Just Back from Alabama

I could post a hundred photos but they still wouldn't be able to describe my visit to my daughter and her family in Alabama over Thanksgiving. 

It's life in its rawest form, old and young and everyone in between. Good food matched only by good conversation. 

Even Hank wanted to be in on the action. 

I find myself already looking forward to next year's visit. In the meantime, it's back to text messages and phone calls -- and prayers for one another, storming the gates of heaven for the ones we love.

Bring it on. I'm excited. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks for everything to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 5:20).

Let's all spend some time today and tomorrow in giving God thanks. Don't worry about having just the right words. Worry more about having the right spirit. He's not seeking our eloquence but our heart. Even in life's heartbreaking moments we can pause to thank him for providing unimaginable strength. Thank him as if it were your last opportunity. Pour out your heart of gratitude to him like there's no tomorrow. Thank him, then thank him again. 

The Lord grant you a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Be Thankful

This is Thanksgiving week. Here's some of the places I found gratitude today:

I am thankful for the strength I had to get out of bed this morning and go to the gym.

I am thankful I can still do pull ups.

I am thankful for gym staff who are always there to assist and guide.

I am thankful for the resources to get biweekly massages. 

I am thankful I can still run.

I am thankful for running trails like the HBT, where I ran 7 miles today.

I am thankful I never get lost while running on it. 

I am thankful I can fly to Alabama tomorrow Lord willing to spend Thanksgiving with family.

Not a day goes by without me counting my blessings. I have never before had so much in life. And so much to cherish. My kids and grandkids are all healthy and love the Lord and I don't take that for granted. I enjoy friends who are closer than brothers to me. (You know who you are.) I am grateful for things to look forward to. I am grateful I don't sweat the small stuff like I used to. I am thankful to be focusing on things that truly matter. 

Life really can change in a heartbeat. Never take anything for granted. Savor each moment the Lord gives you. If you're married, kiss your spouse and tell them  you love them. Ask them the questions you've been meaning to ask them as you may never get another chance. 

You value what you notice. Try to notice the little things every day. Be thankful for all of it. Truly, gratitude can change our attitude in a split second! 

The JOY of Firsthand Bible Study!

At the gym today, it occured to me that we humans communicate with each other either through a snapshot ...

... or a video. 

The New Testament authors did exactly the same thing!

There are two basic ways of describing an action in Greek. You can use a snapshot, or you can use a video, as it were. Phil. 1:21 is a classic example. Here Paul writes, "For to me, to live (video) is Christ and to die (snapshot) is gain." We could render the Greek here as follows: "For to me, to go on living is Christ and to die is gain." 

While reading Acts 4 this morning I noticed Luke's use of his video camera in verses 29 and 31. The basic idea in both of these verbs is "keep on doing" or "do habitually." 

You see, the apostles had been speaking the word of God fearlessly but had been warned by the authorities to stop what they were doing. Hence, in verse 29, the church prayed to the Lord, "Grant your servants great boldness to continue to speak your word." And in verse 31, their prayer was answered: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." 

I love that! 

Personal Bible study enables you to evaluate the words of Scripture. How exciting! I can assure you, there is no joy comparable to the joy that comes from a firsthand study of the Bible. To discover for yourself what God has written for us in his word will send you into the stratosphere with excitement. Unfortunately, sometimes these truths are missed in even our finest English translations. (Here the NIV writes simply "to speak" and "they spoke," completely missing Luke's use of his video camera!) 

I am never more excited than when one of my students comes up to me before class and says," Dr. Black, let me show you what I just discovered in this passage!" Sometimes students are beside themselves with enthusiasm. You never know what new wrinkle in the text you'll discover!

I hope you'll catch that disease as you get into your own habit of daily Bible study. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week! 

Exercise: It's a Fine Balance

Over the years I've discovered an approach to exercise and training that has helped with implementing consistent workouts. Every morning I check in with all my systems -- not only my legs and feet but also where my head's at, what's my stress level, and how everything is feeling. All of this guides what I do (or don't do) for the training that day and how hard I push down on the gas pedal. Sometimes I see athletes kill themselves with grueling workouts that are extremely hard on the body and central nervous system. I've been there myself. It isn't that day's workout that will make you a strong and healthy person. It's the consistent gradual adaptations you make over time that set you up for success. It's a very fine balance with knowing when you should push and when you're causing damage. All growth -- be it in exercise or in life -- comes from adaptation, consistency, and being present in the moment. We don't want to be too hard on ourselves, but we don't want to be too easy either.

Hope this can help! 

Fun at the Cap Trail in Richmond!

Cycling can help us better use the strength we build from training. 

As I've done frequently in the past, today I drove up to the Virginia Capital Trail between Richmond and Jamestown. 

To bike the entire trail you'll need to do about 52 miles. I've done that 3 times. Today I only did about half that distance.

Like many things I discuss, this is low-hanging fruit. All you need is a bike! 

When I got home, happy and tired, this is what awaited me.

God is good.

Have a wonderful evening!  

Names in the Bible

My name is David Black. (Duh.) In Hawaiian, it's Kawika Eleele. "Eleele" means "Black" in Hawaiian. "Kawika" (pronounced ka-vee-ka) is simply "David" written with the Hawaiian alphabet. 

The apostle Paul likewise had two names. His Hebrew name was Saul, meaning "asked of God." But as a Roman citizen, he also had the Latin name Paul. Both names have a similar sound but vastly different meanings. The Latin adjective Paulus (or Paullus) means "little" or "insignificant." Augustine once referred to Paul as Paullum modicum quid -- "a little something." Chrysostom called Paul "the man 3 cubits tall." In ancient Rome, a cubit was equal to about 1.5 feet. Apparently Paul was thought to be only 4.5 feet tall!

In Paul's earliest writing, 1 Thessalonians -- which was the focus of my Bible study this morning -- he uses his Roman name instead of his Hebrew name in 1:1.

"Saul" (Greek saulos) was perhaps too likely to be misunderstood. Who wanted to be known as "loose, wanton, lewd, free from moral constraint"! Incidentally, associated with Paul are Sylvanus (Latin for "Forest") and Timothy (Greek for "Honorer of God"). Love it! 

Isn't it so true that once you understand the meaning of your name, you appreciate it more? My youngest grandsons are named Reuben and Noah. Reuben is Hebrew for "Behold a son!" 

While Noah is Hebrew for"rest." 

My own name, David, means "beloved." And I feel loved! 

For people in the Bible, names often held great significance. Of course, here in the modern West, we don't imbue names with as much significance. Nevertheless, we can all sense the importance of names. To you, your name is more than a word. In some ways, it IS you. 

I never study a passage in the Bible that contains a name without asking myself, "What's the significance of the name mentioned here?" I invite you to do the same. 

"Partnership in the Gospel" (Phil. 1:5)

The Mississippi Drainage Basin (MDB) is the third largest in the world. Only the Amazon and Congo watersheds are larger. It covers all or part of 31 states and resembles a funnel with its sprout at the Gulf of Mexico.

Whether you live in Great Falls, MT, or Asheville, NC -- 2,000 miles apart -- you're still in the MDB. 

Few people realize how critical this inexpensive transportation network was to the growth of the U.S. The products from the best farmlands in America could flow downstream to markets all over the world. But the "mighty" Mississippi wouldn't be nearly so mighty without all the little tributaries that make up the greatness of the MDB.

In Phil. 1:5, Paul expresses his gratitude for the Philippians' "partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." This aligns with Paul's broader point of emphasizing unity and collaboration among all believers everywhere. He views the Philippians as co-laborers, and he's confident that Jesus will continue to work through their faithfulness until he returns. 

Participation in the gospel was at the very center of Paul's relationships with other believers. It's a joint commitment to an enterprise -- in fact, the most important enterprise in the world. This participation involves not only the money the Philippians sent to Paul but their own evangelistic zeal in promoting the gospel. Paul may have been the "big river," but all of us are tributaries that have a vital role to play. 

How wonderful the grace of God! What joy to be partners in the gospel! 

Today's Fabulous Gym Session

Still chasing down my goals.

How about you? 

Two Lessons about Teaching from James 3:1-2

Lecturing this past Tuesday at Liberty reminded me that teaching is not only a privilege but a grave responsibility. 

That's clearly taught by James in James 3:1-2, my morning Bible passage. Here are two truths from that text that I jotted down in my journal.  

1. Learning to be a teacher is a never-ending process. I get this from the verb ginesthe that James uses here. He doesn't say, "Not many of you should be teachers." He says, "Not many of you should become teachers." Here's the lasting lesson I wrote down in my journal:

"I will be effective as a teacher only to the degree that I am continually growing as a student of Scripture."

2. Because our role demands that we speak so regularly, teachers are especially vulnerable to failures of speech. This may mean talking too much. Or it may mean talking about things we know nothing about. Or becoming careless in our speech. Or failing to keep our sarcasm in check. Or trying to please both God and the world at the same time. Or failing to manifest grace in our speech. The principle?

"I will be effective as a teacher to the degree that I allow the Spirit of God to produce consistently (though not perfectly) pure speech with my tongue."

As a teacher, "my times" are not really mine but his. I am the steward of my days and had better number them that I may apply my heart unto wisdom. Lord, let me use my final days of teaching to faithfully witness to my times concerning the Timeless One.

Virtual Chat

If we were enjoying a cup of hot chocolate together, there are some things I would tell you. 

If we were having a cup of hot chocolate together on my front porch this evening, I would tell you how much I enjoy living in rural Virginia. This was my drive to Farmville this morning. 

There is never any traffic here to speak of. And the colors -- oh my goodness. The peak foliage may be over, but this view will still take your breath away.

If we were enjoying a cup of hot chocolate in my library enjoying a warm fireplace, I would tell you how much I love all the history you can find in Virginia. A major battle took place on this very site during the Civil War. 

It was a Union victory just a couple of days before the end of the war. You know, this isn't the only "rail trail" we have in the commonwealth. I think this is a great use of these former railroad beds, don't you? 

If we were enjoying a cup of hot chocolate together while watching the sheep graze, I would tell you what running has meant to me since Becky died. I would tell you how cathartic this sport has been to me. I love how it's challenged me to keep running the race of life. Life is never easy, but hardships are always temporary and for that I am grateful. 

Well, it's been nice sipping cocoa and chatting. It's so easy to sabotage ourselves. For God's sake, don't overthink everything. Just make it happen. Plan your route, set out your clothes, then get on out there. You'll be glad you did. 

Don't Let Yourself Down

I don't know who needs to hear this, but maintenance of strength and muscle can be achieved with surprisingly little volume, even just 1 day per week. Multi-joint exercises like pull ups, squats, presses, and rows should be prioritized over isolation exercises.

But if you decide to add an isolation exercise, the dumbbell curl is a great place to start. 

Going to the gym is more than just a workout. It's proof to yourself that you're willing to fight to become the person you want to be. Don't let that version of yourself down. 

Lecturing at Liberty Again

Today I had the joy of speaking in the New Testament Honors class at Liberty University. 

And mightily bored they were!

LU is definitely one of our best Christian universities in my opinion. The campus is knock-dead beautiful, plus the amount of things to do around campus is amazing (shooting range, ski resort, equestrian barn). Their biblical studies faculty is second to none. All the profs I know are incredible! The school has tons of international students, including this one from Ethiopia who's enjoying a copy of Becky's book My Life Story. 

I have met many fine students full of positive energy and great studiousness during my campus visits. Everyone is willing to help and assist you. I suppose that if you're there just because your parents wanted to "straighten you out," you won't get too much from the experience. But if you're serious about your studies, the school can truly help you achieve your dreams. (No, I was not paid to say that!) 

My thanks to Dr. Thomas Hudgins of the Divinity School for organizing today's visit. It was a great honor, sir!

New Greek Diacritical Mark Discovered

The Yoda subscript. 

Video credit: Thomas Hudgins.

Special thanks to my student Joey for coming up with the concept in Greek class today.👍

1 John -- Here We Come!

Ta-daaaaa! Today in our Greek class we begin our study of the book of 1 John. 

1 John has two main purposes. On the one hand, John wants to encourage his readers to live in fellowship with God and with his Son Jesus Christ. On the other hand, he wants to warn them against any false teaching that would destroy this fellowship. A big theme of the letter has to do with sin. For the believer, sin is inexcusable. It's also inevitable! (Read 1 John 2:1-2.) How do we live with that tension? Stay tuned! 

We Love Dutch

So happy Dutch is so easy to learn. Do half of the swaps and you're speaking German. Do the other half and you're talking in English! 

German went through a major consonant shift that English and Dutch avoided. On the flip side, English went through a major vowel shift that German and Dutch missed. So match the German vowels and the English consonants and you've got it made.

By the way, it's almost mandatory to call what I just described "the great vowel movement" 😂

Time Traveler

When people say 2014, I think of it as 4 or 5 years ago. When people say 20 years ago, I think of it as in the early 90s. I'll be 73 next year and I still feel like it's 2010. Time goes by so fast! 

Generosity Defined

Driving home from church today I couldn't help but think about the definition of "generosity" I heard in the sermon:

"Generosity is the act of doing more than is expected and expecting nothing in return."

Would love to become a generous person like that!

What to Do with "Ausgangstext"?

"English doesn't 'borrow' from other languages: it follows them down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar and valuable vocabulary." -- James Nicoll

Having learned German as a second language, I can attest to the fact that speaking English has been enriched by German loan words. A lot of what makes English such a great language is its fluidity and adaptability. For example, the livestock words borrowed from French (beef, poultry) didn't replace the Old English words (meat, chicken). They just gave us alternatives. Now I realize why we have so many synonyms in English. I always thought it was primarily because it was just to express similar ideas with slightly different meanings, but sometimes the real reason is the melding of different languages. 

It's a very interesting topic and good intellectual "fun" as long as one doesn't become too insurgent with it. An illustration might be the introduction of the German word Ausgangstext ("initial text") into the vocabulary of New Testament textual criticism. For some, the term has replaced the more traditional "original text." Generally speaking, when a word falls out of use, it's largely because it has outlived its usefulness. Scholars are therefore always coming up with neologisms -- often from German -- to move us "past" the past and into the future. Think Weltanschauung for "world view" or Heilsgeschichte for "salvation history." As a guy who teaches New Testament, I must say I find Ausgangstext a little disingenuous. Yes, it's punchy, even a bit scholastically elegant. But if all you mean by the term is that version of the text that was ultimately approved by the author for eventual publication, then I think I prefer to stick with the expression "original text." 

I'm not against neologisms. I think it's great to have both native words and long loanwords. "We were slaughtered" and "We were decimated " feel very different despite their similar meanings. The soldier says the former. The commander says the latter. But the choice is not insignificant! 

That's my thinking for now. 

You CAN Do It!

You CAN get into shape, my friend!

Here's how to progress:

1. Get to the gym. Find a few exercises you can do confidently and safely. When in doubt, start with the easiest ones. 

2. Work these hard 3 days a week. 

3. Get outdoors on nice days like today and either walk or jog. Find a track or a trail you enjoy. 

When we know or suspect something can hurt us (going too far, going too fast. etc.), do the exercise at a level you can handle. My rule of thumb is to feel "effort" but not "pain" (especially in the joints). 

4. Reward yourself for a job well done. Today that reward came in the form of a plate of camarones a la diabla. Delicious, but I almost had to call 9-11!

Let me know how it goes. Have a wonderful day! 

Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic Motivation in Education

"You may be able to maintain certain minimum standards by stressing duty. But the highest moral and spiritual achievements do not depend upon a push but a pull. People must be charmed into righteousness." -- Reinhold Niebuhr.

Hello friends.

How do you create intrinsic motivation? Let's explore this question together, shall we?

Students always seem to want some kind of tangible payoff for studying (a grade, a GPA, etc.). Schools (even grad schools) use a reward system just for doing the right thing at any given time. This is extrinsic motivation, and hardly ideal. 

For years I've been asking myself, "How is it possible to generate intrinsic motivation?" My experience has been that students will become motivated by their own desire for a successful future if you can help them see the immediate connection between what they are learning today and how that fits into their big picture. It is no longer about making their teacher happy or just following the rules or avoiding a bad grade. They are working hard because they find the work inherently satisfying. (Think of the time you volunteered somewhere and you enjoyed it because you chose to do it.) So I think it's definitely possible to encourage intrinsic motivation. But once students have been in the American school system long enough, it is extremely difficult to do so. Their natural curiosity and sense of autonomy have been discouraged because they have become used to doing only whatever is needed for a good test score and tend to loathe open-ended evaluations. 

Intrinsic motivation begins with proper pedagogy. Appeal to emotion. Appeal to creativity. Appeal to the beauty of the subject matter. Be Socratic. Surround your students with a meaningful and satisfying experience. Make them laugh. Model curiosity. Wonder about things out loud. "I wonder why Paul used this grammatical construction in this verse. Oh my gosh, now I have to know!" Let your students see you fail and try again. Talk about how silly it is that you once thought grammar was boring. "Can you believe I really thought that?" Mention interesting things without explaining them. The goal is to have students dying to know what that big word means. Or to beg for a chance to work with you in solving the exegetical problem you're working on.

External motivation, at least my perspective on it, is only doing something if the reward or punishment is present. Intrinsic motivation is finding some personal value in the activity. 

My anecdotal experience is that most students are eager to be treated like grown up adults. Research shows that achieving goals is dependent on the type of motivation you use. Shifting from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation is essential for obtaining our goals. When we do something we love doing, we're like an automobile that doesn't require any fuel. For me, that is marathoning and mountaineering. For others, it's mastering a biblical language. Research has not yet identified a foolproof way to develop intrinsic motivation. What we do know is that extrinsic rewards often undermine intrinsic motivation (the so-called "undermining effect"). 

Typically, people are driven by a combination of motivational factors. Sometimes these factors are internally driven. At other times they are more externally driven. Our motivation is highest when both factors are present. 

Thanks for putting up with this quirky philosophical dialogue! 

"DACH"

Did you know that DACH is used as a common term for the three largest German-speaking countries -- D (Deutschland/Germany), A (Austria), and CH (Switzerland)? "Dach" is in fact a German word meaning "roof," which fits as all German-speaking countries fit under one roof! 

Which Foreign Language Is Easiest to Learn?

The one you want to learn. 

"God's ... God's ... God's!" (1 Cor. 3:9)

As the semester winds down, I'm reflecting on the joy it is to be in the classroom. Teaching has been the best thing that ever happened to me after my conversion to Christ and my marriage to Becky. Why on earth the Lord believed in me and championed me like he did I haven't the slightest idea, but I'll be eternally grateful because he's the one that called me into this wonderful work. So much love to my Greek class. We've shared participles and principal parts together and still like each other. Our adventure in learning New Testament Greek will shortly come to an end. The difficult has turned into our life's mission and we will never go back. 

Which brings me to the passage of Scripture I was studying this morning in my devotionals -- 1 Corinthians 3. 

See, I am always looking out for repetition in Paul, and boy do we have it here in spades -- "God's ... God's ... God's!" Paul is saying (my paraphrase ), "Because Apollos and I work together with God, you are a field under his cultivation, or, if you like, a building being built to his plan. I planted, Apollos watered, but it's God alone who can make things grow."

Farmers like me know one thing. Our own contributions to a successful harvest are minimal compared to the contribution of the One who created the soil and provides the sun and the rain. I am writing this blog post today from a place of repentance, not arrogance. I am ashamed of all the times I may have left the impression that my students' success is dependent on their teacher's skill. It isn't. It never was. We -- teacher and students alike -- are sharing in the work of God. The Spirit is the one who fills our empty minds with an understanding of Greek grammar and launches us into ministry with that valuable asset in our toolboxes. I won't defile my blessings by imagining that I deserve them. It's all "God's." That's the magic. Jesus' kingdom continues in the same way it was launched -- through behaving like we truly believe that the surpassing greatness of the power is of him, not of us. When we do this, then and only then will we be able to align ourselves correctly with the humble ministry of Jesus, knowing that one day we will cast all of our crowns at his feet. 

My Fat Loss Journey (FINAL Part)

Either you want it. 

Or you don't. 

=

What began in June ended today. By God's grace, I've reached my desired body fat goal. 

If you're wanting to get leaner, it will take work. Heavy people aren't likely to be physically active or, if they are, are not exercising with enough consistency to make a real difference. They are also probably eating and drinking whatever they want, whenever they want it. The biggest change is in the incorporation of strength training (weight lifting) 3 times a week, as I did today. 

Your workouts will not just make a visible impact, they will increase your body's metabolism so that you are able to burn more calories at rest. Nutrition, however, will likely make the biggest difference as always. Caloric deficit + nutritious diet + regular exercise + sufficient rest = fat loss.

Just sharing some thoughts. Hope this can help you in your own health and fitness journey! 

Break from Lifting

A little b-ball ain't never hurt nobody. 

Dallas, Here We Come!

Just bought my tickets to Dallas to visit mom in December. She'll be 93 years old. Can't wait to see her again. 

Jesus on Anger (Matt. 5:22)

Did Jesus prohibit all anger or only "causeless" anger? My answer here. 

Have a Good Day!

Always remember that you're only one prayer away from having a better day. 

The Goal Is NOT Knowledge (Merely)

Educators know that a well-stated objective describes what a person will DO once they achieve the intended outcome. The objective of all my teaching is to help my students ask the right questions of the biblical text, explain what a passage means, and then describe practical ways to USE what they've learned in real life.

Just wanted to clarify that. 😎

For the Love of Flour

Who else can vividly remember the first time you discovered that the "100% whole wheat bread" you bought had 25 ingredients? 

In Non-Essentials, Liberty

You've got convictions about non-essentials. I've got convictions about non-essentials. Not one of these is stated as a sin in the Scriptures. That's what makes them non-essentials. When someone says, "The ESV is a corrupt translation; it's a sin to read it," or "It's a sin to give your child a KJV because it's unintelligible to them," watch out. Convictions are drawn from personal time with the Lord and the searching of one's own heart where you feel freedom in an area or no freedom in an area. These do not become a list you give to anyone else. That's legalism. A reading of Romans 14 will help us to walk in greater freedom. Equally important, it will help us set other people free and we won't feel the need to be their conscience or to be the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Holy Spirit is able to guide each of us in the way we should go. He doesn't need anyone else to push at us. He will convict us and lead us into the paths that please our God. 

You'll Get There

Mindset is everything. 

Day by day. Brick by brick. 

As long as you keep going, you'll get there. 

Upcoming Talk at Liberty University (FYI)

Don't Ignore Textual Criticism

Greek Permits, But Doesn't Necessarily Require

Guess what? Today we're introducing the Greek "indefinite pronoun" -- "someone," "anyone," "anything," and the like. The form tis functions for both the masculine and the feminine -- meaning either "any man" or "any woman." (It can also be gender-neutral: "anyone"). In 1 Tim 3:1, Paul uses tis. 

Please note it's not the gender of tis that shows that an overseer must be male. The gender is unclear apart from the broader context. Every adjective used in Paul's list of qualifications is masculine. Moreover, the use of the expression "husband of one wife" in verse 2 proves that men are being referred to. In addition, we find no female elders in the New Testament. 

Once again, here's an instance where Greek grammar per se doesn't necessarily require a particular interpretation.  As I like to say to my students, "Greek doesn't require; it permits." The context must never be ignored.

Do the Basics -- Repeatedly!

This applies to studying Greek too! 

"Why Do the Nations Snort and Stomp?" (Acts 4:25)

This morning's message was from Acts 4-5. You know me. I always listen to a sermon like a sleuth. I assume the role of a biblical detective. Just as Sherlock Holmes could sometimes be found on his hands and knees inspecting the floor for footprints, a biblical exegete will often be found searching for clues as to the meaning of the text.

I didn't have to search very far this morning before I found a real gem. In Acts 4:25, we read "Why do the nations rage?" The Greek term for "rage" struck me as highly unusual. It's found only here in the entire New Testament. The verb is phruassō. 

This term was originally applied to the ferocity or excitement of an untamed or high-spirited horse. We might render Luke's words, "Why do the nations snort and stomp?" 

This got me thinking about my own horses. I happened to prefer what are known as hot-blooded breeds, namely Arabians and Thoroughbreds. On more occasions than not, before riding my horses I would have to settle them down by lunging them. Here's someone lunging their Arabian. 

Both Cody and Traveler were highly excitable animals. You couldn't ride them unless they were able to burn off some energy before being mounted. I suppose some people thought they were being insolent and unruly. But it's too easy to personify horses and hold them to our human standards. They can be great partners when they feel respected and cared for. 

I was really lucky with my horses. I was blessed to have such amazing friends. 

A lot of what is labeled as disrespect or insolence can just as well be miscommunication. All horses really want from us is kindness, understanding, and patience. Wrong behaviors in horses are easy to correct with patience, consistency, and persistence. I always talked lovingly to my horses. Occasionally they would flick their tail at me, which I assumed to be slightly aggressive. Sometimes they would nudge me with their bodies to try and make me back up. When that happened I simply put my hand up and said "Stop" or "Back up." I always tried to be cautious yet firm to get their cooperation and assert that I am in charge. My Arabian would put his head up when I went to bridle him but he wasn't being disrespectful. He probably learned that behavior from his previous owner. 

Like people, horses communicate very subtly with body language and many times we don't notice until they're almost shouting at us. It's important to remember that the horse is probably not being naughty but just having trouble doing what you're asking. With time and patience you are able to show more domination, in a respectful way, so that they understand that you aren't a bug to be scraped off their back but a friend and in charge of the situation. Many people punish a horse when they should watch the horse and figure out what they're trying to communicate to them. Many of their behaviors are caused by human handlers. We are the ones who are often the issue. Watch and listen to your horse. Don't just react and retaliate like so many handlers do. A horse not trusting paints a far different picture than a horse not respecting. The goal is to find ways to allow individual behavior where both you and your horse are comfortable, safe, and happy. 

I guess if you're not a horse person you're not all that interested in what I just said. That's okay! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Today's Memory Verse

Wo kommst du her? Ich komme von Christus.

Wo gehst du hin? Ich gehe zu Christus.

Was ist das Sinn deines Lebens? Ich lebe für Christus. 

Das ist das Sinn meines Lebens. 

Just Do It

 

Paying Attention to Details When Reading the Bible

Sometimes one word can make a huge difference when we read the Bible. For example, let's compare the ESV and the CSB in Gal. 5:16:

ESV: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

CSB: "I say, then, walk in the Spirit, and you will certainly not carry out your selfish desires."

There's a big difference between "not" and "certainly not." The latter is called emphatic negation by grammarians. It's based on a Greek construction that uses not one but TWO words meaning "not." This is one of the strongest ways you can say, "This is NEVER going to happen." Why some English versions should overlook this powerful negation is a mystery to me. The Legacy Standard Bible does the same thing. Note what Richard Longenecker has to say in his Galatians commentary:

The promise of the gospel, as Paul proclaims it, is that life in the Spirit negates life controlled by the flesh. In fact, that promise is stated emphatically by the use of the double negative ou mē ("no never") with the aorist subjunctive telesēte.

Dear friend, when you read your Bible and notice a small detail like the one we're discussing here, celebrate! This means your attention to detail is improving. Developing a strong attention to detail makes you a more effective Bible student. Focus on being present in your reading to notice small details. Imagine you have a microscope in front of you. Think about paying attention to detail as a lens through which to view what you're reading. This is known as active reading or close reading. Active reading is a method that requires you to focus on every detail in a text and operate on the assumption that no detail is there by accident. Essentially, you're not just looking at what a text says but how it says it. I find it helpful if I take notes and mark the text up with a highlighter or a pen. 

Would you like to see Scripture with eyes like that? I'd like to help you gain that skill. If you're interested, you can go to my Greek Portal for more information. Remember, in reading the Bible, your initial concern is "What do I see?" Pay special attention to terms and grammatical structure. Use a pen or pencil to record your observations in and around the text. See if you can find any significant details that you've overlooked in the past. The moment you come to a passage of Scripture and say, "Oh, I know this one already," you're in deep trouble. Instead, try to come to every verse as if you've never read it before in your life. That's quite a discipline. But it's perfectly achievable. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

The 9-5 Fitness Plan

Jewish Evangelism

I just love it when Messianic Jews use the Tanakh (the Hebrew Old Testament) to witness to their countrymen! 

At the end of this video a Jewish person reads Matt. 1:1 and says, "This sounds so Jewish." Well, it is! (Pardon my lousy pronunciation.) 

That's the very first verse of the NEW Testament! 

God has used his Peters, Jameses, and Johns as well as his Billy Grahams and Chuck Swindolls to reach the lost. I thank him for such gifted people and the impact God has privileged them to make. But their ministry depends on the faithfulness of common foot soldiers like the witnesses in this video. The fields are white, and you and I have been drafted. Your faith in your co-laborer -- God -- is what enables you to do effective evangelism. 

Praise Yeshua! 

How I Study the Bible (and a Surprising Twist on Rom. 16:22)

In case anyone is interested, when I study the Bible I work over the words like a dog gnawing on a bone. I go over the entire verse word by word, I read the verse aloud, I read it in other versions and other languages, I observe the words the author uses and put synonyms in their place, I examine any textual variants that might exist in the verse -- this is the exact process I use. In addition to that, I also keep you in mind, knowing that later on I might share the results of my study on my blog. Furthermore, I almost always produce my own translation of the verse I'm studying. This forces me to make exegetical decisions about things like word meanings, grammar, and the like. 

An example is a verse my Greek students translated in class last week -- Rom. 16:22. 

The CSB reads as follows:

"I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord."

Here's the Greek text.

And this highlights where the prepositional phrase "in the Lord" appears in the verse: 

You'll notice that the nearest verb to "in the Lord" is NOT "greet" but "wrote." Hence my rendering:

"I greet you -- I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter in the Lord."

We could paraphrase the verse as follows:

"Let me add my greetings -- I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter under the direction of the Lord, with his strength, and for his glory alone."

Tertius was probably a resident of Corinth whose pen Paul used to write down his epistle. He seems to have been an Italian with whom Paul's readers in Rome would be well acquainted. His work was both modest and humble. It was certainly subordinate to the work of the great apostle. Still, it was as much a work "in the Lord" as was Paul's dictation. In fact, it is to Tertius that we owe our possession of the letter. 

I'm reminded of watching the performance of Holst's The Planets by the North Carolina Symphony last Sunday. Every instrument, right down to the triangle, was necessary. No doubt Tertius knew his work to be less important than Paul's. But he also knew it was needful. He undoubtedly put his best effort into it. He did it in the Lord's name, borne along by his Spirit, and conscious of his partnership with Paul. He was far more than a mere scribe. He was Paul's co-worker. Note that Paul could have referred to him in the third person:

"Tertius, who wrote down this letter ... sends you his greetings."

But to Paul, Tertius was not a mere dictation machine. He was a fellow Christian and a fellow servant -- a fact that Paul was eager to acknowledge. 

True partners in the gospel. 

I love that!

Why I Prefer Gravel Trails

Hello friends.

Different runners prefer different running surfaces. I rarely run on paved roads because of the traffic. I've always enjoyed running on hard dirt trails. It slows you down a bit but it's easier on the joints. I like crushed gravel rail trails the best -- which is why my favorite trail on the planet is the High Bridge Trail in Farmville. 

It's easy on the joints plus it's always in nice scenery. My gravel trail running experience is that it engages your muscles differently. You have to be attentive to terrain and foot placement. You can't always expect that the spot ahead of you will be safe to step on. If the gravel is too fine you can't get a good push off. I sometimes run on the local high school track. It's not particularly well-groomed (holes, weeds growing on it). And so it's usually gravel trails for me. Level gravel is basically the same as the street for me. 

Today I got in 8 miles on the HBT. 

It was hot and humid. 

One thing I've come to accept about running in high humidity is just to accept it for what it is and not beat yourself up over distance and time. You have to hydrate proactively -- before you even feel thirsty. Don't worry much, if at all, about pace. Listen to your body. Maximize exposed skin to encourage evaporation. Make sure you have a good running hat to soak up the sweat before it drips into your eyes.

Enjoy your evening!