Clay Pots ~ New Year's Eve

The light of Jesus' story is beginning to be taught in God's Word, and the darkness is opposing it.

Wow, what a New Year's Celebration we had! At midnight, the whole village usually gathers together in agreement for the traditional dancing and singing, and then "throwing" out the sins of the last year and ushering in the "new life" of the new year. But this year there were three groups of singers: one group was off doing "fun" songs, one was off doing (from what we can tell) "cultish" songs, and one group was off doing PNG Gospel songs which they have learned from town. A physical manifestation of the lack of "unity" we have seen in the village lately. (And not just us, the people are seeing it as well, and attributing it to the teaching of God's Word). Then Chad and I turned to hear yelling, fighting, glass breaking, and stones being thrown at the meeting house above. All of this before they could do their traditional "throwing away the old, and in with the new ceremony". Why the huge fight (which included almost the whole village)? Because someone wouldn't give the "leader" the metal stick used to beat the old bell. At least that was the catalyst, but the heart of the matter seems to be that they have always been a community: every situation and decision that has come about was because the people were all "qiri mok" (in agreement). This year, it is not that way. Now the people of Dengenu are struggling to make individual decisions on their own. Families are being separated as they struggle within themselves: Is God's Word really true? Or the leaders of the cargo cult?

Please be praying hard for the hearts of the Tobo people. Community decisions (being "qiri mok") is so entrenched in their entire lives that it will be and is a tremendous struggle to make a decision as an individual, with possible consequences if they do.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

This Week's Teaching:
January 1st: Jesus temptation in the wilderness
January 2nd: Jesus starts His ministry
January 3rd: Nikodemus, you must be born again
January 4th: Jesus forgave sins
January 5th: The parable of the soils

Audio ~ The I Am

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Clay Pots ~ False Prophecies

Our Santa Clause!

We get everything; all our food, supplies, and mail via a 206 Cessna plane flown by our awesome pilots in New Tribes Mission Aviation. We were supposed to get a flight in on Friday (22nd) but due to bad weather they couldn't make it in. So what happened the next morning the 23rd? They gave up their Saturday to wait around until our weather cleared up to bring us Christmas! Fresh veggies and eggs! And more importantly mail from home!!! :-) How awesome is that?

For those of you who are wondering: no, the prophecy of the bags of rice appearing on the ground never came true. There was also another prophecy that it was going to be dark for 3 days over Christmas. Again, it didn't come true. The satanic oppression was incredibly strong this weekend... the atmosphere was not light like it was in years past. We also heard a rumor that, if the prophecies did come true, they were going to do some human sacrifices. Thankfully, this did not happen. These people are in Satan's grip. Please continue to pray that the Word of God will penetrate their hearts over these next 4-5 weeks.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

This Week's Teaching:
December 26th: John the Baptist is born
December 27th: Mary and Joseph
December 28th: Jesus Grows Up, God Fulfills His Promises
December 29th: Jesus is the Lamb of God

Audio ~ What Sin Is

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Audio ~ Sodom and Gomorrah

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Clay Pots ~ Merry Christmas

From the deepest part of our hearts we want to thank you for your prayers. There have been times these past weeks that our hearts were just so heavy that we couldn't think of the words to pray. Thank you for standing in the gap for us and for continually bringing the Tobo people before His throne. Our hearts are anxious for the salvation of the Tobo people but yet restful in our all knowing, all loving, all merciful Savior.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ On Trial

One of the many accusing Jason and Chad

Monday morning we were eager to see what the day might hold at the teaching time. But what we weren't planning on was being put on trial. They blind sided us. They didn't tell us this was coming. We were completely unprepared, and they wanted it that way. Needless to say, we didn't teach anything. But in the midst of the "court", as they laid bare their heart held beliefs for the first time ever, we found the answers to all the questions we were hoping to hear.

I don't have enough room to tell you all that was said. But the basic problem was that we used the actual word, "cargo cult". Sad to say, they actually think they are worshipping the true God in this cult, and thus the "secret society" is not a sin. The ten commandments did make them see their sin, but to them, this is not a sin. They are so blinded.

How did it end? 4 hours later we reached an agreement. We would no longer use the actual two words "cargo cult" in the teaching (it is actually illegal to be in the cargo cult in this country, thus the fear when we actually said it in the open). But, we said that when we got to places where God's Word addresses it, we were not going to back down, but we were going to preach what is says... and point out the individual sins.

Is this how we wanted things to turn out? Not exactly, but we do see God's hand in this... the truth is in the open, no more covering up what they do at night... we know. And we can work from there. The teachings of Jesus are strong, and to the point. Jesus exposed the many kinds of false gods and teachings of his day... very much like our day. So we will continue with the teaching, not just to say we finished; but so that Scripture and the Holy Spirit will convict them. They need God's Word in their lives, and they need the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

After it was all over we came home and sobbed. "Lord their hearts are so hard, only Your Spirit can penetrate them. Please work a miracle here."

So the teaching continued this morning (Tuesday) with the story of Jonah. Are we really believing what God says in his word? Are we afraid of God? Fear of God and His punishment is what gripped the sailors in the boat, and what eventually turned the hearts of the Ninivites. What do we think of that?

Keep praying for the hearts of the Tobo people.
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Intense Opposition, Prayer Warriors Needed!!!

It started with a typical lie.

I asked, "You missed yesterdays teaching, did someone tell you what God's Word said yesterday?" To which he lied and said, "Yes, I was very happy to hear about it." But I knew otherwise because lately, the cargo cult is rearing it's ugly head as we near the end of the teaching, and I know he was at a cult meeting. So I asked him if the cult has ever done anything for him. To which he replied, "no". So I asked why he wasted his energy all this time on something that has never done anything for him. "We will have all the material things just like you white people do when you are done teaching, and then you will know the cult is true... just wait till December 24th (they think that bags of rice will "magically" appear on the ground that day), you will see!" This was the answer given to me by Klifford as he got up and walked away angry. He used to come to the teaching every day and he helped Chad and I with translating. He hasn't show up for 4 days now.

Tingon (my translation helper and the first believer) said that he was approached by 2 of the cult leaders in the past few weeks asking him to join. When he told them, "No, I have everything I has ever wanted or needed because Jesus washed my sins away," then the rejection and ridicule started, "You are not thinking about your future," they said.
On Monday there was talk of putting off the teaching for a couple days so that people could go to an opening of a cargo cult house. These cult houses are made to hold the "cargo" when the mountains will spew forth the money. I said, "No we will not stop the teaching. You will have to make a choice as to what is more important at this point in your lives. Satan wants you to go. He is promising things to you just like he promised Eve if she would eat the fruit. But he is a liar. The cult has never given you anything, and it can not give you eternal life."

We went up to the teaching today (Friday) and no one talked to us or shook our hands because they were all hiding the fact that they were planning a cargo cult meeting that very morning. When asked why they came to the teaching, they said they want the cargo and not God's Word. So we didn't teach. Jason told them that we will be back Monday, but we have no cargo to give them... that is not why we came. Now that they have been told that, many are having to decide either to come to the teaching or go back to their cargo cult. This weekend many may be making a decision one way or the other. We need your prayers!!!

Please don't stop praying, the enemy is hard at work.
His Clay Pots, Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

The Kiddos

His Little Clay Pots, Micah (7), Sophia (5), Malachi (2)

Wanted ~ Yaka Siwia

Name: Yaka Siwia (means "food shavings")
Family: He has two wives, and I believe10 children, and numerous grandchildren.
Village: Dengenu

Stats: Yaka Siwia is just an older man in the village. He is not anyone of great importance, but he makes sure we know which words we say in the language here are indeed from long ago, and which words are new. He had a hard time getting over the fact that the language is "mixed" now-a-days with other dialects and languages... and it is no longer pure. (Sounds like some older folks in my culture:) So at first he was hesitant to come to the teaching because of that. But lately he has been coming everyday and no longer mentions the individual words... mostly because he is into the story, and he is hearing it for the first time in his heart language instead of another language which has been the case his whole life.

Pray: That Yaka Siwia's heart would be drawn to the Word of God. That he would see the power of God through His written Word, and that he would see that the meaning of the words, which convey to us the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, is more important than the medium of the individual words themselves.

This Weeks Teaching:
December 11th: Brazen Serpent
December 12th: Israel Failed but God never left them
December 13th: Israel wants a King
December 14th: Jonah
December 15th: Prophecy of the Deliverer

Clay Pots ~ Law

Chad giving Jason a mirror so that he would realize his face is truly dirty.

Last Friday Jason prepared them for this week's teaching. The Law. He asked them "Why would our good God give us the law knowing full well that we would fail to keep it?" No one looked at Jason, their heads were bowed. They were ashamed, scared, and some were crying. The LAW has been what they have tried to follow their whole lives. They have been told over and over again that if they don't follow the law they are doomed to hell. So they would try to follow it but always failed. Day after day, hour after hour, they try to do the impossible: Perfection. They know they have failed over and over again. For some when they realized they couldn't follow the law they chucked it and went to the opposite extreme.

This week Jason was teaching why God gave the law. It is like a mirror, its purpose is simply to show us how sinful we are, that by ourselves we cannot possibly keep it, and that we need a Savior. The law was given to prepare us for the Deliverer who is coming. He will fulfill the law for us, and deliver us from the curse of the law.

Pray that this week people will be convicted of their own individual sin. It's a whole lot easier to point the finger at other people, and say, "so and so is worse than me"! When in reality, we are all doomed to hell because even one small sin is worthy of that punishment. Some already have admitted their own personal sin, and are in fear because they now see that there is nothing they can do to merit their way to heaven. They realize now for the first time, that God might not "just let them in if they are good enough", but that there is no way they can be allowed into God's presence. We are getting close to the answer, and they are starting to get hungry for it! Praise God.

Wanted ~ Bafi

Name: Bafi
Family: 6 children
Village: Dengenu
Stats: Bafi is a leader in the Lutheran church. His responsibilities include the reading of the Scriptures (in Melanesian Pidgin and another "non-heart" language), liturgical readings, leading in songs, burials, etc. Bafi feels very responsible for the lack of spiritual knowledge that the people have here. He has said numerous times since he started coming to the teaching that he has never heard the Word taught this way, and that he has been doing it wrong for all these years. He is sorry for his "grabbing things out of context" and teaching them falsely to the people. He has been at the teaching every day since the beginning, and he has a hunger to hear the truth. He too is beginning to see his own sinfulness.

Pray: That God would continue to enlighten his soul and his mind to his lost condition. That he would come to believe that even though he has been "in the church" his whole life, he doesn't know the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that the Spirit would convict him of the necessity of believing the gospel, and not just following a religion to gain eternal life.

This Weeks Teaching:
December 4th: Ten Commandments Part 1
December 5th: Ten Commandments Part 2
December 6th: Tabernacle and Sacrifices Explained
December 7th: The Golden Calf
December 8th: Israel did not go into Canaan

Christmas Cookie Making Day