We are down to 3 teaching days until the end of what is known as “Phase One”- that is, evangelism and presentation of the Gospel. On Tuesday, we will be going through the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ! Praise God, most of our core group of 75 have continued to come faithfully. Many of the cargo cult leaders have stayed away these past several weeks, and this morning (Sunday), we awoke to hear a number of them heading off to another village down the valley, which is the chief area of the cult around here. On Tuesday, the same day we will present the Gospel, people in our area who have stayed behind have been told to wear their traditional bark loincloths and grass skirts and wait for the cargo to come.
Thanks for praying for this last week! Monday’s lesson left people really quiet and thoughtful as we left each one to think about which soil their hearts represent as the Word of God is sown. Jason taught an especially thought-provoking lesson on Wednesday. Following that lesson on Jesus being the Bread of Life, we had some interesting conversations with people.
Anjere- “So you’re saying that to get eternal life, we are simply to believe in Jesus? What about following all of God’s other rules, doing good things, helping other people? What you’re telling us is too easy!”
Jason- “Let’s look at what Jesus said again in John 3:16, and again in John 6:29. What did Jesus say we needed to do to have eternal life? What are we to do to do God’s work? ”
“Only to believe in Jesus Himself! Jesus’ words are short here, and we men have added a lot more to what He said, haven’t we?”
“You’re right.”
“I’m going to come back tomorrow to hear more of this teaching!”
(note- this man brought his wife with him the next day, and he and another friend of ours were excitedly discussing these things throughout the teaching and afterward)
One woman, Nowina, had this to say to Janeene after Wednesday’s lesson-“God’s Word is really breaking my insides. I see that this is not just food to help my body, but to help my soul. Just like the people in Israel, we have been looking for Jesus to give us rice and tin meat to fill our bellies, but He came to give us eternal life. Now I don’t know what to do, I have 2 insides now. I don’t know whether to put on my grass skirt on Tuesday or not!”
(please pray for Nowina, as she is a part of a clan which is heavily involved in the cargo cult, and the pressure on her will be tremendous to follow along with everyone else)
Finally, our neighbor and landowner Alis has been openly struggling with what to do for Tuesday. We were very encouraged to see that he and his family, as well as most of his clan, chose not to follow the group down the valley. We are thrilled that the majority of our 75 who have faithfully attended the teaching have chosen to stay here and hear the teaching. Pray that they will come, and that many will have the courage to stand up in the face of opposition and social pressure to follow along with their traditional way of thinking.
We are hopeful and praying that very soon, we will have some new brothers and sisters in Christ in the next few days!!
Please join us in prayer!!
Chad, Janeene & Elijah
Please pray and have others you know join us in prayer for these next 48 hours! The last 3 lessons of our phase 1-evangelism- will be taught and we ask that you would specifically pray for us these days that these lessons will be communicated clearly and that many who are listening will trust in Jesus as their Savior:
January 15th : ( Mark 14) The last supper; Jesus is arrested-the Deliverer suffered for us- God fulfills His word exactly as He says He will
January 16th : ( Mark 15, 16) Jesus is crucified, buried, and rises again from the dead!-Jesus is our substitute and paid the penalty for our sin- do you believe that?
January 17th: ( Mark 16; Acts 1:9-11) Jesus ascends into Heaven-Jesus proved that He was alive-proving that He had conquered sin and death!
Chad & Janeene Mankins
Chad_Mankins@ntm.org
www.ntm.org/chad_mankins
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