May 25, 2008

PTI -Day 2

Greetings again from Addis. We were able to finish Genesis 1-11 today. The men seemed really encouraged to see how full of Jesus and the gospel the book of Genesis really is.

The translator also commented that it is quite helpful to observe someone preaching right through a book. Most sermons here, he said, preach messages which in which they skip here and there and everywhere using verses that don't really relate to the issue at hand. In other words, they think up a sermon outline and then go back and find verses they think will 'work'. So ... it seems that the men are not only soaking up the content, but also learning, perhaps, a more helpful way of actually preparing and delivering their sermons. That is one reason Anthony asked me to do the material in this manner (verse by verse straight through Genesis and Hebrews). I feel gratified that the Lord is making the time so useful.

We begin Hebrews tomorrow morning (at about 3:30am ET). Please continue to pray.

Anthony spoke to the men today, too, for about 45 minutes on the goodness and sovereignty of God in the midst of trials. It seemed to have a real effect. The men had a time of prayer for him and the children and presented him with several gifts as a token of the affection and condolence.

All in all it has been a full and good day. One passage that has been very near to me has been 1 Kings 17 - the widow's oil and flour not running out. The Lord has done this for me, energy wise, each day, in spite of long days and some difficulty adjusting to a different sleep schedule. The oil has not yet run out. In fact, I feel more energized than normal. Pray that the Lord keeps filing the flask.

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