
I want to encourage those who are needing material for preaching and teaching to copy and paste the next series of blogs in your files. However, all these blogs will eventually be published as the new and revised ENCYLOPEDIC STUDY GUIDE HANDBOOK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP
THANK YOU
I must thank everyone who has been checking in at this site for their Bible studies. The blog site was set up in July of last year for the specific purpose of providing Bible study material for Bible students throughout the world. God has certainly done something wonderful with the outreach of the site. Since the beginning of the site in July 2014, the number of people who have visited the site has grown by over five times. Visits to the site are now growing every month. Visits are coming from over 100 countries. On top of the list of visitors are dedicated Christians from China. (All of you in China need a special “thank you.” You need to know that I have been praying for you in your efforts to preach Jesus throughout China.)
MATERIAL OF THE SITE
What I am trying to do with the site is to provide Bible material for Bible students. In some cases, I will try to help in providing information on how to make the studies applicable to different cultures. But my promise to you is that I will stay with Bible studies that can be used in preaching and teaching only the Bible. As I produce the material, I will keep in mind that most of the people who visit this type of blog site are looking for material they can use in their own teaching of the Bible.
LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION
I realize that most of those who come to the site speak English as a second language. I will try my best to keep the material in simple English. This goal will not always be accomplished. You will have to pardon me when I become too complex in my sentence structures and grammar. If a key word is needed that I think is difficult, I will add a definition in parenthesis. Please keep in mind, that because of some subject matter, it might be difficult to keep it simple.
SYSTEM OF POSTING THE MATERIAL
I will be following a specific system in posting the material. On facebook, I will make the initial announcement of a series of lectures. The series of daily lectures will be called “The Tyrannus Lectures.” The name and concept come from Acts 19:9,10. From his lectures in the school of Tyrannus, Paul was able to reach into all Asia. He was able to do this through dedicated disciples as you who personally went into all Asia (See 2 Timothy 2:2). So you are a part of the success of the blog site because you have taken the lectures into all the world. Even if you do not have an opportunity to personally teach, you can teach through the blog site by letting others know about the lectures. This makes you a teacher of the word of God.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Paul stayed in Ephesus for two years to lecture in the school of Tyrannus. Those who were in the school when out continually during the two years to teach in other cities. They took his lecture material and went throughout all Asia. This is how you can help. What has happened in the developing outreach of the site is that sometimes a single individual within a city our country informed all his or her friends and asked them to visit the site. From this initiative entire countries are now being reached. You can help by informing your friends about the site. This is how you can be one of those who leaves the lectures of the school of Tyrannus, and then goes into all the world. This makes you a team member with everyone who is doing the same. If you have a facebook page, you can place the announcement of the lectures on your facebook page. The key to the success of any blog site is letting others know of its existence.
BOOK FORM
All the lectures will be focused on Bible study. Throughout 2015 I will follow the system of writing new lectures that will be posted as a series of studies. Between these series of lectures, I will be posting a revision of past studies that were written throughout the years. These lectures will come from books in the Biblical Research Library of the website: www.africainternational.org
Once a new series of lectures has been completed, a book will be composed of the material. This book will then go on the website. We encourage everyone to please download the book and pass it on to others. You do not have to write and ask permission to make copies of any material on the website or blog site. The purpose of both sites is to produce material FREE that can be distributed FREE. So please make as many copies as necessary in order for you to accomplish your mission to “teach all Asia.”
I want to again thank everyone for making the blog site a success. God has done so much with the site in the past. I am excited about what He will do this year. Please keep me in your prayers as we move into a new year. I will pray for you that you pass the lectures of the site on to your friends, as well as, advertise the site to everyone in your city.
Dr. Dickson