo who ministers there every fortnight.

Our dear brother Bob Dalton's funeral will be on December 15th. The committal will be at 10:30 am at Bowstridge Lane Cemetery, Chalfont St Giles, HP8 4RB. The thanksgiving service will be at 1 pm at the Heathervale Baptist Church, Heathervale Road, New Haw, Surrey, KT15 3NW. Afterwards at the Foxhills, Stonehill Road, Ottershaw, KT16 0EL.

An acted poem

I led last night's communion service in Patos together with my co-pastor Rafael. 7 members of our drama group presented a text written by Thyago Nóbrega of our Campina Grande Catolé church in colloquial country bumkin Portuguese telling the Christmas story from beginning to end. It was very good. Then came the sermon from lawyer Murilo which was on 'The Branch from Jesse' (Isaiah 11) which was very good. Parallel to this our children had a special Christmas Feast which went really well too.