Soup Run

Yesterday our Soup Run team was out again distributing a delicious thick chicken soup or broth to the needy in the Rua do Meio area of Patos distributing 70 meals together with gospel tracts. What was especially interesting was the way the people asked for prayer from the team. One lady was heartbroken as she had just had her 3 children taken away from her as she had been drunk and disorderly and unable to care from them. 

Our visitation team, led by deaconess Deborah Maria, visited 87-year-old Judite yesterday. Judite only has one eye but she is doing alright. Please pray for Judite. 

Sacha's mother-in-law continues in intensive care in the Patos Regional Hospital and is still gravely ill. Please pray for Eleni. 

Galatians 6 (résumé): Doing good to all

Paul concludes his letter to the Galatians discoursing about how life should be in the Spirit. "If someone is caught in a sin... restore him gently whilst watching yourself not to be tempted... and carry each other's burdens... remembering that a man reaps what he sows... and he who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life... so don't get weary in well doing... but do good to all people especially the family of believers... but never boast except in the cross of Christ... for neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation!... and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers, amen!"

Galatians 5 (résumé): Freedom in Christ

Paul starts Galatians 5 exalting Christian freedom from the yoke of the slavery of law and the freedom to live a Spirit-filled life. He says: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free... the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love". Paul then says that Christian liberty does not mean doing whatever we want. Instead, believers should serve one another in love. "Do not use your freedom to indulge sinful nature, but serve one another in love... live by the Spirit!... for if you are led by the Spirit you are not under law... and those who live practicing the acts of sinful nature will not inherit the kingdom of God... but against the fruit of the Spirit there is no law... and since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit". 

Galatians 4 (résumé): Paul's concern for the Galatians

Galatians 4 continues to show that salvation is through faith in Christ and not by Jewish law. Paul emphasizes that Christians are no longer slaves but God’s adopted children and heirs. He says: "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out Abba Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son". Paul then points out that before the Galatians knew God they were slaves to paganism and they should be careful not to return to "those weak and miserable principles". Paul then goes on to express his concern regarding the Galatians and asks: "What has happened to all your joy?" They previously would do anything for him, but now they are distant so he asks: "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?... I am perplexed about you". Paul finally in this chapter uses the story of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, as an illustration. Hagar represents the covenant associated with slavery and Sarah represents the covenant of freedom. Ishmael was born in the ordinary way, but Isaac was born according to God's promise. Paul therefore concludes that Christians are children of the promise, like Isaac, saying: "You, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise". 

Toad in the Hole!

We didn't have a toad in the hole last night but a large toad in the bedroom! We invited it to leave with the help of a broom before it ended up getting into bed with us! 👾Liz is OK with frogs and toads, but just loathes cockroaches! 

Liz went to visit 85-year-old Fleurisa who is the mother of our excellent deaconess Deborah Maria. She has been in hospital for quite a while now. Who is also in hospital in intensive care is Biba's 79-year-old mother Eleni. Biba is Sacha's husband. Please pray for Fleurisa and Eleni.

Yesterday I finished writing the summaries of Second Corinthians and I am now half way through Galatians. This means I have concluded 92% of the Bible. 

Galatians 3 (résumé): Faith or observance of the Law

Paul explodes at the beginning Galatians 3 saying: "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" He was shocked by the Galatians' wanting to add the Jewish law to Christ! He asked them if they received the Spirit by observing the law or by faith in Christ? He points to Abraham who believed and it was credited to him as righteousness. And the Scripture foresaw the salvation of the Gentiles saying "All nations will be blessed through you". No-one is justified by the law... because the righteous shall live by faith... Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law... so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus. "The law therefore was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith... and now faith has come we are no longer under the supervision of the law... for you are sons of God through faith in Christ... there is neither Jew, Greek, slave, free, male nor female. But we are all one in Christ".

Galatians 2 (résumé): Paul accepted by the Apostles but opposes Peter

In Galatians 2 Paul relates how 14 years after his first visit as a Christian to Jerusalem we went there with Barnabas and Titus who was a Gentile and he presented the message he was preaching, but Titus was not called upon to be circumcised. "God does not judge by external appearance... and they saw that I had been given the task of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles... and James, Peter and John gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship... so they went to the Jews and we went to the Gentiles... but they asked us not to forget the poor". Then Paul goes on to tell how he faced Peter for drawing back from the Gentiles because "he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group... for we have put our faith in Christ that we be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no-one will be justified... and I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me".