Lord's Day March 1 2015

I was a little out of sorts heading off to church on Sunday morning (I'm not sure what it was - tiredness, knowing certain people would be missing including an unwell son, not preaching in the evening, pressure to prepare being away three days last week, lack of illustrations in the sermon??). Anyway we started with communion and that was okay (I focused on Mark 10:45). The morning sermon was on Ezra 7 and it seemed to be okay. There were people missing as I expected but we were great full and there was a new local couple there. Nice to have all my sons home at different points in the afternoon. Numbers were lower in the evening. Sihle Xulu preached competently, looking at the transfiguration. An Albanian man tuned up. he appears to have been baptised by the Mormons. I gave him an English Bible and a copy of Ultimate Questions in Albanian (I was glad  to find one around. Our church paid for the first printing many years ago I believe). There is no point in letting feeling down interfere with the work. It does make it harder though.

GBA 2012 02 Albania

We had an excellent presentation on Albania from Scotsman Will Niven at 5 pm. After giving a history of gospel work in Albania he spoke of
Weaknesses:

1. Unbiblical evangelism

2. Biblical illiteracy

3. Problems in leadership

4. The missionary enterprise (until 97 more missionaries per head than anywhere else)

5. Spiritual gullibility

Strengths:

1. A new openness to the gospel. People are searching for something worth having.

2. Openness in the media

3. A rising generation of men seeking to serve and sympathetic to the Reformed faith

Challenges:

1. Raising up godly leaders

2. Lack of older age group

His great desire is that the work should not be a one generation thing

More here
The 37 minute message is here.

Hats Q

A Qeleshe is an Albanian hat made of wool. More here.