Challenges and Belief

Avos hangs on to every word as Chris teaches about the story of Abraham and Isaac.

Listen, God always does what He says he’ll do. Look at how He told Abraham a long time ago about the Israelites going to Egypt. Look at how he took care of Joseph. We are going to hear about how God sent the Deliverer just like He promised to Adam and to Abraham and to Jacob.  - Avos speaking to his son

Taking God at His Word and finding it grand.

More than once this week we have heard from friends about how happy they are to know that God knows and plans good for man. We talked about substitution with the story of Abraham and Isaac, about choice in the story of Jacob and Esau, and about God’s trustworthiness in the story of Joseph. They are saying things like, “I can’t wait to hear about the deliverer,” and,  “God’s word is true it is the only thing that I want to trust.”

Nate and Chris take turns reading the scripture for the teaching. The Pal  people are hearing God’s Word in their heart language for the very first time.

Challenges

It has been a busy month since we started the teaching. We have finished 25 lessons moving through 2000 years of history. We have confronted long held beliefs with God’s truth. For instance, our friends have heard rumors that Jacob and Rebecca conspired to know the secret power of money and things. Our friends were told that white people are the descendants of Jacob and black people are the descendants of Esau. Only in looking carefully at God’s Word have they been able see for the first time that all are the same in God’s eyes, condemned and in need of a savior.

Elizabeth and the other ladies continue to be swarmed with questions from interested Pal ladies. They really want to know and understand the truth!

This Week:

Monday: Chris kicks off the week with the story of Moses, taking the narrative from birth to the burning bush. WE’ll hear about how God always follows through and He controls rulers and nations. It is His strength that was needed to rescue the Israelites.

Tuesday: Chris continues the Moses story, recounting the first 9 of the plagues. Talking about the hardness of the heart of the Egyptians and the great power that God publicly displayed.

Wednesday: Chris will talk about the 10th plague and the exodus from Egypt. He’ll talk about doing things God’s way and about the significance of covering blood.

Thursday: Chris will teach on the Red Sea and some of the wilderness wanderings. He’ll focus on God’s provision for the people of Israel.

Friday: Nate will take over with the arrival of the people to Mt. Sinai. The focus of this lesson is the holiness of God and how quick the people of Israel were to say, “We can do whatever God wants us to. We can be holy if He only tells us how.” (This mirrors much of what our friends are saying right now. Pal guys are saying to us. “All we need to know is what exactly God wants us to do and we will do it.”)

That’s it for this week.

Thanks so much for praying for us. We are tired but encouraged.

Nate for us 5