Rehab Chickens

It is wonderful how we have been able to help the drug rehab centre at Princesa Isabel set up the 2-Wings chicken project for egg and chicken produce run by the inmates looking after the chickens on their way to recovery from drugs. Please pray for the 2-Wings Chicken Runs and for the drug users at Rehab that they might come to know the Lord as Saviour. They hear the Gospel twice a day every day and have a very good 50% recovery rate which is very high for this difficult work and ministry. The people at rehab spend 7-months in recovery.

The Pastors and Leaders Family Conference is going very well and we had a lovely devotional service last night with fervent prayer, spirit-filled praise and edifying reflection on God's word. Now we are going into a senior leadership meeting and value your continued prayers.

Conference Team

Liz moved the Pastors' Conference team to Green Pastures yesterday afternoon all ready to prepare the opening meal for midday today. Liz is an incredibly hard worker and very organized.

Last night I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study and Pastor Murilo brought the study on the Parable of the Weeds from Matthew 13.

Yesterday I was happy to complete half the book of Second Corinthians in writing of summaries of the Bible chapter by chapter,  so 6 chapters to go after the conference. The 2nd epistle is not as enthralling as the 1st, but we all have our off-days! 

The 2 species of wild cats constantly found at Green Pastures Conference Centre and Nature Reserve are the spotted Leopardus tigrinus and the larger rust coloured Hepailurus yagouaroundi (which is sometimes also seen with a dark blue/grey colour).  

2 Corinthians 7 (résumé): Paul's Joy

 Paul now says at the beginning of chapter 7: "Make room for us in your hearts because we have wronged no-one... I have great confidence in you and take great pride in you... my joy knows no bounds... it was tough when we came to Macedonia as there was no rest and we were harassed at every turn... but we were encouraged by Titus's arrival... and what he told me greatly increased my joy... although I know my previous letter hurt you... but I am glad that your sorrow led you to repentance... worldly sorrow brings death but Godly sorrow brings repentance... we are encouraged... and Titus's spirit has been refreshed by all of you.. and our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true... and his affection for you has grown". 

2 Corinthians 6 (résumé): Paul's Hardships

Paul begins chapter 6 telling the Corinthians that "now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation... Paul then refers to the lengths to which he has gone to bless and help the church suffering troubles, hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, hunger, and always with patience, purity and kindness... we have opened our hearts to you, but you are withholding yours from us... open wide your hearts also!" "But don't be yoked with unbelievers... for what fellowship can light have with darkness?... therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord".

2 Corinthians 5 (résumé): Our Heavenly Dwelling

Paul now starts chapter 5 comparing the human body to an "earthly tent" and expresses the Christian hope of after death receiving "an eternal house in heaven... for which we long... so that mortality be swallowed up by life... so whilst we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord... but we know that one day we will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ... thus we try to persuade men concerning this... because Christ died for all so that people don't just live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again... and if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone and all things have become new... for God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ... and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation... for which we are Christ's ambassadors... so be reconciled to God... because he made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God!"

2 Corinthians 4 (résumé): Treasures in Jars of Clay

Paul starts 2 Corinthians 4 saying: "By setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God... but the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers... but we don't preach ourselves... we preach Jesus Christ... whose light shines in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ... and we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God... so we are hard pressed but not crushed... perplexed but not in despair... persecuted but not abandoned... struck down but not destroyed... and we are given over to death for Jesus' sake... for we know that God who raised Jesus will also raise us with Jesus... so that the grace which is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God... therefore we don't lose heart but are being inwardly renewed daily... for our light troubles are bringing eternal glory".

2 Corinthians 3 (résumé): The glory of the New Covenant

 Paul commences chapter 3 saying that he doesn't need a letter of recommendation because the transformed lives of the Corinthian Christians constitutes that letter, "written by the Spirit of God on the tablets of human hearts... for our competence comes from God... for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life... and if the law on stone came with glory... how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit which brings righteousness... Moses would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from seeing the glory... but when someone turns to God the veil is taken away... and where the Spirit is there is freedom... and we are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory".