Saturday, 15 February 2025

Maize cake

I have just eaten a slice of maize cake which was delicious. Dare I say that it was amazing! I wonder how the google translator will get on translating that pun to Portuguese! 😋😃

I have had my hair cut and I hope you like it? 👨

I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and Dedé led the praise and worship. Pastor Rafael gave the study from Micah 1:11-16.

A woman who killed 3 relatives by putting arsenic in a Christmas cake in the south of Brazil has been found dead in her prison cell. Probably their prison mates "suicided" her as prison wardens say it was probably suicide. 

Liz and I have just got back from an excellent journey to Campina Grande which is a 3 and a quarter hour drive east of Patos. We travelled there yesterday afternoon and had a lovely working meal in the evening with Pastor Wostenes, his wife Gleydice and a young couple called Thyago and Letícia who are potential workers. Then this morning we were joined by pastors Umbirajara, Matheus and wives for another great meeting. Both these meetings were of strategic importance for the work of EAB/ACEV and discussed plans for growth. Please pray.

Stopping for a drink on the way to Campina Grande we met our friend Sérgio who is a crippled beggar who sits on the pavement asking for help. His broad smile is always impressive! 😀 We always give him something.

The journey to Campina Grande means you climb the Santa Luzia mountain on the way where there is a big renewable energy farm with 136 wind turbines having a generating capacity of 471.25 MW. The wind turbines today were going like the clappers!

Yesterday QPR beat Derby 4 x 0 at home! 😄😎💪🙌

Friday, 14 February 2025

Deuteronomy 15 (résumé): The year for cancelling debts

This chapter shows great anti-poverty values focusing on social justice. For every 7th year was to be a year of cancelling debts for fellow Israelites. Obedience to God in this would lead to great national prosperity. Those better off are taught to not be "tight fisted" towards the poor. Rather they are to be generous to the poor and do so "without a grudging heart". 

Then too all Israelite slaves should be released on the 7th year of release and they should not be set free empty handed but should be given sheep, grain and wine. However if a slave has become attached to his master and family and doesn't want to leave, then his ear should be pierced as a sign of commitment and he or she will become servants for life. 

Finally in this chapter Moses reminds Israelites of their responsibility to give the firstborn of their herds and flocks to God. Any animal with a defect should be eaten and not sacrificed to God. However care should be taken not to eat blood. 

Thursday, 13 February 2025

São Mamede

 On Tuesday night I travelled with the Patos Men's Fellowship to hold a street service in the town of São Mamede. It was a joy to share the Gospel in this needy place. It was great to hear young teenager Matheus playing the guitar and Paulo Silas and Josué sang solos. After the service two women came to speak to me. The first was Marlene who told me she had committed her life to Christ and wants to be baptized. The second called Denise told me she was re-dedicating her life to the Lord and wants to be part of our church. So praise the Lord for these fruits of our regular preaching of the Gospel in this place. Please pray for Marlene and Denise. 🙌

QPR lost away to Coventry on Tuesday 1 x 0 with the goal coming in the 94th minute! 😕 

Please pray for our Carnival Camp at Green Pastures which starts a fortnight this Saturday. May God bless all the participants with good fun, fellowship and teaching!

Liz went to the Women's Fellowship meeting last night and says it was good.

Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Sunday

 I led Sunday night's main service of the week and our daughter Sacha preached an excellent sermon on 'How is your heart'? from Mark 7:1-23. The praise and worship group (Sacha, Marina, Fábio, Rogerio, Ricardinho, Netinho and Rogaciano) introduced 2 new songs which were blessed and refreshing. We normally do 8 songs in the main service of the week. The service was a real blessing.

The yellow Great Kiskadee is singing loudly outside our house today.

Liz led the prayer meeting last night which was a blessing. Parallel to this the youth had their own prayer meeting. There was also a planning meeting of the children's ministry last night and a team went to hold a service on a farm near Green Pastures.

Sunday, 9 February 2025

Lizards

Liz and I went for a nice long walk at Green Pastures on Friday afternoon and saw an abundance of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus lizards. We also saw Rock Cavies, Cavies and 4 wild tortoises. Bird life was also plentiful with Rufous-browed Peppershrikes, White-tipped Doves, Spotted Nothuras, White-naped Jays and Red-cowled Cardinals. Rufous-bellied Thrushes and Campo Troupials are nesting near the meeting hall, as when the rains start the birds start nesting as rain means an abundance of caterpillars and butterflies etc. for them to eat.

Yesterday afternoon Liz went to visit Vanessa who is a member of the Patos church and is not well. She lives in the village of Campo Comprido 8 km from Patos.

Last night I led the service at our Green Pastures church and I preached too on 'the law came through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ' (John 1:17). It was a lovely service with the praise led by Érika, Netinho and Rogério. Josué, Paulo Silas, Fred, Dodora, Fabricia and Julio also took part.

Last night too a youth group went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte in support of Dedé and the Christians in Action group who go there weekly seeking to plant a church. We have 5 members there. Please pray for Ipueira. 

Saturday, 8 February 2025

Deuteronomy 14 (résumé): Clean & unclean food

Moses starts this chapter condemning pagan self-mutilation practices for the dead because they must live as God's chosen people. From this Moses goes on to remind the Israelites of their eating laws with animals that chew the cud and divided hoofs (bull, goat, sheep etc.) being classified as clean and fine for eating, whereas animals that don't have both these features (camel, rabbit, pig and coney etc.) were taboo.

As regards water creatures the defining factors of cleanliness was that they should have scales and fins. Those without were not to be eaten.

Flying creatures were deemed edible other than kites, falcons, vultures, owls, hawks and bats. Flying insects that swarm should not be eaten, and nothing found dead could be eaten. 

Finally in this section for the third time (Exodus 23:19 & 34:26) in the law cooking a young goat in it mother's milk is banned. It is strange to see this emphasis and many think this is because it was something carried out in pagan rituals.

The chapter's final section focuses on the tithing of the Israelites annual produce. Such tithes were used for the upkeep of feasts, the upkeep of the Levites and to help orphans, widows and foreigners. 

Deuteronomy 13 (résumé): Worshipping other gods

Moses continues now to warn against idolatry. First he says that if any prophet or dreamer arises enticing the Israelites to worship other gods then they must realize that this is in fact God testing them and they must execute the offender. 

Then Moses says that even if someone really close to you tries to secretly entice you to paganism they must be executed without pity. It doesn't matter if it is your brother, son, daughter, wife or best friend. Whoever it is must be stoned to death.

In the case of a conquered town turning to idolatry Moses says they must totally destroy the town killing all its inhabitants and livestock. Then they must set fire to the town and its plunder in the town square as a burnt offering to God.