Mark 3 (résumé): Healings, crowds and the appointing of the Apostles

The chapter starts with Jesus healing a man with a shrivelled hand in a synagogue on a Sabbath causing the usual consternation with the Pharisees. Jesus retorted asking whether he should do good or evil on a Sabbath, but the Jews didn't answer. This angered Jesus to see such stubborn hearts. Crowds kept following Jesus from wide-ranging places seeking at least to touch Jesus to be healed, and evil spirits always fell down before Jesus declaring he was the Son of God, but Jesus told them to shut up. Then Jesus went up into the hills where he designated 12 apostles: 1. Simon (whom Jesus gave the name Peter). 2. James son of Zebedee. 3. His brother John. (Jesus called these 2 Boanerges - sons of thunder). 4. Andrew. 5. Philip. 6. Bartholomew. 7. Matthew (Levi). 8. Thomas. 9. James son of Alphaeus. 10. Thaddaeus. 11. Simon the Zealot. 12. Judas Iscariot. Then Jesus was so besieged by a crowd that Jesus and the disciples couldn't even eat, and Jesus' family said he "was out of his mind". Teachers of the law said he was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub! Jesus rebuffed this saying "how can Satan drive out Satan"? He rebuked them for such aggressive criticism saying "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven". Then came further contact between Jesus and his family, but Jesus showed his supreme commitment to his mission saying: "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother".

Market Garden

A new Market Garden Project has been started in the Escorregada Community in the Municipality of Princesa Isabel led by Reginaldo and Elane. As part of the project work has been done to improve their well and a large water tank was donated to enable drip irrigation. Also donated were 2,000 metres of hosepipe for irrigation and 360 metres of piping to improve water supply. Added to this were donated many valves and fittings plus Guava and Mango tree seedlings to add to the Paw-paw trees already existent. The project is progressing well and improving the people's income considerably. 

We are starting a church plant at a new town called Santa Teresinha 20 km west of Patos on a tarmac road. We tried to establish a work there years ago when Frank Dyer was still alive, but it didn't develop. Now we are starting again with a work led by Edilson and Rosangela. There were about 14 in the service there this week. Please pray for this new work. 

Mark 2 (résumé): Jesus heals a Paralytic

Jesus now returned to Capernaum and preached the word to a large crowd which filled the house to overflowing. There 4 men brought a paralytic to be healed by Jesus, but as they couldn't access him they made an opening in the roof and lowered the man in front of the Lord. Seeing their faith Jesus forgave the paralytic's sin which provoked calls of "blasphemy" from the "teachers of the law". To answer them Jesus proceeded to prove his authority to forgive sins by healing the man, and the man walked out of the house carrying his mat to the amazement of all! Then Jesus called a tax collector called Levi (or Matthew) to follow him and he did so. Jesus had a meal at Levi's house which drew criticism from the Pharisees, but Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners". They some people questioned why Jesus' disciples didn't fast when John's and the Pharisees' did. Jesus said that there is no way that the guests of the bridegroom would fast whilst he was with them, but there would be a time when he would be taken away and then they would fast. He said things were changing and "no-one pours new wine into old wineskins". Finally the Pharisees criticized the disciples for having picked corn and eaten it on the sabbath because they were hungry. Jesus said David had done a similar thing under similar circumstances. Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath".

Rita Macena

I conducted a funeral service this morning of 61-year-old Rita Macena who was blind and fighting cancer for a number of years. Rita sang in our praise and worship team for a long time and had been with us at the carnival camp at Green Pastures in February. She left 5 children and 5 grandchildren. She died yesterday and the pre-funeral wake was also held in our church as well as the funeral itself. Please pray for the family. 🙏

At the wake yesterday I met 2 men I baptized in 1982! One brother whom I hadn't seen for decades came up to me and thanked me for baptizing him! Then another brother with him said, "he baptized me too!" It was great to chat and see how both of them are still going on for God! 

Soup Run

Last night our excellent Soup Run Team went out in the Kombi distributing a gigantic cauldron of nutritive chicken and vegetable soup to a very poor borough on the outskirts of Patos called 'Cangote do Urubu' (The Vulture's Neck). The team had made and cooked the soup in Ivy Dyer's Mum's Kitchen in the Care Centre in the afternoon and it was gratefully and joyfully received by all who queued up for the feast. They all received Gospel tracts too. We are proud to do all we do for Jesus!

I have finished writing my synopsis of the Book of Matthew with its 28 chapters. This means I have completed 40 Bible books, 957 chapters, and 80.5% of the Bible. Now on to the 16 chapters of Mark! 

Mark 1 (résumé): Jesus is the Son of God

Mark's Gospel is the shortest gospel and from the start points to Jesus being the Son of God. Initially Mark tells about John the Baptist's ministry preparing the way for Jesus preaching repentance. "I baptize you with water but he (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit". Then comes the baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan where the Spirit descended on Jesus "like a dove... and a voice from heaven confirmed Jesus' sonship". Then the Spirit sent Jesus for a 40-day spell in the desert where he was tempted by Satan "and angels attended him". John was put in prison but Jesus went to Galilee "proclaiming the good news of God... the kingdom of God is near". He then called 2 fishermen, Simon and Andrew, to follow him and immediately they "left their nets and followed him". Jesus then called James and John who also followed him. Jesus went to teach in Capernaum and people were impressed by his authority. Then a man with an evil spirit cried out and Jesus exorcised him much to the amazement of all. Jesus then went on to heal Simon Peter's mother-in-law as well as other sick people and demon-possessed people. Jesus got up very early to pray before going round the villages of Galilee preaching and driving out demons. Jesus then healed someone with leprosy and the man spread the news everywhere even though Jesus asked him not to.

Matthew 28 (résumé): The Resurrection & Great Commission

 At dawn on Sunday morning after the crucifixion Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb. Then there was an earthquake as an angel came down, rolled back the stone and sat on it. The angel told the women not to be afraid, that Jesus was not there but had risen from the dead as he said he would. So the women raced to tell the disciples and on the way met Jesus! The chief priests paid the guards to say that the disciples had stolen the body. However the 11 disciples went to Galilee, and met and worshipped Jesus, but some doubted. Then Jesus said that "he had all authority in heaven and on earth... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit... and I will be with you always".