Shark bite

11-year-old João Lucas, who was bitten by a shark in Recife, has had to have his left leg amputated and continues in isolation in hospital to protect him from infection. Please pray for João Lucas. 🙏

Last night I led the communion service in Patos and I also preached on Isaiah 35. It was a lovely service. Pastor Rafael went with his wife Rayla and led the service at Imaculada. This too was a real blessing.

Jeremiah 21 (résumé): God rejects Zedekiah's request

Jeremiah 21 tells how King Zedekiah sent Pashhur and Zephaniah to ask for God's help against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who was attacking them. God's reply through Jeremiah was that to the contrary God would attack Judah owing to their persistent sin and disobedience. "I myself will fight against you with an outstretched arm in anger and fury and great wrath". God then says that he will attack Jerusalem's inhabitants with a terrible plague and will then hand over King Zedekiah and his officials to Babylon. "Whoever stays in Jerusalem will die by sword, famine or plague, but whoever surrenders to the Babylonians will survive". Then God will give Jerusalem into the hands of Babylon who will destroy it by fire. Then the chapter ends with a specific word of the Lord for the house of David telling them to administer justice and protect the vulnerable or face God's wrath... "and I will punish you as your deeds deserve".

In the dark

 I was all set to preach last night on 'the great I am' at Green Pastures when I received a call from Francisco telling me that the lighting had gone off so there was no way to hold the service in the dark as we need an electrician to solve the problem. I then proceeded to contact the different farmsteads calling off the service. God willing I will preach there next week and hold the monthly communion service.

Tonight I will be preaching on 'The Joy of the Redeemed' from Isaiah 35 in Patos at the communion service. Pastor Rafael will be preaching at Imaculada. 

Twenty chapters

Yesterday I was able to make good progress with my résumés of the prophet Jeremiah, as in recent days I did a lot of work on sermon preparation for tonight at Green Pastures and tomorrow in Patos. I also did a lot of work on EAB's Action Child and Action Schools project with first half yearly reports and children's letters. But now I have completed the first 20 chapters of Jeremiah so there are 32 chapters to go!

I have been involved in long pastoral meetings dealing with some important issues around the churches and value your prayers.

I will be preaching tonight on "The Great I am" (John 8:58) at the Green Pastures church.

Jeremiah 20 (résumé): Jeremiah and Pashhur

Jeremiah 20 tells of the clash between priest Pashhur and Jeremiah because Pashhur didn't like what Jeremiah was prophesying so he had him arrested, beaten and put in stocks for the night! When Jeremiah was released he immediately made a direct prophecy for him renaming him 'terror on every side' and foretelling that he and all Judah would soon be taken captive by the Babylonians to face death and captivity. Then Jeremiah pours his heart out to God because he feels humiliated and devastated with all he was going through just because he proclaimed God's truth. In his lowest moments Jeremiah curses the day he was born as things had got unbearable for him, but he didn't give up because God's "word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot".

Jeremiah 19 (résumé): Break the clay jar!

In Jeremiah 19 God tells the prophet to "go and buy a clay pot from the potter" but this time he doesn't remake the pot with moist earth, but he breaks the pot before the people symbolizing the destruction that God is about to practice on his people. For the people have forsaken God... burning sacrifices to foreign gods... they have built the high places of Baal and practiced infant sacrifice so that the Valley of Ben Hinnom was re-named the Valley of Slaughter! The bodies will be eaten by bird and beast and also in a future siege people will resort to cannibalism eating their own children! So when Jeremiah smashed the clay pot he said this was what God was going to do to Judah! And Jeremiah confirmed that God was about to carry out all his threats.

Jeremiah 18 (résumé): The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah 18 brings us the famous metaphor of the potter and the clay. Who hasn't heard a few sermons on this passage of scripture? The text describes a potter remaking a clay pot as the original version wasn't satisfactory. So God, says Jeremiah, can do the same with any nation (or person) who needs changing or who repents of his sin. The text goes on to say through Jeremiah: "I am preparing a disaster for you... so turn from your evil ways... but the people stubbornly insist on their own ways". God says this is horrible... "my people have forgotten me and they burn incense to worthless idols... so their land will be laid waste... I will scatter them before their enemies". Then plotting against Jeremiah erupts again because people are angry at his constant warnings about judgement and disaster. Jeremiah calls to God in the face of the evil slander he is facing and asks for God to punish the people in anger".