The Bible study tonight will be on how to get "unhooked from mobile phones" and other modern day addictions! If you have doubt about this being in the Bible please pop down to Brazil and join our Bible study this evening! This matter arose because I encourage church people to ask questions for the Bible study nights so that I can scratch where they're itching.
Liz is in physiotherapy at the moment and doing well. She went to the Projects and Care Centre this morning and had an excellent meeting with our team. Please pray for the team as the danger they are in with our "battered women" project is quite spine chilling!
Thursday 30 June 2016
Tuesday 28 June 2016
Greatly blessed Weekend
The Youth night last Saturday was fantastic with regional music, a great play (which brought tears to my eyes), dance and I spoke on the relation between the Christian and Culture. It was a greatly blessed night with a packed church.
On the Sunday I preached again - this time on Psalm 138. I also dedicated a baby boy and Philip led this service as he did on the Saturday evening too.
Yesterday I had a meeting with a candidate for the Mayor of Patos in the October elections. He came to have a discussion with me together with his team.
Today I have prepared my sermon for this coming Saturday where I will be preaching up in the mountains at Juru. It's their 32nd anniversary service. It is at Juru that EAB is completely revamping a very poor special needs child's little house which had been near to collapsing.
It will be the communion service on Sunday in Patos and I will be preaching yet again.
Liz presses on steadily with her physiotherapy and the specialist has said that as from next week she can do exercises with her physiostherapist in a swimming pool as well as do some walking with just one crutch. So PTL Liz is steadily progressing! Thanks for your prayers.
On the Sunday I preached again - this time on Psalm 138. I also dedicated a baby boy and Philip led this service as he did on the Saturday evening too.
Yesterday I had a meeting with a candidate for the Mayor of Patos in the October elections. He came to have a discussion with me together with his team.
Today I have prepared my sermon for this coming Saturday where I will be preaching up in the mountains at Juru. It's their 32nd anniversary service. It is at Juru that EAB is completely revamping a very poor special needs child's little house which had been near to collapsing.
It will be the communion service on Sunday in Patos and I will be preaching yet again.
Liz presses on steadily with her physiotherapy and the specialist has said that as from next week she can do exercises with her physiostherapist in a swimming pool as well as do some walking with just one crutch. So PTL Liz is steadily progressing! Thanks for your prayers.
Friday 24 June 2016
Youth spend Public Holiday at Green Pastures
I watched the referendum results on TV last night and was still watching when the BBC finally declared the result at 12:40am our time (04.40am UK time). The decision has been taken and only time will tell what this will bring and cause. We watch and pray.
Today our church youth have spent the entire day at Green Pastures as part of our programme to get them away fom all the mess in Patos. They have had a great day. PTL!
I have prepared my sermon for tomorrow's youth night in the Patos church and am now working on my Sunday sermon.
Liz is getting increasingly more agile on her crutches. It is so good seeing her able to get around easier and freer.
Today our church youth have spent the entire day at Green Pastures as part of our programme to get them away fom all the mess in Patos. They have had a great day. PTL!
I have prepared my sermon for tomorrow's youth night in the Patos church and am now working on my Sunday sermon.
Liz is getting increasingly more agile on her crutches. It is so good seeing her able to get around easier and freer.
Thursday 23 June 2016
Liz is more mobile
Liz yesterday packed away her wheelchair and is now on crutches for everything. PTL! Her wheelchair will eventually be given to someone poor who needs it. Yesterday was a major step forward. She still has a lot of pain in her shoulders, which basically has been caused by pushing herself round in a wheelchair, but praise God she is slowly but surely getting back to normal. Thanks for your prayers.
I am busy preparing to speak to the special youth meeting this Saturday on "Christians & Culture". It will be a big very special meeting with choreography, drama, a regional music band from our Conceição church and me speaking. Philip will be leading. You will be able to watch the service live on the church's Facebook page or see it recorded the following day. It will be very different to the normal Sunday services so I think many will find it interesting.
We are conscious of the referendum in the UK and concerned about the result. I have deliberately not got involved here in this blog or anywhere else on the matter. Someone even asked me to use my blog in a certain direction which I refused. I have my opinion but refuse to get involved as EAB must go on after the referendum whatever its result. We pray.
I am busy preparing to speak to the special youth meeting this Saturday on "Christians & Culture". It will be a big very special meeting with choreography, drama, a regional music band from our Conceição church and me speaking. Philip will be leading. You will be able to watch the service live on the church's Facebook page or see it recorded the following day. It will be very different to the normal Sunday services so I think many will find it interesting.
We are conscious of the referendum in the UK and concerned about the result. I have deliberately not got involved here in this blog or anywhere else on the matter. Someone even asked me to use my blog in a certain direction which I refused. I have my opinion but refuse to get involved as EAB must go on after the referendum whatever its result. We pray.
Tuesday 21 June 2016
Annual Uproar in Patos
The annual St. John's Festival starts today (Tuesday) and runs for six nights till dawn next Monday morning. It is a period of lawlessness in Patos with drugs everywhere, excessive drinking, wild promiscuity and so the sad list goes on. The main attraction in the opening show tonight will start singing after midnight and is called "Wesley Safadão" which could best be translated as something like "Wesley chauvanistic pervert" or "Wesley recklessly immoral". I think that might give you a feel of the spirit of the festival!
In our church we always run a Christian alternative programme so please pray for this. The big Saturday night service will be the biggest night of this programme at which I will be speaking. It will be focused on regional music and choreography showing we as Christians are not opposed to local and regional culture but are against this culture being hijacked and perverted. This service will be shown on our live Facebook stream as will be the Sunday night service.
I have been dealing with a big problem at one of our smaller churches these past few days. It is at the ex-slave community of Barra de Oitis. Please pray for us as we handle a very difficult situation.
Today we have had further scientists at our Green Pastures Nature Reserve - this time to start reseach on Lizards - Iguanas, Giant Tejus and all the smaller varieties. It is wonderful how God is opening up doors to all this and very rewarding for all the hard work we have put in and are putting in to caring for God's earth. The photo below was taken this morning with the scientists.
In our church we always run a Christian alternative programme so please pray for this. The big Saturday night service will be the biggest night of this programme at which I will be speaking. It will be focused on regional music and choreography showing we as Christians are not opposed to local and regional culture but are against this culture being hijacked and perverted. This service will be shown on our live Facebook stream as will be the Sunday night service.
I have been dealing with a big problem at one of our smaller churches these past few days. It is at the ex-slave community of Barra de Oitis. Please pray for us as we handle a very difficult situation.
Today we have had further scientists at our Green Pastures Nature Reserve - this time to start reseach on Lizards - Iguanas, Giant Tejus and all the smaller varieties. It is wonderful how God is opening up doors to all this and very rewarding for all the hard work we have put in and are putting in to caring for God's earth. The photo below was taken this morning with the scientists.
Sunday 19 June 2016
Great Sunday Service!
I've just got home from a wonderfully blessed Sunday celebration where the ministry of the Word was abundantly blessed and appreciated. The live broadcast via the church's facebook page was a great success with people far and wide following. There were around a thousand with us at some point or other. PTL!
Saturday 18 June 2016
Please note new page for Patos church live this Sunday!
As from this Sunday the evening's service at 22:30 (UK time), 21:30 (New York time)
and 18:30 (Brasília time) will be transmitted live from the church's own Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/A%C3%A7%C3%A3o-Evang%C3%A9lica-Patos-PB-773650192729931/. Please watch if you can, and like or comment, so that we can
know you are watching. May God bless you and spread the word!
Wednesday 15 June 2016
Liz is on the move!
From total bed rest to wheelchair, and now on to the final phase of recovery on crutches - Liz is steadily recovering from her accident. PTL! Thanks for your prayers.
Monday 13 June 2016
Well done Wales!
Well done to Wales for civilized supporters and winning their first match in the European Football Championship. For England it was business as usual! Supporters on the rampage boozing like mad, and after winning all the qualifying matches only managed to draw their opening match.
Brazil were knocked out of the South America 'Copa America' football tournament last night having lost 1 x 0 to Peru. It's true that the goal was knocked in by another "hand of god" thing so clear that it was unbeleivable, but nevertheless the Brazilian team was pathetic and I fear to think how many they would have lost by had they been playing QPR!
Brazil were knocked out of the South America 'Copa America' football tournament last night having lost 1 x 0 to Peru. It's true that the goal was knocked in by another "hand of god" thing so clear that it was unbeleivable, but nevertheless the Brazilian team was pathetic and I fear to think how many they would have lost by had they been playing QPR!
That was the week that was
Liz continues to progress well... slowly but surely... with her physiotherapy which she finds very tiring as she has lost such a lot of muscle mass in her legs over the months stuck in bed. Nevertheless she was in church last night in her wheelchair and takes it a bit more in her stride each time she goes. PTL! The physiotherapist hopes to have Liz walking in about 3 weeks time. Prayers valued.
Last Wednesday saw the big research day at Green Pastures with almost as many PhD scientists as trees. It went really well. Their research is planned for decades with us. They are very enthused with our Nature Reserve which one scientist described as "amazing"!
Last Thursday's Bible study was beautiful. There was a wonderful presence of the Lord in the P&W. It was a "lift-off" night if you know what I mean. PTL!
On Friday the graduation ceremony I was supposed to be speaking at, together with a priest, was a right muck up! I spent ages preparing and then waited 45 minutes for something to happen when I got there only to discover that they had double booked pastors and so I left the youngster to get on with it. I chatted to the priest on the way out diplomatically explaining what had happened. Oh Lord! These things are sent to try us!
On Saturday I preached at the Campo Alegre farm near Green Pastures. About 50 gathered. It was a lovely service and well appreciated by all present.
On the same night there was a youth meeting in Patos + another for the deaf + the Christians in Action group went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State. Last night the service was excellent. I preached my 3rd sermon on Paul's 3rd Missionary journey. We're still in Ephesus (Acts 19:13-20) with false users of the name of Jesus getting beaten up but Jesus being exalted and His Word spread far and wide!
Last Wednesday saw the big research day at Green Pastures with almost as many PhD scientists as trees. It went really well. Their research is planned for decades with us. They are very enthused with our Nature Reserve which one scientist described as "amazing"!
Last Thursday's Bible study was beautiful. There was a wonderful presence of the Lord in the P&W. It was a "lift-off" night if you know what I mean. PTL!
On Friday the graduation ceremony I was supposed to be speaking at, together with a priest, was a right muck up! I spent ages preparing and then waited 45 minutes for something to happen when I got there only to discover that they had double booked pastors and so I left the youngster to get on with it. I chatted to the priest on the way out diplomatically explaining what had happened. Oh Lord! These things are sent to try us!
On Saturday I preached at the Campo Alegre farm near Green Pastures. About 50 gathered. It was a lovely service and well appreciated by all present.
On the same night there was a youth meeting in Patos + another for the deaf + the Christians in Action group went to Ipueira in Rio Grande do Norte State. Last night the service was excellent. I preached my 3rd sermon on Paul's 3rd Missionary journey. We're still in Ephesus (Acts 19:13-20) with false users of the name of Jesus getting beaten up but Jesus being exalted and His Word spread far and wide!
Tuesday 7 June 2016
On Your Crutches!
The results of Liz's fracture X-rays have been confirmed by the specialist as excellent. PTL! There is no sign of the fracture anymore! In fact the doctor got a bit confused as to which side of the pelvis had been fractured as of course both sides are now back to being the same!
This means that Liz has bought a pair of crutches for the slowly does it return to walking. It will be a sort of mix of bed, wheelchair and crutches from now on. The crutches have to be used with all the weight on the right leg at first, just sort of dragging the left one. Then after a few days 10% weight on the left foot and slowly increasing over the coming month. Liz will have to re-learn to walk.
Liz starts her first session of physiotherapy too tomorrow morning. She is obviously going to have lots of sessions to rebuild muscles etc. She also needs work done on her shoulders also painful from the accident.
So we are very grateful to God for the progress. The specialist was really pleased with the bone mending progress. Liz has really stuck to the rules and God has helped her too. Thank you for praying and please don't stop.
This means that Liz has bought a pair of crutches for the slowly does it return to walking. It will be a sort of mix of bed, wheelchair and crutches from now on. The crutches have to be used with all the weight on the right leg at first, just sort of dragging the left one. Then after a few days 10% weight on the left foot and slowly increasing over the coming month. Liz will have to re-learn to walk.
Liz starts her first session of physiotherapy too tomorrow morning. She is obviously going to have lots of sessions to rebuild muscles etc. She also needs work done on her shoulders also painful from the accident.
So we are very grateful to God for the progress. The specialist was really pleased with the bone mending progress. Liz has really stuck to the rules and God has helped her too. Thank you for praying and please don't stop.
X-Ray
Liz had 3 X-rays done on her left pelvis/hip yesterday, from different angles, and the result is apparently very positive. We must await the specialist's analysis later today to know the precise verdict and where we go from here. I would imagine that physiotherapy will now start but we shall see what the doctor says. Watch this space and thanks for your prayers.
Sunday's communion service was very good. Despite being very tired, as he only got back from the USA on Friday night, Philip led the service and I led the Communion and preached. It was a good team effort. You can see the service, which was broadcast live via Internet, at https://www.facebook.com/benlevermore/videos/1896355707258011/
Tomorrow at Green Pastures we have a whole bunch of university teachers and students doing a field lesson throughout the day.
I have been invited to speak at a graduation event involving catholics and protestants with me being the protestant! I am not sure what to do. It is too complicated a story to explain here. Please pray for me to take the right decision.
Sunday's communion service was very good. Despite being very tired, as he only got back from the USA on Friday night, Philip led the service and I led the Communion and preached. It was a good team effort. You can see the service, which was broadcast live via Internet, at https://www.facebook.com/benlevermore/videos/1896355707258011/
Tomorrow at Green Pastures we have a whole bunch of university teachers and students doing a field lesson throughout the day.
I have been invited to speak at a graduation event involving catholics and protestants with me being the protestant! I am not sure what to do. It is too complicated a story to explain here. Please pray for me to take the right decision.
Saturday 4 June 2016
Surprise Rain
Yesterday's rain at Green Pastures of 42 mm (1.75 inches) was a very pleasant surprise for which we are grateful to God and thank you for your prayers. Normally in June we can get the odd light shower but this amount is most unusual. This takes us up to a total this rainy season of 652 mm. The rain yesterday will really help the 6,000 tree seedlings we planted this year and which were already doing much better than those planted last year. Now this good rain will surely help most of them survive the routine drought in the second half of 2016.
We have fish in our lake again which were given to us by a neighbour so that is nice and is attracting lots of aquatic birds.
I finished my sermon preparation late last night for this Sunday's Communion service. I will preach on "The Way - establishing the church in Ephesus". (Acts 19:8-12) I finally got to terms with verses 11-12 which took me hours!
Tonight is the big annual united church outreach in Patos called "Jesus is so Good"! Our church is always well involved of course, which is good. Please pray.
We have fish in our lake again which were given to us by a neighbour so that is nice and is attracting lots of aquatic birds.
I finished my sermon preparation late last night for this Sunday's Communion service. I will preach on "The Way - establishing the church in Ephesus". (Acts 19:8-12) I finally got to terms with verses 11-12 which took me hours!
Tonight is the big annual united church outreach in Patos called "Jesus is so Good"! Our church is always well involved of course, which is good. Please pray.
Friday 3 June 2016
Patos main Sunday services now transmitted live each week
Every Sunday we are transmitting our main evening service on Facebook at www.facebook.com/benlevermore.
The service starts at 17:30 (New York time) or 22:30 (London time). The
transmissions have improved in quality so do join us for a while at
least, and get a feel of our EAB/ACEV Patos headquarters church.
Let it Rain!
After virtually no rain at all since April 15th we are having a good rain at the moment which I understand is approaching 2 inches at Green Pastures! PTL! Thank you for praying.
Philip is on his way back to Patos from the USA where all has gone well I understand. Thank you for praying for him. He should be back in Patos this evening. He managed to make a connection in Miami in 10 minutes (must be a world record!) and they didn't even leave his baggage behind in the process resultant from a delay in the flight from North Carolina to Miami.
This week I have worked on my sermon for Sunday's communion service but I haven't finished it yet as I am a bit stuck at Acts 19:11-12 as to how to interpret and understand and handle it.
I listened to a fantastic lecture this week from LST (London School of Theology) where I studied many moons ago. The lecture on evangelism was by J. John. Absolutely wonderful.
I did the Bible Study last night and the whole service was really good. Not great numbers present but a wonderful spirit in the service.
On Tuesday we had scientists at Green Pastures doing research and they will be taking a bunch of university students next week to teach them there on site. By the way I took this photo of a lizard at Green Pastures this week just as I had told it one of my jokes! You can see that he really liked it!
Philip is on his way back to Patos from the USA where all has gone well I understand. Thank you for praying for him. He should be back in Patos this evening. He managed to make a connection in Miami in 10 minutes (must be a world record!) and they didn't even leave his baggage behind in the process resultant from a delay in the flight from North Carolina to Miami.
This week I have worked on my sermon for Sunday's communion service but I haven't finished it yet as I am a bit stuck at Acts 19:11-12 as to how to interpret and understand and handle it.
I listened to a fantastic lecture this week from LST (London School of Theology) where I studied many moons ago. The lecture on evangelism was by J. John. Absolutely wonderful.
I did the Bible Study last night and the whole service was really good. Not great numbers present but a wonderful spirit in the service.
On Tuesday we had scientists at Green Pastures doing research and they will be taking a bunch of university students next week to teach them there on site. By the way I took this photo of a lizard at Green Pastures this week just as I had told it one of my jokes! You can see that he really liked it!
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