He sees our thoughts

These ladies were chatting and remembering the stories that they have been hearing as they waited for the lesson to get going.

 

You can’t trick God.

Many times this last week, be it in conversation or in the teaching, we spent time talking about how God cannot be tricked. Here is a little background. What tends to happen in PNG culture is that people are very polite and agreeable to your face and may or may not follow through with that agreement when you are not around.  For instance. I may say to a friend, “Can you come and help me tomorrow?” His response to my face may be affirmative, but unless he really wants to he won’t show up. Our friends (like us) tend to think of God in the same way that we think of people – that He doesn’t see what our actual thoughts are. The idea that we cannot just pay Him lip service is new to our friends.

 

One thing that also was new to our friends was the idea that, when we seek to do good or holy things to get God to take away our sins,  we are calling Him a liar. He says repeatedly in the Old and New Testaments that the work of salvation is dependent on Him.

 

These friends have been faithfully coming to the teaching but they are planning on heading back to the coast (where they have a house and a garden)  this week… they will miss nearly a third  of the story. We are sad for those who have made the choice to step away from the truth.

 

This Week

Monday (lesson 42 out of 65) -  The first day of New Testament teaching. We’ll be talking about the angel’s appearances to Zechariah, Mary, and to Joseph. We’ll be focusing in on the excitement of the time – the promised one was about to be revealed. We’ll be talking about what it means to trust God’s Word and what it means to wait expectantly for His action.

Tuesday – We’ll be talking about the birth of Jesus. Taking the story all the way to his trip to Jerusalem at age 12. We’ll be talking about how the people knew for certain that the Messiah was to be born. That the prophecies were known – even to King Herod, a wicked despot. We’ll be talking about how God provided for and protected Jesus by giving guidance to Joseph. We’ll finish up by showing how Jesus grew and became noticeably different. God’s Spirit was with Him.

Wednesday – Chris will take over talking about the ministry of John the Baptist and the meaning of baptism. He’ll work through Jesus’s baptism and the public revelation by God of Jesus’s true identity.

Thursday – Chris will talk about the temptation of Jesus by Satan. How Jesus does not fall to the lies of the devil. He’ll talk about how God’s Word is always true and dependable.

Friday – Nate will take on teaching through John 3. We’ll tackle the idea that corruption from within requires new birth in order for us to be able to be acceptable and in relationship with God. We’ll talk about believing in Jesus as the only way (pointing ahead to the death, burial, and resurrection, but not directly talking about that). We’ll talk about the stubbornness of man – refusing to  hear God’s truth because he loves sin.

 

The days are exciting and continue to challenge us and stretch us. Please pray for us and our friends every day.

 

Thanks,

Nate for the team.

 

PS: A major prayer request for one of our pilots and his family. He was involved in an accident this week that resulted in the loss of one of his legs and extensive damage to the other. Please pray for Jon and Adie Leedahl and their three young sons as they meet each new challenge.