bramer's blog

Join me in Israel next December

2011-12-05T17:55:00.018-06:00

I'd like you to consider joining Dr. Paul Shockley and me for a unique journey into Israel whereby we will explore the best of Old Testament and New Testament Israel. We will travel to places we all love to see, (e.g., Western Wall; Sea of Galilee), but also see places not normally seen (e.g., Akko; Samaria; Shiloh; Qumran Cave # 1). This would be a great tour even if you have been to Israel before. You'll see the best of the old and the best of the new sites. If you are interested, you can take a look the pictures on this page (click on them to increase their size) or at an e-brochure on front page of Paul's website: www.prshockley.org or I will be glad to email you a PDF copy of brochure.

Our trip will be between fall and spring semesters, December 26, 2012- January 6, 2013 and we think this is going to allow a number of people in education to go on this tour since the tours in the fall and spring are often during regular school days. Some businesses are not as busy during these two weeks and so this might be a great time to combine a week of vacation with normal holidays.

The weather will be cool with a possibility of rain. At this same time last year Paul and I spend two weeks in Israel and we loved the coolness, clear days, bright flowers and the beautifully green fields.

We are limiting this tour to a single bus so once it is full it is full! Consider putting down your deposit sooner rather than later.

Back blogging starting with an accident

2010-11-20T16:58:00.005-06:00

I took a few months off blogging but I'm back!
I spent the last few days in Atlanta at the ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) conference listening to papers, meeting fellow professors and former students, and buying books!
I came home to my car that had been sideswiped by a 28 year old man who, after hitting my car, struck my neighbor Larry as he got out of his truck. The picture to the right (taken by my son-in-law Justin) shows the scene from the side of my car towards Larry's truck that was turned back to front and on its side by the impact of the accident. Larry was left lying beside the curb just before his wife's white car. The man, who is being charged with assault, has his Neon car to the left. The suspect was not badly hurt I understand, but Larry's leg with its new artificial knee is broken, his collarbone is broken, his eyes are swollen and damaged, his body is bruised and battered. I got a good visit with him this morning in ICU and read to him some Scripture (Isaiah 40:28-31) and prayed with him and his wife.
My car has been damaged down its passenger side but cars can be repaired (although I'm not sure if the suspect's insurance is sufficient!). I leave Monday for Vancouver, British Columbia to visit my new grand kids (Soren and Marlow will be the subject of my next blog!). When I get back I will be dealing with the insurance company on the repairs. This comes a couple of months after this same car was repaired after being rear-ended by a driver! I am slowly getting my 1998 car renovated!
You can see some raw helicopter video of the accident at: http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/
The story is about the seventh story down on the page.
In the next few weeks I'll be blogging about my twin grand kids, my upcoming men's tour to Israel, upcoming house renovations, and other interesting items that come into my life. Trust you'll come back and visit me.

Last Day in Romania

2010-05-06T08:02:00.009-05:00

I leave the Bible Institute here at 4 am tomorrow (Friday) morning. I fly British Airways to London and then American on to Dallas. I hope to be at the DTS BBQ tomorrow night! I noticed that Ireland had some problems with the ash cloud the last few days but I trust I won't spend additional time getting home. I am going to miss my little six-year old friend Ruthie. She talks to me, translates for me when students talk to me at the table, sings, prays and she gets all the candy I have brought in my suitcase! I gave her the sleeping mask from the airplane and she wore it to lunch. Lunch was soup and peas with some chicken mixed in. I enjoy it.

Classes ended at 1 pm and I spent the last hour or so preparing the exam that the students will take on Monday.

Tuesday night I spent some time in the guys room sharing a devotion with them. I took a picture of the three guys in the room on their bed and another one of their closet and shelves (that is my friend Alin who is a staff member here and got them to invite me to come! He was my translator for the devotion too). Not much by some standards but these guys are great!

Last night I spoke for 45 minutes to the students because they wanted to hear how the Lord had saved and led me. The singing was great (sometimes I recognize the tune) and the students very attentive. I've had some great conversations with those who know a little English and with the others through translation. I am going home richer for having come here. I took a picture of three of the young ladies is. Always serving and working around. May they find good husbands to serve with them in the years ahead!

Minor Prophets for Romanians!

2010-05-04T08:23:00.007-05:00

Today was my second of four days of teaching, for 5 hours a day, the Minor Prophets to the students here. There are only 11 students (including both first and second years) which seems real small for some of us but if I remember correctly, Dallas Theological Seminary started with 11 students 85 years ago! God is often in the small, seemingly insignificant things of life. The amazing fact is that these students and the staff here in Word of Life are praying and planning to start Word of Life in Greece (where you cannot evangelize anyone under the age of 18) and Turkey (where the Muslims are not welcoming!) and a few other countries that are in this part of the world. Isn't that amazing? I think I would just be satisfied with building up my "own" ministry in my "own" country but apparently they believe God wants them to reach out to the world! They have camps planned for both countries this summer. Bold, humble and trusting.

After teaching 3 classes we had chapel and Iuliana translated for me as the students shared. They first sang enthusiastically (Laurian, a second year male student led) and then they shared what had happened in their ministry week last week and last weekend. In various avenues, these students shared the gospel using drama, puppets, street witnessing, ministry in churches, to well over 1,000 people I am sure. Wonderful reports of decisions and plans to meet and talk and disciple in the days ahead. Aura, a gypsy girl here, shared how she was able to speak in the gypsy dialect with two girls who responded to the offer of salvation and then how others came too. In class we were studying Jonah and it was so applicable to the situation.

Romania is both modern and not-so-modern. The picture I took out the van window shows modern cars passing the horse and cart. The picture of the people standing outside the fence of the church where I preached Sunday morning shows you the smiling faces of Romanians with a typical house out here in the rural areas.

The weather here has been perfect in that for me there has been no rain, the sun is shining, in the 70's, and the air is fresh out here in the country. I have two more days to teach and I need to cover a number of prophets! Pray for me. The Lord seems to have given me real rapport with the people here and I hope I can come back again to teach (and bring some of you with me!).

What's It Like Where I am This Week?

2010-05-03T12:31:00.013-05:00

Today is Monday (now 9 pm) and I just finished teaching 5 classes from 2-7 pm and then had dinner (fish, rice, carrots and tea or water to drink). I'm going to talk about classes in the next blog but let me show you some pictures of the property where I am living and teaching this week.

It is located about 80 miles from Bucharest, I would guess, though it takes about two hours to drive the distance, the last part up a steep gravel/dirt road. Sixty miles W/NW of Bucharest is the city of Pitesti. NW of Pitesti about 20 miles is a piece of property on the side, near the top, of a hill that overlooks a huge valley. In the far distance is a larger city with a Renault car factory that employs many people and has brought some prosperity to some while most remain in small houses heated by wood with gardens and fruit trees in the front and back. Some have cows (often just one or two owned by a family) and there is a flock of sheep in the nearby meadow.
I'm not sure how big the property is but I'm guessing at 40 acres. It will be the site of the Word of Life summer kids camps as soon as they can complete the dining hall and kitchen complex. The picture shows the concrete and steel beams in place just waiting for more funds to complete the rest. For the last number of years they have rented camping facilities but this will give them great advantages to have camps here.

Last year the school operated out of one building, the wood building that now functions as the kitchen, dining hall for the 16 students and 6 staff that are here right now. Last year (the first year of the school) it was the dormitory, washrooms, classroom, as well as the kitchen and dining room! Many rooms were multipurpose!

During this past year they completed the two story dormitory you see in the picture (the small building on the left is where the heat is created for the building using a wood furnace. There is no natural gas available). Only the first floor is finished and it is used for the men's and women's rooms (4 students to a room), two rooms for Alin and his wife Iuliana and daughter Ruth (no kitchen so they eat with the students every meal), two classrooms, an office, and a room for a guest (where I am staying this week). They are planning for a number of more students next year so they will need to complete part of the second story I think. They are building Alin and Iuliana a small house on the hill. It is almost completed outside and they hope they will be able to complete the inside by the Fall so they can have a place of their own. Pray for the Lord's provision for them. I wonder how many of us would be willing to live in two 20 x12 rooms with a child just so you could serve the Lord in this place? They do it without complaining and with a smile on their face. Saturday night they had me in to their "home" for tea and cookies (which they had just been given by a believer and so they wanted to share them with me). I brought them some Starbucks Coffee and they were so excited. But they made a pot to share with the students at lunch on Sunday. They have been a real inspiration to me about being content with what I have and sharing everything with fellow believers. Almost sounds New Testament. Great to read but even greater to see.

The students are a joy to be with even though I have only been here a couple of days and am just getting to know them. They are sincere, hard-working, committed to the Lord and to ministry. Most of them have accepted the Lord in past few years as teenagers. One of the first things they do when they talk to me (a few in slow English, the rest by translator) is to share how they came to know the Lord. It is just a natural thing for them to do and they are excited about it!
I'm afraid many young people I know would complain about some of the conditions (did you notice the "sidewalk" from the dorm to the wood dining hall?) but these trust the Lord for the $1,000 for the year and accept what that can provide for them in terms of food etc. They wash their clothes by hand and the ladies have a tent (the white one to the left of the wood dining hall) that they can hang some of their clothes in (bedide all the tools that are stored there!). Someone comes in to cook their lunch and dinner during the week but weekends the (female) students that their turn and the men clean up.

What an experience I am having. I think I'm getting far more than I'm giving.

Thanks to my home church, Waterbrook Bible Fellowship (http://www.waterbrook.org/) for taking care of the flight expenses to come to Hungary and to Romania. My ministry here is part of the ministry of each one at Waterbrook who gives faithfully.

Preaching in Romania Sunday Night

2010-05-03T02:40:00.011-05:00

After the morning service and lunch I had a short rest and then did some preparation for the evening church service.

After a two hour drive into Bucharet from the bible Institute, we stopped for a Romania chicken shwarma, the best shwarma I've ever had, and I've had lots. I took a picture of this place and the chicken "mass" that was being cooked. They have 7 spits on the go so there is always meat available and the place is busy! It is know throughout Bucharest and now I know why!

Then on to a Brethern Church for the 6:00-7:30 evening church service. We walked in as they were singing a hymn (without instruments) and I was amazed at the scene. There were about 150 believers present for this evening service (apparently evening church services are still very much the norm here in Romanian evangelical churches), men on the right as I walked in and the women on the left. All the women and girls had head coverings on (which I am very familiar with being raised in the Plymouth Brethren chapels of Canada). The center portion of the sanctuary was down a few steps. On either side of this main section was a raised section. Then completely around the sanctuary was a balcony in which there were a number of people including some children (I walked around later and discovered the children's nursery/play area was up behind the balcony).

The singing was beautiful with voices blending together, I could hear some young boys (see the picture below outside the church) clearly in the pew behind me. There were a good number of younger men and boys as well as young ladies and girls present.
A couple of hymns and a prayer (everyone stands for every prayer) and then I was ushered to the pulpit by my translator Emmanuel (he is on staff here with his wife Tereza and he is a gifted young man who has been used greatly in evanglism and discipleship here. Now he is assisting the director in many areas of ministry). It was about 6:15 and I was told to preach until about 7 pm. When I heard of this opportunity on Saturday I was asked to carry on in the portion they were studying on Sunday evenings and so I had John 14 to cover (not an easy passage to cover for some verses and especially through translation). However, the Lord gave me freedom and clear thinking and the right illustrations I believe and when I got to 6:50 the translator told me I didn't need to stop at 7 pm and to keep going that it would be OK with the people. This is the first time this has ever happened to me as a preacher!
I ended at about 7:10 pm with a challenge not to allow our hearts to remain troubled because 1) we could trust God, 2) Jesus has gone to His Father's house to prepare a place for us so this world is not our final home, 3) Jesus is coming again for us, and 4) in the meantime we can show our love for our Lord by acting according to His will because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who can help us in our struggles, give us understanding in our seeking after Him etc. After I sat down tired but sensing the Lord's blessing, the congregation was asked to sing a hymn. During the hymn the elder beside my translator asked him to take me back up to the pulpit where I could share more of my testimony or whatever I thought would be good to share! So for 20 minutes more I shared God's working in my life. I am so grateful for this opportunity and for the conversations afterwards (a number of the men were very familiar with DTS and Drs. Pentecost, Walvoord, Toussaint, and showed great appreciation for the teaching by these men and others). It was a wonderful time of fellowship with belivers, very few who could speak to me in halting English, but who obviously loved the Lord and His Word. Things we might see as impossible hindrances to ministry these believers accept and continue to share.

I got back late and then had a great conversation with Emmanuel. He and his wife are enjoying their second anniversary today! (They will now enjoy it with a pound of Starbuck's Coffee and maybe a special meal out because many of you as God's people have been so good to me). Pray for the staff here at Word of Life who share so freely, generously, and effectively. They have already become a great example to me.

The students have been away for a week of outreach ministry (they study for 3 weeks and then go out in ministry all over Romania for the fourth week). They have this morning to recover and take care of various things and then we are going to start classes this afternoon. I'm looking forward to it.

Preaching in Romanian Churches

2010-05-02T14:57:00.013-05:00

I had a wonderful, full, unique day in Romania today!

Breakfast was the usual Romanian breakfast here at the Bible Institute. Bread, a spoon-full of butter, a spoon-full of jam, a slice of thin ham, warm tea (without milk). Simple, good, all that the school can provide and one for which I am thanful to God.

Morning church was in a Evangelical/Baptist Church about 3/4 of an hour away. The church was pretty full with about 15 men and 20 women. The pictures will show the church building (yes, the toilets are outside to the back right!). The church is heated (as it was this morning) by the wood lying there in the church yard. The furnace was a tall, ceramic block wood furnace in the back corner of the room (behind the men in the inside church picture. The two hour service was mostly planned five minutes before it started (at least that is when I agreed not only to preach but also present two 5 minute teachings on prayer! Talk about being ready to preach, pray, or die at a moment's notice!). The service was from 10 to noon and consisted of a hymn (no instruments though there was an organ at the front), prayer (everyone stood), another hymn (with no instuments), 5 minutes on Hebrews 4 by me, prayer for 15 minutes (everyone stood but only the men, seated on the right in the photo prayed), 5 minutes on Philippians 4 by me, prayer for 15 minutes (everyone stood and only the ladies, seated on the left prayed), a solo by Luliana one of the staff ladies from the Bible Institute (an amazing beautiful voice, a former student of mine from Hungary two years ago), a testimony by a student here (Oura ? pictured with my little friend Ruthie) who has scars all over her face and hands from being burned but who uses this to tell how she came to know the Lord (I had sat outside after lunch on Saturday and she had told me the story in halting English which brought tears to my eyes), two more solos by Luliana and then I preached for 40 minutes! Then a closing hymn, offering, and prayer. Too long for most American audiences, not enough noise, no instruments and yet God's presence was there like few times in many services I have been in!

After the service, an older lady dressed in traditional Romanian dress stood beside me and talked through a translator. What a joy to hear her comments and I wanted to get a picture with her so you could see her. She told me I was very tall (the first time I think I have ever heard that).

Lunch was outside under a beautiful spring/summer sun in Romania. I wish you could be here to experience some of God's special work in His world today.

It's after midnight here so the evening service in Bucharest will have to wait for another blog. I teach tomorrow and I'm excited (and always a little nervous when I start with a new group of students, especially ones from a different culture than my own) and I'm trusting God to reveal Himself in great ways through His Word. Check back tomorrow for more on my wonderful Sunday in Romania.

Lost in Romania

2010-05-01T08:40:00.006-05:00

I arrived in Bucharest, Romaina last night by prop plane from Budapest to a welcome sign in English. We drove through the capital for 3/4 of an hour (there are only 3 major highways in Romania) before we finally got to a highway leading out. We drove past the largest "public" building in the world, the "People's Palace" completed by the communists while food was being rationed etc. The revolution occured in 1989 I think and the country is trying to catch up from 40 years of deterioration.

After a 2 1/2 hour drive we got here about midnight to a rustic, rural but beautiful area of Romania. Today I was asked to go to the nearest city to drive a car back for someone. It was great to see the city of Pitesti (300,000) about 1/2 hour from the Bible Institute property. However, I was sure I could get back O.K. because the other driver had things to do in the city. I got back most of the way and then missed a road off the main road and took the next one. For the next hour I had a wonderful tour of the country of Romania through various small villages, past horse drawn carts, true haystacks, gypies wagons, etc. The only problem was I had no phone, no phone numbers, no map, I couldn't remember the name of the village near the property (which it out on top of a hill outside the village), and all the signs were in Romanian and the few people I tried to ask didn't speak English. Other than that I had a great time.
I'm usually pretty good with finding my way even in foreign countries and after about 1 1/2 hours I found the road I had missed the first time and arrived back for a late lunch and some relieved people who thought their bible teacher was missing for good!
Tomorrow I have been asked to speak at a church in the morning and another in the evening. I'd appreciate prayer for good translation and that the Lord would give me His message for both churches. Please pray.

My Mac computer can't connect to a phone line/USB here so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to update this blog but I'll try to see if I can use the office computer every second day.

Sunglasses for the Song of Solomon!

2010-04-29T05:41:00.006-05:00

Today we started studying the Song of Songs and I mentioned yesterday that it might be best if they wore sunglasses for some of the explicit parts. Today they showed up in class all wearing glasses!
We had three good classes and ended with a student presentation which was very good. Tomorrow all the other students will be presenting some lessons from the Book of Proverbs in song, drama, drawing, etc. It is always a fun time when they do this.
My cough and sore throat remain but I sense the Lord using me despite some discomfort.
This morning for breakfast we had hot-dogs (16 inches long! so you have to cut them in two) with buns and ketchup, and also some macaroni salad. This would be a lunch in North America but here the breakfasts are often similar to lunch. There was a table with a bowl of cereal for anyone who couldn't handle a hot-dog at 7:20 am!
Every time I come here to Word of Life Hungary I am thankful to the Lord for this ministry. I believe the churches of Hungary will be changed significantly in the years to come because of the training being received here. Take a look at the website: http://www.eletszava.org/ You may know of some young person who is wanting to study the Bible for a year or two and yet wants an adventure to be part of the time. They could get it all here! In fact, there are students from 11 different countries here this year including Canada and the USA. Even with travel the cost is very affordable.
Tomorrow I teach and then leave for Romania. I'll keep you posted.

20 Years in Tóalmás for Word of Life

2010-04-28T15:26:00.006-05:00

This year marks 20 years that Word of Life has been in Hungary running the summer camp program. Next month they will have a special celebration for what has been accomplished for the Lord and in His strength. I took a picture of the back of the "castle" so you could see how beautiful it is. However, up close, there is much work to be done on the building. They just got the roof replaced (it is a historical building and so they replaced it with the original design). Perhaps some reading this blog could come over here some day and spend some time helping out in the painting, repairing, and building that goes on all the time.
The Bible College started later (1995) than the camp but it has grown along with a number of other ministries here. I started coming here in 2002 and this is my sixth time teaching young people in Hungary. Today I completed Ecclesiastes and tomorrow I start with the Song of Songs. I'm sure the next two days will be interesting!
Today I struggled with a cold and sore throat so I took an afternoon nap to see if my body can't fight this so it doesn't get any worse. When I walked into town yesterday I took a picture down the main street and one in the cemetery too. Just wanted to.

Safe at Word of Life, Hungary

2010-04-26T12:33:00.009-05:00

I'm safely in my room at the Word of Life "castle" in Hungary. My room is on the second floor and to the right of the entrance. Isn't it a beautiful building that the Lord has given for ministry here, a building that just a few decades ago was hosting communist events!
An uneventful trip via Paris with no sign of an "ash cloud" anywhere this week! I forgot my camera for the trip but I do have my iPhone so small pictures from it will have to do for my blog. The picture outside the plane window was taken as we were coming down to land near Budapest. The river divides Buda and Pest.
The second pictures shows some of the communist era block apartment buildings as well as some of the other homes of the city.
After arriving, I had a great soup and salad dinner at the Kádárs who were good friends from the years that László (Laci) went to DTS. Now with three children and a dog, he and Szandra live in a great home in the village of Tolamas (~4,000 people, 10% of whom are Gypsys). Laci teaches at the Bible College here and directs the summer camps where almost 800 kids come every summer.
Tomorrow morning 9 am (2 am "my" Dallas time) I'll start teaching the first of three lectures tomorrow on Ecclesiastes. At 5 pm I'll have the privilege of preaching at the weekly student/staff/faculty chapel service. Pray for a special message from the Lord that I can pass on and for good physical stamina in the midst of jet lag.
I got a picture emailed to me that a student took last week in the classroom as I was teaching from Texas. I'll post it below.

A Great Week in Hungary from Texas!

2010-04-23T09:52:00.003-05:00

Lord willing, I leave this Sunday for teaching in Hungary and Romania. This week my teaching has been by Skype. The picture to the right is a screen capture (therefore of poor quality) of my computer in what I would see as I taught the class at Word of Life, Hungary. They could see me at the front of the class and my powerpoint slides were being projected to the right of my image. Isn't technology great! Of course there is something about being there in person and the casual conversations at dinner and in the classroom after the lecture can't be replaced by video conferencing. It is raining here in Texas today but it will be a few degrees cooler as I head off to Hungary. I'll keep you updated.

Teaching Hungary (from Texas!)

2010-04-21T11:07:00.004-05:00

I'm teaching Hungarian students from my home study in Garland, Texas! Last Sunday my flight to Budapest through Paris got canceled due to the ash cloud that shut down the flights over Europe. So this week, for the first time, I am teaching via Skype. I speak, wait for the translation, and then continue on. I can see the class (from the back of their classroom) and they can see me here in my office. I have sent my PowerPoint presentations and teaching notes on Proverbs to the translator, Chris James. He is doing a great job and the class seems to be going well. Today I introduced my class to my son Joshua who was at home studying (as a proud father I need to let you know that Joshua won the Greek award at Criswell College yesterday after winning the Hebrew award last year!).
This Sunday I have another flight booked to go to Budapest through Paris in order to teach the second half of the course. Next Friday I hope to fly from Budapest to Bucharest Romania to teach the Minor Prophets for a week. Both of these at classes at Word of Life Bible Institute or Training Center (http://www.eletszava.org/ http://www.cuvantulvietii.ro/bible_school.htm). I am scheduled to fly home via British Airways to London and then American Airline on to Dallas. If I get stuck in Europe I may have to slip over to Israel or Turkey or some other place to see if I can visit a few sites. Well, at least I can dream.
Once I get to Europe I hope to update my blog with what is happening there at the schools.

Father-in-law in is heaven now

2010-03-24T06:13:00.004-05:00

My father-in-law Harley Orman Howard died yesterday morning. He had stayed in our home shortly after his wife Betty had passed away and it became evident that he was suffering from early stage Alzheimers. He lived with us for a number of years until it was necessary to get him 24 hour care in a nursing home. We said goodbye to him over the years. Early this past Sunday morning Sharon and I went over and whispered in his ear about heaven and the Lord and then prayed with him. He gave some indication he was conscious of us being there and hearing but it was clear he was not going to last long. Sharon saw him again Monday and he held tightly to her hand. He died Tuesday morning. Below are some comments from our daughter Sarah. She lives in Vancouver and is flying down Saturday for the service on Sunday.
"My Grandaddy died today. What you need to know about Harley O. Howard: Fought in WWII where he traded army-issue cigarettes for chocolate bars, took us to the beach and always wore pants, grew a garden in an empty lot across the street, saved change in piggy banks with our names on them, was known to dance in the the living room and say things like "snap my garter let my socks roll down!" The man in a nutshell.
Alzheimer's meant saying goodbye to him a long time ago so we're glad he's finally done with this life and on to the next. He's with Grandma, he has his memories back, his knees work and he's in perfect health."
We plan to have a short service on Sunday and then his body will be flown back to Norfolk, Virginia where he will be buried beside his wife.

I just saw my daughter Sarah's blog on her grandaddy. I think your would enjoy reading it at http://www.shau.ca/

Saying Good Bye to Israel March '10

2010-03-18T15:02:00.011-05:00

We got up this morning to a very solid rain coming down. An hour later the sky had cleared and the sun was shining down on Jerusalem as it usually does.
Today was our last day in Israel for this IFL March 2010 tour. We started off at the Garden Tomb for a Praise and Communion Service. What a way to start a day and to end a week and a half in Israel.
We also had a chance today to visit the Western Hill (today called Mt. Zion) where we saw the traditional place of the denials of Peter, then the Upper Room, the Jewish Quarter including Hezekiah's Broad Wall, the Roman Cardo, a great Jewish bagel lunch, before I sent the bus pilgrims back to the hotel to pack. Since Sharon and I don't leave until 10:15 am Friday, I spent a couple of hours in the Old City. I was able to help Dr. Dan Wallace make a good contact for possible future visits, I brought my wife a couple of gifts for next Christmas or some other good excuse to give him a gift, and then the Wallaces and I walked through the Muslim Quarter (Pati got some spices) and boarded an Arab bus back to our hotel. All this is quite a culturally stretching time for us as Americans and is something I've really come to enjoy doing.
Before I end my blog tonight I thought I'd add some pictures Sharon took yesterday. The first is of me in "Zedikiah's Cave." The next is of Steve Green in his concert last night at the Pavilion in Jerusalem (a church concert hall). I'm going to miss being here in the days ahead. I've gotten a couple of requests to return here to address Palestinian believers on a number of Scriptural questions as well as preaching opportunities. I'll be praying in the days ahead if this is somewhere I should be spending some time when my sabbatical comes up in 2011-12. Will you pray with me?

Shopping in Jerusalem!

2010-03-17T15:22:00.009-05:00

While this second to last day was not ALL shopping a lot of shopping went on during the afternoon. The morning was spent touring, not the ancient sites, but the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea scrolls), the model of 1st Century Jerusalem, and YodVaShem (holocaust museum). We also went to the Garden Tomb (Gordon's Calvary) for a tour of what may be Golgotha and the burial tomb of Jesus (this site competes with the Church of the Holy Seplucher). Before shopping, as while our pilgrims were at the museum which we had viewed many times before, Sharon and I went to tour Zedikiah's Cave, a second temple period rock quarry that stretches from under the north wall of the city about 250 yards under the present Muslim Quarter. It was quite neat to view and is something I've wanted to do for years. The afternoon was spent allowing the pilgrims to shop, either in the Old City or on Ben Yehudah street (pedestrian mall area of West Jerusalem). We serve as guides and help the pilgrims get what they want. We usually take them to some of the shop keepers we've known for years and can trust to give everyone a fair deal.
Sharon left our camera on the bus tonight after returning from the Steve Green concert that was held in downtown Jerusalem so I have no pictures from today for my blog tonight. She has been taking most of the pictures that appear in this blog since we have been in Israel (thanks sweetheart). I'll stick in a couple of pictures from earlier days of this tour for those one you who like pictures! The two pictures at the top are of our guide Elon and our driver Eliazer.
Tomorrow we will all be together at the Garden Tomb for a communion service and then we will tour the Jewish Quarter. This tour will all come to an official end sometime after lunch. I can't wait to get back. Right now I think I have two future tours coming back to the Land so I won't be too sad leaving since I know (Lord willing) to return again.
It would be great if you could join Sharon and I on one of our upcoming tours.

The lowest place on the face of the earth!

2010-03-16T14:25:00.010-05:00

Today we went to the lowest place on the face of the earth, about 1300 feet below sea level. You get 10% more oxygen, bromide in the air, and you don't get sunburned as easily since there is more atmosphere. It is quite relaxing. The Kingdom of Jordan is about 6 miles across the sea. But more than that, there are four exciting things to do down there. First, the Dead Sea is 10%+ saltier than the ocean and feels like you are bathing in salad oil dressing! (I'll spare you the pictures of me in a bathing suit!) It is something like you have never experienced just to float so easily in a sea.
Second. the community of Qumran and the location for the Dead Sea Scrolls are on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.
Third, En Gedi (the Springs of the Wild Goats) is located mid way south on the shore of the Dead Sea. This is where David often fled from Saul and found water and security in this area (notice some of the many caves in this area as I give a devotion from 1 Samuel 24).
Fourth, Masada, the stronghold, where Harod the Great build a tremendous palace in the desert, and the place where in AD 73 the last of the Jewish zealots chose to die rather than to surrender to the Roman 10th Legion. This may be the place that David regarded as "the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61).
We got back just in time to have another all-you-can-eat buffet with just fabulous food on it. After dinner I walked out into the hotel atrium and there was a Yemenite Jewish wedding being conducted. The most interesting part of the wedding was when the groom can to the back, looked at the bride to make sure she was who he thought she was (no Leah replacement for Rachel!), then he pulled her thin veil over her face, went back to the front and waited for her to come up the aisle! The marriage contract was read aloud during the ceremony (in Hebrew of course) which a wedding guest later explained to me. He said this man would have to think very carefully about divorcing this wife because the contract called for him to pay a big monetary payment if he ever did so! Now back to our room (a great two room suite over looking the old city of Jerusalem) and a good night's sleep. We heard of an answer to prayer this morning for something Sharon and I have been praying for for some time. Praise the Lord! I'll share it in a future post.

The City of David

2010-03-15T15:00:00.008-05:00

Today was a great day. The morning was the City of David while the afternoon was the Via Delarosa or the Walk of Christ to the Cross.
The picture to the left is of Stephen standing in front of the entrance to the city where David once ruled. (The unsightly bare legs are in preparation for walking through Hezekiah's water tunnel.) Sharon is standing in front of the harp, symbol of this city. One thing I had never seen before was a 30 foot deep shaft down to a water cistern. This would have been just like the one the Prophet Jeremiah was placed at various times in his ministry. We saw a 3D movie about Jerusalem, toured the sight, descended down through the water shaft and then the group divided into two. Sharon and most went through the dry Canaanite tunnel while Stephen and 8 others braved Hezekiah's water tunnel for 30 minutes.
After lunch at a kibbutz, we spent the afternoon in the northern part of the old city, walking the Via Delarosa, the way of suffering. We had been this way before but what was different was the presence of the Jewish police throughout the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem. I took some pictures from the bus window to show you their presence. No one seemed too tense and nothing happened that I know of today. The dedication service of the rebuilt synogoge in the Jewish Quarter is tomorrow. We will be out of the city and down around the Dead Sea area. The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year but that is about to come to an end! The temperature is dropping and while is was over 100 today at the Dead Sea we are hoping for 75F tomorrow. The time for our tour ending is appearing on the horizon. But we still have 3 great days left.

Walking in Jerusalem

2010-03-14T14:29:00.008-05:00

Today we sat on the southern steps of the temple mount where Jesus must have entered the temple numerous times. The disciples taught here and right near here over 3,000 were saved at Pentecost.
Today we prayed at the western wall of the temple mount where Jews come to pray from all over the world. At the right is a picture that Sharon took in the woman's section. Notice the tiny pieces of prayer pushed in between the stones. Aren't you glad that with Christ we don't need to leave a note but we can come boldly to the throne of grace? We walked through the old city, stopping at the remains of the Pools of Bethesda and singing in St. Annes Church. We began to notice an increased presence of Jewish police and soldiers throughout the Old City. Perhaps you have been hearing something on CNN about the increased tension in Jerusalem. It appears the Jewish authorities are trying to impress upon any Muslim who might decide to riot that this would not be a good idea. The reasons for the tension are varied but they include the dedication Tuesday of a rebuilt synagogue in the Old City, a rumor that the Jews are going to tear down Al Aksa mosque and rebuild the temple, and the recent announcement that the Jews are going to build 1.600 new apartments in East Jerusalem, the section of the city where most Arabs live.
In the afternoon we sat at the top of the Mount of Olives and learned about the city of Jerusalem. I taught here concerning the resurrection and then we walked down "palm Sunday road" to the church that commemorates the time when Jesus wept over the city. The pictures below are of me teaching and then Sharon in front of the Dome of the Rock and (closed) Eastern Gate to the temple mount.
We finished the day at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent a night in prayer preparing to do His Father's will — "not my will but thine be done."
Then back to the hotel for a wonderful meal and then a great time of fellowship with some new friends (Mike and Renae) who are members of some of our old friends Ian and Connie Lawson from Alberta, Canada. The Christian community is small sometimes!
If you are reading this I'd ask that you spend a moment in prayer praying for the peace of Jerusalem and for good safety tomorrow as we tour in a city with a little tension within it tonight. I do not feel afraid at all, just concerned that the touring pilgrims will get to see all the sites in the City of David tomorrow that I have come to love. I'm hoping to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel tomorrow morning. I'll let you know tomorrow if the security was such that we were able to do so.

20 feet from Jordanian Border Guards

2010-03-13T13:34:00.007-06:00

The last two days have been fabulous. Friday was our "northern Israel" day and we visited Dan, Caesarea, Golan Heights, and finally a baptismal service on the Jordan River. The picture on the right is Sharon and me in front of the Dan Spring. It is from here the Jor-Dan river begins. In Dan is the Jeroboam altar foundation that the king of the northern kingdom developed and where he place a golden calf. Behind the altar and under an ancient oak tree, I'm sharing a devotional to those on my bus on "Being Content with God's Gifts." We also saw a 4,000+ old Canaanite mud gate that would have been here when Abraham came by Dan seeking to rescue his nephew Lot! And we think things are old in North American if they are a couple of hundreds of years old!
Saturday (today) started at Tiberias and ended at Jerusalem! We started with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The boat is owned by a friend I have made over the years here and is named "Faith." The people really enjoyed as Daniel led us in a number of worship choruses before we met up with the other boats and heard Steve Green sing and Chuck Swindoll preach. Then it was on to Beth Shean where King Saul's dead body was hung on the walls after he was slain on nearby Mt. Gilboa. Dr. Reg Grant, a good friend of ours for the last 13 years performed a wonderful drama concerning a man from Jabesh-Gilead who came to rescue the body of Saul and take it back across the Jordan River. It was extremely powerful in its message. The picture on the right is of Reg performing in Israel's largest ancient Roman theater. After a wonderful lunch and touring Gideon Spring (En Harod) and a short devotional there, it was south down the west bank of the Jordan River. Our lead guide Amir had arranged to have the Israeli military escort us down to a newly build site on the Jordan River where ancient churches indicate that John the Baptist baptized here. Right across the river was Jordan (the border is in the middle of the river) and I was able to greet the guards there in Arabic. The interesting thing was I had just been on the opposite side this past June looking into Israel at this exact spot! It was probably right here that Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan after God miraculously stopped up the water. Then up to Jerusalem!!! More about Jerusalem tomorrow.

Today We Walked where Jesus Walked

2010-03-11T14:26:00.011-06:00

Today we walked where Jesus walked. We started off at the Mt of Beatitudes where Chuck Swindoll preached a great message on the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. Then it was off to Nazareth Village, a reproduction of village life from the first century on a piece of land within the present city of Nazareth. We saw shepherds with their sheep, the watchman in his watchtower, a young women weaving, a carpenter working his trade, all as we were guided around by a young Arab man who had married at DTS grad after she had volunteered at this place a few years ago! He gave great teaching, especially as we were sitting in a synagogue just like Jesus would have attended when he lived here.
After a St. Peter's fish lunch (notice I've learned to order mine without the head and tails and bones!) I spoke from Mark 5 about how Christ can heal a man (from the story of the Gadarene demoniac at a steep bank that leads down to the Sea of Galilee (remember the deviled ham!). We then went to Capernaum and saw so many great things there and heard about the great miracles Christ had done here. Off to see the 1st century "Jesus Boat" and then back to the hotel for a great buffet dinner on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Just in case we hadn't gotten enough to eat we walked into downtown Tiberius for Sharon's traditional coconut ice cream and my bubble gun ice cream cones! Some things are just good!
Tomorrow we'll see some amazing things including Lebanon and Syria!

Caesarea. Mt. Carmel and Megiddo

2010-03-10T13:44:00.006-06:00

Today was our first day of touring with the IFL Israel 2010 tour. We had a great day that started off with a worship service with Chuck Swindoll preaching, Steve Green singing and an appearance of King Agrippa I (Dr. Reg Grant; see picture to the right) at Caesarea on the coast. What a great service.
We also visited Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal so that everyone could decide who truly was the LORD, the God of Israel. The picture to the left has me standing in front of the statue at the site. You can see that Elijah has his foot on the neck of a false prophet of Baal and in his hand is a sword. No fooling around with false teachers of Israel!

After a great outdoor lunch at Megiddo, we toured the site. The picture to the below left has Sharon and I standing in front of a Late Bronze Age (15th-13th Century BC) gate. This was probably standing here when Joshua conquered the land and specifically Megiddo. On the top of the tel (which has approximately 20 levels of human occupation representing the time from the Canaanites to Solomon and beyond) I had a chance to give a devotional about Armageddon (Rev 16:16). In the background of the picture below you can see a small part of the Jezreel Valley where the kings of the world will gather for the final battle. It is a moving experience to read Rev 19:11-16 and to explain that despite the mass of forces arranged against God, Jerusalem, and his people, One will show up whose names is "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords" and He will be the Victorious One!

Tonight we are in a hotel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee with a full day planned for tomorrow.

Joppa

2010-03-09T10:21:00.002-06:00

Today after an orientation meeting with Chuck and Cynthia Swindoll, a number of us walked down to Joppa — the port to which David and Solomon brought cedars from Lebanon so they could build their palaces and of course the Temple, the site of Jonah's ship flight from God, the location of the raising of Dorcas by Peter and of Peter's vision which challenged his long held beliefs of what God wanted from him. I had a short devotional there in which I challenge those present to open their eyes to see all that we would observe during this tour, but especially to open their eyes spiritually to see all that God wants us to understand in the 10 days ahead as we walk this land.
Tomorrow we start early to travel 35 miles north to Caesarea just like Peter did when he traveled to see Cornelius and open the Christian church to Gentiles and not only Jews.
It has been an unusually warm (hot) day today in Israel for March. They recently received a couple inches of rain so everything is wonderfully green Hope your spiritual life is growing too.

Where a professor takes his wife on a date in Israel!

2010-03-08T08:51:00.007-06:00

Today was a day just for Sharon and I to relax, get over the jet lag, and do something in Israel that we won't get to do on the IFL tour. So at 8 am this morning I was at Budget Rental Cars in Tel Aviv to get the car for the day.
Where should I take my beautiful wife for a day she won't soon forget? Why not . . . start the day by trying to get to the significant site of Gezer, one of the three major cities that Solomon fortified (1 Kings 9:15) but we were stopped by a muddy river bottom that we couldn't go through! So why not . . . to the Emmaus the traditional site where Jesus revealed himself to two disciples who recognized him in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:13). . . then a drive up the Aijalon Valley all the way to Beth Horon on the Beth Horon ridge route (we had to stop at the more modern Jewish Beth Horon and take a picture down to the Arab village and beyond to the Aijalon Valley since this area is part of the West Bank [see the picture to the right]). Here I read Joshua 10 that I had preached last week at Waterbrook Bible Fellowship. Sharon and I were literally standing between Gibeon [where the sun stood still 10:12] and the Aijalon Valley [where the moon stood still 10:12] as I read about a day like no other in the history of the world (10:14). Then . . . on to Zorah the birthplace of Samson (Judges 13:2) . . . to the Sorek Valley where Samson lit the Philistines grain on fire (Judges 15:5) . . . to Tel Beth Shemesh the place where the ark came to rest after the Philistines sent it on its way on a cart pulled by two milk cows (1 Samuel 6:12) . . . then over a ridge to the Elah Valley where David fought Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2) . . then back to our hotel on the Mediterraean Sea! In the middle of what I would consider a great date, I stopped with my wife at Aroma Coffee for a fresh sandwich and chocolate coffee (and a stop to at Canada Park)! What more could a wife ask for on a date with a professor!
For me, to travel and stop and read the Scriptures about the sites with the one I have loved for almost 35 years now is an amazing experience. Sharon is having a short rest now before we greet the 13 other professors who are arriving shortly or I'd give her a chance to express her feelings about the day. For any ladies reading this, if she is somehow disappointed in such a "biblical" date, I promise you I will buy her some jewelery in Jerusalem!

Do you know where your parents are? Joppa, Israel!

2010-03-07T13:40:00.004-06:00

About a half hour ago the clock tower in Joppa (Jaffa) struck nine times for 9 pm. Sharon and I looked at each other, smiled, and then I said, "Kids, do you know where your parents are — right now?" We used to worry about our kids. Now our kids are probably wondering what their two middle-aged to slightly older parents (Sharon celebrated her birthday last week) are doing wandering around in Joppa at night, holding hands as they walk along the Mediterranean Sea, talking about Jonah, Peter, Dorcus and what God can still do for people today! We arrived in Israel about 4 pm on Sunday afternoon after leaving Dallas about noon on Saturday. We are about 8 hours ahead here so it really wasn't too long a flight. The picture to the left was taken of the Med Sea from our balcony just after we arrived at the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv. We had a shower, a great buffet for dinner and then did our little one mile each way walk to Joppa. In the Old Testament Joppa was the seaport for Jerusalem. It was here that the timbers for the temple were taken out of the sea after being floated down from Lebanon. Then they were taken up the Aijalon Valley (right past the airport!). This valley was where the sun and moon "stood still" in the time of Joshua.

Joppa was the place where Jonah caught his "international one-way cruise away from God" boat. Joppa was the place where Peter caused Dorcus to come back to life through the power of God and Joppa was the place where God caused Peter to bring Life to the Gentiles 35 miles up the coast at Caesarea.

Tomorrow is a "date-day" for Stephen and Sharon before the 14 busloads arrive. Where will Stephen take his wife for a date? Check in tomorrow. Just a clue — its not the usual place a guy takes a girl for a romantic date!

Off to Israel (again!)

2010-03-06T08:48:00.003-06:00

Today Sharon and I leave for Israel. I think this is my 15th tour of the Land of Promise and Sharon's 12th. This is our 5th time with Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living who offer a great 12 day tour. If you would like to see and hear what we are experiencing in Israel, check out this blog: http://www.insight.org/ministry/events/video-blog/
We are excited to be able to share with those going, most for the first and only time in their life, the sites and significance of this Land. Most people are never the same and they certainly don't read their Bibles in quite the same way once they have been to where it all happened. Next year I am planning to travel back to Israel twice, one will be a tour for married couples with my good friend Dr. Dave Currie and once with a church from the Dallas area. Let me know if you are interested in coming on either of these.
Tomorrow in Israel. I'll try and keep you posted.

Good Morning—Welcome to -1°F

2009-10-12T20:46:00.002-05:00

It was -1°F when I stepped outside my cabin door at 7:30 am. Kind of took my breath away! I know I should be experienced in this type of cold after living in Canada but Texas has a way of making one "soft" in the area of cold weather.
I taught from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm with 53 students in class. They seem like a great bunch of young people, eager to learn. After lunch I took a 50 minute walk down the plowed road leading up into the school/camp area. I usually walk up in the mountains but the trails are a little too deep for me this year. As I walked along the road I saw the tracks of numerous animals (esp. deer) all over the snow-covered meadows and forest trails. Last year two mountain lions were shot on the school property (one is hung now in the dining room!) and a third close by. One of the mountain lions had killed one of the dogs living on the property so they felt they had to get rid of them. Just yesterday a staff member saw another set of tracks so I'll probably stick to walking on the road these days. In Dallas all I would have to be afraid of is a drive-by shooting or something similar.
The students are learning how to share their faith in a class tonight and soon I'll meet them down at the Hob Nob (coffee shop with a wood burning stove in the new gym building). Pray for our time together.

A Week in Montana

2009-10-11T17:23:00.010-05:00

Each October I make my annual pilgrimage up to Montana for a week. I spend this week teaching approximately 60 young people who are attending Montana Wilderness School of the Bible (http://www.mwsb.org/). My goal is to "cover" the Pentateuch over the next five morning with these young people who are investing a year of their life (mostly right out of high school) to learn the Bible and how to live Christianly in this world. I've been coming here since 2004 and it has become for me not only an opportunity to reconnect and teach young people but also a spiritual retreat in a wonderful part of God's creation.
I arrived here around 4 pm today (after a flight from Dallas to Minn/St.Paul, another flight to Great Falls, MT, and then an hour and a half drive west to the edge of the Rocky Mountains. We drove to the end of the road, right where the Lewis and Clark National Forest begins, and right where the school/camp is located.
There is about a foot of snow on the ground (see picture on the left taken outside the door of my cabin), the clouds are hanging over the peaks of the mountains, the smell of a wood fire is in the air, everything is silent, and the presence of our Glorious God is everywhere if you chose to recognize it.
Dinner will be in the dining hall (see the picture above right) in an hour. The students are returning this evening from a long weekend and I am looking forward to meeting them all for the first time.
I am enjoying the warm weather in Texas but a long icicle hanging from the roof of the cabin is still a thing of beauty. I'll probably break one off to eat it tonight (I'm on weight watchers and whenever I find something I can eat that is 0 points, I'm trying it!).
Pray for my ministry here to these young people.

After 56 years

2009-10-02T18:46:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I turned 56 years of age. I don't feel that old. But my hair is no longer dark brown and my beard is almost completely gray. I know I'm not a teenager but I still feel I have good energy and a desire to serve the Lord with all that I am. After 56 years I wish I knew a little more, was more holy, communicated better, and trusted the Lord more in the routines of life. But I am not once I once was and I hope to keep growing.
This past year I preached over 30 times (my home church Waterbrook.org and 7 others), taught 10 courses at DTS (280 lectures), spoke at 2 weekend retreats and at a family camp (Northern Pines), led and taught on 2 Israel Tours, traveled to Jordan to teach at JETS and speak at churches, did an "academic" river tour down the Grand Canyon, had a great vacation with my wife in British Columbia as we visited Sarah and John, saw my daughter Charity (and husband Justin) face melanoma cancer, rejoiced with Joshua as he got engaged to Haleight (wedding this coming May), saw Jeff Denton come to be our lead pastor at Waterbrook, took on a new position as Department Chair of Bible Exposition, postponed my sabbatical from next year to the following year, and enjoyed life.
I'm still in love with my wife Sharon after 34 years, I am enjoyed my adult children and their spouses (still waiting for grandkids, hint), glad my mother and father, brothers and sisters are still healthy and following the Lord and I still enjoy ministry at DTS and when I get a chance to travel I love to preach (last week Joshua and I did a sermon-duet at Bayside (http://www.baysidecommunitychurch.net/speakers.html).
Sometimes I think I get a little too busy but I do want to make my life count while I'm here on earth these few short years. This November I will celebrate 20 years of my kidney transplant (thanks Eleanor for the gift) and so I am perhaps conscious more than most that our days are numbered and we are responsible to the Lord to use each day for his glory. I take time to watch TV, read, eat, meet with people, etc. My wife helps keep my feet on the ground and and my life practical.
This coming year, besides my regular duties at DTS and Waterbrook, I am planning to help lead the IFL Swindoll tour to Israel (http://www.insight.org/ministry/events/israel-2010.html), to teach at Word of Life in Hungary (and possibly also in Romania), to teach in Hong Kong, preach at Crier Creek Family Camp, to teach at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible, perform the wedding of Joshua and Haleigh, go to Ontario to celebrate my parents 60th, and lose some weight. I'll report, Lord willing, next year on how my 56th year went!

Bramer's book in Korean

2009-08-29T08:54:00.005-05:00

About 6 years ago I coauthored a commentary on Genesis with Dr. Kenn Gangel (who recently passed away) in the Holman Old Testament Commentary series edited by Max Anders (http://www.amazon.com/Holman-Old-Testament-Commentary-Genesis/dp/0805494618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251556690&sr=8-1). Yesterday I received a copy of a book in Korean with the translated English title "Main Idea." Apparently (since I am struggling to read Korean!) it is the Korean translation of the commentary I coauthored. It does has my name on it (in English: click on the photo to the right and you can get a larger view of the front cover) and I'll get one of my Korean students at DTS to take a look at it and assure me that the translation doesn't have me writing heresy! I (By the way, the dedication of this book was to my daughter Sarah who proofread it and made great suggestions on it to me. Her name is still on the dedication page of the Korean translation!) I'll post the back cover and dedication page at the bottom of this post. I have a sabbatical coming up in two years (I was asked to postpone it from 2010-2011 so I could have two years in my new position as Chair of the Bible Exposition Department) and this encourages me to continue to think about writing something during that time that would be of help to pastors and other believers in the local church. I'm thinking right now of something from the OT prophets since they are not used much and many struggle to understand them even in their devotional reading. Any ideas from those of you who know me or have heard me preach or teach? (A really good suggestion could get you mentioned in the forward of the book!)

My son is engaged!

2009-08-28T23:02:00.006-05:00

My son (and my wife's son too) Joshua got engaged tonight to Haleigh Garnett! Sharon and I are very pleased. We think the wedding may be next June/July (?) but we'll have to wait a few weeks until all sorts of people are consulted.
Joshua asked Haleigh "the question" down on one knee on the shores of a Texas lake. She said something like, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh . . . I would love to!" (I assume this answer can be taken as an expressive "yes")
The two of them came back to our house, where unknown to Haleigh, a group of their friends and her parents (both sets) and grandparents had gathered with us to celebrate with ice-cream cake and some sparkling grape juice for a toast. Lots of hugs, a few tears of joy, and lots of laughter.
I am so thankful to God for the godly young woman who will be marrying my son. Haleigh started her relationship with the Lord about four years ago shortly after Joshua met her at an AA meeting. She asked Sharon to disciple her and for almost a year they met in our kitchen every Monday night to learn how to study the Bible and get to know the Lord. At Haleigh's request and with the backing of our home church, Waterbrook Bible Fellowship, Sharon had the great privilege of baptizing her a couple of years ago. Haleigh is going to graduate this next summer from Criswell College where Joshua too will graduate at the same time. I believe God has something special in mind for these two. What a privilege to have had a part in their lives. Tonight I am rejoicing in God's goodness and mercy toward my son, my future daughter-in-law, and also to Sharon and myself.

34th Wedding Anniversary

2009-08-23T18:12:00.003-05:00

August 22nd was the day of our wedding, 34 years ago. I was so excited that this year I would not be away at the DTS faculty workshop (which often occurs on our anniversary), and that it would be on a weekend (during the week we both have responsibilities of the starting of our schools), BUT then Sharon announced (rather sheepishly I think) that she had a women's ministry planning retreat for the ladies of DTS! So I got up had breakfast with my good friend Stan Johnson, shopped at Home Depot (no, not for Sharon!), fixed a broken light fixture, went to a jewellery store to get repaired Sharon's wedding ring which had (some years ago) lost a small diamond, bought some flowers, bought some special items for an at-home anniversary dinner (I only do stuff that can be cooked on the gas grill), and had everything ready for Sharon when she arrived home at about 8 pm. You might think I should be cheered for doing these things but those who know us well know that I have many, many such labors of love still to be performed to come anywhere close to showing Sharon the love she has shown me during these good years together.
I'm looking forward to many more years together with the love of my life.

Home from Jordan

2009-06-30T13:34:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I started on a 24 hour journey from Amman, Jordan to New York, to Salt Lake City and finally to Vancouver B.C. I was supposed to meet my wife Sharon in Salt Lake City but her plane was late from Dallas. They wouldn't let me switch because I was on an "international baggage match itinerary" and Sharon made it to the gate while I was on the plane still waiting but they wouldn't let her board! She made it late last night and so we are together again for which I am very thankful.
My last few days in Jordan were great as I traveled to Petra, Wadi Rum (see pic), Lot's Cave (see pic), Dead Sea (see pic) and back to Amman and then to the airport. I met some bedouin friends in Petra who I have known over the years of visiting (and got two invitations for meals in the bedouin village). I will have some more pictures next week when I get my computer fixed (I'm using my wife's computer now).
Right now I am sitting in John and Sarah's apartment looking out over the city of Vancouver with the mountains in the background. It is green, snow on the mountains, cool — the exact opposite of what I have been experiencing the last few weeks in Jordan. But I have come home with a renewed love for the Body of Christ in the Arab world and an appreciate for all that we have here in North America, so much of what I take for granted until I am reminded of what some people in other parts of the world have or don't have. I hope to go back soon to encourage, teach, help again.

Computer Problem

2009-06-24T09:47:00.001-05:00

My trusty Mac computer which is 3 years old is giving me problems (actually it won't start now!) I'm sure if I was back at DTS someone from the IT department would fix the problem files etc. and have me back working. However, I am in Jordan. I am posting this blog from another computer but I wanted to let you know that I might not be able to blog for a while. I'll see if the computer people here at JETS can help me in the morning but they use the "other" kind of computer (my apologies to all you PC people but I know you are gloating over my Mac problem!)
Praise God that this problem didn't occur until Wednesday afternoon and I completed Micah today. Tomorrow I plan to use as a summary class and challenge. Then the students will write their final exam. After class Steven Anderson and I will head down for a couple days at Petra before flying home. Actually I will be flying to Vancouver to visit my daughter Sarah and her husband John. I have never visited them since they got married and I have never been to Vancouver BC.They just returned from their ministry in Morocco. I'm sure we will have stories to compare. My flight will go from Amman to New York, to Salt Lake City (we I will meet up with my wife Sharon who I have really missed) and then on to Vancouver. This is a vacation week for Sharon and me (thanks Pastor Jeff for "encouraging/insisting" that I make plans to vacation this summer and that it be with my wife!). I love to teach and preach and minister but I do need a little down time too.
Thanks to each one of you who have taken an interest in my time here in Jordan. Especially thanks to the members of Waterbrook who paid my way here through the missions program at WBF. When we says "Waterbrook Bible Fellowship exists to glorify God by making and growing disciples in Wylie and beyond" that "beyond" included Jordan for the last two weeks because of your generousity! Part of you has been here and I have sensed many of your prayers.
I hope to have Ramzi, the computer geek here at JETS take a look at my computer in the morning. Check back to see if I am back online.

Touching the Jordan River

2009-06-23T15:02:00.007-05:00

A number great day in class although I'm beginning to get a little tired and I think the students are too! I finished Isaiah today and tomorrow is Micah. For lunch, which we normally have here at the school, we had lamb stew over rice with a drink of Pepsi. The drink is always the same, the rice is always the same but the meat and vegetables can vary. It's always good.
After lunch I took Steven down to the Baptismal Site on the Jordan River. This is the site that early Christian churches commemorate as the place where John baptized Jesus. (Nearby is a hill which commemorates the translation of Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire.) Today of course the river is perhaps only 5 % of what it used to be when all the water from Mt. Hermon came through the Sea of Galilee and down to here. In additional there used to be major rivers like the Yarmuk and Jabbok and the springs of Jericho whose waters flowed down to here. Now all this water is used for drinking and irrigation. So the "mighty Jordan" is no longer what it once was where Joshua had to cross it during flood stage. Nevertheless to reach down and touch the river, to see some "thickets" along the river like are spoken of in the Scriptures is still a memorable experience. I know you're thinking that the river doesn't look to clear, neither did Naaman the Syrian but he still choose to dip himself in it (2 Kings 5) to be cleansed. I would have gone in except for a few reasons: I don't have leprosy, I've already been baptized, the Jordanian guard was watching, the trees on the other side belong to Israel and so I didn't want to be shot! Other than that I would have gone in.
The approximately 20 miles back up to Amman is almost 16 miles climbing up to sea level (the Dead Sea is over 1300 feet below sea level) and then up to 2,500 feet above sea level until you reach the Medeba Plateau and the road to the ancient Roman Decapolis City of Amman.
I mentioned on Sunday's post I would get a picture of me preaching and Hany translating so here it is!

Jordanian Family

2009-06-22T13:53:00.008-05:00

Today was the start of our last week here teaching at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. I taught today from Isaiah 7-35. Another good day and the student who lost her father was back in class just to sit and listen. Pray for Faten who was close to her father.
After class we were invited by Sana'a to come to her home for lunch where her husband, Majed who is fighting bone cancer, and her 10 year old son Samuel met us. She usually takes two different buses to get to JETS and home which takes her about 1 1/2 hours each way. We were able to drive her home (30 minutes) and we took along my good friend Hany to interpret for us. It was obvious that she had been up early this morning (she had to catch the bus at 6:30 am!) preparing a wonderful meal of chicken/rice/vegetables, different vegetables/rice, more vegetables cut up as well as a creamy cucumber and tomato salad and bread and watermelon for dessert! Before this, of course, we had had a small cup of Turkish coffee which every traditional home has ready at all times for guests. After this great big lunch, another cup of coffee and then tea. The tea was made with sage, mint, and another plant (?) from the hills. This Jordanian couple (she is actually from Syria) lives in a small village of 2,000 out in the hills close to the edge of the Medeba Plateau where it drops off into the Dead Sea. The first floor of their home which they have just lived in for 4 months is converted into a small church (see picture of the church that can seat 12-15), Sunday school room, and a room suitable for Arab hospitality. There are two churches in this village, a Catholic and an Orthodox. Sana'a and her husband have been given a vision from the Lord to plant an evangelical church here. Right now they have Bible studies with different groups of people. Most people facing cancer for a second time would withdraw from many responsibilities but this couple is building, painting, teaching, studying, and praying for God to do a work in them and in the village. What a humbling and joyful afternoon we had in their home (I didn't forget what a young boy might like so I brought him a box of candy I had packed from Texas!)
We then walked down the street to a neighbor's home to see a huge cave that is under their home and the street and has been used for centuries or millenniums as a place to live and keep animals. Once we had seen the cave we were "requested" to stay for coffee and tea (the picture is of the village and the fields this man owns)! It is hard to refuse a Jordanians request without offending so two cups of Turkish coffee and three cups of tea later with conversations translated with this older man, his mother and two sisters, as well as a prayer, we were on our way back to Medaba.
In Medaba we stop at my friend Fadi's new coffee shop "Coffee to Go" (Fadi is a friend from the times I have been on bus tours here in Jordan, Recently he resigned from Vision Tours to start his own business). He serves coffee, ice cream, sandwiches and breakfast of waffles etc. I gave him a bottle of Canadian maple syrup I had brought from Canada so he should have sweet, Canadian-tasting waffles tomorrow for breakfast!
Finally I took Steven to St. Georges church in Medaba (which is mentioned in the OT: Num 21:30; 1 Chrn 19:7; Isa 15:2) where the oldest map of the Middle East survives as a mosaic on the floor of what was a Byzantine Church.
Our "afternoon" ended at 7:30 pm when we arrived back in Amman for a good Hardees meal. What a great day of seeing and hearing real Jordanians in their homes and enjoying wonderful Jordanian hospitality which is quite unlike anything I've experienced elsewhere.

Sunday in Amman, Jordan

2009-06-21T13:48:00.007-05:00

Today is a "regular" work day here in Jordan. However JETS doesn't have classes and some Christian churches still have services and so I was asked to preach at two of them (If I had time and energy I could be preaching almost every night of the week).
This morning we drove down into the heart of Amman and I preached at a primarily Iraqi church. The worship leader/preacher, Behnam, is a student in my class. A group of five Americans from the East Coast were also there to sing a song and give a brief word of testimony as they ended two weeks working at the church. By the way, every church that we have visited somehow has a computer with a powerpoint projector to use and they often sing the same choruses as we do, just in Arabic of course.
After a rest and some study this evening I preached at what used to be a primarily Iraqi church but now has probably four or five different nationalities in it. Iraqi churches are beginning to dwindle as more and more of them get visas through the UN to immigrate to North America due to the persecution that could well await them if they were to return to Iraq. Praise God there is outreach going on and others are now coming.
The church this evening is pastored by my young Egyptian friend Hany. [By the way someone has given $1000 dollars to Hany to help him out. He was speachless when I gave him the 700JD's and then began to praise God with a number of Amens and Hallelujahs! Later he asked me if he could share half of it with his sister who is getting married. He had promised her to help with her wedding but told me he had nothing to give so he had just been praying for God to help him. I told him the money was his from the Lord through someone who just wanted to bless him.] Hany translated for me this evening and then we were requested to go back to his apartment with about 10 others from the church for special Arabic desserts (which are wonderful with cheese and something sweet???). Steven took some pictures of me preaching with the translator beside me but I have gotten them yet, perhaps I'll post some tomorrow.
I enjoy the challenge of driving here. The roads are in good repair but take a look at the road outside the church tonight! It would be easy to drop off and it is about 10 feet down.
Now back at the guest house at 9:30 pm preparing for tomorrow's 4 1/4 hours of teaching with two breaks (8:15 am - 1:00 pm). I find it hard to hear myself for that long so I wonder how the students do it.

JETS New Campus

2009-06-20T09:55:00.011-05:00

Today I spent the morning in class with the students. One of the students, a Syrian named Sana'a who is married to a Jordanian, gave a great devotional on Isaiah 6. Steven Anderson presented the first lecture on the "Unity of Isaiah." and then I taught the next two lectures on Isaiah 1–6. This week each of the Master's level student needs to present a 5-10 minute devotional from Isaiah. We ended classes at 1:00 pm (Jordanians tend to eat lunch and dinner later than we do). After driving Hany home, to make sure I knew the way to his church for Sunday, Habil (acting academic dean here at JETS) took us out to the new campus that has been under construction for over two years.
There have been numerous delays in this great building project including unexpected taxes, a collapsed roof, costs for steel and concrete that tripled, etc. It is located in the hills outside Amman where you can see Mt. Nebo and the hills of Samaria in the distance. The campus contains a number of uncompleted buildings that are just waiting additional funding for completion. This new complex will be capable of training up to 500 Arabic speaking students as well as serving as a conference center for the 5 evangelical denominations in Jordan. In this picture (taken from the lower part of the property) you can see the prayer tower, to the left the academic building, to the right the administration building and library, and underneath these buildings are the cafeteria, chapel/gym etc. and in front of it all two Americans (Stephen and Steven) dreaming of someday teaching right here! The picture of the outdoor amphitheater is taken from on top of the prayer tower (Steven took this picture and many of the others I have put on this blog over the last few days with his good camera [thanks Steven]) shows the foundation of what will seat about 2,000 people. And in the future, if the Lord was to provide, there would be apartments for faculty and dormitories for students beyond the ampitheater. Just think of what God could do in such a complex! I believe it could certainly help to change the evangelical church in the Arab world and, Lord willing, even beyond.
The president of JETS, Dr. Imad Shehadah (a graduate of DTS) is in the states right now challenging God's people to give so at least the essential parts of this campus can be completed so students can be trained here this very next year (right now JETS occupies rented facilities). Would you pray with me that God would provide the needed funds? (the JETS website is: http://www.jetsedu.com/) I am looking forward to completing my course this week but already thinking about when I could come back.

Northern Jordan

2009-06-19T13:02:00.008-05:00

Today was Friday and no classes so we hit the road and traveled north. Well, first we started south-west down to the Jordan River valley near the bridge over to Israel. Close to the Jordan River we turned north and began to drive up through this fertile valley where Jordan grows vegetables and fruits. We drove right through the area the children of Israel would have camped before crossing the Jordan to Jericho. I'm sure the owners of this land are wealthy but it appears many of the people who live and work here and not too well off. All the way along the 50 miles or so were villages with road-front shops where you could purchase anything.
We stopped at Dayr 'Alla (the site where the extra-biblical Balaam inscription was found that is now in the Amman museum), saw the Jabbok where it comes down to the Jordan (close by is the ford of Adam mentioned in Scripture), and then stopped at Pella. Pella is one of the Decapolis cities and is the place where early writers said the Christians of Jerusalem fled before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. I got greeted by the "guardian" of Pellas with a "kiss" on both cheeks because I had had tea at his place two years ago and bought a few coins from him too! A glass on mint lemonade, some interesting conversation, a great overview of the site from the balcony of the resthouse (with places in Israel such as Bethshan, Mt. Gilboa and even the top of Mt. Tabor visible in the land across the Jordan) and then a hot walk around the actual site with Roman, and Iron age ruins and also one of the earliest Canaanite temples ever discovered.
Then up the Jordan until we reached the Yarmuk River which flows down from between the Golan Heights (Israel) and up the river Syria and the side of the river we were on which was Jordan. Along this stretch we probably went through about 6-8 army checkpoints.
A long winding climb up to the top of the mountains of Gilead and there is the Decapolis city of Gadara, whose region is mentioned in Matthew 8:28. Again, like Jerash, this city has two theaters, a long (2/3 of a mile?) Cardo paved, column-lined street, and many ruins in the midst of archaeological restoration. The interesting thing is that most of this city is not made out of the common white limestone but rather the black basalt (volcanic) rock found especially in the Golan region where there are a number of extinct volcanoes. In the distance is the Sea of Galilee where I sailed on a boat just one month ago!
Finally a late lunch at that great international restaurant "Popeyes Chicken!" in Irbid (another Decaplis city but no time for a visit to the Tel), (by the way Layth, the young 4 year old boy whose home we ate at knew all about Popeye, spinach etc. because he sees the cartoons on TV here!)
Then back along the highway to Amman with a quick side trip where we saw the great city of Jerash from the heights of the mountain NE of it.
Since our return around 4:30 pm I have spent 4 hours preparing for Monday's class (I think I'm prepared for tomorrow [Saturday] classes) because I know Sunday will be an interesting and busy day after preaching in two churches (more about that on Sunday night)! Now the local mosque is calling Muslims to pray over the loud system. A great reminder for me to pray to our God through Jesus who visited the Decapolis region in his ministry. I'm not sure if you have been counting but I think we have now visited 5 of the Decapolis cities since I have been here to Jordan (and Bethshan for #6 but that was a month ago!). Can you name them?
I enjoy getting comments about this blog so feel free to comment!

Jonah, Jabbok, and Jerash

2009-06-18T12:33:00.008-05:00

Today in class we covered the book of Jonah. Steven Anderson, the Ph.D. student who is here with me, carefully presented material that answered common objections to the literal nature of this book. It seems to me that students here don't have problem with the supernatural and so are not bothered by many of the concerns of students in North America. I then spent about 2 1/2 hours going through the book almost verse-by-verse with application. The students really seemed to enjoy the classes.
After class one of our students Fares, who also works at JETS as the acting Dean of Students, took us for a good lunch at KFC! Just like at home but a little more limited in choice (Pepsi, Miranda Orange, or 7Up) and the smoking in restaurants can be like a reminder of days gone by in America!
This afternoon Chris, a wonderful British man who has lived in Jordan for almost 2 decades and who teaches a course in Geography of Jordan, gave us a great tour to Jerash (Gerasa in the Bible; see Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). On the way we stopped at the Jabbok River where I got my picture taken with Chris. This is the river that Jacob crossed in Genesis 32 and where he wrestled with God. Today much of the water is used by the booming Jordanian population.
North of the Jabbok is one of the greatest Decapolis cities, today called Jerash. After entering through a monumental gate the city's main street called the Cardo (heart) must stretch for a mile. You walk past the Hippodrome, the South Gate, the Temple of Zeus, the South Theater, the Oval Plaza, the Macellum (meat market), the Nymphaeum (public water fountain), the Temple of Artemis, past lots of places still to be excavated, the West Bath House, the North Theater, and the North Gate. When you see many of these places you are reminded of the struggles the early Christians often had: should we go to the theater were many seats are dedicated to gods, are the house races and all that goes on a place for believers, do we eat the meat in the market since it has come from the temples, what should we think about the gods/statues in the niches at the major cross streets, how should we think about the inscriptions on the gate about the Roman Emperor being the lord, the autocrat, etc. etc.?
Now I am back in Amman, tired, a little hot, but thankful for this unique opportunity I have to teach the Bible and visit the land of the Bible at the same time. I am thankful for all the Lord's blessings today.

Classea and Chapel

2009-06-17T12:02:00.006-05:00

This day started by noticing a shepherd (he is located in the lower left center with a red head covering on) with his flock of goats outside the guest room window right next to a newly build apartment building. The old and new somehow still existing in a balance and in tension here in this culture and country. In fact this balance and tension is seen everywhere in Jordan with BMW's of the wealthy competing with the donkeys of the poor on the road. Men in robes and young men in blue jeans, ladies in long dark dresses and others in the fashions of modern American side-by-side. They are building the first skyscaper in Amman (actually twin buildings one of which just had the crane collapse up some forty stories!) not far from 2,000 year old ruins. What a place!
I taught Hosea today and had a great time doing so. I must admit that teaching with a translator, even one as good as Hanna, is tiring because it is somehow harder to relax. Maybe my age has something to do with it too but I still love to teach. After classes we attended chapel that was run by the student council here at JETS. A wonderful time of singing, praying and then a humorous skit with a good message. A good day topped off by a visit to Amman's Burger King restaurant! Tomorrow are classes on Jonah and then a visit to one of the Decapolis cities Jerash.

A Death and also Pastor Lo'ay

2009-06-16T13:47:00.006-05:00

This morning I arrived at class to discover a number of students upset due to the death of the father of one of the Jordanian students (her name is Faten). He died suddenly last night and the funeral was held this afternoon. A number of students wanted to go to support her so I offered to end the class early at 12 noon. I spend the 3+ hours (8:15-12:00) teaching Amos 3–9. What a joy to seeing students listening, writing, asking questions in Arabic. When I gave them the chance to share and pray with each other over a number of challenging items I had discussed in class they began immediately and, often with arms around another person, shared and prayed. By the way, when I ask a student to open the class in prayer it is no 10 second prayer! With great passion they pray, often loudly building to peaks, with many agreeing with "amens" and "hallelujah." I don't know what they are saying since I don't want to interrupt the prayer with translation but I am convinced that our Lord is hearing some heartful prayers.
Late in the afternoon I drove to an older section of Amman, near the Roman theater area, and had a great time of fellowship with Lo'ay Abou-Layth, his wife Wafa' (a Syrian) and their four year old son Layth. Lo'ay was in my class two years ago and is a pastor of a Nazarene church in addition to being a student at JETS. He has faithfully been building this church body over the last 6-7 years and now there are new members and young people coming. They renovated the building (including AC!) and as you can see there are about 60-70 seats in a beautiful, modern looking sanctury. They live above the church and the meal Wafa' prepared was great, including fruit and ice-cream for dessert! Lo'ay translated for his wife. I bring small gifts for both the adults and children when I visit and the Nerds candy for Layth was a big hit!
We got back to the guest rooms at 8:30 pm after driving through the most challenging traffic you could care to find! I told Steven that I want him to take a picture out the car window for another blog and he asked me if I wanted him to lose a limb! They have traffic circles here and it is every man for himself. Pray for me! The nice thing about driving here however, is I get to use my horn to let people know I'm here, nobody gets upset, and I have yet to see an accident — though no car is without wounds!
Tomorrow is teaching 3 sesssions on Hosea from 8:15 am to 12 noon followed by chapel.

Classes and Machaerus

2009-06-15T13:00:00.006-05:00

Today I had a great time teaching Amos 1–2 for over three hours! It is quite something when mentioning Bozrah, Rabbah (Amman), Gilead and a number of other places to realize that they are just a few miles away from where I am teaching! But amazingly most of the students have never been to these places or others like Machaerus where we spent the afternoon.
Machaerus is the location of one of Herod the Great's palaces and it is believed to be the place where Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29). It is Josephus, the Jewish historian, who actually identifies the place of the death of John as being at Machaerus. This hilltop fortress is about 7 miles east of the Dead Sea on a hill that would be easy to defend. We saw the remnants of the Roman siege ramp, the huge water cisterns, the foundation of the aqueduct, and some of the foundations of the walls of the palace. In the midst of this dry and barren land I noticed a large(60+) goats grazing on the hillside on what must be really tasty rocks! I took a picture from near the top of Machaerus of these goats. Can you see them in the center of the hill, just straight down from the summit? They are above and below the line of rock that you see crossing the hill.
I decided to invite a former student of mine here at JETS, Hany, to come along with us since he had never been to Machaerus. Hany is auditing my course since he has graduated now with his M.Div. He always shows up for my classes here and is a real delight. He is an Egyptian single young man who is now pastoring an Iraqi Church here in Amman. I understand from others the people of the church just love him. He preaches at least twice a week, visits his members 2 or 3 days a week, fasts every Monday and gets up to pray with some church members every morning from 5:00-6:30 am! He does all this for a salary of about $400. a month, barely enough to get by after renting an apartment, paying for bus fare, food, clothes. If I had a $1,000 available right now I'd give it to him knowing that every dollar would bring great eternal rewards through his ministry. He is busy, the church is growing (through new families who haven't been going to others churches), and many of these Iraqis will, in the future, be a witness in their own country too. But when he heard of this course that I am teaching he decided to get on the bus for an hour or so after the prayer meeting and come to school to drink in the Word! Oh that we all would have such dedication, drive and desire. What a treat to hear him share in his broken English his joy in the LORD. I was planning on taking him to Pizza Hut for what for him would be a special meal but on the way back from Machaerus he got a phone call that someone in the church needed him. We dropped him off on the street of his "apartment" with a promise to take him out for dinner before we leave Jordan. I can't wait for the blessing of hearing him share over a meal.The picture on the right are the two of us on the top of Machaerus with the Dead Sea in the distance. Can I ask you to take a moment and pray for Hany, and myself, in our service to the Lord? Thanks.

First Sunday in Amman

2009-06-14T09:37:00.005-05:00

Today I woke up to find my computer "ringing" beside me and when I opened it who should appear but my lovely wife Sharon! It is amazing that with Skype I can see and hear my wife from over 7,000 miles away and I don't have to pay long distance charges which speaks to my Scottish background (thanks Mom)! It was 6:30 am Sunday morning here but 10:30 pm Saturday night in Texas.
We (Steven Anderson and myself) went to the Christian Missionary Alliance Church at the 2nd Circle here in Amman for Sunday worship. It was a well attended service although Sunday here is a normal work day for many people. The largest service here at the church is on Thursday evening. The pastor preaches 3 different services a week and there are another 14 services for people of different nationalities, children, youth, women's etc. The service today was all in Arabic but a translator sat beside us in the balcony and translated for us. The service contained a number of great, energetic songs and hymns (accompanied by organ, piano, and electric keyboard), a solo by a young lady, a number of prayers, and then the sermon and closing announcements, offering and prayer. I felt very much at home although not being able to sing in Arabic was a disappointment when I saw how much they were enjoying themselves as they sang. The church is in a beautiful, modern building and has another building beside it where they offer free medical care and English classes as a means of doing good and winning the right to be heard. After church is an hour of coffee and cake before everyone heads home for lunch. After leaving the church we took a drive around Amman (saw one of the largest Starbucks in the world) and noticed that the American Embassy, which is huge, was well guarded (we choose wisely not to try and take pictures!).
Then we went to the Hashweh home for a lunch. I have gotten to know Albert Hashweh over the years (he runs Visions Tours, a Christian tour company in Jordan) and he has always been exceptionally kind and generous with me. The entire Hashweh family was there and so there were about 20 adults for a wonderful meal. The Hawhweh family is a well-known Christian family who has been successful in business and extremely involved and generous to the Christian church here. Besides the three lamb dishes there was chicken, rice, salad, humus, yogurt, corn, and a few other dishes that tasted delicious. It was Albert's 5 year old daughter's birthday and so we celebrated in song and with a fireworks candle in the middle of the dining room!
Now I am back at the guest rooms of JETS preparing for tomorrow's classes. I will teach 3 sessions (two 1 1/2 hours and one 1 1/4 hour) on Amos so pray for me, the translator and especially the students!

First Day of Class at JETS

2009-06-13T12:17:00.012-05:00

Today we met our class and started to teach our course in 8th Century Prophets. Our class in made up of 14 Bachelor-level students and 5 Masters-level students. This is a great number for our class since due to some legal restraints the total number of students at JETS has come down from almost 150 to 60 over the past two years. Our class has 6 females and 13 males. They come from the countries of Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan. A few speak English but most are only conversant in Arabic. Our translator is a young man Hanna Hattar (the picture on the right shows Steven Anderson teaching while Hanna translates). He has done a great job although in my passion I sometimes get carried away and speak for too long and he needs to interrupt before he forgets what I said!
This afternoon I took Steven Anderson out to a place called Iraq al-Amir, a 2nd century Hellenistic pre-Roman country villa. This site is about 10-12 miles outside of Amman in the valley facing towards the west (Jordan Valley). It has some amazingly large stones (up to 25 tonnes!) but is still is a state of disrepair. One interesting inscription found above a cave is the name "Tobiah." This name is preserved as an Ammonite family name from the time of the 5th century Tobiah in the Bible (Nehemiah 2:19). Tobiah the Ammonite was one of the men who opposed Nehemiah in the building of the wall of Jerusalem.
In the field next to this site grain gathering was going on. Some women were cutting the grain (and another was watching the goats), some young people were loading the grain, and the men were sitting down resting from all the supervision they were doing!
On the way back to Amman I stopped to take a picture of a young man with his donkey bringing some grain home.
Tomorrow is Sunday and we are off to church. I'll let you know tomorrow night how the service was compared to my normal worship service at Waterbrook!

First Day in Amman, Jordan

2009-06-12T07:33:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Jordan last night, got a rental car, exchanged some money, ate at Hardees!, and then had a good (but non-airconditioned) sleep in the guest room of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. I am here with one of my Ph.D. students Steven Anderson. We begin to teach a class in 8th Century Prophets tomorrow (Saturday) morning.
Today (Friday) we got up early and went down to the Roman Theater in downtown Amman. We actually got there before it opened and being a Friday (Muslim holy day) there were few cars on the street which is great because Amman is a city with narrow streets, many cars, and few people who know the rules of the road or at least care to follow them (we saw at least 10 cars today drive right through red lights). We next drove up to the top of the hill called the Citadel and saw the ruins there and the museum. [The picture above is taken with the Roman Odeon right behind me and the Citadel with the columns up high on the upper left.] This is the place where Uriah the Hittite (husband of Bathsheba) lost his life when attacking the Ammonites (see 2 Samuel 11). The museum houses some very interesting pieces including the copper scroll discovered at Qumran, an extra-biblical prophecy by Balaam (the prophet whose donkey talked to him and the one who ended up blessing rather than cursing the Israelites; see Numbers 22–24) painted in red and black on plaster. We saw many other great items in this very small but amazing museum (it is scheduled to be moved to a more suitable building in 2007!)
After a break for a lunch that we made back at the guest rooms we headed off to see Mt. Nebo and Hesbon. Mt. Nebo, of course, is the place where Moses died (see Deuteronomy 34). [The picture to the right is from the top of Mt. Nebo looking over the Jordan River Valley called the Plains of Moab or Shittim [Plain of accacia trees] where the children of Israel camped before going across the river (Numbers 22:1; Joshua 3:1). Jericho is difficult to see the slight haze but it is at the foot of the mountains of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River.
After seeing Mt. Nebo and stopping at a restaurant I knew to show Steven an old threshing sled and winnowing fork we headed off to see the ancient city of Hesbon. There is some dispute about the location but we went to the traditional site. No guard, broken gate, old rusty signs but archeological remains that showed this was a place of importance for many different peoples. [I'm standing on top of Hesbon in the picture below.] Hesbon is the home of King Sihon, one of the kings Moses and Israel defeated after traveling around Edom and Moab and as they were moving down towards Jericho (the story is told first in Numbers 20:21-35) . The defeat of Kings Sihon and Og (he ruled up north in Bashan, today's Golan Heights) is repeated throughout Scripture to remind God's people of His power over great opposition.
As I start to teach tomorrow I am reminded, as I think of the places I visited today, that the battle is the Lord's. I'd appreciate your prayers that I would be faithful (although if I didn't have to die here in Amman like Uriah did while he was being faithful is O.K. with me!), that I would have faith to go forward like the Israelites did when they conquered Hesbon and then later went across the Jordan on dry land. This is a spiritual journey and I am thankful we can learn from those who have gone before us. But they can't go for us! So join with me on a journey of faith in the days ahead.
Hope you'll come back to hear more about the teaching and touring in Jordan in the two weeks ahead.

Starting my blog

2009-06-02T22:01:00.000-05:00

I have finally decided to start blogging. One of the motivating factors for starting now is that I have a number of trips planned for this summer. Last week I returned from two weeks in Israel and next week I leave for a month of traveling. I'll be visiting Ontario Canada to see my parents and all my brothers and sisters, on to Amman Jordan to teach a course on 8th Century Prophets, and then back to British Columbia Canada where I'll join with my wife Sharon to spend a week with our daughter Sarah and her husband John. Then home for two days and off to take a course in creation while rafting down the Grand Canyon. After that I'll be home for two weeks, one of which I'll teach a summer school course at Dallas Theological Seminary. Then up to Wisconsin to preach at Northern Pines Conference and then back home to prepare for the Fall semester. I thought it might be good to start to comment and photograph my travels and ministry.
I am presenting viewing this blog as a means to share my life and ministry with those who have an interest in following and praying for me. I hope it will be of interest to my family and friends.