What do Parables, the Transfiguration, and the Bereans frm Acts 17 have in common?

Now the Berean Jews… received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. – Acts 17:11-12

Am I really hear what I think I am hearing?

Last night, we were called to a local village by a group of men and women who had a burning question: Are you guys Jesus or one of our dead ancestors who has returned like Elijah and Moses did for the Jews so many years ago? Seriously? Yup, seriously. Here we are nearly three years past our presentation of the gospel and some in the community are still looking for magic power and wealth.

 

We shouldn’t be surprised. All through the New Testament there are warnings about false teachers will rise up within the church like wolves. (There is even a warning to stop debating endlessly over genealogies – which, at least here, is a key component in ancestor worship and searching for magical power.) God’s warning to us generally goes: “Watch out, someone(s) within your group will begin to teach stories that cater to men’s desires. Don’t let yourselves be deceived.”

 

It turns out that one or two of the guys have bent the truth as follows:

·       Jesus spoke in parables, right? And then he had to explain it clearly to a select few, right? So who explains scriptures to us with authority?

·       So Elijah and Moses were the Jews ancestors, right? And God spoke to them, right? And they had great power and His Spirit, right? And they came back and were with Jesus when he was changed, right? So they were changed too, right?

·       We’ve heard about the Bereans who were commended for their character – we’ve searched the scripture and we have found out your secret. You guys are Jesus reincarnated. Or at least some combination of God’s Spirit and our ancestors come back to earth. Look, you guys have different skin than us. You guys explain the Word with authority. You guys have all kinds of things (think clothes, food, computers, and houses with tin roofs). Clearly we are right. Now give us the power because we found you out.

 

This thinking (strange as it may sound) has captured a group of the weaker believers. It again reminded us that we are in a battle for the souls of men. Please do not give up praying for us and the Mesi-church. Friends, there is much at stake here and only God’s strong hand will keep His church tied to His truth.

 

Also please pray for us as we go and meet with the Kimigulo village this week about beginning outreach there in 2018. They have been asking for us to come since 2013, and we are on the verge of being ready. Pray that sweet talkers and snake-oil salesmen do not gain ground anywhere in the Mesi-church so that we will stand on the truth and speak it clearly.

 

Thanks so much for your essential part in this (remote) work.

Nate and Elizabeth