On the first day of the week in Greece the majority of stores and markets are closed. At one time this may have been so people could attend church, but now very few do so.
We traveled this morning to the ruins of Philippi and enjoyed church among the ruins where Paul and Silas preached the word and won enough souls to Christ to establish a church. We sang, prayed, Brother Brent preached and we witnessed to the tourists. A caretaker was intrigued, a man from a tour group was most interested, and once again an aged woman with absolutely no hope of eternal life became rabid in her defense of the G.O. religion. “If I want to know anything about Jesus I’ll ask my priest!”
We had lunch by the river featured so wonderfully in the account in Acts 16.
Along the way back we took side roads into villages and waysides where it is certain the gospel has never been proclaimed. Many of the men with whom we speak claim to be atheists, one today said, “I wish there were a God of love for me to believe in.”
We saw many men working as shepherds and goatherds among the hills. We spoke with one, get this, a Greek raised in Australia who had never before heard the good news. He drank it in. Oh how vast is this field!!! Whether one looks down from the hills upon the two millions in the mass of concrete that is Thessalonica or upon the tiny clusters of homes by seaside or in the valleys there are so many who just do not know. Lord help us, please.
Some of the ruins of Philippi
Singing in the amphitheater
Bro Brent preaching
Bro Angelo with a Greek tour group
Where Lydia and others trusted Jesus and were baptized
Shepherds
Shepherds
This one learned about the Good Shepherd