NEWS

 E-mail This Page 
 Printable Format 
 Feedback 

'THERE IS NO ONE LIKE GOD,' DINANGATS SAY

The Dinangat people are changing what they believe based on what they are hearing from God`s Word.

February 7, 2008

by David Bell

This week, God's Word is answering some of the confusion in the culture of the Dinangat people of Papua New Guinea.

The Dinangats had come to believe that humans are God. They thought that God breathed into Adam His very own spirit and thus all people have God's spirit.

Monday morning, as they heard how God created Adam and what it means to be created in God's image, they began forming a different conclusion.

That afternoon the missionaries heard that some of the people were still confused. One Dinangat, Asa, told of how some of the people still believe that men are deity.

Gary Smith went to Esingke, his tribal father by adoption, to talk about the concerns over this belief.

"Just before I mustered up the courage to talk about it with him three other big men (leaders) showed up -- Sorie, Jimingke and Tom," wrote Gary.

Asking the men if they thought that people are God, they all said, "No way! That's false talking!" Then the men broke out in a chorus of glorifying God. They said, "We are not Him, He is spirit!"

"God is completely independent of everything," Tom said. "His power is above everything and everyone else."

"That's right," Sorie said. "God existed before everyone else. There is no one like Him."

Then Esingke concluded, "Listen guys, it is not just a man talking to us. God Himself, who is not like anyone else and supreme is talking to us. We better listen."

"I couldn't believe my ears," Gary wrote.

The next day Gary began the teaching session with review questions.

Gary asked them, "Who is eternal?" They replied, "God is the only one!"

Then he asked them in succession, "Who is omniscient?" "Who is omnipresent?" "Who is almighty?" To each question the people replied, "God is the only one!"

Then Gary asked, "Are we people like that?" The people all shouted, "No!"

Gary asked one final question, "Then what do you think? Are we people God?"

"No, we are different!" they responded.

Please pray that God's Word will continue to impress truth upon the hearts of the Dinangats and bring them to understand their need of a Savior.