“For God so loved the world…” No sooner did these words (reading John ch. 3 in the Tobo language) escape my lips, an airplane roared loudly overhead. For the next 20 minutes or so, the plane decided to conduct training maneuvers on our difficult airstrip. Although this created a minor distraction for us, it wasn’t until the end of the lesson that someone who was visiting from another village decided to object to the use of 2 or 3 words we were using in the translation. This set off a heated debate about things such as which word was best to use for ‘sheep’. Rather than using the time to think about and discuss the significance of being born again, people were embroiled in a meaningless and trivial quarrel! Our enemy has been pulling out all the stops to snatch away the Word of God from people’s hearts and minds. We determined that it would be necessary to repeat the lesson the following day.
Our prayers were answered the next day as the only distraction was a plane which flew overhead and kept on going. We came away encouraged that people went away, and several thanked us for the repeat lesson, as they said that the day before, due to the controversy over the “little words,” they had forgotten the bulk of the lesson and weren’t able to review it with family members at night over the fire as some have been doing. Praise God for using His Word, even if it needed repeating, to get people thinking about the truth which these people so desperately need to understand!
Please pray for the Tobo people this week, as in each lesson, we will be confronting some wrong thinking with the powerful truth of the Word from the life of Christ. What kind of soil will individuals’ hearts represent as the Word is sown? Will people choose to hunger for the Bread of Life rather than the bread from a bakery? Will they see that, like the Pharisees, their strong grip on their traditional customs must not be added to or elevated above the truth of God’s Word? And will they acknowledge that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to God? All of these are items about which you can join with us in earnest prayer this week! Again, we thank you for your prayers, love, and support of the work God is doing here!
Chad, Janeene & Elijah
This week, the following lessons will be taught and we ask that you would specifically pray for us these days that these lessons will be communicated clearly:
January 8th : ( Mark 4) Jesus told and then explained the parable of the sower and the wheat seed—Theme question this lesson—“Is God’s Word taking root in your hearts? Evaluate yourself as to what type of ground you are.” (should be a great lesson for this agricultural society!)
January 9th : ( Mark chs. 4, 5) Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee- Jesus is God
January 10th : ( John 6) Jesus is the Bread of Life-God sent Him to give us eternal life
January 11th : ( Mark 7; Luke 18) the false thinking of the Pharisees, who held proudly to the customs of their ancestors and not only added them to, but elevated them above God’s Word (Please pray- this lesson is very applicable to many people here!)
January 12th : ( John 10, 14) Jesus is the Door, the Way, the Truth and the Life- Jesus is the only means of salvation, and the only way to God!
Chad & Janeene Mankins
New Tribes Mission
Private Mail Bag
Madang, MP 511
Papua New Guinea
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