Week 7 Teaching in Dinangat

All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. Exodus 19:8

This week we began to teach about the 10 commandments. Gods laws which he gave to the Israelites. The Dinangat people were much like the Israelites when they said, “We will do whatever God says.” However as we began teaching through the laws. They began to see how impossible that is. Felix, Ralf’s translation helper, stood in front of the entire group and passionately confessed that he has broken these laws. He said that he thought he was a good man but now sees that he has broken God’s law and he feels really small. And that God’s word is putting him in court. He then told everyone how that in Gods eyes if you break just one, then you are guilty of all of them. After the meeting another older man, Bau, came to me and with fear said, “We are all sinners, we have all broken God’s laws. We are like the people in Sodom and Gomorrah, God is going to judge us and I’m scared to death.”

Galatians 3:24 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Friday Gary gave an illustration of how the law is like a mirror showing us our sin. Gary stood up to teach with his face all dirty. Ralf called out and told him his face was dirty, Gary told him, “No, it’s not. I’m fine, I’m a good person.” Then I gave him a mirror (the law) it showed exactly what was there and he couldn’t argue. He was confronted with what had been there all the time, dirt… sin. Gary then tried to wash the dirt off with the mirror, but that was not the purpose of the mirror, its purpose is to show the dirt. In the same way the people saw that the 10 commandments show them that they are sinners and in need of a kidaak amna, a Savior. Even if they try to follow the 10 commandments they will fail and their sin still needs to be dealt with.

God is really working in the hearts of the Dinangat people, this is what Asa, one of my language helpers told me. He said that some people from another village are starting to laugh at the people here in our village. The other village said that the people in our village are learning about a different God than the one they know. David a main spokesman for the other village said, “The missionaries are teaching you about the God of Israel, that was a long time ago now we have a different god, Mik gategate.” Asa looked at David and asked him, “Did Mik gategate create the sun?” To which David’s only response was, “No.” Then Asa went on to ask him if Mik gategate created the moon and all the stars, the mountains, and everything we can see? David couldn’t say anything, and so he left and went back home over the mountain. How awesome to hear Asa’s testimony standing up to opposition and boldly proclaiming that there is only one God, the God of the Bible!

Here are a few other things going on in the hearts of people here:
Jinongke: “What’s going to happen to us? I’m really scared.”
Yupete: “I can’t sleep and I can’t work because I’m always thinking about God’s talk.”
Mesari: “I’m not feeling well because I always wonder what will happen with us. What is the kidaak amna going to do?”
Right now we are laying a foundation of who God is and who they are in relation to Him. But soon we will teach them who the “kidaak amna” is, Jesus Christ. Please keep praying for the Dinangat people!

Next week lessons for your prayers:
Monday – God gave the Ten Commandments (Part 2)
Tuesday – God told the Israelites to build the Tabernacle (Part 1)
Wednesday – God told the Israelites to build the Tabernacle (Part 2)
Thursday – The Israelites worship a golden calf
Friday – The Israelites did not believe that God would give them the land He promised to give them.

Thank you for your prayers!
Jeremiah, April, Jordan, Judah and Alayna