Shari’s birthday was yesterday and Jason gave her the best present of all. He let her sleep through the night for the first time in 14 months!
Atamnda! (Good Weather!)
All week long we have enjoyed beautiful sunny mornings. We were able to meet for Bible teaching Monday through Wednesday. Attendance averaged 50 to 100. Thanks for praying.
Literacy Almost Finished
The literacy class is almost finished. The students have completed the 5 primers and now they must read three books before they complete the course. They are reading the first of the three books called, the Story of Transportation. After that they will read 2 more books on Jewish customs that should help them to better understand the context of some of the stories they have been hearing. But they need the reading practice too so they will be better prepared for reading, and understanding, Bible Lessons and Scripture.
Language Checks, Conference
This next week we will only be able to teach once and then Shari and Lori will be taking language checks and then we are off to our Highlands regional conference out it town. We had every intention of completing this evangelism course before we had to leave but because of all the delays it hasn’t worked out that way. We have been in the bush non-stop since last August so we had thought that it would be enough time to finish but, as we said last week, we trust that God had another plan. We think this will be good because this way we will not be running off for conference right after presenting the Gospel. We will come back and will have only 7 teaching days until we present the Gospel.
In Him,
David and Shari Ogg
(Esther, Simon, Rachel and Jason)
Praise and Prayer:
- PRAISE for the good weather all week.
- Pray for Shari as she takes her final language test. And for Lori who is taking her 3rd language test.
This Week’s Teaching Highlights:
- Many people were following Jesus because of His miracles, not because they believed in Him. (Jn.6:2)
- Jesus feeds the five thousand.
- The people believed Him to be the Promised One but they did not care to be saved from sin, Satan’s control or death. They just wanted to get rid of the Roman government’s rule by setting him up as king.
- When they looked for Jesus and found Him, knowing their thoughts, He told them they only cared about their stomachs.
- When, wanting to please God, they asked what they should do, He said they must believe on the One whom God had sent to them, Jesus.
- The Pharisees were upset about the disciples not washing according to their own traditional rituals. Jesus told them the most important thing is not what goes into a person, it is what is in the heart. (and comes out of it)
- Jesus quotes Isaiah’s prophesy about the Pharisees, “They honor me with their mouths but their heart is far away from Me”
- Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector. The very religious tax collector stood up in front of everyone and prayed, Thank you that I’m not like all these other bad people and look at all these good things I do, etc. They believed in their own good works NOT in God or in His Word or promises.
- But the tax collector beat his chest and prayed, God be merciful to me, a sinner! Jesus calms the storm. He agreed with God about his sin knowing that he deserved punishment and that he couldn’t save himself.
- The good works of the religious Pharisee did not help him.
- But the tax collector who confessed his sin and trusted in God alone to save him from punishment was forgiven. (Lk.18:14)
- Peter believes Jesus to be the Christ, God’s Promised One.
- Jesus was God and man at the same time. But when He walked on the earth He looked only like a normal man. But the hidden part of Him that was God, He revealed on the mount of transfiguration.
- Even though they had died long ago, Moses and Elijah were alive and talking with Jesus.
God spoke out to the disciples about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him!”