Free Book in Greek Class

Any student who gets a perfect score on today's Philippians exam will get a free copy of one of my books. Hope to give away many today! 

Guaranteed!

Yes, there will be chori pollo in heaven.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Tomorrow our Greek class will be exegeting Phil. 3:1-11. Please pray for me -- for clarity, strength, and God's blessing as we study this vital passage of Scripture. We need this message because the church is always in danger of drifting away from the sole sufficiency of Jesus in every generation. Here Paul combats the whole idea behind "religion." Religion is all about what we do for God. The gospel is all about what God has done for us. In other words, the gospel is all about grace. The gospel says, "I'm accepted by God because of what Christ has done." Religion says exactly the opposite. The 3 words of religion are, "Get to work." The 3 words of grace are, "It is finished." No one can ever be good enough for God. We can only rely on a righteousness which is through faith in Christ that comes from God as a free gift on the basis of faith alone. The gospel says, "I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, and I am so loved that he was glad to die for me." Here's how I want my class to remember this truth:

• Not FAITH + WORKS ("through faith alone")
• Not GRACE + MERIT ("by grace alone")
• Not SCRIPTURE + TRADITION ("according to Scripture alone")
• Not GOD'S GLORY + MINE ("to the glory of God alone")

In short:

JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING! 

A Visit to the Five Forks Battlefield

160 years ago today, both the Confederates and the Federals near Petersburg knew that the decisive campaign of the war was about to begin. It the midst of a pouring rain, Union troops fought a battle with Lee's forces at a non-descript country lane called the White Oak Road, which was an important supply line for the besieged Southern army. By the end of the day, the road was in Union hands, so the Confederates shuffled off to the west to set up a defensive line around an intersection called Five Forks.

It had been several years since I last visited the Five Forks battlefield, so I decided to retrace my steps there this afternoon. The visitor's center, a small, nondescript building, was manned by a single ranger. 

He was the only other person I saw in the visitor's center or on the battlefield today. 

I imagine he was eager to see me (or anyone for that matter), and we began discussing what happened here on April 1, 1865. Union cavalry general Philip Sheridan wanted to attack the Confederate lines at Five Forks around noon, but the Federal infantry wasn't ready until 4:00 pm. By the time the sun had set, the Federals were in control of the crossroads. The next day, Grant followed up the success at Five Forks with a major attack all along the Confederate lines. They broke through the entrenchments, and the race for Appomattox Court House was on. 

It was pretty quiet today at the Five Forks battlefield. 

But the place was anything but quiet 160 years ago on April 1. After the battle, Grant divided his army into two separate wings, with one pushing Lee, the other hoping to confront him head on. What developed was a classic envelopment situation: Lee was attacked at his rear, accompanied by an attack on his front. Thus Lee was virtually surrounded at Appomattox. 

There was nothing left to do but surrender. 

There's Something Magical about the Gym

There's something magical about the gym. When you arrive you simply can't bottle up all that energy.

There are few other experiences I've ever had where just the intensity and the joy and the anticipation of what's going to happen that day is magical. 

A successful climb in August would be reaching the summit of the Riffelhorn still smiling, still happy, and giving the glory to God. I'm competing against myself, so having this enormous goal is hopefully going to bring out a better Dave when I return home. 

I admire anybody who does the same thing. Whether you're first or last, you're a winner. 

Ideas to Get Your Daily Steps In

What's up guys. As you know, I've gone from 10,000 daily steps to 20,000, most of which I get by walking on the treadmill at the gym (18,000). The rest I get from my normal daily activities. When you extrapolate these steps over an entire day, they really do add up a lot. Just as one basic example, when I go to the store I park as far away as I can. 

I know this may sound a bit goofy, but when you add up all the steps you have to take to walk to and from the store, plus the steps you will inevitably take while shopping, you will probably get anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 steps in easily. 

Other ways to get in more steps are to walk while chatting on the phone or to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I've also started skipping the drive-thru at the bank or pharmacy and walking inside instead. 

You don't have to do these things. Just options to explore! 

Our Farming Philosophy

No child sheep left behind. 😉

Don't Worry about Anything. Instead, Pray about Everything (Phil. 4:6-7)

Three nights ago I asked God for a very specific healing for a rather desperate situation. He graciously answered "yes." Which led me to write this free translation of Phil. 4:6-7. Hope it can encourage you!

Don't let your heart be weighed down with the anxieties of life. It is not God's will that you worry about anything. He stands ready and eager to help you no matter what you're facing. Just take your concern to him and leave it there. Simply let your request be made known to God. Tell him exactly what you need. God loves the sound of your voice. He will hear and answer your prayer. Do not think for a moment that the effectiveness of prayer resides in your ability to use the "right" words. Help me! is quite enough. The Lord is never apathetic toward our plight. In fact, he says "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:10). He once spoke to the storm. He can speak to yours. Why? Because he's God. 

By the way, don't forget that sprinkled among your phrases should be two simple words: "Thank you." Say them often, not only when his answer is an immediate "yes," but when it's "not yet." If you will do this, his peace will be yours -- the peace that transcends man's understanding and keeps constant guard over your heart and mind when Christ replaces worry at the center of your life.

Shine We Must (Phil. 2:15)

Last Monday in Greek class we discussed Paul's reference to "stars" in Phil. 2:15. The real "stars" aren't those famous persons in sports or entertainment.

From God's point of view, they are those believers who "shine like bright stars in a dark world as they hold forth the word of life." We are put here to shine the light and so guide others safely home.

Not all at once.

Not all by ourselves.

Not without the movement of the Spirit of God.

But shine we must. 

Daily Steps (Quick Update)

Here's today's treadmill report (18,000 steps):

Total steps today:

Current weight is 215 pounds. (Goal: 210 or even 205.) 

There's only 5 months to August! 😅

Two Grandbaby Quotes

"Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation."

"Grandchildren fill a space in your heart that you never knew was empty."

Cherish them while you still can. 

Untying 5 Nots

So I finally tried my hand at transating Heb. 13:5b today. Here's the Dave Standard Version:

For God has said, "I will never under any circumstance desert you, nor will I ever in any degree leave you helpless or relax my hand on you!"

I know this sounds wordy. But hey -- the Greek does has five negatives!! 

Look at What's New in Southside Virginia!

Another state park visitor's center has opened. This one is very dear to my heart. I stumbled upon it during my run the other day. Care to take a brief peek?

The High Bridge State Park Visitor's Center at Camp Paradise near the town of Farmville, VA, is on the exact spot where one of the last battles of the Civil War took place. On April 3, 1865, Union general George Meade wrote to his wife, "The telegraph will have conveyed to you, long before this reaches you, the joyful intelligence that Petersburg and Richmond have fallen, and that Lee, broken and dispirited, has retreated toward Lynchburg and Danville." He added, "We are now moving after Lee, and if we are successful in striking him another blow before he can rally his troops, I think the Confederacy will be at an end."

Thus Meade began the great pursuit west. He would catch up to Lee alongside a little waterway called Sailor's Creek. The battle was a disaster for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It lost 8,000 men, including 8 generals. Moving further westward, the Union troops arrived at the town of Farmville, but only after the Confederates had attempted to burn the High Bridge over the Appomattox River to stymie their pursuers. They failed, and the rest is literally history. 

The situation of Lee's army was hopeless. Writing from a hotel in Farmville on April 7, Grant wrote to Lee, asking him to surrender. Two days later, Lee's army was finished.

The Virginia state park service deserves my thanks -- and the thanks of people everywhere -- for the work they do to preserve and share the many state battlefields I have visited. I always leave impressed by the friendly and knowledgeable people I encounter on such visits. The Civil War remains a fascinating and compelling period of American history for many people. Why is that? My guess is that, as William Faulkner once observed, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." The past is always present. It permeates everything. It's the ether in which we live. 

Which is one reason I love to run here so often. 

Meade's Faith

George Meade has often been called the Rodney Dangerfield of the Union Army. 

Few probably even know that he was the winner of the Battle of Gettysburg. Think about it. The principal army of the United States had been consistently beaten and even humiliated over the course of the 21 months of its existence. George Meade delivered not only that army's first victory of the war but also a victory in what was the largest land battle ever fought on the North American continent. 

Lee had met his match in Meade, who was no fool. A veteran army officer described Meade as "a most accomplished officer." "Meade," he wrote, "had been thoroughly educated in his profession, and had a complete knowledge of both the science and art of war in all its branches. He was well read, possessed of a vast amount of interesting information, had cultivated his mind as a linguist, and spoke French with fluency." His letters to his family reflect effusive tenderness and a devout Christian faith. He often reminded his wife and children that events are ultimately dictated by "the will of our Heavenly Father."

Moving mountains (or even climbing them), my friend, is not something to tackle on your own. You have about a zero chance of budging them an inch if you think you can do the job alone. But you have every chance in the world if you trust God to do it. 

Lesson from Today's Workout

You don't have to be perfect to see results.

You just need to be consistent in your workouts. 

Have a wonderful day! 

He Is My Dwelling Place

This morning I am like a deer in a desert. I pant for the streams of water that satisfy. My soul longs for what brings deep peace and lasting joy. There's no one else who can do that for me. Only my God. He alone is my dwelling place. In him alone is true, lasting satisfaction.

Who have we, Lord, but Thee,

Soul thirst to satisfy?

Exhaustless springs, the water free,

All other streams are dry.

So I came today with parched soul and dry heart to be nourished with truth, and to hear what he has to say to me.

He is my dwelling place. 

Return to Chancellorsville

In a couple of weeks I'll be preaching revival services at a church in Northern Virginia near the historic Chancellorsville Battlefield. This campaign took place during April and May of 1863. The most famous action of the battle was Stonewall Jackson's flank attack that took place on May 2 after a 12-mile circuitous march around the Union forces. 

This will initiate a Confederate offensive that will carry them from Chancellorsville north across the Potomac River (for the second time) and to Gettysburg, where they will finally give up that initiative on July 3rd after Pickett's Charge. Here the Union Army will finally get the victory that it had sought here at Chancellorsville. It came close to actually winning the Battle of Chancellorsville several times, but it will take another several months -- two months to be exact --  before they have their victory on Northern soil at Gettysburg.

Incidentally, Chancellorsville was not really a town at all at the time. If it had a train (which it did not) it would have been called a whistle stop since it was only one large mansion and a few scattered houses and outbuildings. Here's what it looked like then ...

... and now.

I can't wait to visit this historic battlefield again. 

Today in Greek Class We're Sight Reading!

Beginning with p46 (Philippians):

Then the first chapter of Ruth in the LXX:

How I wish you could join us! 

The Gathering Exists for the Going

The church is not only to be evangelical; it is to be evangelistic. We are not only to hold firmly to the Light; we are to spread it.

The gathering exists for the going. 

Our Daily "Gospel Workout"

As you know, I've set myself some pretty tough challenges in 2025. Not only surfing in Hawaii and bagging another peak in the Swiss Alps. But also training my body to the point where I think I can, just maybe, accomplish these rather daunting tasks. This means, among other things, getting to the gym 3 times a week and getting in 18,000 steps every day.

In Phil. 2:12-13, Paul has just set before the Philippians a very daunting challenge. They are to imitate Christ. They are to be just as gospel-minded as he was and is. They are to give their lives in the service of others. And they are to do this with the same self-sacrificing attitude that Christ had.

In short, the Philippians -- and we -- must follow the example of Christ in everything we do. This is what makes the challenge so intimidating. None of us can perfectly imitate Jesus Christ and his evangelistic service. I know I can't. Hence Paul's words here in Phil. 2:12-13.

As we face the daily challenge of following the evangelistic model of Jesus Christ, Paul wants us to understand that we can work out the gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily lives because God is at work in us to make that possible. Paul encourages the Philippians in the imitation of Christ by reminding them of their responsibility to "work out" what God is "working in" them. This is the in-and-out principle of the Christian life. Just as weight loss involves "calories in/calories out," so we can show forth the gospel outwardly because the gospel is at work within us. And since the gospel is at work in us, we must express it outwardly in words and actions. We are to work out, speak out, act out, show out, shout out, and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I like to call this the "daily workout of the gospel." God intends for each one of us to show out the gospel in our daily lives, be it at the gym or on the beach or with a group of likeminded mountaineers. And we do this because God the Holy Spirit is at work in us, giving us both the desire and the ability to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we go.

But someone might say, "I have no desire for this gospel workout. I know I should, but I don't. And even if I did, I'm not sure I could do it." It's like someone saying, "Why should I bother to train and lose weight or get into better shape? I've always failed in the past. Why should I try now?" The fact is, once we begin to tell others about Jesus Christ, it actually becomes easier. It's both exciting and fulfilling. It's what Christian living is all about. Christian witness may be the hardest thing in the Christian life but it's the best thing in the Christian life.

The Christian who doesn't understand this is the Christian who isn't having his daily gospel workout. The Christian who puts his energy into only his own agenda will never truly enjoy the Christian life. A non-witnessing Christian is full of complaining and arguing (v. 14), thinking that life is all about him and getting his way. A Christian with a selfish, self-centered spirit is a Christian who isn't a gospel partner. He isn't involved in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. By contrast, a Christian who is showing out the gospel of Jesus Christ will shine like a star in the darkness of space (v. 15). He will be a point of light shining out the life-giving message of the gospel in the cold, dark, lifeless expanse of the universe. 

We are all to be like that, says Paul. Throughout this week, we are to shine the light of Jesus Christ in the darkness as we "hold forth the word of life."

Are you actively involved in the daily gospel workout? I hope so. Don't miss the joy of the Christian life! 

When It Comes to Weight Loss, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Weight loss can be a tricky business. We all know that the vast majority of people who are on a diet fail in the end to lose fat. The fact is, weight loss isn't linear. There are times when your weight doesn't budge, when you "plateau." Indeed, every day you'll see some variation. Weight goes down and then goes up again, then down again. The key is the overall direction. 

Here is my weight over the past 5 Sundays:

You'll recall that I began my fat loss journey a couple of months ago when I weighed in at 240 pounds. That's not obese, but it's still significantly overweight. My goal was to lose this weight gradually at a pace of about 2 pounds per week. Thus far, the Lord has blessed me with success. Now, how much of this weight loss is actually fat loss? Not all of it for sure. Some is water loss. Some is glycogen loss. Some (preferably not too much) is muscle loss. But if you focus on slow, gradual weight loss while also lifting weights and performing low stress cardio like walking, hopefully you'll lose mostly fat while preserving or even building muscle.

Remember, the weight scale doesn't reveal all. You need to look at other measures of progress as well. One thing I do is to take weekly pictures to keep track of my progress. 

Another thing I do is the "clothes test." It's gotten to the point where my jeans simply fall off my hips when I try to wear them. That said, my lower waist measurements haven't budged very much in all these weeks. But there's an explanation for that. In our fat cells there are 2 kinds of receptors called the alpha and beta receptors. The alpha receptors tell your body to store fat rather than burn it. The beta receptors encourage your body to burn off those nasty fat cells. Males have the highest number of alpha cells within our bellies and love handles. That's why the last place we often lose fat is in those places. The key is staying consistent and believing in the process. Plateaus are completely normal and are to be expected.

Remember: it takes years to get out of shape. Don't expect to undo it in weeks or even months. It's a marathon, people. Slow and steady wins the race. If you're in a caloric deficit, do regular weight training, get enough sleep at night, watch your nutrition, and get in your daily steps (try for at least 6,000-8,000), you will reach your goals if you just stay with it. 

Below: At the gym this afternoon getting in my steps. 

Coming tomorrow: How's Your "Daily Gospel Workout"? 

"I Don't Have the Time"

If you don't have time for Bible reading, you haven't made the time. 

If you don't have time for prayer, you haven't made the time. 

If you don't have time for exercise, you haven't made the time. 

If you don't have time for getting an A in your classes, you haven't made the time. 

If you don't have time for answering your emails promptly, you haven't made the time. 

If you don't have time for getting outdoors and enjoying God's magnificent creation, you haven't made the time. 

It's as simple as that. 

Lasting Lessons from Philippians 2

Good Sunday morning everyone. This week in our Greek class we'll be finishing up chapter 2 of that magnificent letter. I am impressed with the many lingering lessons found in this chapter. Hence I put together this essay. I hope you find it a blessing.

Have a great Lord's Day!

I LOVE What I Do!

Right now I am seriously high on life. (I have just taken a shower after going to the gym, being out on a run, and working in the yard.) It felt SO GOOD to get back to the High Bridge Trail. 

I can truthfully say that running is the best thing I know of. It makes me joyful and has raised my confidence level through the roof. Now when I see myself in front of a mirror I have to smile when looking at myself. I am fit!

Why do I love running?

• It makes me tired and drained but in the best way (I did 6 miles today).
• It helps challenge me.
• It helps digestion.
• It gives me a tan.
• It puts me to bed at night with a good tired.
• It gives me time to listen to audiobooks or Youtube talks.
• It allows me to think my thoughts.
• Seeing the sky.
• Stress relief.
• Feeling like I have done something good for my body.
• Improved fitness level.
• Endorphins.
• It gives me a complete disconnect from the (always) connected world.
• I LOVE how I feel after -- sweaty! 
• I breath better.
• I sleep better.
• I feel more grateful for the body God has given me.
• The mental health benefits.
• Moving my legs.
• I feel a sense of accomplishment after almost every run.
• The community. Runners are such nice people! 

I also love going to the gym. Sure, I lift because I want to become stronger in view of this summer's climb. But the act of lifting itself is SO enjoyable! It makes me happy because I am getting stronger. My body feels younger than it should. I feel super blessed that I get to do this.

I write all this simply for what it's worth. Everyone is different, and the key to exercise is finding what works for you. But in order to do that you have to try new things. Also, it take time to fall into a groove. One thing I have definitely realized is that fitness takes patience. It takes patience to build up your muscles and endurance. It takes time to recover from your activities. It takes time to train for hard things. But one thing is guaranteed. If you put in the time and listen to and respect your God-given body, great things can happen. 

Have a wonderful evening! 

Now Are the Olympic Games

The ancient Greeks spent an hour every day in the palaestra -- their school for athletes. Here they sought to train and perfect their bodies. They saw the human as a whole -- body, mind, soul. 

Bill Bradley of the Knicks, in speaking of his months of pre-season training, said, "I didn't buy the argument that I was going to lose because I wasn't working hard enough. I might lose because I wasn't fast enough. I might lose because I wasn't tall enough. But I wasn't going to lose because I wasn't ready." 

For me, the purpose of training has a very specific goal -- to literally climb a mountain. Whether I can accomplish that goal is yet to be determined. My only role is to prepare for that challenge. 

For the ancient Greeks, the race was called the agon. They knew that, in life, there was a race to be won. But there was also a defeat to be risked. How well I know that. In August, my real opponent will not be the terrain or the elevation or the steepness of the mountain. My opponent will be me -- the real me who is willing to settle for a good try. 

But try I will. The philosopher Epictetus put it well: "If anything laborious or pleasant, glorious or inglorious, be presented to you, remember that now is the contest, now are the Olympic Games, and they cannot be deferred." 

There will never be a day when men and women won't need dedication, discipline, and the sense that chasing down a goal is an essential part of life. 

What Progress in the Gym Looks Like

Having been lifting now for 3 years, I have two general conclusions. I'd say to begin with that trying does work. Even a little effort in the gym can go a long ways. I tried to do my first unassisted pull up in February of 2022. I failed miserably. It wasn't until April 22, 2024 -- when this video was taken -- that I was able to do a single pull up without any helps. 

Thus, it took me over 2 entire years to arrive at my goal, made possible in part by doing countless sets of band-assisted pull ups. 

Currently I'm able to easily do a number of reps with proper form, as during today's workout. 

The second thing I've learned that I wanted to pass on to you in this. Some things take a long time because they should take a long time. If you are of the mindset that you can join the gym and get massive then I'd say that this mentality would probably make you less likely to remain consistent in your training and maintain it. You don't become a guy who can easily read his Greek New Testament overnight. It takes years to learn that craft. Parents and spouses don't become great without years of growth and effort. Growing in Christ is a very gradual process. You get the point. 

To summarize: 

Trying works (eventually). 

Good things require patience. 

For something to grow, often something else has to die first. In order for the sun to rise, it first has to set. In the case of weight training, it's often our impatience that has to die before we begin to see genuine gains. Picture yourself as a diamond in the rough and God as a master jeweler at work shaping, cutting, filing, grinding, buffing, and polishing until every facet of our lives displays his handiwork. For that to happen, a lot of course material in the diamond has to be cut away first. The good news is that God is a gentle craftsman. He works slowly and deliberately. His strokes are small and precise. He is in no hurry. 

Neither should we be. 

Interesting Fact about the Biceps Muscle

Fun fact: The term biceps brachii comes from a Latin phrase meaning "two-headed muscle of the arm."  The word muscle itself comes from the Latin word for "little mouse" (musculus) because it was thought that the flexed biceps resembled the back of a mouse. 

Humans use their biceps muscles for everything from lifting to throwing to grabbing to climbing. For my upcoming climb, well-developed biceps will be crucial. Success in upper-body endeavors is impossible without them. The top biceps exercise is probably the biceps curl, but pull ups also strengthen the biceps as well as the back and shoulders. 

This is one reason why my fitness routine has both biceps curls and pull ups. Sorta like Yin and Yang, light and dark, or Netflix and Hulu (?). 

Have a wonderful day! 

A Birthday Tradition

Today the birthday boy was treated to Mexican food ...

... and to a very special dessert applied directly to ... well, you'll see.

We love this tradition! 

Happy Birthday :-)

42 years ago today, Becky and I welcomed our first-born into the world. Wow, what a day that was! He was so tiny. Who could have ever imagined that decades later he and his wife would bless me with 7 grandsons! 

Nathan, may God bless you with the heart of a David, the courage of a Daniel, and the wisdom of a Solomon. I love you. 

Giving the Lord a Standing Ovation

Lord willing, exactly 15 weeks from today I leave for Hawaii. 5 weeks later I'm scheduled to fly to Switzerland. I love being active, and I hope always to be able to maintain that. I simply love the feeling of moving, as I did during today's workout. 

That workout included walking 6 miles. 

I love being fit, healthy, and lean and using the body that God gave me in the way it's meant to be used. I know one day all this will come to an end for me, as it will for all of us. Eventually you'll look back and think, "That was a beautiful thing, this thing called life. I'm glad God allowed me to do it." You also realize that although we're ultimately responsible for our own lives, we owe so much to others for their support in allowing us to do what we do. Other than the Lord, I owe the greatest debt to my wife Becky, who for 37 years was the wind beneath my wings. 

When I look back over these 12 years she's been gone, I see grace revealed and experienced, made abundantly evident by the forces that have shaped my (really, our) story. I so wish she could be here to share life with me. I know she'd be my greatest cheerleader. Words will never be able to express what she meant to me. 

"The edges of God are tragedy," wrote Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki. "The depths of God are joy, beauty, resurrection, life. Resurrection answers crucifixion; life answers death." And Jesus is at the center of it all. He leads us through the dark valley. Then light gradually dawns again in our hearts. Somehow we find reason to keep going and to continue believing. You end up living with greater depth and deeper joy than you had before, even in your sorrow. Your loss has joined brokenness and wholeness together, and in Christ you find a source of peace you could never find in yourself. He wipes away your tears and heals your broken heart. And you realize that whatever joys and pleasures you experience on this earth, you can't wait for him to welcome you into the joy and pleasure of heaven, which is our true destination, however wonderful life here on earth seems to be. 

In the meantime, on the roads and in the gyms and on the mountains and in the waves, I give the Creator a standing ovation. 

My Rendering of Phil. 2:12-18

So then, my dearest friends, just as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it's even more important that you obey me now while I'm away from you. Do this by working to complete your salvation -- the harmony and health of your congregation -- with utter seriousness. For God himself is the one who is energetically at work among you giving you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases and delights him.

Make it your constant practice to do all things -- no exceptions! -- without grumbling and arguing. Then you will truly be God's children -- blameless, flawless, faultless -- living in a world of morally warped and spiritually perverted people, among whom you shine like stars in the universe as you offer them the life-giving message of the gospel. Do this so that I can have good reason to be proud of you on the Day when Jesus will scrutinize my life. You'll be living proof that I have neither run the race in vain nor did my work and spend my energy in vain.

Yet even if I'm being poured out as an offering as part of the sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way, you should also rejoice and share your joy with me. 

Alpha and O in Rev. 1:8

My Bible time yesterday found me in Rev. 1. In verse 8 we read, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." God is the Alpha and the Omega, meaning he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Interestingly, the Hebrew reads "I am the Aleph and the Tav." 

These, of course, are the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which makes perfectly good sense. The English equivalent would be, "I am the A and the Z." 

Now, when we look at the Greek here, we see something very interesting. The Greek reads (basically), "I am the Alpha and the O." In other words, the letter Omega is not spelled out. To make things even more interesting, in some Greek editions (including the Textus Receptus), the Greek says "I am the A and the O." Here neither the Alpha nor the Omega are spelled out. This may well explain why Luther rendered this verse, "Ich bin das A and das O," without spelling out the two letters in view. This idiom is still found in German in such expressions as:

Gerade bei Allergien ist Sauberkeit im Haushalt das A und O.

Especially with allergies, cleanliness in the home is the Alpha and Omega. 

"The Alpha and the Omega" here means, "essential." 

Oddly enough, when John Wycliffe published his English version of the Bible, this is how he rendered Rev. 1:8:

"I am Alpha and oo." It's anyone's guess why subsequent English versions didn't follow this rendering. I think it makes perfectly good sense! 

You say, "Dave, does any of this matter?" Probably not. This is just how my mind works! 😅

Translating Polycarp's "Philippians" in Our Philippians Class!

You'll never guess what we'll be translating in today's Philippians class. Well duh -- Philippians of course! But not only the one found in the Bible. There's another "Philippians" and it was written by a church father named Polycarp. It dates to the first half of the second century, which is very early! 

What insights will Polycarp's "Philippians" hold for our study of Paul's letter to the same church? Drum roll please ...

Conquering a Complaining Spirit (Phil. 2:14)

In Greek class today, we'll be looking at one of the most challenging commands Paul ever gave to one of his congregations. It's Phil. 2:14. I've translated it as follows:

Make it your constant practice to do all things -- no exceptions! -- without grumbling or arguing.

If that doesn't get your attention! 

Charles Krauthammer, that famous journalist, was also an author. The last book he wrote is called The Point of It All. It was his final work before his death at the age of 68. Much like Joni Eareckson-Tada, Krauthammer had suffered a paralysis from an accident in his youth. But he was determined, though he was a young man at the time, that the experience would not stop him in his tracks and turn him into a pitiful piece of humanity. On the contrary, he would take life by the horns, and indeed he did. 

His son, Daniel Krauthammer, wrote his father's eulogy at the end of the book. 

It's a beautiful piece. Here are his words as he remembered the life of his father:

Don't be defined by what life throws at you and you cannot control. Accept the hand you are dealt, with grace. And then go on to play that hand as joyously and industriously and vigorously as you can.

What magnificent words. 

There's no reason a trial in our lives should ever go to waste. The Philippians, beset by persecution without and quarrelling within, needed to learn that lesson. 

When you and I face the trials of life, rather than grousing about them and complaining about them and thereby making other people miserable because of  our trial, we can learn to endure it and go through it with a sense of satisfaction and peace that God is at work. When we handle trials God's way rather in the flesh, we realize that our character is being cultivated.

One day, long after I'm gone, how will my children and grandchildren remember me? Will they think of me as a bitter old man who grumbled and complained about what he was called upon to endure in life? Or will they remember me as someone who gladly accepted the hand he was dealt and who played that hand with all the passion and enthusiasm he could muster?

Father, may it be the latter, I pray. 

No Need to Make Working Out Complicated

Everyone overcomplicates muscle building. There may be a million methods, but the principles are few. I am a firm believer in:

• 3 hard full body workouts per week
• with 6 days of getting in 10,000 steps
• and 1 day for rest and recovery. 

That's basically it. 

Thanks for reading! 

The Gospel and the Spread of Greek

Under the sovereign hand of God, Alexander the Great conquered a large swath of the then-known world. 

When he did so, he brought about the one world of Hellenistic speech and thought that made the spread of the gospel possible to many regions of the world. Think about it. Had Alexander not gone east, Paul and the gospel could not have gone west. 

Not to mention the fact that I would never have become a Greek teacher! 

Maximum Effort

From today's gym session:

You can only grow if you lift HARD. 

Not necessarily with heavy weights. 

Just with maximum effort. 

Go hard or go home. 

My Fat Loss Journey: The Value of Walking

Hey folks.

I've been dragging taking you along on my weightloss journey which I'm super fired up about but honestly, I almost can't be bothered with it because truth be told, it hasn't really been that big of a deal. I've pretty much described to you how this has been the easiest diet I've ever done, and that hasn't changed in the past 3 months or so. I've simply kept on eating in a calorie deficit. My appetite never really had to suffer throughout the whole process all that much. The end result is that I'm just sitting here reflecting that I'm well over half way to my goal and the fact is, it really doesn't have to be that big of a deal. With the right outlook and a solid structure with a simple plan that you can follow, I think anybody can do this. 

There wasn't anything specific in my life that happened that made me want to lose body fat other than waking up one day and saying I wanted to be more healthy. I've never been morbidly obese but I did get to the point where I said this is a problem. So I started to lift weights and to walk 5-6 miles a day at about an average pace. I started to notice that I was losing weight and I was beginning to see my abs. As you begin this process, I'd say your diet is the most important thing, but as your body fat percentage starts to get lower, exercise is actually required to continue burning fat. If you don't exercise, what's going to happen is that you're going to end up becoming skinny fat, which means your body fat percentage is still going to be high but you're going to have less muscle and more fat. So for me, the perfect thing that worked was proper diet and exercise, and, in fact, this has been the most positive thing that has happened to me in a very long time. I have really begun to take care of myself and I'm blessed to say that my health and quality of life have improved significantly. I'm probably in the best shape I've been in since high school. I am so incredibly grateful to have begun this journey at my age and stage in life. I'm the type of person that really goes all in. If I've made up my mind that this is what I'm going to do, then I don't slowly put my toe into the pool and see how cold it is. I do a backflip cannonball into the deepest end of the pool without even being sure I can swim. 

This is sort of what's happened with my exercise. I started eating intentionally, working out at the gym 3 days a week, and getting in my daily steps. As I began walking every day I started noticing that I was losing weight more rapidly and was feeling better. I actually got to the point where I looked forward to these walks, which is crazy because I've always prefered running to walking. 

So if you're looking to optimize your health and fitness, then ideally you should be getting in at least a couple of sessions of walking during the week. That said, always remember that fat loss still ultimately comes down to calories in versus calories out in the overall picture of things. If your diet isn't on point and you're not in a net calorie deficit, you're still not going to lose body fat when it all comes down to it. You diet should always be front and center in your thinking, though eventually you'll want to add walking into the mixture to maximize things even further. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

A Milestone for Which I Am VERY Grateful

When Becky was diagnosed with an aggressive form of endometrial cancer back in August of 2009, I was recovering from a bout of malaria that I had picked up in Ethiopia. I was in the hospital for a week. I ate nothing. I sipped fruit juice. Even morphine couldn't relieve the pain. 

During my stay at UNC, I lost 23 pounds in a single week. It's a weight loss plan I wouldn't recommend to anybody. Thankfully I was treated aggressively and the disease has never returned. 

This week I experienced a milestone for which I am uber-grateful. For the first time since my bout with malaria in 2009, my weight has dropped below 220. 

219 pounds. Down from 240. 

With God's help, I'm well on my way to getting down to 205 pounds before I attempt to summit the Riffelhorn with my guide in August. 

There are no secrets or magic formulas. Train hard, but avoid overtraining. Be sure to recover between every single workout. Eat wisely, get 8-10 hours of sleep every night, get your daily steps in, and stay hydrated. It's really not hard.

I'm super grateful for all of you guys and the support you've given me on my journey back to the Alps so far. I'm excited for what the future holds. 

Fitness is one of the best investments you can ever make. 

The Absolute Joy of Preaching and Teaching (2 Tim. 4:2)

There are 5 Greek imperatives (all in the aorist tense) that Paul uses in 2 Tim. 4:2.

On the one hand, Timothy is to preach the word. Do this "in season and out of season," Paul adds. A preacher is a "herald," someone who receives a message from the king and then enters the public square to make it known officially. As such, Timothy is to announce and proclaim the gospel. Or, as Paul puts it in verse 5, he is to "do the work of an evangelist." Then Paul instructs Timothy to reprove, rebuke, and exhort "with all patience and teaching." As a teacher, Timothy's task is to carefully and patiently impart instruction in things pertaining to the faith. 

I love that balance!

Evangelism is bringing people to Christ. Teaching is nurturing people in Christ. Conversion is the name we give to the start of the Christian life. Discipleship is the name we give to its continuation. 

Christian initiation is a "new birth." Without this act of regeneration, imparted by God, we simply cannot begin our daily walk with God. This is the problem we frequently meet in churches. There are people involved in our churches who have never bowed their knee to Jesus Christ and asked him to give them the new birth. However, this new birth is absolutely essential if there is to be any subsequent life. I have no hesitation in regarding the new birth as the main ingredient in my own spiritual growth. Afterwards came the nurturing as I was taught by godly men and women how to engage in personal evangelism, how to do inductive Bible study, how to give a talk about the Bible with a clear structure, appropriate illustrations, and effective applications, and so forth.

Reflect for a moment on those who did the same for you. When, as a preacher of the gospel, I have shared Christ with the lost, I have done so with tremendous gratitude for the pastor who led me to Christ in 1960. Many years later, when I began my teaching career at Biola, the teachers I had the privilege of sitting under provided excellent nurture for this fledgling Greek professor. Most of them have had far greater gifts than me when it comes both to evangelistic preaching and to exegetical teaching. Without their influence and example, there would have been no possibility for me to have been nurtured into Christian maturity.

Today my heart is profoundly grateful for all those who have gone before me and have modeled for me ways to engage in preaching to the lost and edifying believers. As we make ourselves available to Christ, he pours himself into our lives and then through us reaches others with the gospel. 

With God's help, I plan to continue to throw myself into this work with love, prayer, and vision. 

Preaching the Good News in an Ethiopian village. 

Exegeting Matthew's Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). 

Below: The joy of the classroom. 

(Video courtesy of Thomas Hudgins.) 

Unchaining the Bible

Who else can clearly remember when you learned that there was a time when the Bible was chained to a pulpit and only the clergy could handle it? 

The Scriptures were only in Latin, and it was against the law for the Bible to be translated into the language of the common people. 

It's so easy to take it for granted that today we have free access to the Bible -- in many excellent translations. The day that you get into the Scriptures on your own will be the day your life will begin to change for the better. 

Biblical Illiteracy

According to the Barna Group, over 50 percent of U.S. church goers have never heard of the Great Commission.

It's okay to be ignorant. It's not okay to stay ignorant. 

Dieting Myth

Before you laugh at people who think the moon landing was fake, remember that some of you think that it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a calorie deficit. 

Faith, Love, and Hope (1 Thess. 1:3)

Just a few thoughts on Paul's earliest triad in 1 Thess. 1:3. 

Isn't it beautiful? 

Every Christian is a believer, a lover, and a hoper. We are drawn upward toward God, outward toward others, and forward toward the Parousia. Faith looks to the past, love works in the present, hope looks to the future. Furthermore, 

• Faith works. It always leads to Spirit-produced good deeds.
• Love labors. It always leads us to labor to the point of weariness for others.
• Hope endures. It always produces steadfast endurance as we wait for the Lord's return. 

Little wonder Calvin called this verse "a brief definition of true Christianity."

Have a lovely day! 

Daily Habits

What do you do each and every day? For me, this includes at least two things.

First of all, like many of you, I spend time in God's word on a daily basis. 

I cannot even begin to describe the sheer delight within me, knowing that my love for God would be enlarged and deepened, my intellect would be stretched, and my hunger for a deeper understanding of truth would begin to be satisfied simply by reading and meditating upon God's word. This morning I was led to do a deep dive into Phil. 2:12-13. 

Even though I've taught Philippians many times, I've begun to realize just how amazing these wonderful verses are. For what it's worth, here's my expanded translation:

So then, my dearest friends, just as you've always obeyed me when I was with you, it's even more important that you obey me now while I'm away from you. Do this by continuing to work out to completion the health and wholeness of your congregation with utter seriousness. For it is God himself who is the one who is energetically at work among you by creating in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases and delights him. 

As we get fitter, better, and stronger in our Bible study, we'll also want to maintain or even improve our physical health if we can. 

And so I also exercise on a daily basis, with today being a gym day. This included training with weights as well as using equipment like the pull up bars. 

It also allowed me the opportunity to get in 12,000 steps on one of the gym's treadmills. 

Well, just some thoughts about my daily habits. There might be more I should add, but the outdoors beckons. 

Hope you have a wonderful day!