Birthdays
On my birthday, the 27th of February, I got to teach the story of Nicodemus, including John 3:16. What a joy it is to have the privilege of sharing such wonderful truths-better than any gift around! Also one of the ladies who has been attending our meetings regularly named, Ailenav, has been eagerly awaiting her baby. She was looking quite large and pregnant and kept taking walks around the airstrip hoping to bring on labor. Finally late on the night of the 28th they came to tell us she was asking for Shari. So Shari went up and stayed with her and helped deliver the baby boy. She came home in the middle of the night trembling from excitement. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. We are hoping to see some new births (spiritual) here one day very soon!
God’s Story
The day before yesterday I was talking with Remon (the baby’s father) who is one of our regular attenders, and he was so excited about the truths he has been hearing. He said for the first time he is understanding the Old Testament. He is seeing now how it is all one story, God’s Story, and is so excited to be seeing the Old Testament prophecies of the Promised Messiah coming true in Jesus. These days many tribal people have already been exposed to religion and may even have a Bible in the trade language, but without someone to teach them they don’t understand the truth. It’s not enough just to hand them a Bible to figure out on their own. For example consider Acts 8, when Philip said to the Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He answered, “How can I, unless someone guides me” “Then Philp opened his mouth, and…preached Jesus to him”. The Ethiopian was a well educated high government official but he was still blinded by sin, and in the dark. Many tribal people are also blinded by sin and living in darkness. But God’s Word has the power to take away that blindness and deliver them from spiritual darkness. Pray for us as we ‘guide’ the Simbaris to a clear understanding of the message of God’s grace.
In Him,
David and Shari Ogg
(Esther, Simon, Rachel and Jason)
Praise and Prayer:
- Pray for clear understanding of the truths we are teaching.
- Pray for good health. (I have been fighting a cold or something and this week I almost lost my voice and barely managed to croak my way through a couple of the lessons)
- Pray for good weather in the mornings and not too many distractions.
This Week’s Teaching Highlights:
- The temptation of Jesus. Jesus is more powerful than Satan.
- What is more important than even food? God’s Word.
- Jesus taught in the synagogues. You need to agree with God about your sin and put your trust in Him.
- Because the teachers of the law didn’t believe, they themselves didn’t understand and so taught from their own thinking.
- Jesus healed many sick people. They could not heal themselves, and nobody else could heal them. Only Jesus could heal them.
- Our sin is like an untreatable sickness. We cannot get rid of it ourselves. Nobody else can get rid of it for us either. Only Jesus can help us.
- Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus doesn’t understand.(he thought it was about physical birth)
- Jesus explains that there are two births, being born of the flesh and born of the Spirit.
- So there are two groups: 1. Those who are not born spiritually, and are still under sin and Satan’s control. 2. Those who have been born of the Spirit and have become His children and who will live forever with Him.
- Jesus says He must be lifted up just like the snake was raised up on a pole by Moses. All they had to do was look upon that symbol of their sin to be saved. (so also, all we must do is look to Jesus who took our sin upon Himself at Calvary)
- Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
- Jesus criticized for eating with ‘sinners’. But Jesus came to save sinners. Those who don’t think they are sinners are like people who refuse to believe they are sick and so they don’t go to the doctor for help.