Exodus 9 (résumé): More plagues

Now God sent further plagues to try and force Pharoah to set his people free. First he sent a plague on Egypt's livestock whilst Israel's was plague free. This plague caused the death of all Egyptian livestock, yet still Pharoah remained resolutely intransigent. Following this God sent a plague of boils and festering boils broke out on the Egyptians and their animals. God kept calling Pharoah to release his people, but he would not heed. So God sent the biggest hailstorm ever with thunder and lightening and the plantations were ruined. Pharoah was initially relented with this, but once Moses had called off the storm he changed his mind and resisted giving the Israelites their freedom.  

Exodus 8 (résumé): Frogs, Gnats & Flies

God continued to pressure Pharoah into freeing his people through the sending of 3 further plagues of Frogs, Gnats and Flies, but stubborn Pharoah would not give in. Twice he initially said he would release the Israelites, but he went back on his word each time. The Egyptian magicians even managed to imitate the plague of frogs, but not the gnats or the flies. Despite the repeated infestations of frogs, then gnats and then flies, Pharoah would not be moved and just hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

Men's Fellowship

The Tuesday men's fellowship meeting was cancelled because one of its participants' Fabio's father (Buita) died that morning. His father had been ill for four and a half years so it was a happy release from his suffering.

Yesterday morning I conducted the funeral service of 66-year-old Buita. Sacha and Rogerio did the praise and Liz and Pastor Rafael also spoke. Everything went off smoothly. When the service ended we walked over the road to the committal in the cemetery and as Buita had been an ambulance driver the road was blocked off by ambulances with their sirens sounding and their lights flashing. Then at the entrance to the cemetery there was a guard of honour with lines of men from the ambulance brigade in uniforms. It was very moving. 

I have prepared my sermons for this Sunday in João Pessoa - Boa Esperança (19th anniversary), and for the following Saturday at Juru (40th anniversary). The pastor of the first church is Manoel Oliveira Filho and of the second is Esequias (Ezekiel!) de Oliveira. 

There has been a terrible murder this week in Patos of a beautiful little 6-year-old girl called Aylla. She was shot and killed in cold blood as she played with a 17-year-old boy in front of their house. The boy was also shot and is in hospital in intensive care. What the motive was for the shootings is not yet known, but I have heard that arrests have just been made. 

Friends Service

Sunday night's service was a 'Friends Service' when the church members were encouraged to bring a friend to church. 32 friends came in a wonderful night of evangelism at which our daughter Sacha preached a lovely message entitled: 'Jesus - the friend for all circumstances.' One decision was made for Christ at the end of the service.

In the election run-offs Brazil's largest city São Paulo re-elected their right-wing Mayor Nunes and in the capital of our state, Joao Pessoa, the incumbent Mayor Cícero Lucena was also re-elected. 

In edition #102 of EAB's InTouch magazine the cover photo I took of an elder sister Ana Sophia caring for her baby sister Ana Cecília is a lovely shot. You will soon receive it in the post, but it's already available on the EAB website at www.eabrazil.org

I had various online meetings with pastors today discussing a variety of subjects. Your prayers are valued for this constant important aspect of my work.

Exodus 7 (résumé): Aaron to speak for Moses

God told 80-year-old Moses and his 83-year-old brother Aaron to go and tell Pharoah everything he told them to say, with Aaron as the spokesman because Moses always said he couldn't do the speaking because he had faltering lips. (It makes me wonder if Moses was not just scared, but perhaps had some sort of speech impediment?) God said however that stubborn and perverse Pharoah would not budge and that God would even harden his heart further. "In no way does God force Pharoah to act against his own will. To the contrary, he gives Pharoah the courage to obstinately resist and stick to his original plan." (R.C.Sproul) When Moses and Aaron asked for the release of the Israelites from Pharoah he asked for a miracle in order to back up their request, so they threw a staff on the floor and it became a snake. However Pharoah's sorcerers and magicians did the same thing before Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Despite this Pharoah continued to reject their request. So God commenced sending a sequence of plagues upon Egypt and firstly turned the Nile into blood killing all the fish in it making it undrinkable, but the Egyptian magicians managed to imitate the plague as Pharoah totally rejected the appeal for freedom. 

Exodus 6 (résumé): God promises deliverance

The Lord said to Moses that now he would see what he would do to make Pharoah set the Israelites free. God emphasized that he had not forgotten his covenant with them and told Moses to tell them that he was going to deliver them from the yoke of the Egyptians and take them to Canaan as he had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However the Israelites would not listen as they were in a very low state. So God told Moses to go and tell to Pharoah to free the Israelites, but Moses retorted that if the Israelites wouldn't listen to him the chances of Pharoah listening were a lot less! There then comes a genealogical insertion into the narrative which has the purpose of focusing on the lineage of Moses and Aaron and the steadily unfolding plan of God. "All through the Egyptian bondage, God was quietly and unobtrusively at work so that when the moment of deliverance came His instruments of deliverance were there to meet it." (H.R.Jones) 

Green Pastures

I went to Green Pastures and saw the following birds: Caatinga Cacholote, Eared Dove, Picui Ground Dove, Burrowing Owl and Southern Wren. Everything is scorched dry as we haven't had rain for months now and the heat is increasing by the month as Christmas approaches. The coldest winter time in the UK is the hottest time in north-east Brazil.

Being on the BBC's Global Minds panel it was interesting to see that in their latest survey on arts and culture one of the videos they sent didn't work, which made it impossible to complete the survey. Even the BBC get bugs in their systems! They have now apologized and fixed it, so I have now answered it.

The mining giants BHP and Vale have signed a deal with the Brazilian government to pay nearly $30bn (£23bn) in compensation for the Mariana dam collapse in 2015 that caused the country's worst environmental disaster. Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva attended the signing of the deal on Friday. The dam collapse released toxic waste and mud, which flooded nearby towns, rivers and forests. It killed 19 people, left hundreds of others homeless, and poisoned the river.

Britishers are famous for their tea drinking and I was wondering how much tea you drink a day? I drink 4 mugs of tea in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and 1 in the evening which is at least 1.5 litres of tea per day!

Yesterday QPR managed an heroic 0 x 0 draw at Burnley which is next to top in the Championship.

Last night we were involved in a head-on collision on our way to preach at our Teixeira church's 59th anniversary service up in the mountains. I still managed to preach despite us being pretty shaken up. A drunken driver suddenly veered off his side of the road and smashed straight into us leaving our car a mess. A police car was soon on the scene. The drunken driver had no driving license and the vehicle was not taxed! He was taken to the police station and his vehicle was impounded. A recovery lorry came and got our car bringing it back to Patos for repairs, and our son-in-law Hutan came and got us after the service. We are grateful to God that we were not injured in the accident.

The latest edition #102 of EAB's magazine is now available online at www.eabrazil.org. The hard copies on paper will be with everyone by post in the near future.

Exodus 5 (résumé): Bricks without Straw

Moses and Aaron went and asked Pharoah to allow the Israelites to go and hold a festival for God in the desert, but Pharoah refused and told them to get on with their work. Pharoah was annoyed by their insistence and so increased their workload by no longer supplying the chopped straw used in mud brick making. The Israelites were forced to find their own straw whilst maintaining their daily production levels. Israelite work foremen were beaten by the Egyptian slave drivers for not maintaining their daily quotas. When the foremen complained to Pharoah he just hit back by calling them lazy. So the foremen said to Moses and Aaron that they had only made things worse, and Moses passed the complaint on to God.

Exodus 4 (résumé): Signs for Moses

Moses further questioned God as to what if the people didn't believe him or listen to him, so God gave him some signs to encourage faith. God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it became a snake, but when he picked it up it became a staff again. So too God made Moses's hand leprous and then restored it just by putting it inside his cloak. Hence Moses was to show these signs to the Hebrews to reinforce his credibility. However, Moses still placed obstacles before God saying he wasn't eloquent enough for the task, but God said he would help Moses speak. Yet still Moses resisted, asking God to send someone else, which infuriated God who said he would make Moses's brother Aaron his spokesman. Moses therefore went with his wife and children in the direction of Egypt and warned Moses that Pharoah would stubbornly resisted letting the Israelites go. On the way there was an incident because one of Moses's son's had not been circumcised. His mother placated the wrath of God by quickly circumcising him so that Moses's life was spared. Aaron joined Moses, they did the signs before the people and told them of God's concern about their situation  

Exodus 3 (résumé): Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses went to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, and he saw the angel of the Lord in a burning bush which did not burn up. When Moses got nearer God spoke to him telling him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob so Moses hid his face. God said that he had seen the suffering of his people in slavery and had come down to rescue them and take them to Canaan which was flowing with milk and honey. And God told Moses that he was sending him to Pharoah so as to bring his people out of Egypt. Moses reacted saying "who am I" to do this? God guaranteed that he would be with Moses and that once delivered the people would come and worship on Mount Horeb. Moses also asked God's name so as to be in a position to answer the Israelites' possible question about this, and God told him to say that I AM had sent him. So, God told Moses to go and assemble the elders of Israel and tell them that God would set them free and take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Then with the elders Moses should go and request from Pharoah permission for the Israelites to go on a 3-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord. However, God knew that Pharoah would not agree and that he would need to strike the Egyptians with many things in order that he be willing to set the Israelites free. Nevertheless, God said her would work on the Egyptians so that they would be disposed to give them silver and gold objects prior to their deliverance.   

Patos anniversary

Patos celebrated yesterday its 121st anniversary as an independent political entity or municipality. Brazil is divided into 5,570 municipalities which are themselves divided into 26 states (our state is called Paraiba) plus one federal district where the national capital Brasilia is. The states are divided into five regions: South, Southeast, North, Northeast (where we are!) and Central West. To celebrate our municipal anniversary it was a local holiday yesterday.

Brazilian President Lula did not go to the BRICS conference in Russia because he slipped in his bathroom, whilst cutting his toe nails, and cut his head open needing stitches!

QPR actually managed to play a match this week and not lose! They drew 1 x 1 at home to Coventry and moved off the league's bottom spot to 23rd out of 24! Amazing! 😂

Exodus 2 (résumé): The Birth of Moses

Two Levites married and when they had a son the mother hid him for 3 months to avoid the Pharaonic death decree. When she could hide him no longer she put him in a floating basket amongst the reeds of the Nile. (She had almost obeyed Pharoah's decree to throw baby boys into the river!) One of Pharoah's daughters saw the basket and felt sorry for the baby crying. The baby's sister stepped in and offered Pharoah's daughter to get a Hebrew nanny (the baby's mother!) to care for the baby. When the child grew older he was taken to Pharoah's daughter to be her son and she named him Moses. One day after Moses had grown up he went and observed how his Hebrew people endured hard labour and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew so he intervened and killed the Egyptian. When this came to the ears of Pharoah he wanted to kill Moses so Moses fled to Midian. There a priest called Jethro had 7 daughters who came to a well, where Moses was, to water their flock and he helped them with their task. When their father learnt of Moses's kindness he invited him to eat and stay with them and he ended up giving his daughter Zipporah in marriage to Moses, and they had a son whom they named Gershom. Considerable time later the king of Egypt died but the Israelites continued to groan in their slavery and their cry for help went up to God. God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and was concerned about the Hebrews.     

Exodus 1 (résumé): The Israelites oppressed

There were 70 descendants of Jacob when the Israelites entered Egypt but as time went by they multiplied a great deal. One day a new Pharoah, who didn't know about Joseph, came to power and he became very wary of the size of the Israelite population which he viewed as a potential danger. So the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites and forced them into slavery, but still they kept growing in numbers. Therefore the king of Egypt ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill the boys being born and only let the girls live, but they feared God too much to do such a thing. When Pharoah realized his order wasn't being obeyed he questioned the midwives who told him the babies were being born before their arrival. Hence the Hebrew population just kept growing fast so that Pharoah made a decree saying that all mothers must throw new born boys into the river! 

Genesis key points

Having written the résumés of the 50 chapters of Genesis the whole story reminds me of so many stories I heard from my Sunday School teachers at Peniel Chapel as a child. Creation, the Fall, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, the Ark and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sodom and Gomorrah, Jacob wrestles with God, Laban, Lot, Esau and Joseph. Women receive a lot less attention in Genesis than the men but there are Sarah, Hagar, Leah, Rachel, Lot's wife, Rebekah, Dinah and Tamar which stick in my mind. It has been a joy re-travelling through the book of Genesis.

One particular story sticks in my mind linked to Lot's wife when I was 6-years-old. My mother was in the maternity hospital giving birth to my younger sister Joy and my elder sister Jean and I were being looked after by a sister from the church called Mrs. Hurst. One day our budgerigar said: "Remember Lot's wife!" and Mrs. Hurst thought at first that it was God speaking to her! 😂

Genesis 50 (résumé): The mourning of Jacob

Upon his father's death Joseph threw himself upon him, wept and kissed him. Then he directed the doctors to commence the 40-day embalming process and the Egyptians mourned for 70 days. After this Joseph communicated his father's wish to be buried in the land of Canaan to Pharoah which he supported. So Joseph departed accompanied by all the dignitaries of Egypt, all his household and his brothers. This very large crowd travelled together with chariots and horsemen and when they arrived near the River Jordan they observed a further 7 days of mourning. Then they proceeded to the family ancestral burial cave in Canaan where they buried Jacob before all returning to Egypt. However Joseph's brothers feared retribution for their evil acts of the past from Joseph now that their father was dead and buried but Joseph reassured them that this would not happen. Joseph and all the family remained in Egypt where Joseph died and was buried at the age of 110.  

Railways

The Brazilian government has announced that it is to revive the railway system by recovering the 11.1 thousand kilometres out of action which is 36% of the total rail network. This is an excellent move which I have long advocated as the overloaded roads need an alternative.

Yesterday a person came up to Liz in the middle of her work and asked: "What must I do to be saved?" Liz led him to the Lord on the spot.

We had a good meeting of our senior leaders lasting just over an hour discussing the future church leadership of our central church at Princesa Isabel and the purchase of some land to build a church at Ipueira in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Last night I travelled to the town of São Mamede where I preached on the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4 about our offering of worship to God. A good number was present to hear the Gospel and the service was rich in participations and praise.

Genesis 49 (résumé): Jacob blesses his sons

Jacob called all his sons around him to speak to them prophetic blessing as he was about to depart this life. First he spoke to his firstborn Reuben who excelled in honour and power but whose tribe will no longer excel because of his sin in Genesis 35:22. Next he spoke to Simeon and Levi who were two of a kind. They were cursed by Jacob for their violent vendetta of Genesis 34. Then came the lion of the tribes, Judah, "whose blessing in length and eloquence is only matched by that of Joseph, which it far outdistances in its range of prophecy. It is a miniature of the biblical scheme of history." (Kidner) It predicts leadership of the nations for Judah, and involves the exuberant abundance of the golden age of the Coming One. Jacob then blessed Zebulun, Issachar and Dan with brief comments. Dan's call was to judge, but his choice as a tribe was violence and treachery as in Judges 18. This was followed by brief words to Gad, Asher and Naphtali before launching in to eloquent words to Joseph, remembering his past tribulations but focusing on his victories through trust in God.  Thus copious blessings are called down upon Joseph for the future. Then came the final brief blessing for Benjamin. Jacob then reminded the family that he wanted to be buried in the ancestral burial cave near Mamre in Canaan and then he breathed his last.

Genesis 48 (résumé): Manasseh and Ephraim

Jacob became ill as he approached death so Joseph took his 2 sons Manasseh and Ephraim to see him. Jacob recalled God's blessing given to him at Bethel when he promised him his great increase in numbers and the everlasting possession of Canaan. Jacob said that Joseph's 2 sons born to him in Egypt would be part of his heritage, as he sat them on his knees kissing and embracing them. Then Jacob blessed Joseph and his boys but he inverted the sons' blessings giving Ephraim the firstborn's blessing instead of Manasseh. Joseph tried to correct him but Jacob insisted on it being that way in a gently ironic way remembering Jacob's history. 

Genesis 47 (résumé): Jacob meets Pharoah

Joseph presented 5 of his brothers to Pharoah and then presented his 130-year-old father. Pharoah told them they could live in the best land in Goshen and Jacob blessed Pharoah twice. Jacob and his people all received food to help them survive the drought. The famine continued and people began to run out of money to purchase food from the government stores so Joseph started to receive the people's livestock in exchange for food. When the livestock ran out Joseph accepted the people themselves and their land in exchange for food, and reduced all the people to slavery. But Joseph distributed seed for everyone to plant on the condition that 20% of the produce would go to the Pharoah. Meanwhile the Israelites prospered in Goshen and greatly increased in number. When Jacob approached his death at the age of 147 he made Joseph swear that he would bury him when he died in his ancestral burial place in Canaan. 

More Baptisms

4 were baptized at the weekend at our Ibiara church. PTL!

QPR were beaten at home on Saturday 2 x 1 by Portsmouth and are now bottom of the Championship! 😕

On Saturday afternoon we took part in the EAB Board Meeting which went off very well. Then later we did a live participation in the EAB celebration which was nice. It was lovely to see a good crowd gathered there and we thank very much everyone who went and supported the event. We also thank Pastor David Fiddy for being the speaker.

The run-off of the election in João Pessoa will take place on the 27th because the incumbent mayor Cicero Lucena only got 49.2% of the vote on the 6th. He will probably win in the run-off as his opponent Marcelo Queiroga only obtained 21.8% in round one.

This blog nowadays has two distinct parts. First there is the diary part with our news and comments. This is posted on every odd day of the month. The second part is my résumé of the Bible which I have challenged myself to do in 4 years. So far I have done 46 chapters of Genesis in 28 days. I do not have any set days to post this but do it as much as I can when I can.

On Saturday night I led the service at Green Pastures and preached. Fabio led the praise and worship.

4 were baptized yesterday at our church in São Sebastião do Passé in the State of Bahia. 

Last night I led the main service of the week and young lawyer and Bible College graduate Murilo preached a superb sermon on Mathew 5:1-5.

Genesis 46 (résumé): Jacob goes to Egypt

Israel (Jacob) set out for Egypt and when he reached Beersheba he offered a sacrifice to God. Then God spoke to him in a dream and told him not to fear going to Egypt because there he would make him a great nation before bringing him back again to Canaan. However God said Joseph would be with him at his death in Egypt. So Jacob left Beersheba and went to Egypt with all his family, livestock and possessions. Jacob's descendants who went with him to Egypt were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and their sons (these were the sons born to Leah and the total number of sons and daughters was 33). Then came Gad, Asher and their sons (who were born to Zilpah who was the handmaiden to Leah - which totalled 16 children). Then came Joseph, Benjamin and sons (totalling 14 children born to Rachel). Finally there were Dan, Naphtali and sons (totalling 7 born to Rachel's maid Bilhah). So Jacob's descendants were 66, not including his daughter-in-laws, but adding Joseph's family born in Egypt the total number of Israelites in Egypt at this time was 70. Joseph got on his chariot and rode out to meet the party and he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 

Genesis 45 (résumé): Joseph makes himself known

Joseph could not bear it any longer, so finally told his brothers who he was, and they froze in silent fear! But Joseph told them not to be afraid because all that had happened had been part of God's plan to save lives. Joseph then told them to go and get his father and all his people, flocks and herds so that he could care for them in the 5 years of famine which were still ahead. Joseph wept and hugged Benjamin and kissed all his brothers. When Pharoah got to hear about this family reunion he was thrilled and told them to bring Jacob and all to enjoy the fat of the land. So the brothers travelled to Canaan and gave their father the wonderful news that Joseph was alive as the governor of all Egypt! At first he couldn't believe it, but when he saw all the carts that convinced him, and he agreed to go to Egypt to see Joseph before he died.

Brazilian Summer Time

The government has decided not to introduce Brazilian Summer Time as it would be a very unpopular move. They think we can get by without power cuts. 

I have been involved in long discussions today with senior pastors regarding our church without a pastor at Princesa Isabel. Please pray. 

The Brazilian Presbyterians are to found a Portuguese speaking church in London next month. This will add to the 100 Brazilian evangelical churches in the UK for a population of 220,000 Brazilian UK residents! 

I led the mid-week service and we had a nice time of prayer together followed by solos from Vasti and Espedita and Scripture spots from Adriana, Deborah Maria, Marcio, Dede, Marcos and Jacyara. The Bible study was brought by Pastor Rafael and the praise was led by Erika and Rogerio. It was a good service.

Today is the day of the annual EAB celebration with tea at 6 pm and the service at 7 pm. Speaker: Pastor David Fiddy. Live link with us here in Brazil. Venue: Lighthouse Community Church, Hardley, Southampton, SO45 3NZ. Please be there if you can!

Yesterday at Green Pastures I saw Eared Doves, Picui Ground Doves and Guira Cuckoos.

Genesis 44 (résumé): A silver cup in a sack

As it approached the time for the brothers to return to Canaan Joseph had their sacks of grain filled to the brim, with each man's silver returned in each sack. Joseph also instructed his servants to put his own silver cup in the mouth of Benjamin's sack. So at dawn the men got on their donkeys and left, but they hadn't got far when they were caught up and halted by Pharoah's steward who accused them of the theft of Pharoah's own silver cup which he used for divination. The men strongly denied any such thing, but the steward searched sack by sack, starting with the eldest, and of course the cup was in the last sack belonging to Benjamin. They were all devastated and returned to the city. When they faced Joseph they all thought they would now be taken into slavery but Joseph said that just Benjamin would be his slave. With this Judah pleaded with Joseph that he take his youngest brother's place as their return without Benjamin would kill their father.

Genesis 43 (résumé): The second journey to Egypt

When Jacob's food was running out he asked his sons to return to Egypt for more supplies but he was very reticent to allow Benjamin to go with them. However Judah convinced his father that there was no alternative as Joseph had demanded it. So the 10 sons went back to Egypt taking gifts with them and were received by Joseph, who organized lunch for them at his house, where Simeon (who had been detained by Joseph) was able to join them. Upon seeing Benjamin Joseph found it hard to control his emotions and had to leave the room to cry. Then lunch was served with Egyptians eating separately from Hebrews for cultural ritualistic reasons and Benjamin received 5 times as much as everyone else!

Genesis 42 (résumé): Joseph's brothers go to Egypt

Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt so he sent 10 of his sons there to buy some, only keeping his youngest son Benjamin with him. Governor Joseph recognized them when they arrived but they didn't recognize him in robes and speaking Arabic using an interpreter. He accused them of being spies and imprisoned Simeon as a guarantee of their return. For he demanded that they return with their younger brother Benjamin as proof of their honesty, thus proving that they were not spies. Joseph then dispatched then with grain, but returned their payments inside their sacks. However Jacob refused to allow than to return to Egypt with Benjamin.

Genesis 41 (résumé): Pharoah's Dreams

Two years later, when Joseph was 30-years old, Pharoah had 2 dreams which none of his wise men could interpret. In the first there were 7 beautiful fat cows that were swallowed by 7 ugly thin cows. In the second dream Pharoah dreamt of 7 healthy heads of corn which were swallowed by 7 unhealthy heads of corn. It was then that Pharoah's chief cupbearer remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream in the prison and he told Pharoah. So Pharoah called Joseph who, clearly giving the glory to God, interpreted the dreams. He said that both dreams meant the same thing which is that Egypt would have 7 years of abundant harvests followed by 7 years of famine. Joseph added that Pharoah needed to appoint someone to oversee the storage of grain in the years of plenty so that they have enough for the years of famine. Pharoah was so pleased with the interpretation, with the help of God, that he appointed Joseph himself to be in charge of everything in Egypt and to implement the harvest storage plan. Joseph was given total authority and Pharoah even gave him Asenath as his wife, with whom he had 2 sons Manasseh and Ephraim. So Joseph set about the storage of the abundant harvest of the 7 years of plenty so that when the famine came everyone was cared for, including neighbouring countries also affected by the drought.

Genesis 40 (résumé): The Cupbearer and the Baker

Pharoah's chief cupbearer and chief baker offended their master so he put them both in prison (where Joseph was) where they had simultaneous dreams. The cupbearer dreamt of a vine with 3 branches which produced grapes which he squeezed into Pharoah's cup and gave it to him. With God's help Joseph interpreted the dream saying that the 3 branches meant that in 3 days time Pharoah would restore him to his post of chief cupbearer. Joseph asked him to put a word in for him with Pharoah once he was released because he was in jail unjustly. The baker dreamt that he had on his head 3 baskets of bread which birds came and ate. Joseph interpreted this dream too saying that it meant that in 3 days time Pharoah would hang him and that birds would come and eat his flesh. 3 days later it was Pharoah's birthday and he held a big party where he restored the cupbearer to his role but he had the baker hanged just as Joseph's interpretations of the dreams had foretold. Sadly though the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Men's Fellowship

We had a very good men's fellowship meeting on Tuesday night and there were 11 men present. Chief of the Police Esau led the meeting and I brought the inductive Bible study on seeking and remaining in Christ. A most profitable and participative discussion developed which was a blessing.

We are sorry to inform that our dear friend Ken Rashleigh passed away yesterday, but he is with the Lord which is far better. Ken was the brother of EAB trustee Marian Rashleigh. Marian did a tremendous job caring for Ken to the end. We will miss you Ken!

Liz and I went on another round of visiting the sick in the Patos Regional Hospital yesterday. Our main visit was to see 66-year-old Buita who is the father of Fabio who sings in our praise and worship group. His father has been in hospital for 9 days with pneumonia and looks far from well. Buita has been ill with severe depression for four and a half years. How his wife copes is difficult to imagine. After Buita we visited 89-year-old Francisca who used to go to our church. She has had a stroke.

I have been preparing sermons with one for this Saturday after the EAB annual celebration and the other for next Tuesday in the town of Sao Mamede.

5 new converts have been baptized at our Conceicao church.

2 of our young people have passed their BAR exams and are now fully fledged registered lawyers. One is Rayla who is the wife of my associate pastor Rafael. The other is Murilo who also has a degree in theology and who preaches in the Patos church.

Genesis 39 (résumé): Joseph and Potiphar's wife

Joseph was a slave in Egypt working for one of Pharoah's officials called Potiphar. Potiphar soon realized that God was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did. So Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household and entrusted to him everything he owned. However Joseph was well-built and handsome and Potiphar's wife fancied him and tried to start an affair! Joseph firmly resisted her constant attempts to have sex with him because it was sin and because it would be a betrayal of his master's trust in him. One day Potiphar was away, and no servants were about, so again Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph and get him into bed with her, but Joseph ran away leaving his cloak behind in the rush. The woman in her anger grabbed the cloak, twisted the story and told her husband that it was Joseph that had tried to rape her. Potiphar was furious and sent Joseph to jail. However God remained with Joseph and soon he was given a position of authority within the prison.   

Funeral

The funeral which I conducted on Sunday afternoon went off very well with the church full. We then drove to the cemetery where I did the committal. However an unpleasant incident ensued as a sister of the deceased immediately after the committal launched into a load of catholic hail Marys as a weight of spiritual darkness covered the place. It was a great reminder of what our late sister Socorro Help had been delivered from!

I have been having important discussions with our senior pastors and leaders regarding the vacant pastorate of our Princesa Isabel church. This was the first church of EAB/ACEV inaugurated by Albert and Daisy Mundy back in 1943. Please pray for God's guidance as to a new pastor for this church.

Liz went to the Monday night prayer meeting but she never got to pray because she was intercepted by someone who needed urgent counselling, so she concentrated on that in a side room.

Genesis 38 (résumé): Judah and Tamar

Judah married the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua and she gave him 3 sons: Er, Onan and Shelah (daughters hardly get a look in in the book of Genesis!). Years later Judah got a wife called Tamar for his first born Er, but he was wicked so God killed him. Thus in this chapter there ensued a battle for Tamar's right to be the mother of Judah's heir. Judah called on Er's brother Onan to perform the cultural duty of a brother-in-law producing offspring for his deceased brother, but he used to have sex with Tamar but ejaculated onto the ground. This displeased God so he killed Onan too. This left one brother-in-law Shelah but he was too young. Many years later Tamar dressed as a prostitute and put on a veil and tricked her father-in-law into having sex with her and she became pregnant without him realizing who she was. Tamar was given Judah's seal, cord and staff as part of her payment. 3 months later Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant and Judah wanted to burn her to death! However he soon changed his mind when Tamar produce his seal, cord and staff proving that he was the father of the child. Judah admitted that Tamar was within her rights as he had failed to send his son Shelah to be her husband. So Tamar gave birth to twins: Zerah and Perez. 

Genesis 37 (résumé): Joseph's dreams and sale

Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he was born to him in his old age, and he made him a special richly ornamented robe which made his brothers extremely jealous. Joseph dreamt that when binding sheaves of corn with his brothers, his sheaf rose and stood upright whilst all his brothers' sheaves bowed down to it. The brothers' jealousy and anger only grew with this as they accused Joseph of having intentions to rule over them. Then Joseph had a further dream in which the sun, moon and stars bowed down to him. His brothers' jealousy grew even stronger but Israel kept the matter in his mind. Then one day Joseph went to see if his brothers were alright grazing the flocks near Dothan and when his brothers saw him coming in the distance their jealousy and anger led them to plot to kill him. Reuben convinced them not to kill him but they stripped him of his ornamented robe and threw him into an empty cistern. When some Midianite merchants came by the brothers sold Joseph to them as a slave for 0.2 kilos of silver and they took him to Egypt where they sold him to Potiphar who was Pharoah's captain of the guard. They then dipped his coloured coat in blood and presented it to their father as evidence that he had been devoured by some wild beast so Israel wept and mourned Joseph's presumed death.

Genesis 36 (résumé): Esau's descendants

This chapter is exclusively about Esau, his wives, sons, leaders and rulers, before returning to the central line of Jacob in the following chapter onwards. Esau is alternatively called Edom. Edom is like a nick name, hence the nation of the Edomites are the descendants of Esau. Esau had 3 wives from the women of Canaan: Adah, Oholibamah and Basemath. Esau went with them, their sons, daughters, all the members of their household and livestock to live in the hill country of Seir which is some distance from Jacob so as to give room for the livestock of them both. Esau's sons were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. There ensues a list of Edomite chiefs who were descendants of Esau and then a list of kings of Edom who also were Esau's descendants. Esau was therefore the father of the Edomites. 

Genesis 35 (résumé): The deaths of Rachel and Isaac

Under God's instructions Jacob went to Bethel and built an altar. He instructed all his household to get rid of all foreign gods, purify themselves and change their clothes. Then once again God confirmed Jacob's change of name to Israel and reconfirmed that his Abrahamic covenant was now applicable to him. Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him and called the place Bethel (means house of God). Having left Bethel they were on the way to Bethlehem when Rachel died in childbirth, though her son Benjamin survived. Israel (Jacob) travelled on to Migdal Eder where Reuben had sex with his father's concubine Bilhah. Jacob found out but did nothing about it. Jacob had 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun (by Leah); Joseph and Benjamin (by Rachel); Dan and Naphtali (by Bilhah); Gad and Asher (by Zilpah). Then Jacob came home to his father Isaac near Hebron and Isaac died there aged 180 so Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 34 (résumé): The rape of Dinah

Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, was raped by Shechem who was the son of the regional ruler called Hamor the Hivite. Shechem asked his father to get Dinah for his wife because he loved her, but Dinah's brothers were furious about Shechem's act. Hamor tried to negotiate a solution for his son but Jacob's sons replied deceitfully. They said the only deal they would agree to for Shechem to marry Dinah was that all the Shechmite males would have to be circumcised in order to permit intermarriage between the Israelites and the Shechemites. This was agreed, but it was a trick, and once all the males were in pain from circumcision 2 of Dinah's brothers attacked them with swords killing Hamor, Shechem and all the male Shechemites! They looted the city and seized all their livestock, belongings, wives and children. Jacob was concerned that they had gone too far, but his sons insisted that it was the honourable thing to do because their sister had been treated like a prostitute.

School Nature Trail

On Friday I was the guide for a nature trail at Green Pastures for a group of teenagers from the Auzenir Lacerda School. I always feel this work teaching young people to care for creation is so worthwhile. We saw 2 snakes (Boa Constrictors) on the trail together with White-naped Jays, White-tipped Doves and Campo Troupials.

Yesterday was the day of the patron saint of Brazil who is 'Our Lady of Aparecida'. Of course we don't believe in any of this. However yesterday was also 'Children's Day' which we commemorated with a joyful special service for the children in the afternoon.

Sadly our 80-year-old sister Socorro Help died yesterday in hospital after surgery for her fractured thighbone. The funeral will be this afternoon at 3 pm and I will be conducting it. She is with the Lord. 

Last night I travelled 180 km west of Patos to preach at the 75th anniversary service of our church at Conceicao. I had a meal with pastor Betinho and his family before the service. The service was very good with a full church. I got back to Patos just before midnight and then went to Socorro Help's wake.

Genesis 33 (résumé): Jacob meets Esau

As Jacob and Esau finally met, Jacob greeted Esau in a fearful formal way but Esau threw caution to the wind, embraced Jacob, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him! Then they both wept with emotion. There then ensued the introduction of Jacob's wives and children before Esau asked what was the meaning of Jacob's sending the livestock to him and Jacob said it was in order to find favour in his eyes. Esau said it wasn't necessary, but upon Jacob's insistence Esau ended up accepting the gifts. Esau then travelled to Seir and Jacob went to Succoth. Jacob went on to Shechem in Canaan where he bought a plot of land for 100 pieces of silver. There he pitched his tent and set up an altar which he called El Elohe Israel which means mighty is the God of Israel. 

Genesis 32 (résumé): Jacob prepares to meet Esau

Jacob went on his way and tensely prepared to meet his twin brother Esau after 20 years. Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to sound him out, and the messengers returned to say that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob and family with 400 men. This made Jacob feel acutely afraid and he divided his people and flocks in two halves so as to prepare for a possible attack by Esau's men. So Jacob prayed asking God for his protection and then he sent a gift to Esau of 200 female goats and 20 males, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 males. All this was to pacify Esau as he knew he had wanted to kill him. That night Jacob stayed alone by the River Jabbok and had an extraordinary experience with God. A theophany occurred in which God appeared in human form and wrestled with Jacob during the whole night. "The conflict brought to a head the battling and groping of a lifetime, and Jacob's desperate embrace vividly expressed his ambivalent attitude to God, of love and enmity, defiance and dependence. It was against God, and not Esau or Laban, that he had been pitting his strength". (Kidner) God touched Jacob's hip and left him limping, but Jacob would not stop until he received a blessing. So God changed his name to Israel, which means he struggles with God, and blessed him. And Jacob called the place Peniel (face of God). (Peniel Chapel was the name of my childhood/teenage church)

X (Twitter)

 X (Twitter) is finally back on the air in Brazil after a drawn out battle between its owner Elon Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court. Thankfully Elon Musk lost the battle paying a fine of over 4 million pounds, so X is now back in action. 

On Wednesday night Liz went with the women's fellowship to hold a service at the old people's housing estate called Cidade Madura where we have 2 church members living. It was a wonderful meeting with 11 of the residents taking part including one man who remembers Pastor Frank Dyer who was used of God 46 years ago to get him off drugs. 

Yesterday Liz and I visited sister Socorro Help in the Patos General Hospital where she is awaiting surgery for a fractured thighbone. She looks very frail. 

Yesterday 90 people from the Patos Special Needs School spent the day at Green Pastures where they really enjoyed themselves.

Last night I led the mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study with a good number turning up. Linda, Espedita and Vasti sang solos. Dede, Espedita and Mada brought Scripture shots. Marina and Davi led the praise. Mada, Dede and I led the prayers and Pastor Rafael brought the study from Obadiah 5-10. It was a lovely service. 

Today we have a high of 37 degrees and a low in the night of 22 degrees.

Genesis 31 (résumé): Jacob flees from Laban

God blessed Jacob abundantly with his flocks and Laban and his sons became very jealous. So God told Jacob to leave. Jacob organized his wives, children and livestock and left Paddan Aram to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan, without telling Laban he was leaving. Rachel even took her father's gods with her! Laban only discovered they had left 3 days later so he set off in pursuit and caught up with them a week later at Gilead. But God spoke to Laban in a dream not to speak harshly to Jacob. So Laban just complained about the way they had left without even letting him kiss his daughters and grandchildren goodbye, and especially complained about the theft of his gods. Laban searched for them but didn't find them because Rachel was sat on top of them hidden in her saddle and she told her father she couldn't stand up because she had a period! Nevertheless Jacob and Laban still argued about their past relationship, but eventually they agreed on making a mutual peace treaty or covenant, and then Laban left.

The Wells of Gerar

Yesterday I spent the day preparing a new sermon on the wells of Gerar from Genesis 26. I felt really blessed preparing it.

Tomorrow the Patos Special Needs School will be spending the day at Green Pastures and on Friday I will be giving another school a guided nature walk and talk.

This Saturday I will be preaching at our Conceicao church's 75th anniversary service.

Last night I travelled with the Patos men's fellowship to Sao Mamede where we held another street service. The service was led by school teacher Claudivan and Pastor Rafael preached from Matthew 15. I led the prayer which included 5 requests for prayer from the local folk. It was a good service.

Genesis 30 (résumé): The sisterly rivalry continues

In the light of the fact that Rachel could not become pregnant she gave her maid Bilhah as a further wife to Jacob, so as to give him children on her behalf. Bilhah gave Jacob 2 sons called Dan and Naphtali. When Leah was no longer getting pregnant she too gave her maid Zilpah as yet another wife for Jacob and she gave him 2 sons too on behalf of Leah called Gad and Asher. However then Leah returned to having children and she gave 2 further sons to Jacob called Issachar and Zebulun. plus a daughter called Dinah. (This reminds me of a lovely young woman called Dinah Prata Conserva who used to be a member of the ACEV Patos church and who died very young) Then finally Rachel had a child and called him Joseph. Following this Jacob tried to leave Laban taking his family and possessions with him, but Laban insisted on doing a further deal with Jacob because he realized the blessing of God was on Jacob's work which was advantageous to him. So Jacob proposed that he would care for Laban's flocks as long as all the dark spotted lambs would be his (as opposed to the normally white sheep) and all the kids with white marking would be his (among the normally dark goats). This Laban readily agreed to as Jacob was opting for the far rarer possibility. Jacob sought to implement the old wives' tale of prenatal conditioning by visual impressions, but the truth is that it was God who gave Jacob amazing blessing as he grew exceedingly prosperous coming to own large flocks, servants, camels and donkeys.

Genesis 29 (résumé): Jacob marries Leah and Rachel

When Jacob arrived at Paddan Aram he met with Laban's beautiful daughter Rachel and it was love at first sight! When Jacob told her who he was she ran to tell her father and he came and warmly welcomed Jacob. Having been there a month Laban asked Jacob what his wage should be for the work he was doing there, and he said he would work for 7 years in exchange for Rachel, which was agreed. When the time was up Laban organised a big party at the end of which Laban gave his other less shapely daughter Leah to Jacob. They slept together in the dark and it was only in the morning that he realised that he the deceiver had been deceived by his father-in-law! Laban only agreed to letting Jacob marry Rachel too in exchange for yet another 7 years' work, and Jacob always loved her more than Leah! Rachel however did not get pregnant immediately, but Leah gave him 4 sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. It was later forbidden to marry 2 sisters in each other's lifetime according to Leviticus 18:18.

Genesis 28 (résumé): Jacob's ladder

At the instigation of Rebeca, Isaac sent Jacob to find a non-Canaanite wife at the house of Rebeca's father Bethuel at Paddan Aram. He told him to marry one of Laban's (Rebeca's brother) daughters. On the way there Jacob stopped somewhere for a night's sleep and used a stone as a pillow. Then Jacob dreamt of a ladder going up from earth to heaven with angels going up and down on it, and at the top of the ladder was God who promised to give the land on which Jacob was lying to him. God also promised Jacob abundant offspring who would be a blessing to all peoples. Jacob awoke feeling he was in a very special place and in the morning he used his stone pillow to be a pillar, calling the place Bethel which means house of God. Jacob proceeded to ratify his covenant with God pledging a vow of allegiance and a tributary tithe. This proved to be Jacob's Damascus Road experience turning the circumcised son of the covenant from seeking salvation by works to securing it through a faith-struggle that would lead to a new name.

Genesis 27 (résumé): Jacob gets Isaac's blessing

When Isaac was old and blind he asked his eldest son Esau to hunt some game for him to eat so that when he brought it to him he could give him his blessing. Rebeca overheard the conversation and came up with a plan to deceive Isaac and get his blessing for her favourite son Jacob. She told Jacob to bring her some young goats so that she could prepare them as if they were game for Isaac, so that Jacob could present them to his father as if he was Esau. Jacob did this, put on some goat skin to make him seem as if he was hairy Esau, and carefully deceived Isaac into giving him his first-born blessing. When Esau finally arrived with his cooked game Jacob had already received Isaac's blessing and left, and both Isaac and Esau were horrified when they realized what a deception had take place! However it was too late. The blessing had been given and Esau burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said that Jacob had both taken his birthright and blessing! Rebeca then sent Jacob to live with her brother Laban so as to be out of the reach of Esau who was furious with him and wanted to kill him. 

Market Garden

A family has been selected for the market garden project at Sitio Bom Conselho in Matureia up in the mountains near the highest point in our state. Gilsandro (aged 49) and Maria Gilvaneide (aged 40) have 2 children.  They are firm Christians in our Matureia church. Gilsandro plays the piano accordion in the church praise and worship group although he doesn’t have an accordion but uses one that he borrows. Maria Gilvaneide helps at our school there which now has 260 children. Gilsandro starts work at 5 am every morning on his market garden before it gets hot. They have been kitted out with all the materials needed for the project such as a full range of tools, wheelbarrow, irrigation pipes and hose pipes, an irrigation timer, shading netting, a cross section of seeds, plastic boxes for the transportation of the produce to the market etc. Our agricultural expert is already visiting them and giving them guidance and advice which is being warmly received. Please pray for this family and project which is already going very well.

QPR lost again on Saturday away to Derby 2 x 0 and are now back in the relegation zone in 22nd place out of 24 teams. We just can't seem to get our act together this season. 

Yesterday was election Sunday, which occurs every 2 years, so our services are altered with an 8 am prayer meeting substituting our normal main service. The meeting was very nice. After the service I went and voted for mayor and councillor. Voting here is via computer so the results are known very quickly, but it's so sad to see how prevalent vote buying is in Patos. It still shocks me how it is so widespread and goes unpunished. As expected in Patos the incumbent Mayor Nabor was re-elected for the 4th time with 73.76% of the votes.

Genesis 26 (résumé): Isaac and Abimelech

There was a famine in Canaan and Isaac went for help from Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. God told Isaac not to go to Egypt which had plenty but stay put and trust in him as God reiterated his covenant promises made to Abraham. So Isaac stayed in Gerar. Whilst there Isaac played the same game with his wife being his sister as had his father. Like father like son! However the truth about Rebeca came to light before any sexual involvements occurred though Abimelech was most annoyed by the incident. Isaac planted crops in the land and received a bountiful harvest which added greatly to his wealth. The Philistines envied Isaac and filled their wells with earth, so Abimelech asked Isaac to move away and he moved to the Valley of Gerar. There Isaac re-opened the wells the Philistines had blocked up and gave them back their original names. Then Isaac's servants dug a fresh water well but this was disputed by the Gerar herdsmen so Isaac called it Esek (means dispute). They successfully dug another well but this again was disputed so he called it Sitnah (means opposition). Finally they managed to dig an undisputed well so Isaac called it Rehoboth (means room). Then Isaac went up to Beersheba where God appeared to him and promised his blessing. Isaac built an altar there, dug another well and called upon the name of the Lord. Then Abimelech and his men came and proposed a peace treaty with Isaac and they agreed to swear an oath to this end. When Esau was 40 years of age he married both Judith and Basemath and they were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebeca.

Genesis 25 (résumé): The death of Abraham

After Sarah died Abraham married Keturah and she gave Abraham 6 sons. Abraham died aged 175 and he left everything he owned to Isaac, but while he was still living he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. Isaac and Ishmael buried their father in the cave alongside Sarah. Ishmael eventually died aged 137 having been the father of 12 sons. Isaac married Rebekah aged 40 but they only had children 20 years later when Rebekah had twins to make up for lost time! Hairy Esau was born first and then came his brother named Jacob. Esau became a skilful hunter whilst Jacob was a quieter sort staying more at home. Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Jacob. One day Jacob was cooking lentil stew and Esau came in famished so he asked for some. Jacob agreed as long as Esau gave him his birthright to which he agreed.

Genesis 24 (résumé): Isaac and Rebekah

This is a romantic chapter. Abraham got his chief servant to solemnly swear to him that he would travel to find his son Isaac a wife. For Abraham did not want Isaac to marry a local Canaanite but wanted him to marry someone of his original family stock. The servant asked what he should do if the girl would not go with him, and Abraham answered that God would send an angel before him so that things would work out. Then the servant went with 10 camels and many gifts and travelled to Nahor where he stopped by a well and prayed for success in his mission. He asked that God would signal that he had found the right girl who came to the well by her offering him water and water for his camels. A beautiful virgin called Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, approached the well so the servant asked her for water which she gave him as well as offering to water his camels. It was the sign he had asked of God! So he gave Rebekah a 5.5 gram gold nose ring and two 110 gram gold bracelets and went to spend the night at her father's house. Rebekah's brother Laban saw the nose ring and bracelets and warmly received the servant who proceeded to explain how and why he had come seeking a wife for Isaac. Laban and Bethuel accepted the proposal as of the Lord and agreed to the marriage, so the servant gave gold and silver jewellery and clothing to Rebekah. He also gave costly gifts to Rebekah's brother and mother. The next day when the servant wanted to return to Abraham and Isaac with Rebekah there was some reticence by the family but Rebekah was resolute in her going. So Rebekah, her nurse and maids went with the family's blessing riding camels to the land of Canaan. When Rebekah saw Isaac she covered her face with a veil, the servant told Isaac the whole story and Rebekah became his wife whom he loved very much.

Genesis 23 (résumé): The death of Sarah

At 127 years of age Sarah died at Hebron in the land of Canaan so Abraham mourned her death. Then Abraham proceeded to purchase a field with a cave from the Hittites (the sons of Heth) as a burial site which cost 4.5 kilos of silver, and he buried Sarah in the cave. 

Genesis 22 (résumé): Abraham tested

This chapter has one of the most amazing stories of the Bible. God told Abraham to go and sacrifice in a burnt offering his so long awaited son Isaac on Mount Moriah! Abraham set out with Isaac, 2 servants and a donkey and headed up the mountains. When they arrived at God's chosen location Isaac queried where the lamb was for the sacrifice and his father replied that God would provide it. Abraham built the altar, laid out the wood on it, placed Isaac on top and raised his knife to kill him. In the nip of time the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from doing it and expressed his pleasure with such proof that he feared God. Then Abraham sacrificed a ram caught in a nearby thicket and called the place 'The Lord will provide'. The angel of the Lord then said that  because Abraham had obeyed in this way he would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

Genesis 21 (résumé): The Birth of Isaac

At the ripe old age of 90 Sarah finally gave 100-year-old Abraham his covenant son Isaac (means he laughs) just as God had promised, and Abraham circumcised him when he was 8-days-old as his covenant with God demanded. When Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast but tensions arose with Hagar and Ishmael mocking. So Abraham sent them away at Sarah's request and Ishmael almost died of thirst in the desert. However God showed Hagar a well, saved Ishmael who would become a great nation, he became an archer and married an Egyptian. A disagreement arose between Abraham and Abimelech over a well so they made a treaty at Beersheba (means either well of seven or well of the oath) over the matter with Abraham giving 7 lambs as a witness that it was Abraham who had dug the well. To mark the occasion Abraham planted a Tamarisk tree and called upon the name of the Lord. 

Genesis 20 (résumé): Abraham and Abimelech

Here is a repeat of what Abraham did in Genesis 12. Abimelech, the king of Gerar, fell for Sarah upon believing the lie that she was Abraham's sister, and he took her (at 90 years of age... she must have been amazingly beautiful!) into his harem. God rebuked Abimelech in a dream before he had slept with her, and he pleaded his innocence prior to obeying God by returning Sarah to Abraham together with the gifts of sheep, cattle, slaves and 11.5 kilos of silver. This bizarre incident ended by Abraham praying for Abimelech's  household's healing.

Elections

The whole of Brazil will go to the polls this Sunday, October 6th, to elect Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors in 5,570 municipalities amidst an electorate of 155 million. There will be run-offs in the larger cities like Sao Paulo on October 27th. In Patos there are 4 candidates for Mayor: Nabor (the current Mayor seeking re-election for the 4th time and forecast to win), Ramonilson (who used to be a judge), Edileudo (school teacher) and Aline (I don't know her). Patos has 17 councillors and there are about 150 candidates disputing these places.

Liz has just gone rushing over to 80-year-old Sister Socorro Help's house as when she is in difficulties she always wants Liz. Our sister had had a nasty fall, has a nasty lump on her head and has a fractured thighbone. Please pray for her. 

I led the prayer meeting and Bible study on Thursday night and Fabio led the praise. Vasti and Espedita sang solos. Deborah Maria, Marcio, Marcos and Dede read scripture portions and Pastor Rafael brought the study from Obadiah 1-4. It was a lovely service. 

The general drought all over Brazil is very bad. In the normally very wet Amazon rain forest the River Negro is at its lowest level for 122 years! Please pray.

Genesis 19 (résumé): Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed

The 2 angels from the previous chapter arrived at Sodom and Lot gave them hospitality. However after eating, but before they got to bed, the house was surrounded by men demanding to have sex with Lot's visitors! Lot naturally resisted this as the men's (angels) safety was his responsibility, and he offered his virgin daughters as a substitute for the men saying the mob could do what they liked with them! However the mob insisted on having the men, until the visitors (angels) caused the depraved mob to go blind putting an end to their folly. Following this the men/angels urged Lot and his family to flee Sodom because they were about to destroy it because of its depravity and sin. Lot's future son-in-laws did not take this seriously so just Lot, his wife and 2 daughters escaped. So God rained down cataclysmic burning sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them and their inhabitants. However during their escape Lot's wife looked back in hesitation and was engulphed by the molten material of the explosion. Lot and his 2 Sodom-tainted daughters went to live in a cave in the mountains where the daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him. The elder daughter had a son which she called Moab (Moabites) and the younger had a son which she called Ben-Ammi (Ammonites).

Genesis 18 (résumé): The Three Visitors

The first part of this chapter says God appeared to Abraham together with visitors. These 3 visitors are probably not a reference to the trinity but they are most probably God with 2 angels. The visitors were very warmly received with a lavish meal of veal, cakes baked on the open hearth, curd and milk in accordance with Bedouin culture and hospitality. God said that within a year Sarah would give Abraham a child and she laughed to herself at this unlikely happening at 90 years of age! The visitors then walked on in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah and God said they were going there to investigate their reported grievous sin. When Abraham perceived the imminent divine judgement upon those places he interceded if there were at least 50 righteous people there in order to save the cities from destruction. This bargaining went on as not 50 or 45 or 40 or 30 or 20 or 10 could be found!

Genesis 17 (résumé): The Covenant of Circumcision

When Abram was 99 years old God came to him to confirm their covenant and changed his name to Abraham which means father of many. God confirmed the land of Canaan as Abraham's family's eternal possession, and also confirmed Abraham's fruitful dynasty. God decreed that Abraham's family's side of the covenant was for all male babies to be circumcised when 8 days old. This was to be the mark of the covenant. God also changed Sarai's name to Sarah, which means princess, and confirmed that she would yet give him a covenant son. At this Abraham roared with laughter at the thought of him having this son aged 100 and of Sarah finally giving birth at 90! However God insisted that Sarah would give Abraham a son which would be called Isaac which means he laughs, but confirmed that he would also bless Ishmael albeit in a lesser way. So all males in Abraham's household were circumcised.

Genesis 16 (résumé): Hagar and Ishmael

Abram's wife Sarai suggested to Abram that he take her maid Hagar as a concubine, so as to solve the problem of his lack of an heir, and he agreed. Such practice was in keeping with the legal code and marriage practices of that era. However once Hagar became pregnant to Abram tensions grew between her and Sarai and she ended up going away. But an angel found Hagar and told her to return to Sarai. He told her to call her son about to be born Ishmael which means God hears. He said that Ishmael would be against everyone like a wild donkey! Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Genesis 15 (résumé): God's Covenant with Abram

Abram had a vision in which God told him not to fear because his reward would be very great. Abram questioned this because he didn't even have an heir. God replied that Abram would yet have a legitimate heir and his offspring would be as numerous as the stars, living in the land of Canaan. To confirm and guarantee this God carried out a covenant ritual with Abram involving the sacrifice of animals and birds. Amidst sleepiness and darkness God told Abram that his descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land (Egypt) for 400 years after which they would be released with great wealth. Then a theophany passed between the pieces of the sacrificed animals confirming God's covenant promise to Abram that his descendants would inhabit the land between the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

Men's Fellowship

On Tuesday night I spoke to the men's fellowship about 'walking with Jesus' through hearing his word, looking to Jesus in faith and following the Lord carrying one's cross. The meeting was led by the Chief of Police Esau and was very good.

QPR have lost again - this time at home to Hull City 3 x 1. 😖

We have been distributing more hair sheep with poor farm dwellers in the municipality of Imaculada. 3 went to the Sitio Gloria community, 1 went to the Sao Agostinho community and the other went to the Sao Goncalo community. All those that received them were very happy and blessed.

My sister Jean has been taken into hospital for surgery for an obstructive strangulated hernia which was causing her agony and lots of vomiting. She was originally seen by an ambulance paramedic who diagnosed a virus! The NHS is not what it used to be!

I have just been to Green Pastures where I saw 2 Burrowing Owls, a Crested Caracara and a Black Vulture.

Yesterday afternoon Liz and I went to visit our 89-year-old deaconess Beatriz who is recovering from double cataract surgery and doing very well. What a wonderful woman of God she is!

Our social worker Marah Danielle is back from her marathon trip to Sao Paulo (2,668 km) and Aracaju (600 km). First of all she spoke at the 4th 60+ Conference with 180 participants. She spoke about our churches in the north-east and about our projects and much interest is reported. Then she travelled to Aracaju to the RENAS conference which unites churches and NGOs who share our interest in integral mission uniting church planting and evangelism with social action projects. She also spoke at this event. It is so good for us isolated up here in the north-eastern semi-arid sertao to have contact and fellowship with our brethren down south.

Genesis 14 (résumé): Abram rescues Lot

This chapter relates the occurrences of wars between different kingly coalitions in the Middle East region and as part of this warring all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot was living, were seized and Lot was taken captive. When word reached Abram about this he mobilized 318 special forces, attacked Lot's captors, recovered Lot's possessions and released Lot together with his people. Having defeated Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him Abram met with the priest and king Melquizedek who blessed Abram for his victory. Abram gave Melquizedek a tithe of all his possessions. Then the king of Sodom tried to get Abram to keep the spoils of his battle, but Abram turned the offer down. 

Genesis 13 (résumé): Abram and Lot separate

Abram, Sarai and Lot returned from Egypt to the Negev. Abram had become very wealthy in silver, gold and livestock and Lot had flocks and herds too, so that quarrelling developed between Abram and Lot's herdsmen over pasture. Abram therefore magnanimously offered for Lot to choose which land he wanted so that they could go their separate ways and live in peace. Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan and pitched his tents near Sodom, and so Abram settled in the land of Canaan. Then God told Abram that he would give that land to him and his offspring. And so Abram built an altar to the Lord at Hebron.

Genesis 12 (résumé): The Call of Abram

God called Abram to leave Haran and go to a land which he would show him. God said he would make Abram into a great nation and that all people on earth would be blessed through him. So at my age (75!) Abram left for the land of Canaan which God said he would give to Abram's descendants, taking with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and all his possessions. However a famine led Abram to temporarily move to Egypt and Abram invented a lie saying his beautiful wife Sarai was his sister, for fear of being killed by the Egyptians after his wife! Sure enough Pharaoh fell for Sarai and took her into his harem, showering her "brother" Abram with gifts of sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and servants! The truth only came to light when God inflicted disease on Pharoah as a consequence of his inadvertent sin, and Abram and Sarai returned to Canaan with all their entourage. 

Imaculada

On Sunday Liz and I travelled 71 km south west of Patos to preach at our Imaculada church's 40th anniversary service. The trip up the Teixeira mountain went well and we had a little picnic on the way. The service was lovely despite a power cut which reduced everything to being done by the light of mobile phone lighting! A men's group sang, a women's group sang, a group from the Sitio Gloria branch church sang, adolescents did choreographies and then I preached on 'The mission carries on' based on Mark 16:15-20. After the service the church served a lovely cake to all the about 180 people present.

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Last night Liz went to the prayer meeting which was good, was led by Mada and there were 12 present.