It’s Sunday afternoon as we write this update. We’re so thankful for all of you who watch for these reports each week and have remained with us in prayer since we began teaching from Creation to Christ months ago. Keep praying. God is working. One of the lessons we taught this past week was about the birth of Jesus. It is no small thing that he was to be called Jesus – The One who would save the people from their sins, and that he was The Christ – the appointed One – the long awaited for Messiah. Also, that he was ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us, God in the flesh! So very significant! As the story presses our hearers to put all their confidence in Christ alone they are all quietly wrestling with questions. Pray for them as they work through these tensions. One lady said to me earlier this week, “So is it true that following God’s Ten Laws cannot get a person to heaven?” She is really wrestling with this. We went straight to Gen 3:15. What help did God promise Adam and Eve? He promised them that a person would come. Only he can help them in their separation from God. Who is that person? Mary’s child, Jesus! Later in the week she asked again, “If my children have sinful hearts will God accept them?” Again, we talked through the story she has been listening to and showed what God has said so clearly. There is no way for any sinful hearted person to be accepted by God. BUT God has also promised to help all sinful hearted people and Jesus, the One called Emmanuel, is that Helper! Another lady was struck with the work of Satan down through history to try to stop God’s plan! Satan is obsessed with stopping the promise of Jesus. Keep praying! Another man said, “I can’t do anything to fix my sinful heart problem. It’s only the Satan Overcoming Man who can do that!” The story is so clear and the truth is changing people! Thank you for praying!
This week we are telling the story of John announcing, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” What a great lesson that is going to be. Another big lesson coming up is the story of Nicodemus. From all worldly perspectives Nicodemus is surely someone God would accept! But what does Jesus say to him in no uncertain terms. “You must be born again!” Pray especially that this lesson helps all out listeners to see their personal lostness before God. Pray that each soul listening will recognize they are in an impossible predicament and that only God’s solution can save them! That is what we will close the week out with and we anticipate the need for a lot of personal conversations into next weekend! Pray for our stamina, and our agility in the language and for opportunities with each tender, hungry heart!