This week, we have been doing some teaching on the Pharisees, how they were so religious and righteous on the outside, but that God looks on the heart. We used a bright, shiny pot to demonstrate. A few weeks earlier, the Smith’s filled it with compost and just let it sit. On Tuesday, we showed it to the people, who’s eyes lit up and there were ooh’s and ahh’s all over the place. (a new pot here is a HUGELY valued possession.) A few people said, “Hey, give it to me and we will eat!” We asked them if they think the pot looks like a good pot. And of course everyone agreed. Well, then we opened the pot up and out shot this foul stench. We used this to show them how man looks at the outward appearance but the God looks on the inside and what he sees is our sin. Well, the visual hit its mark. There was talking all around, and people could readily identify with what it meant to make yourself look good on the outside (giving to others, going to their religious meetings, etc.) but have a totally rotten heart. Several were asking, “How can I make my heart clean?” And we asked them if it is possible to clean ourselves up good enough for God. They all understood that there was nothing they could do, and that only God could clean their hearts. Then we reminded them of the hope we have in Christ, and that they would soon hear about what HE did to wash our sin away!
Bau is an older man who regularly has been helping Gary with the Bible lessons. After it is written, Gary sits with him and goes over it to make sure it is communicating exactly what is intended. With this position, Bau has been able to get ahead of the group and hear all the future lessons of this phase of the teaching. And God’s Word is NOT returning void! He is INDEED building His church! Bau’s heart has been broken, and he is overwhelmed at what Jesus has done for him as the Lamb of God! He has expressed clear testimony of gratefulness for what Christ did to save him from his sin, and the angels are rejoicing with us over this precious lost lamb who has been found! Gary’s other helper (and the only other one with access to the sneak peaks of the lessons!) Ronny, has also accepted the Truth. He told Gary, “When I heard God’s laws, I knew that I had broken them and I knew that I was in Satan’s hand, and I was afraid. But now I see what Jesus did, how he completely paid for my sin and I am not afraid anymore.” To God be the Glory!
Well, it’s obvious that we are getting close to the climax of this spiritual battle! To borrow my co-workers’ phrase, the enemy has ‘upped the ante’. In all of our years here thus far, there has been a primary school here for which the government flies in teachers from the city. There has never been a great relationship between the teachers and the village, as their expectations for each other have never quite been met, and many children couldn’t attend anyway since the fees were too high. The teachers live here during the semester, leave for school breaks and holidays, then return for the remainder of the year. This year, however, after Christmas break, no teachers showed up. In many ways, we were thankful! This meant that all the school kids could be involved in the teaching, the teachers would not be requiring the villagers to work for them, and basically, the people here were free from that distraction, for the first time since we’ve been here! Well, here we are, 3 weeks away from the death, burial and resurrection story, and guess who comes flying in last week? Right, a couple teachers! Their houses need repairs and the area needs cleaning. The people need to build a new school house. The list goes on. And then also the circuit members are supposed to come next week (since they never showed up last week) so everyone is also busy with that, cleaning up the church area, planning a program, etc. But we know we serve a God who is greater than he that is in the world! Even with all the coming distractions, we know the people are ready, the soil has been tilled, and we are looking forward to watching HIM reap the harvest and Build His Church!
We are so thankful for your partnership with us, and the flow of emails we have received from many of you has gone a huge way to encourage us! Thank you for your vigilant prayers! Keep praying!
This weeks lessons:
Monday- Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
Tuesday- Jesus is the Only Doorway to Eternal Life
Wednesday- Jesus raised Lazarus from the Dead
Thursday- Jesus taught that we need to be humble and admit our guilt
Friday- It is foolish to trust in riches
For His Glory!
Jeremiah, April, Jordan, Judah and Alayna
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