Custard Apple

I have just eaten another delicious custard apple. I read on the BBC that they are coming in the UK so do try one if you can although they are probably expensive there.

The man who was going to be taken to drug/drink rehab and had his foot amputated has died in hospital. He made a commitment to Christ before he died.

The vaccination of people for Dengue Fever has been suspended after half a million people were vaccinated because 42 people had adverse effects including 2 deaths. The vaccine is being administered by the Brazilian NHS known as SUS. 

I took 2 people home from the Care Centre Dentist's surgery last night and saw the usual Burrowing Owls on the way.

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". 

Jeremiah 17 (résumé): Judah's sin

 Jeremiah 17 contrasts trusting man with trusting God. It starts saying that Judah's sin is engraved in their hearts with a flint stone as too it is on their pagan altars. As a result they will be enslaved to their enemies and exiled, because they have kindled God's anger. "Cursed is the one who trusts in man... and turns away from the Lord... he will be like a bush in the wasteland... but blessed is the man who trusts the Lord... because he will be like a tree planted by a stream". The text then goes on with the famous verse: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?... God searches the heart and examines the mind... and rewards according to what his deeds deserve... all who turned away from the Lord will be put to shame because they have forsaken the spring of living water". Then Jeremiah cries to God: "Heal me O Lord... save me (he was under a lot of pressure because of his unpopular prophecies)... the people keep ridiculing his prophecies that never come to pass... you Lord are my refuge in the day of disaster". The chapter closes calling the people to keep the sabbath and not to treat it as any other day. If they do this Jerusalem will last forever... "but if they don't keep the sabbath God will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem".

Jeremiah 16 (résumé): Day of Disaster

God is about to judge Judah and so he commands Jeremiah not to marry, not to go to funerals and not to take part in celebrations as a symbolic demonstration of being ready for the impending demonstration of the wrath of God. Then when the people ask the reason for such impending judgement Jeremiah is told to tell them it is because their fathers forsook him and followed and served other gods. However the current generation is worse still following the stubbornness of their hearts. So as punishment God will throw them out of their land and send them into exile where they can serve foreign gods as much as they like, but God will show them no favour. Despite the pronouncement of ruthless exile the chapter progresses to a more positive note with God promising to send out fishermen and hunters to find his scattered people and bring them to justice because "their sin is not concealed from my eyes... I will repay them double for their wickedness... and detestable idols". There ensues however still a promise of deliverance of God's people so much so that they will remember more the deliverance from Babylon than the deliverance from Egypt, and the nations will realize that their hand-made gods are not gods at all. 

Jeremiah 15 (résumé): Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem?

Jeremiah makes it clear that God's mind is made up to judge Judah owing to their sin and unrepentance, and not even Moses and Samuel intervening would make any difference! The message from God through Jeremiah is devastating: "Those destined for death let them die; those destined for the sword let them have it; those destined for starvation let them starve; and those destined for captivity so be it!" God goes on to say: "You have rejected me... so I will destroy you... I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people... because they won't change". Then the prophet cried out to God weighed down by the message of doom and despair that he is commissioned to deliver. "Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth... everyone curses me". But God replies saying he is with Jeremiah and will "make his enemies plead with him". Jeremiah responds asking God to remember him and care for him questioning why he has to suffer so much "pain unending" in the service of God? God reacts to Jeremiah's complaints calling on him to repent of his moaning and get on with the job. "If you repent I will restore you that you may serve me... and promises Jeremiah to protect him with a wall of bronze... saying he will save him from the hands of the wicked". 

Pastor Oseias

Our Pastor Oseias at the Itaporanga church has had some sort of mild heart-attack in which he passed out twice hurting his face a lot in the process with the impact of his falls. He is now in the hands of a cardiologist doing tests to arrive at a clear diagnosis and treatment. Please pray for Pastor Oseias and his wife Lucia at this time.  

Last night I led the prayer meeting and Bible study which went off very well with a good number present and many blessed participations in the service.

Custard Apple

I have just eaten a delicious 'custard apple' for my morning snack! 😋

Dona Florzinha is a lovely very poor middle aged lady who rides round Patos on a donkey cart collecting recyclable goods. Liz is her friend and every week gives her all our recyclable items like empty tissue boxes, empty yogurt cartons etc. Dona Florzinha has just taken our materials to the recycling centre where she sells them, not for much, but it all helps. 

Liz is now out distributing food hampers to the poor and hungry,

Today is a public holiday in Brazil for the Roman Catholic festival of 'Corpus Christi' (body of Christ) commemorating the transubstantiation of the literal body and blood of Christ in the mass. This day occurs on the Thursday 60 days after Easter. Of course we do not believe in transubstantiation, and on Sunday we will be holding our monthly communion service in which we share the emblems which represent the body and blood of Jesus which we remember with grateful hearts.

Snake

Yesterday a snake appeared in our Patos School and the headteacher called the Fire Brigade who came and "arrested" it! The children loved the diversion from regular lessons and once the fireman had hold of the non-venomous snake they all took turns in stroking it! I reckon the snake was glad to finally be released back into the wild after so much affection and attention! 🐉

Last night I went with the Patos Men's Fellowship to preach the Gospel in São Mamede in a street meeting. It was a nice little service with about 35 people present.

A young man in the process of being taken to rehab for alcoholic addiction is to have a foot amputated owing to advanced diabetes. He has made a commitment to Christ and the plan is to take him to rehab as soon as possible. Please pray for him. 

Shark

An 11-year-old boy has been bitten by a shark in Recife. It is the second shark attack in Recife this year. The boy is recovering well in hospital.

I took some people home from the Care Centre last night who had been attended by our dentist. On the way to the farmstead I saw 3 Burrowing Owls and I saw the same 3 on the way back.

Yesterday I finished sending the reports from our 15 Action Schools to our EAB UK Office. Our total number of pupils attended this year is 810. I also sent the translated letters from all the sponsored children.

Blog

Last month this blog was read 74,153 times. I checked this statistic and learnt that Google, who owns the blog site, is not completely reliable so I have no way of knowing what the correct figure is. But anyway thanks for being with us and thanks for all your prayers and support.

Last night I led the service in Patos and Pastor Rafael preached on Psalm 32:1-5. It was a good service with a full church.