Rain stopped Pray!

Last night's Patos Men's Fellowship meeting was cancelled owing to heavy rain falling. At Green Pastures yesterday in rained 22 mm taking the annual total up to 648.6 mm.

Isaiah 15 (résumé): A Prophecy against Moab

This chapter is an oracle against Moab: "Ar in Moab is ruined and destroyed in a night... Kir in Moab is destroyed in a night... every head is shaved and every beard cut off... in the streets they wear sackcloth... my heart cries out over Moab... they lament their destruction... the waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass withered... nothing green is left... their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim... and Dimon's waters are full of blood!"

Isaiah 14 (résumé): The Lord will have compassion on Jacob

Isaiah 14 promises the restoration of post-Babylonic Israel: "Once again God will chose Israel and will settle them in their own land... and the house of Israel will possess the nations... and rule over their oppressors." The chapter then features a mocking taunt-chant concerning the fall of the Babylonian king: "How the oppressor has come to an end... the grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming... all your pomp has been brought down to the grave... with maggots on top of you and worms beneath... you said you would make yourself like the most high but you are brought down to the depths of the pit... like a corpse trampled under foot... I will sweep Babylon with the broom of destruction."

The chapter then closes with prophesies against Assyria and the Philistines: "I will crush the Assyrian in my land... his yoke will be taken from my people... do not rejoice all you Philistines... your root I will destroy by famine... melt away all you Philistines... the Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge."

Linda

People who have stayed in our house will remember Linda who has always helped Liz with the cooking when we have visitors. Well today, aged 72, she is getting married to a brother in the Campina Grande area who is in his 80s. Both of them have recently lost their spouses so they have decided to take the plunge! Please pray for Linda and her new husband Hermes.

Yesterday we did our usual work bringing people into the Care Centre dentist and taking them home again. 

I have just done Pilates! 🏃

Business Meeting

Yesterday morning we held a church business meeting when lawyer Murilo was chosen to be a new assistant pastor and our daughter Sacha was chosen to be a missionary which is the term used for female ministers. Both decisions were unanimous for these two who have been ministering the word in the church for a long time. We also discussed increasing our Gospel tracts distribution and we organized the training of a new emergency committee for untoward eventualities. We also defined all the church ministries leaders for the coming year. It was a very good meeting.

On Saturday 15 young people from Patos went up the mountain to Teixeira for evangelism together with folk from our church there. 9 of them went in the Kombi. The day was a blessing.

Last night Pastor Rafael and I led the service and Sacha preached an excellent sermon on John 5:1-15. I dedicated a baby called Eloah. It was a really blessed service.

Sonata Form

I have been listening to Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony which was my set work for music GCE O level in 1965. My focus was on the sonata form of the first movement with its exposition, development and recapitulation. Those were the days at Quintin School in St. John's Wood.

QPR sadly lost their last home game of the season to Derby 3 x 2. 😖

Last night I led the service of the Green Pastures Church and preached on John 7:37-38. It was a good service.

Tchaikovsky + Elgar

I have been listening to Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto whilst I did devotional and administrative work. The concerto reminds me of my tropical fish aquarium when I was a boy at Grammar School because I used to listen to it a lot whilst watching the fish. I also listened to Elgar's Cello Concerto. 

I went to Green Pastures and saw a beautiful large Rufescent Tiger-Heron near the dam. Around the house and dormitories we have scores of birds nesting like the White-throated Seedeater, Red-cowled Cardinal, Campo Troupial, Scaled Dove, Picui Ground Dove, Caatinga Cacholote, Rufous-bellied Thrush etc.

It rained a further 3 mm yesterday at Green Pastures taking this year's rainfall total up to 626.6 mm. The average annual rainfall is 702 mm. I will be preaching at the Green Pastures church tonight.