TERM Seminar


Last week I had the privilege of helping teach a seminar to our students and a few guests. TERM (The Emmaus Road Message) is a Creation to Christ presentation of the Bible, for those who know little or nothing about the Bible. We want to make sure that our students understand the Gospel, and are able to clearly share it with others.

John has taught this material many times and all over the world. I have been able to help teach the seminar the past four times here at our Bible school. This time was different for me as we were using a new manuscript. Previously we had used The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus which was geared for people from a “Christian” background or culture. This new book, which won’t be in print until next year, is for people from a polytheistic (many gods) culture or background. It is a major revision, as there are many different assumptions that must be made and more foundations laid before trying to explain who Jesus Christ is.

“In the beginning, God…” (What beginning? There was no ‘beginning’. And which of the gods are being mentioned here?)

Without these changes, taking extra time to carefully lay down foundational truths about God being unique, Jesus could easily be added on to one’s religion as just another god. You must make sure that people understand that He isn’t just another god, he is the one true God.

Students following along with the study

Comments from students after the seminar:

“The Emmaus Road message is a good tool to help tie together all the events in the Bible into the most important theme of the whole book. As Christians, sometimes we don’t see why certain events or stories are in the Bible until we realize everything happened because God was preparing for this one day when Jesus would die on the cross for all of mankind.”

“I have a better understanding on how to share my faith with others and answer their questions. I feel better equipped to talk to people about Christ.”

“The Emmaus Road study has been beneficial to me because it helped me learn more in depth what God has done for me and how all the Bible stories tie together. Now I can explain the Bible to others.”

“It’s really made me reflect on what I believe. I have grown up in a Christian home, but some things I never really got. The rat (illustration of our sin) on the cross was very symbolic to me. I finally realized that God poured out His wrath for my sin on Jesus for me.”

“Thank you so much for your lectures. It was the most biblical teaching in my life.”

“I learned a lot of how things tie together that I did not know before. Answers to questions that I was afraid I would not be able to answer if someone asked me to explain something.”

“This study has been beneficial because it really helped me understand why Jesus died and why all the other things in the Old Testament had to happen.”

“It’s been beneficial because now everything fits together. It’s like a puzzle and in the end it makes a beautiful picture. I believe in God and the Bible, but now the Bible makes a little more sense.”

“…I really appreciate being taught about it. I can now talk more about God’s Word to people, because I understand it so much better!

I’m looking forward to getting my hands on this new book!

Saturday Sunrise



This had been a long and busy week. I often had to get up extra early to be in the classroom at 7:40 AM. Saturday rolls around and we are all tired and ready for a day of rest. Hoping to sleep in some, I didn’t even bother to set my alarm, but my internal clock gets me up at 6:40. The bad thing about internal clocks is that they don’t have a snooze button..

At least I was able to snap this shot of the sunrise at 7:07 this morning.

Where you are from

I recently started using a couple of free web statistics services like Statscounter.com, which can track visitors on a map for you. Here is where visitors to our site have come from over the last few days.

I like looking at these maps as I know who some of the markers represent. They may be friends and family in those areas, like an uncle of mine in BC, an old roommate of mine in Brazil (at least I think that is who it is..), an old classmate of Naomi’s in Belgium..

“But”, you ask, “who in China would be visiting our site??” It is Naomi’s brother, Andrew. He is in China for a few weeks working with some manufacturers on some visual aids for GoodSeed. These visual aids will be used around the world to help better understand the gospel. While he is there he is also having a few adventures that you can read about on his blog.

Hey, thanks for visiting. And leaving a marker on my map.

Can they not see the irony??

Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday, following remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that angered many Muslims…

Later Saturday, four masked gunmen doused the main doors of Nablus’ Roman and Greek Catholic churches with lighter fluid, then set them afire. They also opened fire on the buildings, striking both with bullets.

In Gaza City, militants opened fire from a car at a Greek Orthodox church, …. Explosive devices were set off at the same Gaza church on Friday…

Firebombings left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of Nablus’ Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches. At least five firebombs hit the Anglican church and its door was later set ablaze. Smoke billowed from the church as firefighters put out the flames.

In a phone call to The Associated Press, a group calling itself the “Lions of Monotheism” claimed responsibility for those attacks, saying they were carried out to protest the pope’s remarks in a speech this week in Germany linking Islam and violence.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,214128,00.html


Can they not see the irony of carrying out violent attacks to protest being called violent? I wonder what they would do if they had a chance to meet the Pope.. would they hold a gun to his head and force him to say that they are not violent?

The media just reports the events, but I think they are too afraid to actually point out the irony.

As my dad used to say.. “It boggles my mind!”

Update: Some Australian media had insightful editorials here and here.