Ah, Switzerland

If I say "Switzerland," what comes to your mind? 

For my answer (and a tale about the summit in the alps that almost didn't happen last summer), go here.  

God Still Controls the Water

A look at our local lake due to severe drought conditions. 

It's sad to see people's docks on the land and there's still plenty of summer left. I don't recall ever seeing it quite like this. However this drought breaks, it will one day. It looks like we will see a return to rain as early as tomorrow morning and on through the weekend. 

It's starting to feel like we're finally going to get past this drought. Knees down and chins up. Our God still controls the water!

Remember to Rest

Here's a lovely Hawaiian word you may have never heard before. It's ho'omaha. It means to rest or take a break. My summer trips to Hawaii are not only for surfing. My visits are reminders that slowing down is not wasted time. Every morning greets you with a gentle breeze. Every sunset asks you to pause. Ho'omaha is a reminder that you don't always have to be in a hurry. It may mean a warm memory of your growing up years. It may be a peaceful morning brew at Zippy's. It may be the sand between your toes.

These small pauses can help travelers return to the mainland with a refreshed and more grateful heart. Your ho'omaha may not be Hawaii. But wherever it is, may it help your heart feel rested, my friend. 

God Knows

Remember, when you feel overwhelmed, God knows what he's doing. He knows both the depth and the length of your trials. If we begin each day with an acknowledgement of our dependence upon him, and our intention to glorify him, he will certainly help us. 

I'm Blown "Away" by Heb. 12:1-2!

Here's a nice little feature in Heb. 12:1-2. We are to "strip away" what's slowing us down and "look away" to Jesus. "Strip away" is clear enough. But the idea of looking "away" to Jesus gets lost in the shuffle. 

The Greek term means more than merely "looking." It carries the idea of looking away from all other things and people who are distractions and who might keep us from focusing our full attention on the Lord. Wuest writes that the term means "to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something or someone." The idea is to allow Jesus to come into full focus. We might use the word "concentration." Concentration is a powerful state of focus. A number of examples come to mind:

• studying for a final exam.
• practicing scales as a musician.
• concentrating on the ball while dribbling during a basketball game.
• silencing notifications on your iphone.
• closing out apps on your computer that aren't essential.
• asking those around you not to distract you for a period of time.

We're talking here about an intentionally selective gaze. This involves (1) turning one's eyes away from competing sights, and (2) fastening attention on a single object. Hence my paraphrase of Heb. 12:1-2:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip AWAY every weight that is slowing us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and let us keep on running with endurance the particular race God has set before each and every one of us. We do this by looking AWAY from all that distracts us and focusing our full attention on Jesus, the Pacesetter and Perfecter of faith. 

I love how one German translation renders the idea of looking away: "Dabei wollen wir nicht nach links oder rechts schauen, sondern allein auf Jesus." As Corrie ten Boom once said, "Look inside and be depressed. Look outside and be distressed. Look to him and be at rest." 

Thank you, Corrie! Great advice! 

Sunrise Run at Kailua Beach

It's a long flight from DFW to Honolulu. After hours in the air, this is the view you get to enjoy the next morning.

Lord willing, 13 days and counting. 

The Bane of Undertranslation (Phil. 4:9)

Here's a construction Paul uses in Phil. 4:9. 

The "these things" (tauta) refers to all the truths the Philippians had learned from Paul. Now they are to prassete them -- live them out by constantly putting them into practice. 

The verb prassō occurs 39 times in the New Testament. Paul uses it 17 times, usually in contexts dealing with practicing things that are in accordance with God's will. Previously in Philippians, Paul used two other verbs with the same basic meaning:

"Live" (1:27).

"Walk" (3:17-18).

Such living, walking, or practicing is the necessary balance to the "thinking" the Philippians are to do. Right thinking should always lead to right practicing. It does absolutely no good, for example, to take Greek in seminary and then never use it in your personal walk with the Lord or in your sermon preparation. Living faithfully before God always involves ethics. It is one thing to know Greek, but it is another thing to allow the language to flow out through your life. And this outflowing must be constant.

In Phil. 4:9, I think this point is missed in the CSB ("do"), ESV ("practice"), and the GNT ("put into practice"). The verbal aspect of the imperative prassete is clear: this is something we have to keep on doing. Hence the ISV's "keep practicing" (cf. "keep putting into practice" in the LB and NLT). The idea of "keep on doing this" is not foreign to the Greek. Quite the contrary. It is part and parcel of the verb. So to undertranslate it does no one any good at all.

Sharing the Burden of Grief

It's not unusual for me to get touching emails from my blog readers. Interestingly enough, many come from widowers who felt the need to write and tell me that a certain blog post ministered to them in a special way. The other day I received one such email. These emails are far too personal for me to publish here, and I will never do so. Suffice it to say, most of them express profound grief and loneliness after the passing of their wife. This one was no exception. It broke my heart.

The absence of a spouse can lead to overwhelming feelings of sadness. We all seek to ask the same questions: Lord, why this? Why me? Why now? The fact is, more often than not we'll never know. We'll never understand why God didn't heal or bring relief. His judgments are inscrutable, and his ways unfathomable.

In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul says there's something remarkable about people who go through the same pain you're experiencing. He states that God uses what we go through to comfort others who are going through it now. Who better to comfort a widower than someone who's lost his wife? Who better to comfort the one who lost a child than someone who's lost a child? Who better to understand a debilitating illness than someone who has gone through the same thing?

The man who wrote me lives across the seas in a home I will never visit. This has zero effect on the bond we share. Shared suffering acts as a kind of "glue" that brings together people who experience pain together. Bearing one another's burdens is a biblical way of supporting and caring for our fellow believers in times of need, distress, or weakness. When Paul writes, "Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2), he's calling for believers to actively engage in helping each other by reflecting the love and compassion of Christ. This interconnectedness is essential for the unity of the body of Christ. It calls us to live out our faith through acts of love and mutual support. 

Even if your "burden-bearing" is limited in its extent and shape, you'll never know the impact it has on the lives of your fellow sufferers. So keep sharing the load. Keep being transparent with your grief. You do not travel this road alone. 

Who's Your Favorite Author?

My son-in-law and one of my grandsons are currently in London on a mission trip. Seems my grandson loves to read, so I told him if he ever got the chance, he needs to visit the used bookstores in Piccadilly Circus. I don't know about you, but I've always been able to find a rare book I've been looking for at one of the shops there. 

Hatchards. One of my faves! 

I suppose all of us who love to read have our favorite authors. If you really love a particularly author, chances are good that you have bought most if not all of his or her writings. When you really love an author, you get to love their style. You learn to trust that writer to communicate in a way you can understand and identify with. 

When it comes to the authors of the New Testament, I sort of love them all. But if I had to choose my favorite author, it would have to be the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews features some of the most polished and sophisticated Greek in the New Testament. Unlike any other New Testament writing, it uniquely bridges the gap between a written treatise and a spoken sermon. I love that combination! Some have even called Hebrews a literary masterpiece. The Greek reminds the reader of Classical Greek more than Koine Greek. At the same time, the letter is steeped in the Old Testament. It interprets Jewish history as a "shadow" pointing directly to Jesus, who is shown to be our Great High Priest and the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. 

I have had the great joy of teaching the Greek exegesis of Hebrews about a dozen times in my career, taking about one chapter per week. That's a lot, I know. But students slug through it. I so wish we taught Classical Greek as well as Koine Greek in our seminaries. We did this at Biola back in the day, and oh the difference that made when our students encountered a higher register of Greek in such New Testament books as Luke-Acts, 2 Peter, Jude, and Hebrews. Of course, all these differences are masked in our English versions. That too is unfortunate. If only we worked harder at conveying the stylistic differences between the various writers of the New Testament books! 

Who is your favorite modern author? New Testament author? Old Testament author?

The Blessing of Missions Partners

On our trips to Ethiopia, Becky and I would often take friends with us to share in the work of the ministry there. What a fantastic group they were! Whenever I think of them, I'm reminded of the 3 terms Paul uses to describe Epaphroditus in Phil. 2:19. They are:

• adelphos.
• sunergos.
• sustratiōtēs.

All 3 terms are governed by the pronoun mou, "my." This term speaks of Paul's close and intimate relationship with Epaphroditus, who was a partner with Paul in the ministry.

• "Brother" emphasizes not only that Epaphroditus was a Christian but that he enjoyed a strong brotherly tie with the apostle.
• "Fellow worker" suggests that Epaphroditus was engaged in the same work as Paul, which included evangelism and teaching.
• Finally, "fellow soldier" moves from the world of work to the world of the military. The term implies that Epaphroditus participated with Paul not only in service but in suffering. 

In short, Epaphroditus and Paul:

• Shared the life.
• Shared the work.
• Shared the danger.

Do you have any friends like that? If you do, you are thrice blessed. 

A Teacher's Greatest Virtue

If you want to give your Greek students a Charlie Horse between the ears, ask them to define the word epieikes in Phil. 4:5. This has got to be the hardest word in all of Philippians to render into English. The term combines two words: epi, meaning "on" or "upon," and eikō, meaning "yield." The lexicons say that the term can express any number of ideas, including clemency, gentleness, graciousness, tolerance, indulgence, courtesy, modesty, leniency, reasonableness, magnanimity, kindliness, charitableness, good will, and friendly feelings. It's the opposite of meanness, selfishness, unkindness, malevolence, harshness, severity, and sternness. BDAG suggests "forbearing spirit" as the best translation. I love how the Hawaiian Pidgin version puts it: "Make everybody know dat day no need be scared wen dey talk to you guys, cuz you guys ack gentle wit everybody." My own paraphrase might read, "Let everybody -- believer and unbeliever alike -- see how gracious and considerate you are." 

Gracious and considerate people act with kindness, empathy, and thoughtfulness toward others. They make others feel comfortable and valued. They show gratitude, listen attentively, and remain calm and respectful even in difficult situations. They avoid being hurtful. They remain composed even in stressful times. They use courteous language such as "please" and "thank you." They apologize sincerely when they are wrong. They forgive others instead of holding grudges. 

I think back to Honolulu in the year 1965. It was a city in great need of change. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the Billy Graham Association was led to hold a crusade in the Blaisdell Arena. Yours truly sang every night in the mass choir. I immediately fell in love with Graham's preaching. 

He must have uttered "The Bible says" 30 times during every message he gave. No one could preach like Billy Graham. At the conclusion of his messages, the arena floor would be flooded with people young and old who made their decision for Christ. The city changed. Repentance transformed lives. The crime rate plunged, and renewed lives began to do random acts of kindness toward each other. This wasn't just the "aloha spirit." This was the Holy Spirit.

If you are a teacher like me, please take what I've written to heart. Make being pleasant in the classroom a priority. By having a relaxed, poised, and encouraging demeanor, you will be the kind of teacher students will want to be around. Don't sweat the small stuff. Be willing to meet your students halfway. Be, as William Hendricksen put it, "big-hearted" to everyone you meet. Dr. Harry Sturz, one of my mentors at Biola, was the epitome of pleasantness. 

He was always relaxed and had a gentle demeanor. His comments were always kind and supportive. And even though he was a brilliant scholar, he had no desire to make others feel inferior. He personified epieikes. 

As a new semester begins, try to do that, okay? I'll try to do likewise.

Tracking Down My German Roots

This week or next I hope to make my annual drive up to Gettysburg and Sharpsburg, weather permitting. It's supposed to be considerably cooler this week, and I think the smoke from the Canadian wildfires should have dissipated by then. 

As a reminder, my father was John Leland Black. His mother was Marguerite Black, née Miller. Marguerite Miller married Charles Black on Dec. 15, 1925, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Marguerite had two siblings in her family -- John and Leland. Hence her son's name, John Leland Black. 

Marguerite Miller was born on Aug. 26, 1890, in Virginia City, Montana. Her father was John Hancock Miller, born in 1869 in Ripley, Missouri. His father, also John Hancock Miller, was born on Feb. 20 in Sharpsburg, Maryland. This is my great-great-great grandfather. His farm was located on the Antietam Creek only a few miles from the site of the Battle of Antietam -- the single bloodiest day of the American Civil War, in September of 1862. In fact, David Miller, his brother, lived on the northernmost part of the battlefield. Today his cornfield is called The Cornfield. This is where both armies first clashed on that fateful day.

John Hancock Miller's father was John Miller, who was born on Oct. 13, 1787, in Sharpsburg. He died on Mar. 27, 1883, and is buried in Sharpsburg. I have identified the cemetery and hope to visit his grave on my next trip. 

Finally, John Miller's father David Miller was born on Dec. 5 in Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany. I know very little about David Miller and I am eager to rectify this situation. His birth in Germany confirms something I had long suspected, namely that my forebearers were (at least partly) from Germany and indeed a part of Germany I know fairly well. When I was teaching at the Bibelschule Bergstrasse for 3 months back in the summer of 1978, Becky and I traveled to this part of Germany often. The Rhineland-Pfalz is famous for many things. I'll list just a few:

Its historic landmarks such as the Lorelei Rock on the Rhine.

Its rich history of viticulture (going back 2,000 years).

Its amazing landscapes including the Palatinate Forest (42% of the area is covered by forests).

Its rich cultural history, including cities like Mainz, Trier, Koblenz, and, of course, Worms, made famous by Martin Luther.

Its fairy tale castles like Burg Eltz, which has remained in the same family for over 800 years.

Its famous Speyer Cathedral, one of the largest Romanesque churches in the world and the burial place of numerous Holy Roman emperors.

And, of course, I'm sure you've heard of Gutenberg and his printing press. Mainz is where you will find his museum with showcase Bibles and really ancient printing equipment. 

As a kind of language nerd, I've always been interested in the various dialects of German spoken in that country. 

The dialect of German spoken in Rhineland-Pfalz is called Pfälzisch. It's a variation of the Rhine Franconian dialects. It's famous for its unique vocabulary and pronunciation. 

It uses "Appel" for High German's "Apfel" (apple). 

It uses "fescht" instead of "fest" (firm). 

It uses "des Kind vun de Fra" instead of "das Kind der Frau" (the child of the women). 

It says "em Haus" for "im Hause" (in the house), "Woi" for "Wein" (wine), "Grumbeere" for "Grundbirne" (potato), "Dach!" for "Guten Tag!" (Good day!), "Unn wie?" for "Wie geht's?" (How are you?), and "Hasche aa Hunger" for "Hast du auch Hunger" (Are you hungry too?). 

One of my favorite expressions in Pfälzisch is "Kummgehfort!" instead of "Das ist kaum zu glauben!" (Hard to believe!). 

A "schorle" is a popular German beverage that combines wine with carbonated mineral water. The above dialogue goes like this:

"What does a schorle cost?
"For you only a kiss."
"That's great! I'll take 5 and my grandma will pay!" 

People love genealogical research for any number of reasons. For me, I think it satisfies a deep psychological need for identity. Who am I? What are my roots? What were my forefathers (and mothers) like? Genealogy is a thrilling real-life jigsaw puzzle, allowing people to uncover all kinds of interesting family secrets -- my paternal great-great-great parents actually worshipped in the famous Dunker Church on the Antietam Battlefield! 

Otherwise dry history has become a personal quest. Now I can say, "I'm American, but my family's from Germany," which is something that would be impossible to gather just from looking at me. Is this partly why German is like a second language to me today? I don't know. But it sure is fun asking! 

It goes without saying that if I'm ever back in Germany, I know I will have to try and chase down my German roots. I bet your ancestry is pretty interesting too. 

A Family Curse and a Chilling Mystery

Tonight I started rereading The Hound of the Baskervilles -- Arthur Conan Doyle's magnificent tale that transports the reader to the desolate, fog-drenched fields of Dartmoor. For once, Doctor Watson takes center stage. 

Such wonderful prose! 

Happy Aloha Friday!

Make the Bible Your "Home"

Today was the day to get the board out of mothballs. 

I think I'm maybe fit enough to catch a few waves again. We'll see. 

As I prepare to get back into surfing this summer, I'm reminded of a year that completely changed my life. It was the summer of 1968. I was 16. I can recall it as though it happened yesterday. That was the year I fell in love with the Bible. Not that I didn't love the Bible before that. I had been a child of God since I was 8. And from the beginning I had a Bible that I read often -- an old Scofield King James. But I admit I was a fairly reluctant Bible reader. And I never studied it. I never dug deep for myself. For that, I depended on pastors and Bible teachers. 

Then one day, the Bible became a part of my life. I couldn't put it down. And through it, God began to teach me about his plan for my life. His plans included illness as much as health. His plans included threatening times as well as comforting times. They included unpleasant times as well as times of great joy and rejoicing that I didn't deserve. I began to understand that God's sovereignty was something to embrace, something that holds you and gives you peace and takes away your worries and cares. Even at 16, I knew that he was putting my life together and that my need was to fit into what he was doing. 

This didn't mean that from time that forward I lived happily ever after. You wouldn't believe the testing I went through after I arrived at Biola and they led right on into more in the years ahead. If I had not believed that the Bible was the very word of God, and that everything it said was true, I would never have stayed in school. But through the Scriptures, God reminded me that he's always in charge. He is full of surprises, and it's not possible to guess ahead at what he's doing and where he's leading and what his plan includes. The good health I enjoy today might be gone tomorrow. The classes I teach might no longer be offered. The days of world travel might come to an end. But I'm not in charge. He is. The Bible assures me that he will lead me in the way I should go. 

For me, the Bible is not just a historical textbook. It's not just another analyzable datum of scholarly investigation. Nor is it a rigid rule book. The Bible is the living, breathing word of God that serves as a direct pipeline to knowing and experiencing God. It fundamentally shapes our identity, offers active spiritual comfort, and anchors our lives in unchanging truth. Martin Luther said, "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." John Calvin wrote, "Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit, in which, as nothing is omitted that is both necessary and useful to know, so nothing is taught but what is expedient to know." But maybe the best quote of all belongs to Charles Haddon Spurgeon: "Visit many good books, but live in the Bible." 

The Bible is a true "home" where we can safely dwell, rest, and find permanent nourishment. It is God's personal invitation to bring us into a relationship with him and keep us there. 

Jesus and Widowerhood

Heb. 5:7 says, referring to Jesus, "he offered up prayers and petitions" (NIV). The Greek words Paul uses here are deēseis and hiketērias. I stumbled upon these words this morning. 

These are strong terms. "Prayers and petitions" doesn't seem forceful enough to me. Based on their usage, the terms perhaps lend themselves to the following paraphrase: "He offered up definite, specific petitions for what he not only wanted but needed, as well as urgent pleas for protection in the midst of impending calamity." At times, our Lord agonized like this in prayer, even to the point of begging. His prayers included loud, vocal outbursts under intense emotional strain. He experienced physical and psychological suffering, as we sometimes do. His agony was so severe that he sweat "as it were great drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). 

I can remember praying this way after Becky went home to glory. The Lord had allowed me to become a widower. And what do widowers do? They go on living in a fractured world, grieving in one way or the other the effects of sin. Even so, they discover that in their sorrow God gives them himself. In their loneliness he comes to meet them and will not, no matter how it appears in their aloneness, abandon them. Death is an evil that resulted from man's decision to disobey. So we should not be surprised by death. Did I grieve? I did. My house now seemed empty -- the house Becky and I designed and built, the house we furnished with love, every nook and cranny reminding me of her presence and personality. Did I pour out my soul with "prayers and petitions"? I did -- often. And in praying, I found peace. Peace of this sort comes, not by the removal of sickness and suffering, but by acceptance. I was learning that the same Lord who had given me the gift of marriage had now given me the gift of singleness. It was now my cross to bear. The cross is a sign of loss. Not just loss, but total loss. Yet Jesus' loss meant gain for the whole world. He walked out of the grave not only as the King of kings and the Lord of Lords but as the Death of death. Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 

And so the widower lives each hour of every day with him as Lord. All that the widower has, all that he suffers, all that he has lost has been joyfully placed at his disposal. The Lord can do anything he wants with him. For Jesus too walked this lonesome valley. He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, begged and pleaded with great drops of blood on our behalf. Such a Savior can heal the broken in spirit and bind up their wounds. He gives a renewed heart to the humble and his pleasure to those who fear him. 

Walking Your Way to Better Health

Was a lovely, cool morning for a walk on a lonely trail near Farmville. 

If you're not going for a walk every day, then this is probably the single easiest thing you can add to your life that will lower your blood pressure and eventually lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. The numbers really do shock people. Three years ago my cardiologist told me that I was technically "obese" because I weighed 240 pounds. He felt I was both pre-diabetic and pre-hypertensive. "You need to lose some weight, Dave," he told me firmly but compassionately. That was when I started weight training and getting in my daily steps. Today when I got on the scales I weighed 183 pounds. If you do this consistently, walking can lower your blood pressure more than some of the medications that doctors can prescribe to you. There are no side effects to walking. There are no prescriptions,. There is no clinic to visit. There is no trip to the pharmacy. It costs absolutely nothing. And it works whether you're 24 or 74 like I am. Remember, a blood pressure pill does one thing. It lowers your blood pressure. A blood sugar pill does another. It lowers your blood sugar. But walking does both of these things at once. And on top of that, it improves almost everything else in your body as well, from your mood to your memory to your cognition to your bone health to your kidneys. It works on every single part of your body. The evidence absolutely supports what I'm saying here. 

If you've been looking for one change to make with your health, then let it be this one. Build a bit more walking into your day. It's simple. It's free. And it works. Start where you are. Add in a few steps of walking before or after your meals. Increase that very gradually. Measure your blood pressure regularly so you can see how this is improving. I promise you, you will feel so much better.

That day in my cardiologist's office, I told him I didn't want to take a pill for something I could take care of myself through lifestyle changes. I'm so glad I did. You will be too.

P.S. Earlier I did an easy workout at the Y, including this warm-up exercise. 

Once again, the whole idea is simply to get your body moving. 

It's not about how heavy you lift. Or how often. It's about warding off sarkopenia through exercise. That's it. 

You don't have to be a natural athlete. I'm not. I am the most ungainly and untalented exerciser you will ever meet. I nevertheless ran an ultramarathon 3 months ago with a teenager's enthusiasm. My message to anyone who will listen is always the same. It's never too late to start. And it's always too soon to stop. 

Come on. Join the fun.

My New TORINS!

Somebody please hit me with the stupid stick. I put WAY too many miles on my last pair of Altras. 600 to be exact. I normally don't like to put more than 300 on a pair. 

Like these new Torins? 

I got them today at the Run-N-Tri Outfitters store in Wake Forest. (This store rocks.) I use this footwear for (1) everyday walking and running, (2) long weekend mileage, and (3) races. The shoes are great at offering impact protection without feeling heavy or slow. The toe box, however, is what makes this the gold standard for me. It allows your toes to splay out naturally, which helps prevent blisters, bunions, and cramping. Also, the balanced cushioning you'll find in this brand keeps the heel and forefoot the same distance from the ground ("zero drop"), which promotes a more natural running stride and helps with posture alignment. 

I'm eager to try them out tomorrow Lord willing! 

How Farming Teaches You Patience

I sometimes wish Paul hadn't included "patience" (or "longsuffering") in his list of the fruit of the Spirit. I am not the most patient person. In fact, I've struggled with impatience my entire life. I tend to want things done and done NOW. That's because I'm a fixer. I fix things. No I don't. I can't fix anything or anyone. I can't even fix myself. 

Here's the irony. God has put me in charge of an agricultural operation that demands, well, patience. Tons of it in fact. When the Bible speaks of patience, its models are familiar to us. Job is the classic example, especially when we're faced with sudden loss and tragedy. Then there's Joseph, who after years of unjust imprisonment extended grace to the brothers who betrayed him. And how about Abraham? Heb. 6:15 says that "after waiting patiently he obtained the promise" of his son. Moses experienced patience (or longsuffering) by leading a rebellious nation through 40 years in the wilderness. But perhaps the ultimate example of patience in the Bible are farmers because their waiting is defined by active preparation and an unshakable expectation of a final harvest. Patience, according to James 5:7, is not passivity. It is active preparation of the soil while at the same time trusting God to provide what he and only he can provide -- the conditions for growth. I thought about this as I surveyed the fields this afternoon and became so grateful to our God for the way everything is beginning to look green again. 

Farmers can plant and fertilize. But they can't tell the rain or the sun what to do. Likewise in "life," storms will hit (the loss of a job, an unexpected illness, a spouse leaving you for another). A farmer doesn't quit when it floods or when there's a drought. He (1) adapts, (2) protects what he can, and (3) trusts that the season will pass. God promises us his constant strength and presence. Instead of worrying, Phil. 4:6-7 urges us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving. When we do this, the result is a peace that transcends understanding. 

Tonight my heart is full of joy and gratitude. Personally, I simply can't thank the Lord enough for the joy of farming but also for what farming has taught me these past 25 years.  I can get through the storms of life by bringing all my anxieties to him in prayer even when he is seemingly silent. 

Teaching Is Never Just a Job

Earlier today I made passing reference to my career as a teacher. Let me correct that. Teaching isn't just a career for me. It's a calling. No one is ever "just a teacher." Teaching is our sacred calling. It's a gift from the hand of our God. 

I am all teacher. 100 percent. It's what I think about during the daytime and I dream of at night. I'm so engaged and passionately involved in doing what God has called me to do that I can never figure it out apart from the grace of God. I'm here because of the calling of other teachers who poured their lives into my life. They were people who shaped and changed lives through their calling. I learned from my teachers how to really love God, how to read widely, how to interpret the text accurately, how to discipline myself to learn the skill of the classroom. I realized somewhere along the way that it isn't about me. It's about the God who made me and created me for this specific calling. 

Friend, whatever your calling is, you do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that teaching is as sacred as any so-called "spiritual" calling like preaching or church planting. Whatever you do, you're doing it as unto the Lord. Teaching goes beyond a profession. It's a vocation. It's driven by passion and a deep desire to shape a future generation. For those who hear the call, there is a profound sense of purpose. It's a deeply personal mission that goes far beyond mere monetary compensation. "I touch the future," said Christa McAuliffe. "I teach." 

In all my 50 years of teaching, I don't ever recall not wanting to go to work. When you are a teacher, there is a connection between you and the students. It's almost an unseen bond of trust. But it's real. 

Teaching? It's never "just" a job. 

FALL-ing Back into Greek!

Great to be back on campus. It's been weeks! Eager for the fall semester to begin!!

Harvest Time!

The German Who Taught Me Contentment

In Philippians 4, Paul talks about how he learned a thing called contentment. He explains that contentment isn't something we're born with. It's an acquired skill. He emphasizes that he had learned contentment in every circumstance -- whether he was in severe need or facing abundance. Paul was equally content when he was hungry and when he was full. His sense of contentment did not fluctuate with worldly success or hardship. He was content in the limelight and in the shadows, whether he got the credit or watched another get the credit. 

You know who I learned contentment from? His name was Paul Mittmann. Here's the backstory. 

In the early 1980s, Becky and I had the great joy and privilege of studying at the University of Basel. This ancient and historic city is located on a bend of the Rhine River where Germany, France, and Switzerland meet. 

Notable residents included Calvin, Erasmus, and Karl Barth. It was in this building -- the "Theological Seminar" -- where I spent most of my waking hours in those days, researching and writing my doctoral dissertation. 

But life was much more than books. Bec and I had an unshakable goal when we moved to Basel, and that was to integrate as much as we possibly could into everyday Swiss life. Basel is a highly walkable city. It seemed to combine the amenities of a major city with the charms of a rural village. 

We would often pop over to Germany for groceries or into France for baguettes. The city's amazing tram network made travel easy, though we almost always walked everywhere we went. Most of our close friends were not Americans but Swiss. This included the friends we made at the "Basel Baptist Church." 

There is nothing quite like the warm relief in finding a home church. We were always greeted with genuine smiles and instantly felt a connection. Those were the days of Magnum PI on TV, and yours truly was, if you can believe it, said to be Tom Selleck's twin brother more than once. What a hoot. 

Now in all honesty, none of this would have been possible without this man named Paul Mittmann. 

Paul and I met in Anaheim, California, where he was pastoring a small German-speaking Lutheran Brethren Church. "Anaheim," of course, is a German word. Seems that after WWII, a number of German expats settled there. This included Paul and his wife Margaret. 

Paul had served in the German army during the war. He'd seen combat in France, Italy, and, at the end of the war, Northern Germany, where he was captured by the American army in May of 1945. Upon his release, he and his wife lived (quite literally) under an overturned army truck in Schleswig-Holstein for a year before emigrating to the U.S. 

Paul was the one who taught me how to read and speak German. In fact, being originally from East Prussia, he spoke what many would have described as impeccable High German. What a help he was! Learning German from a native speaker gives you a natural, intuitive grasp of pronunciation, diction, and everyday idioms that textbooks just can't reproduce. Plus, when yours truly was asked by his mentor to preach at his church, you have no choice but to accept his gracious invitation. This happened, as I recall, on five different occasions. What I scared? I was frightened to death. But speaking is undoubtedly the very best and most effective way to reach fluency because it forces you into active practice. 

I remember the evening Becky and I invited Paul and Margaret to dine with us in our home in La Mirada. Becky pulled out all the stops, I tell you. She curated the atmosphere with background music and warm lighting. She prepared and served a delectable meal. And the dessert? Black Forest cake that she baked herself. As the meal drew to a close, I sort of nonchalantly leaned over and asked Paul, "So, what did you think of your meal?" His reply sort of surprised me. He thought for a minute and then said, "Well, I thought it was pretty good." Pretty good?? I thought it was fabulous. Then Paul added, "You know, after the war we were penniless for about a year. We had very little to eat. In fact, often Margaret would serve me "bread soup" for dinner. This was boiled water with a few bread crumbs tossed in. Of course, today we're enjoying the comforts of living in the U.S., where food is plentiful. But you know, I don't get too excited when I have plenty and when I have nothing. I'm content either way." 

I was dumbfounded. Here was a man who seemed completely satisfied in any and all circumstances. Unlike me. The perks of living in the U.S. offer immense daily comfort. They can also breed a sense of entitlement. Our lifestyle shapes everything we do, from the way we shop and eat to the way we so easily develop a sense of discontentment. Yet Paul (both the apostle Paul and Paul Mittmann) had learned the "secret" to being completely satisfied in any circumstance. Contentment is not found in wealth or even health. It is a learned mindset that trusts in God' provision. It is having an attitude of satisfaction and is "great gain" (1 Tim.6:6-8). It is a life free from the love of stuff. It is finding strength in Jesus regardless of whether you have plenty or little. 

Contentment and gratitude always seem to go hand in hand. Instead of focusing on what's missing, intentionally acknowledge all the good that is in your life. Keep a journal where you can highlight those small, everyday blessings God brings into your life. When the temptation to complain comes up, actively replace it with one thing you are grateful for.

I, for one, am forever grateful for a humble pastor named Paul Mittmann. Without his help and tutelage, I would have been severely handicapped when I began my studies in a German-speaking university. And without his life experiences, I may have never been exposed to such an unforgettable example of what godliness with contentment looks like. Praise be to God. 

Christ Our Healer

We should always distinguish between the "gospel" and the "Gospels." One is God's message of salvation to us. The other refers to the four books in which this gospel is set forth. Never forget this distinction.

The earliest church did not talk about the "Four Gospels." It talked about the "Fourfold Gospel." It recognized a very important fact. The four Gospels all set forth one and the same gospel. Hence the view of synoptic origins I espouse is known as "The Fourfold Gospel Hypothesis." 

This position affirms that, from the earliest days of the church, there have been four, and only four, recognized Gospels. The first three Gospels are often taken as a group, while the last supplements the others. In spite of allegations to the contrary, no real contradictions between these Gospels have ever been proven to exist. In all cases, an honest attempt to seek solutions and to harmonize is exactly the proper exegetical procedure. 

For example, in Matt. 9:18-26, we have a double miracle performed by Christ -- the restoration to life of a ruler's daughter, and the healing of a woman with a flow of blood for 12 years. (I can't even begin to imagine having an issue of blood for 12 weeks, let alone 12 months or 12 years!) Matthew's account is extremely brief (9 verses), whereas Luke's is longer (17 verses) and Mark's longer still (25 verses). Mark reports that the woman had "suffered much from many physicians, had spent all she had, and had not been improved but had rather grown worse." Luke, on the other hand -- Doctor Luke! -- writes that the woman "could not be healed" by any physician. Neither account contradicts the other. The doctors didn't heal the woman because her illness was, humanly speaking, incurable! Later, when Jesus is asked by the ruler to lay his hand on his child, Jesus goes a step further and takes her by the hand, at which point Mark adds, "Talitha cumi" (Little girl, arise). This is a transliteration of an Aramaic phrase. Aramaic was the everyday language in Israel at the time. "Talitha" is a term of endearment. Jesus' taking the girl by the hand provides a wonderful image of a compassionate and gentle Savior. At Jesus' word, the little girl arises.

The message of both healing stories is identical. The same Jesus who miraculously healed Jairus's daughter and the woman with a flow of blood is the one we look to today for physical healing. Our Savior is both powerful and compassionate, gentle and strong. These miracles not only demonstrate Jesus' authority over sickness but also serve as a foreshadowing of his own resurrection and the hope of resurrection for all who believe in him. They underscore the Christian doctrine that Jesus is the source of all life and healing and has dominion over illness and death. They are a wonderful reminder that we are not alone in our health struggles. Christ is there to lift us up and breathe new life into our hopes and dreams.

Remember:

God is able, I am not.

God knows what is best, I do not.

God sees the end from the beginning, I cannot.

God should have his way in this, I should not. 

God is in control of every aspect of our lives, including our health. He knows about it, he understands it, and he is responsible for it. None of it is a surprise to him. Our lives are all planned, all arranged, all put together so that we see his hand in every detail of our lives -- the good, the bad, and everything in between. He's in it all. Our health is not ruled by chance or fate or luck or coincidence. His plan is perfectly designed to shape each of us into the image of his Son. 

And so every morning we can say, "My health is in your hands, Lord. This is your day, whatever it may hold or include. Whatever I may experience, all of it is unfolding according to your plan. And it will work together for good, just as you arranged it. You know the way I take. You have planned for me what pleases you. I will accept it, embrace it, and conduct my life confident that at the conclusion of this trial I can look back and say I am more like Christ than ever before."

Amen. 

The Discipline of Checking for Details in Bible Study

I once preached a message from the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. When I begin my sermon preparation, I always consult my Greek New Testament of course. I pay careful attention to key words and take note of significant syntactical constructions. Some of us were taught in seminary to parse every verb and diagram every sentence. I may or may not do that. I tend to reserve my time for those words and constructions that seem to me unusual or masked in most English translations. When I was reading Matt. 1:16, for example, I noticed an interesting pronoun. 

Here the KJV reads: "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." The ESV is similar. But please note the pronoun "whom." It's both singular and feminine in Greek, meaning that Matthew is employing highly specific language to indicate that Jesus was the biological son of Mary and Mary alone. That's information I'll definitely pass on to my audience. 

Some languages (like German) seem a bit better suited than English to convey such nuances of grammar. Here's Luther's rendering: "Jakob zeugte Joseph, den Mann Marias, von welcher ist geboren Jesus, der da heisst Christus." This is beautiful! The word "welcher" is clearly a feminine pronoun, meaning that a German-speaker would instantly see the point that Matthew is making! What does the Spanish do here? "Jacob engendró a José, el marido de María, de la cual nació Jesús, llamado el Cristo." "La cual" is -- you guessed it -- feminine! As for the French, how about we click on LSG? "Jacób eut pour descendent Joseph, l'époux de Marie, de laquelle est né Jésus, appelé Christ." Once again, the grammatical gender -- "laquelle" -- asserts that Jesus was the son of Mary.

Now let's check out the Hungarian. (Kidding.) 

Because English lacks grammatical gender, nouns do not have masculine, feminine, and neuter forms as seen in many other languages. Instead, it primarily uses "natural" gender for pronouns related to people and animals. I'm speaking, of course, only of Modern English. Old English had a grammatical gender system very similar to Modern German with three genders. 

English nouns and their modifiers would change forms based on gender. By Middle English, grammatical gender began to decline, leading to the simplified structure of Modern English. Thankfully, the internet can be of great help here. Here's an example from the Bible Hub website. Here the pronoun  "whom" in Matt. 1:17 is parsed as "RelPro-GFS," meaning "relative pronoun genitive feminine singular." What an exceptional treat this is! 

The discipline of checking for grammatical details like this is worth all the effort. Digging really does pay off! 

Hawaii Kine Ting

 Raise your hand if you know every inch of this beach. 😁

Too Proud to Speak Imperfect Spanish in Public?

Never, ever be afraid to practice your Spanish at a Mexican restaurant. Your server will appreciate your attempt to speak his language, believe me. Don't be embarrassed when you make mistakes, as I'm sure I did in this conversation I had today in Farmville. 

Mistakes are a normal part of learning. If you get stuck, switch back to English. That's perfectly okay! 

Imposter Syndrome ... and Me

Most of us in our years of walking with the Lord know that he blesses times of great weakness with great favor. This includes our doubts -- those times when we second guess God about his will for our lives. If you've ever carried out his will and his work in your life in the midst of great weakness and self-doubt, you've seen him come through in amazing ways.

Sometimes this kind of self-doubt is called "imposter syndrome." Imposter syndrome is an experience when people doubt their skills and accomplishments. They feel like a fraud despite evidence of their competence. The result can be a persistent sense of self-doubt. You feel like an imposter even though you're achieving real success.

Some of you reading this know what it's like to suffer from self-doubt. I do too. I was a terrible student in high school. I used to blame that on the school system. Not anymore. I was simply a teen without any academic drive who'd rather ride waves than wrestle with English, algebra, or biology. When I began my studies at Biola and Talbot, I felt it was only a matter of time before the school would weed out a lazy and inept student like me. Nothing came "naturally" to me, including foreign languages. Today I might be able to speak a handful of them, but it's not because I have any level of language aptitude. I've simply been blessed with a fairly good memory. When, at the age of 24, I was asked to teach Greek at Biola, it came as a total and complete surprise. "I'm sorry? You talking to me?" For some crazy reason I said yes. I knew, if nothing else, it would be a magnificent opportunity to sit under the tutelage of a truly great Christian man and Greek scholar named Harry Sturz, a man who knew his craft backwards and forwards and knew how to teach it to others. For a long time I had respected him from a distance, but now I would get to know him face to face. I have to tell you, it was the turning point of my life. 

As a teacher, I've always been my own harshest critic, even when others had a much more positive view. At some point I had to honestly decide for myself if I was going to be happy for the rest of my life, day in and day out, for years to come, teaching Greek. Thankfully, God graciously showed me that I was in the right place, doing the right thing. That was a wake up call. I remember sitting for my orals in Basel at the end of my doctoral studies. To this day I shudder when I realize that these men could have shredded me. But they were full of grace. After the exam, I can recall them shaking my hand and one by one heartily congratulating me and wishing me a happy career as a Greek professor. I'm still pinching myself. 

Richard Halverson left his longtime pastorate of Fourth Street Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland, to become the chaplain of the U.S. Senate. 

In his words, he felt completely inadequate. He felt like he was a nobody among the members of congress. He said he felt like a "mascot" to some of the most powerful political leaders in the world. He wondered, "What in the world am I doing here?" One evening he was reading the words of Jesus, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.... Surely I am with you each and every day until the end of the age." He says that as he meditated on those words, he realized that he was a garment that Jesus wore everyday to do what he wanted to do in the United States Senate. "I don't need power," said Halverson. "My weakness is an asset. If Christ is in me, what more do I need?"

I hope, by the grace of God, the Lord will allow me many more years to do what I love. That's in his hands. Meanwhile, I want all of you who have taken me for Greek, whether in person or via my Youtube videos, to know that the greatest privilege of my life has been to be your teacher. The greatest privilege. 

When to Take Time Out from College

I often talk about the need to hang in there -- to stay at it, to tough it out. I've never regretted the times when I didn't quit. That said, I believe there are times when it's not only okay to stop what you're doing, but that's the best possible thing you can do. 

After a couple of pretty intense years at Biola, my studies had begun to take a toll on me. The transition from a public high school in Hawaii to a private college in California was a gigantic leap. Plus, I was receiving an academic scholarship (a full tuition ride) based on my GPA. The pressure was getting to me. That's when I made a decision that changed my whole direction as a student. I took a semester and a summer off and returned to Hawaii. I lived, worked, and surfed in Waikiki for 8 months.

It was exactly what I needed. Surfing all day replenished my emotional tank. Working at night in a restaurant at this hotel, the Princess Kaiulani, replenished my pocketbook. 

When I finally flew back to college, I was a changed man. That break -- that "hiatus" if you will -- enabled me to complete my Bachelor's degree, then my Master's, then my Doctorate without needing another break. That's a total of 10 years of uninterrupted study that were absolutely enjoyable and satisfying.

A hiatus from college can do a lot of things. It can provide an opportunity to refocus and recharge. It can help you avoid or recover from academic burnout. It helped me to clarify my career goals as well as save up some money. Timing is everything. Make your break too quick, and you minimize your recovery. Make it too long, and it can lead to loss of academic momentum. The bottom line is this: It's okay to take a break from school. For many of us it's a strategic decision to step away if we're dealing with burnout or financial strain. From personal reflection to spiritual growth, there are many benefits of taking a hiatus.