Prophecy: Amdu

Thank you for continuing to pray for the ongoing foundational teaching here in Amdu. We weren’t able to put out another update over the radio this last week, as our radio reception has not been good enough for us to even hear Greg. But we are thankful that our e-mail is at least working some of the time to be able to send out written updates.

This last week of teaching was pretty significant as we finished up with the Old Testament and began into the New Testament. The last couple lessons in the O.T. were about the prophets to Israel who would warn the people of impending judgement if they did not turn back to God and follow him only. But there was also very good talk that the prophets brought, and it was about the One who would one day come from their ancestors, to defeat Satan and make a way for Israel to be wholly back in right relationship with Yahweh God.

At the end of the last lesson, Benjamin was saying that the prophet Malachi was the last of the prophets to bring talk from God to Israel and that it would be hundreds of years before they would hear directly from Him again. But that the ‘promise talk’ that God had put way back first with Adam and Eve, and then to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to their descendants – that one day One would come who would defeat Satan and be a forever King, after the line of King David, to Israel forever – this promise would come to pass. So Benjamin ended the lesson saying this and that as we move into the New Testament stories, we will see this Promised One come into the picture and we will see how He did fulfill all that God had promised.

When the lesson was done and we were all standing around chatting, I looked over and one of our faithful attenders was over hugging Benjamin and crying. While I was observing that, three ladies came over to me, one at a time and they were emotional telling me that what was just said made them think so much. I asked Benjamin later about what was happening with him and the significant ‘hug’. He said that basically our friend wasn’t able to say much at all but that his sentiments were very similar to the ladies that I talked with. This faithful small group of listeners have been intently listening and learning over these last few months and they are eagerly anticipating finding out how this ‘Satan Overcoming Man’ is going to help them with their messed up heart problem.

It is so sweet to see their interest and hear their questions as they as they are asking things like my translation helper did a couple days ago when she said, “So, those people who were not following the law, God didn’t accept them, right?” A great conversation followed allowing me to remind her what it is that everyone needs to be right again with God. It isn’t the law. It is the ‘Satan Overcoming Man.’ He is the only way.

We ended last week with the first New Testament lesson where the angel Gabriel was sent to tell Zacharias about the son he and his aged wife would have and then how God sent his angel to Mary to tell her how God’s spirit would cause her to conceive and give birth to the Son of God. One of the huge focus points in this and the next few lessons is the fact that the ‘Satan Overcoming Man’ is God Himself. The child born of Mary will have the heart of God, not the heart of Adam. This has been portrayed as broken off dried branch from the beginning of our teaching. But Jesus, the one who came to save people, doesn’t have the heart problem that all other men have inherited from Adam!

These lessons are foundational and we don’t expect our audience to skip with joy at every new point they hear. But do pray that as these enormous precepts are laid in place, that our friends will understand them clearly so that when it comes time to tie it all together there will be nothing missing!

Thank you very much for taking the time as you are able to pray for what is happening here. It is no small thing. We are so close to seeing people whose eyes and hearts are going to light up as the story continues to unfold and we see how and why Jesus is the Savior of the world and as God helps this to make sense to our dear friends.

Please continue to pray for our co-worker Bart and myself, as we are trying to make sure we have all the necessary scripture portions translated and checked well with helpers so that they can be used in the lessons. And also for Benjamin as he is staying quite busy with tweaking his lessons and getting them read for teaching. It is a challenge to keep ourselves ahead of the game each day, but God’s grace is enabling us! In the midst of all this, we continue to live out here as a family, celebrating kid’s birthdays (Tiernan turned 14 in May, then Judah turned 16 on July 4th!), home schooling, etc. It is a privilege to be doing life out here with our Amdu friends!

So thankful for you all,

Benjamin and Missy