Made it...

Thanks for your prayers. Both teams made it to their destinations.

The team returning from Romania ran into weather related flight delays and did not arrive home until Tuesday (rather than Monday night). Last I heard, all are safe and sound...blessed by what they experienced in the Oltenia region of Romania during the past week, but weary from the extended travels and sleeping in the Chicago airport.

Our team arrived last night (local time) here in Oradea. We begin our ministry at Emanuel University today, and part of the team will be traveling to Jibou on Saturday to continue our partnership with Jibou Baptist Church. As you pray, remember we are six hours ahead of EDT.

All for now!

Chronological Guide to the Bible - Thomas Nelson Publishers

Finally, I now have a great, transportable chronological companion guide for the Bible. The Chronological Guide to the Bible is compact, informative, colorful, and works with any Bible translation. It gives me key information about each of the nine Bible epochs while guiding me through the scriptures chronologically. The notes and narratives are a great assist as I read and study the Bible.

At the beginning of each epoch there is a synopsis of history, archeology, people, and Biblical literature. The nine epochs then lay out a chronological reading guide, brief narratives regarding key issues and subjects, and a synopsis of Bible passages and books. Time lines are included to assist in visualizing the order of world events that are occurring throughout each epoch.

This chronological companion guide is a must for everyone who wants to have a better understanding of the historical context of the Biblical writings. It is useful for pastors, teachers, discipleship leaders, and any born again believer who wants to better understand what the Bible says, what the Bible means, and how to apply the truths of the Bible to their life…or the life of those they are leading.

Kudos to Thomas Nelson for adding this to their published inventory – and thanks for the complementary copy to review.

Romania Teams returning and going

Tomorrow WorldReach will have two teams passing in transit as the team that has been working in the Oltenia region of Romania is returning and the team going to northwestern Romania is departing. The Oltenia team has been conducting evangelism ministries in villages and towns near Targu-Jiu. One town, Rovinari, is the location of an ongoing partnership in which we are not only assisting in church growth, but also in facility improvements and the support for their young pastor.

The team going in northwest Romania will be teaching at Emanuel University - Oradea (pictured here) and conducting evangelistic meetings in that area and with our partnership church in Jibou. There will be a special youth meeting on Saturday night - March 20th - in Jibou where one of our team members will be speaking.

Please pray for the teams as they travel, for the continued work of God in Oltenia, and the ministry that will be conducted in Oradea and Jibou this coming week.

A CENTURY TURNS by William J. Bennett

I just finished reading this wonderfully thought provoking book, a complimentary copy of which was provided by Thomas Nelson. While it does not have a missional theme, it does address global events that impact missions.

Bennett provides a map of the historic decades from 1988-2008 and reminds us how quickly events can produce opportunities and impediments to the spreading of the gospel. Events such as the fall of “the Wall,” the war on terror, natural disasters, and the rise of technology impact global missions. This book is a historical primmer for anyone who not only wants to learn from the past, but desires to help positively shape events of the future. Better understanding our culture and society assists us in establishing and executing strategies for taking the Gospel to the people of the world.

This book is not a professorial regurgitation of facts, but a historical narrative written by a participant. Bennett conveys Judeo-Christian perspectives throughout his narrative. While reading this book I found myself filtering a number of events through a Biblical worldview in a manner that I had not done before. Not only was this book educational and enlightening, but a delight to read. For those who want to better understand the world in which we live by understanding the events that brought us here, I recommend it wholeheartedly. As a matter of fact, I recommend you not only read it, but pass it along to those readers who are in your sphere of influence.

One last thought. Jesus and Paul were very aware of political and cultural history – ancient and recent. It impacted their ministry. It should be the same for us. Use this book as a tool toward that end.