Grief Is a Statement

Hey guys. As I said yesterday, I had a wonderful time in Lynchburg the past couple of days. But there was one time when I really struggled. Yesterday I was asked to give my slideshow on the ministry God gave Becky and me in Ethiopia over the years. To be honest, several times I had to fight back the tears during the presentation. On the one hand, no one is happier than I am that Becky is now in the presence of the Lord she served so faithfully for all those years. I can only imagine the perfect bliss she's experiencing with him. In fact, I can't imagine it at all. It's literally unfathomable. On the other hand, even though Becky has been gone now for 11 years, me talking about our life together seems to only increase the pain of separation. That pain is called grief -- the long walk through the valley of shadows. Having a loving, supportive family helps, but grief is still very hard work. It's heavy. It weighs us down. And it can last far longer than we want. But grief is also a great teacher. I am a different man because of my grief. My walk with the Lord is also different -- even deeper -- like it was with Job.

If you've ever read my "About Me" page, you'll know that I call myself a broken man. That is no exaggeration. Becky's loss began a journey that moved across unknown (and unwanted) terrain that included many mountains and valleys. Each step is like a crawl, a one-step-at-a-time process. And you're not always sure when the journey will end or where you're going to end up. I've found it helpful to deal with a little bit of grief at a time. Grief is slow, and you can't rush it. But grief is a natural, normal, and expected reaction to loss. It has to be validated and accepted or you'll never get over it.

"Grief," said Barbara Bumgartner, "is a statement -- a statement that you loved someone." You will never again be a completely whole person. But God will eventually take your emptiness and fill it in a manner beyond your wildest dreams. 

The Bible Is God's Word. Read It. Believe It. Live It.

The biblical studies faculty at Liberty University knows no peers. They know their craft and know it well. They are devoted to their mission. Most of all they put up with this writer. I have been friends with many of them for over 20 years. I'm even more grateful for them today than I was when I first met them. Each of their classes that I spoke in yesterday and today bore their adept touch. 

Thanks, Jill and Thomas, for inviting me to address these amazing students. 

Thanks for allowing me to challenge them toward greater Christlikeness. 

And thanks, most of all, for being my friends. I just spent two days laughing, listening, learning, and loving. Tomorrow, if it comes, may I do so again. 

My message was simple. Cling to Christ. Abide in him. He is worthy of our all. 

Give Satan no quarter. Give his lies no welcome. Don't allow false assumptions about anything to take up any space in your mind. Focus on the word of God, nothing more. When you a hold a Bible in your hand, you are holding the treasure of the ages. 

And remember: No life is irredeemable. No one is unloved or unlovable. You are in the Lord's service. So carry the gospel everywhere. Place yourself entirely in his care. As he promised, "I am with you each and every day." 

So lift up your eyes. Dare to believe that good things will happen. Dare to believe that "in everything God works the good for those who love him." Rather than rehearse your problems, rejoice in the Lord's sovereignty, as Paul did. Go ahead. Stand up for those you love. And, yes, "pray for those who hurt you" (Matt. 5:44). Present them to the Giver of grace.

Not many can read the Bible in the original languages. But because many of our predecessors paid so great a price, you can read it in your own language. So read it. Believe it. Live by it. It is God's revealed and inspired word to you.

What a Well from Which to Drink!

On the fireplace mantel in my library stands a picture of the great New Testament scholar A. T. Robertson. 

He was perhaps the leading Greek scholar of his day. A week before he died of a stroke, he told his Greek class, "For over 50 years I have been studying, writing, teaching, and preaching the New Testament. But I never read my Greek New Testament without finding something I never saw before."

I could not hold the light for him to read his Greek New Testament. But after 48 years of teaching Greek, I can say the same thing. 

The Bible is an inexhaustible spring that never runs dry. Have you not found it so? 

The One Who Hears Your Prayers

Here's my grandson hugging his great-grandmother. 

If a child can't mis-hug, a believer cannot mis-pray. Prayer doesn't depend on having the "right words." It depends on the One who hears our prayers. Just as Grandmama B took Chesley into her arms, the Father is waiting for you to come to him. If all you can muster is "Daddy," no further words will be necessary. 

AI Won't Have the Last Word

Jesus Christ has unimpeachable authority. He also has unspeakable beauty. "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name" (Phil. 2:9).

We pondered these deep thoughts in Greek class today as we relaxed in the calm waters of Phil. 2:1-11. Paul understood the dynamic of music. The hymn he composed in Phil. 2:5-11 has heaven's signature and throws open the door of welcome. Mark it down: AI won't have the last word. Jesus will. 

Listen and be blessed. 

A. T. Robertson's "Big" Grammar

Whenever I have a question about Greek grammar, here's a book I turn to:

It's like a warm blanket on a cold day. 

Thank you, Professor Robertson! 

Consistency

Consistency at the gym has gotten me WAAAAYYY farther than trying to find the perfect training program or diet. When I took a step back and was like, "I'll just train movements I like and eat generally healthy," and doing both consistently, before I realized it my body was growing stronger while the fat began to trim away. It did take a few years which can be quite discouraging, but time is going to go by anyway so you can either do nothing with it or you can stick with the basics and get your body in shape while the clock ticks on. 

Choice is ours really. 

I Love Hebrew

I confess that I'm a card-carrying member of the HWA -- Hebrew Wimps Anonymous club. For some people who've studied Hebrew, opening their Hebrew Bible is as natural as breathing. Others of us haven't opened a Hebrew Bible in years. How important is Hebrew to you (assuming you've had at least one year of Hebrew in school)?

Very little -- I rarely, if ever, read the Hebrew text.

Some -- I sporadically read my Hebrew.

Often -- I read the Hebrew every day.

Very often -- I am a Hebrew fanatic.

Shouldn't we use what we once worked so hard to acquire? If we would take the time to at least consult the Hebrew, God will give us plenty of blessings to take with us. 

I mention all this because this Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be back at Liberty University's Rawlins School of Divinity to speak in several classes. One of them is called "Advanced Exegesis of Esther." No one is probably more unqualified to speak in a class on Esther than me. I can't even pronounce Ahasuerus. Hebrew? I'm no expert. But I love Hebrew -- and I do read it almost every day. One of the topics in that lecture will be "How Hebrew Helps Me Better Understand My Greek New Testament." Semitic constructions are on every page of the New Testament. When you think about it, that was practically inevitable considering that the New Testament authors (save one) were all Jews. When you begin to read your Greek New Testament, it isn't very long before these "Semitisms" leap out of the forest, bare their fangs, and gobble you up if you don't understand that you're really reading Hebrew in Greek clothing. Without exception, reading Hebrew (including my Hebrew New Testament) has become more and more sweet to me as the years roll along. This much is sure: It's not God's will for us to be sloppy, lazy readers of his word. I have no inclination to believe that God loves Hebrew and Greek more than he loves, say, English, but I do believe that he loved his children so much that he gave us his words in languages we can learn and read.

What if reading Hebrew became a way of life? That would make me very happy as a Greek teacher. 

Lord, every good and perfect gift is from above. Grant me the wisdom to remember that you are the source of Scripture. Help me to remember that Hebrew and Greek are a safeguard that can help me to avoid reading into your word what your Holy Spirit never put there in the first pace. Likewise, Lord, make my tongue and pen a tree of life for others. Even in my talks this week.

In your precious name, amen. 

How to Get a Stronger Back with Pull Ups

A strong, aesthetic back is a goal of everyone who lifts. But how to achieve it? I'm convinced that there is one exercise above all others that can help you get that back you're after. And that's the pull up. That's why I now do pull ups in every one of my workouts. Pull ups target your entire back -- the traps, the rear delts, the lats, and of course your biceps. By working all of these different muscle groups, pull ups are ideal for back development. Of course, pull ups are the hardest exercise I've ever learned how to perform. That's because you're pulling the entire weight of your body up against gravity. And you're having to recruit all of the muscles I've mentioned in order to do that. So by doing pull ups (rather than just pull downs) you're maximizing the time under tension that your back is experiencing. 

I've started doing pull ups at the start of every workout because they require the most amount of effort and you're going to maximize mechanical tension. Of course, even if you can't do a bodyweight pull up yet, that doesn't mean you shouldn't incorporate pull ups into your workout routine. As I have said on numerous occasions, there's no shame whatsoever in using bands to assist you while doing your pull ups. Then it's just a matter of time before you're able to progress to the point where you're doing pull ups without any assistance. That's exactly what happened to me. Don't rush, try to control the movement, and really feel the muscles working. It's a blast! 

Have a wonderful evening my friend!

Welcome, Little One!