Who's Been Your Mentor?

Why not take a minute this morning and think about the people who have made the biggest impact in your life? Jot down their names. What do you think of when you think of them?

Imitation is serious business with Christ. Paul said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." Who's the Paul in your life? Even now, all these years later, I can still remember mine. It's impossible to think of him without breaking into a huge smile and an expression of gratitude to God.

Harry Sturz, my mentor and colleague during my Biola days. 

Whose face will you never forget? 

Embracing Rest

Today's workout was such fun. Not perfect, but leaps and bounds better than where I was 2 years ago. 

I came home and chugged a protein drink and foam rolled. Good to go!

I am getting excited about surfing in Hawaii again. For all of the times I've been to Oahu (way too many to count), I've never been there at the age of 73. Believe it or not, I still crave the ocean. There is nothing like it! 

Tomorrow will be a rest day and I am trying to embrace resting. It's not easy. I like to move and sweat. I won't go on and on about this topic, but the physiological benefits of resting are amazing. It feels even better when we allow ourselves to surrender to it. Remember: The greater your training intensity and effort, the greater the need for planned recovery. Of course, even when I'm physically resting my brain is going a hundred miles per hour. That will never change. 

Oh, I forgot to tell you that while no one seems to be too badly injured in last week's car accident, we've still been making a lot of trips to the ER for all kinds of tests. More to come on Monday. My children and grandchildren have become a constant source of joy for me. Almost every day I take a few moments to send them texts or pics of my day, and they me. I want to serve them with all my heart. The grace of aging is transforming me, and it is wonderful. I am slowly learning where God belongs and have allowed him to assume that rightful place in my heart. I -- and they -- are gradually learning to take life as it comes to us and to see everything that happens as evidence of God's intervention in our family. Last Tuesday was and will remain a very bad chapter in our lives. But the whole of our family life is becoming what appears to be a very good book, and for that I am truly grateful. 

Have a wonderful day! 

The Bible Is EVERYBODY'S Book

"The Bible was never intended to be a book for scholars and specialists only. From the very beginning it was intended to be everybody's book, and that is what it continues to be." -- F. F. Bruce 

Compare Yourself to Yourself

There's never a need to compare yourself to anyone else. God gives each of us a very special and unique set of abilities and skills. They are ours alone. My potential in the gym is completely different from yours. It's phony trying to be like someone else. And not much fun either.

If there's one truth I want to pass on to my grandkids it's this: True satisfaction in life comes when you realize you are a unique creation of God. Get comfortable in your own looks, personality, and abilities. Learn to enjoy your own very special corner of the universe. Most of all, realize that when God made you, he was pleased. 

Instead of comparing yourself to other people, compare yourself to yourself. Observe how much you have grown, the things you have achieved, the obstacles you have overcome, and the progress you have made in reaching your God-given potential. This will enable you to think good about yourself without thinking less of others.

God's Perspective Or Ours?

"For he knew what was in man." -- John 2:25.

As I often do, today I took a few progress pics and vids at the gym. In one of them I got to see something I was doing wrong -- in this case, not raising both arms at the same speed while doing dumbbell incline chest presses. This is what I saw:

I wonder. What would happen if we could wear glasses that would enable us to see people, not as they appear, but as they really are in their hearts? Jesus needed no glasses like that. He already knew what was in the heart of every person. Nobody could deceive him. He saw through the good works of the Pharisees to the rank hypocrisy within. He also saw in Nathaniel an Israelite in whom was no guile. 

How then can we truly know ourselves? The answer is obvious: through the word of God. The Bible is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Think of the Bible as a mirror in which we see ourselves as God sees us. A Christian loves himself properly when he sees himself as God sees him -- a lost sinner -- and then, trusting Christ, as not his own but bought with a price -- the personal property of his Lord. 

God's perspective is always the only true one. All things are naked and exposed to his eyes. We may keep up a good front, but he sees the heart in its darkest recesses. 

And that is a very sobering thought. 

Summer Build Up

Our Loving Father

Yesterday my son and his family were involved in a major automobile accident, caused by a motorist running a red light. 

Thankfully, x-rays and CT scans revealed no major injuries to Nate, Jess, or the boys. 

Never interpret the presence of problems as the absence of our Father. He's promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He is good no matter the crisis. He will never renege on his pledge to take care of us. 

The waves and the wind still know his name.

It's Not about a Scale

Fitness is not about the number on the scale. It's about the person you become, the discipline you build, and the confidence you get from doing hard things and never quitting. The best version of YOU is worth more than any number you could ever find on a scale.  

The Gods -- Then and Now (1 Thess. 1:9)

See that little word in 1 Thess. 1:9 that I've circled? 

I'd never really noticed it before today. It's the word "the" in Greek but it's never been translated into English. Other languages more nearly approximate the Greek at this point:

• LUTH: von den Abgöttern
• LBLA: de los ídolos
• LSG: en abandonnant les idolas

I might render the construction "how you turned to God from your idols" or even "how you turned to God from those idols of yours." 

Everyone in Thessalonica knew about these idols. Macedonian religion worshipped the entire pantheon of Greek gods. In fact, Macedonia was named after Makedon, son of Zeus. 

The patron god of Thessalonica was Cabirus. Moreover, Macedonia, like much of the Roman Empire, was given over to Emperor worship since Caesar was considered to be divine. 

Finally, Mount Olympus, whose summit was considered the home of the gods, was only 50 miles from Thessalonica. 

So it would have been a big deal for these Thessalonian believers to stop worshiping the popular idols of their day.

The idols which the pagan Thessalonians couldn't live without are sadly not all that different from the ones I often ignore or rationalize away. Like Ananias and Sapphira, sometimes I think that only "big" transgressions matter and that true Christianity can be separated from following Christ's pattern of obedience in very ordinary, everyday ways. Modern opportunities for idol worship are pretty common today. They're in front of us every day. It's the people who recognize them for what they are and know how to avoid them who are rare. 

The Touch of the Master

I am just so amazed how God can be so good to one person as he has been to me. I mean, I'm so thrilled just to be able to serve the Lord. I'm happier now than I've ever been. What I'm trying to say is that the joy of the Lord is definitely your strength. I thank him for his love. I thank him for his joy. I mean, I still get to do what I've always wanted to do, still living out a dream, still teaching others about Jesus and equipping a new generation of leaders to be all that God is calling them to be. It's still amazing to me that I am able to do that. 

I'm overwhelmed with God's healing touch in my life. Some of you know that in 2020 I got deathly ill. Nobody really knew what I had. I couldn't balance myself, couldn't walk, could hardly breath and swallow. It looked like my traveling and teaching days were over. My daughter and grandson came from Alabama to care for me. I confess to you that I didn't think I was ever going to get better. Turns out that my problem was a B12 deficiency. As soon I started getting injections, things gradually returned to normal. Now let me be clear. I'm not doing what I'm doing today because Dave Black had such great stamina and strength or that I told myself, "I'm gonna beat this thing." I am here today, doing what I love to do, because of a touch from the Master. 

Thank God for that touch. 

Since the day my strength returned, my prayer has been, "Lord lift me up and let me stand, by faith on heaven's tableland; a higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground." I will not fret about yesterday's failures or tomorrow's challenges. I will discover God's will for my life one day at a time. I will feel free to weep, to doubt, to laugh till I hurt. I will not minimize or justify my wrong. I will take responsibility for my health. I will take time to create memories for my grandchildren. I will make them a birthday card instead of buying one. I will pick a flower, enjoy a sunset, spend an hour reading Latin, fill up a bird bath, feed the donkey a carrot, ask God to lead me every day to a special verse in the Bible, smile at my coworkers, do something nice for my children, be a better listener, and think less about being a people-pleaser and more about pleasing God. I will let go and trust God for such things as my health, coping with the death of a loved one, dealing with temptation, and accepting the inevitability of old age. I'm not just another somebody lost in the rush of life. I'm the unique creation of God whom he will lovingly guide along the path he thinks is best for me. 

I've got his Word on it. 

Was Paul the Author of Hebrews?

Pumped to share this interview with you as we discuss:

• The authorship of Hebrews
• The external evidence
• Corroborated by the internal evidence
• What Origen really said about the authorship of the letter
• Why it matters 

Huge thank you to Matt Whitman for having me on his show. 

Got My Workout and My Steps In Today

Thank you, Lord! 

We Shall See Jesus

I hope your Easter service today was as wonderful as mine was. Together, believers are a melting pot of people who overlook all of our differences to thrive as a family through sickness and health, successes and failures. As head of the church, the Lord whose resurrection we celebrated today has slated regular family reunions called church services. And as we gather week after week, we are privileged to affirm the family ties that bind us together. 

But oh, a more glorious family reunion is the works. For all these years, Jesus has been preparing a place for us. And any day now we'll hear the trumpets blow. 

And WE SHALL SEE JESUS.

I hope you enjoy this glorious gospel song as much I as do.

Have a wonderful week! 

My Philosophy of Life

Make it happen.

Or make excuses.

Working out is more than just exercise. 

It's proof to yourself that you're willing to fight to become the person you want to be.

It doesn't require perfection.

Just effort.

Work hard, and the rest will come. 

Day by day.

Brick by brick.

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

At any age. 

Savor It All

If you're not careful, you can easily grow colder as you grow older in terms of your relationship with the Lord. "Older and better" should be synonymous words. Celebrate the gift of aging with gratitude to God for each day he gives you. Savor it all. 

Speakers Up

Looking for a good workout pump song? Outro is pure fire. 

The Importance of Expository Preaching

While growing up in Hawaii, most of the sermons I heard were topical. But when I got to Biola in 1971, I joined the College Church of La Mirada. The pastor was a graduate of Denver Seminary. It was my first exposure to expository preaching. Several things about his teaching method stood out to me:

1. Clarity. He used terms even new believers could understand.

2. Practicality. He connected with the audience.

3. Authenticity. He was real.

4. Focus. He stayed with the text.

5. Accuracy. He worked hard to see that his comments squared with the Scriptures.

There's nothing magical about Bible exposition. It's simply the practice of learning, then explaining, the meaning and purpose of a given passage of Scripture. When your message is delivered it is based, to the best of your ability, on the word of God and not someone's opinion or personal ideas. Moreover, the truth is applied and illustrated in a manner that people can understand. The study of Scripture should always enable us to live out the life of Christ before others.

That pastor's name was Robert Hakes. May his tribe increase. 

Today's Gym Workout and 9-Mile Run

I have no business being a weight lifter or a runner. It's a pure serendipity that I'm either. When I started lifting I was sure I'd find a way to fail at strength training. Yet here we are today -- it's still a part of my life. 

When I began running after Becky went home to heaven, I wasn't sure I would ever become someone who enjoyed running. But I haven't failed at running. In fact, I enjoy it more and more. 

For a sport to become a part of your life, it must become a part of who you are. Being a lifter or a runner must become a part of the definition of yourself. The fact is, we can only be who we are. We can meet no expectations other than the ones we set for ourselves. Sports can teach us this lesson if we let it. Both lifting and running have taught me how to be all of who I am and hope to be. With every workout, I am getting closer to the essential me. 

In the long run, it doesn't matter if it takes you 3 weeks or 30 weeks to reach your goal as long as you're going in the right direction. In 13 weeks I will fly to Oahu and surf. A month later it will be time to fly to Geneva and begin climbing the Alps again. As long as I am going in the right direction, I feel I can reach my goals, Frankly, I am so amazed how our bodies can adjust and adapt to the stresses we place on them that I am in an almost constant state of joy and delight. I watch in amazement as my body begins to respond to the physical demands I place on it. 

I have come to realize that change and improvement is a never-ending process. Getting into shape isn't something you do. It's something you are always doing. 

My friend, if it's true that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so too does the journey to a new life as an athlete. Every day that you exercise, you are one step closer to wherever you're headed. 

The Inestimable Value of Walking

Your daily actions are all that matters. Just an hour of exercise daily can transform your body. Even a little can go a long way. A simple 30-minute daily walk can jumpstart your fitness journey. Walking is definitely KING when it comes to low impact cardio. Just start today and your mood will dramatically improve and your body slowly start to lose fat. I started weeks ago walking 9 miles every day. My muscles are peaking slowly and I've never wanted to walk as much as I do today. Walking a minimum of 10,000 steps is still the key to getting results. Walking not only strengthens the body but also revitalizes the mind. As an avid runner, I can confirm that running is not great for fat loss. The biggest reason is that running burns primarily glycogen rather than your fat stores. You'll also get very tired very soon. It's just much easier to walk. While I still run (I've done three 32-mile ultras), walking is now a huge part of my training. I'm averaging 9 miles a day. That's over 20,000 steps. Honestly, walking is 100 percent one of the single best ways to lose body fat. It's helped me go from 240 pounds to 213 pounds in just 3 months. I have seen a lot of stomach fat go away, and for the first time in decades I can see my abs. 

I've gone from fat to fit. It feels absolutely fantastic. The journey is far from over, but walking 9 miles a day has definitely proven to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight, combined with strength training. 

Walking is time consuming but it's so healthy. Your health is not an area for shortcuts or quick fixes. When I made my 13 trips to mainland China, I noticed that everyone took evening walks from the babies to the 70-year olds. Discipline is doing the things that you don't necessarily want to do so frequently that they turn from an obligation into a habit. 

Most people transform themselves once every never. Don't be one of them. Go slow if you need to, but get started now. It takes years, not months, to get into great shape. Keep going!

Fully Alive

Whether it's lifting at the gym. 

Or getting in my daily steps. 

Or working on the farm.

I'm on an odyssey of self-discovery without a guide. What I am going to learn about my aging self is not going to come from a book or the words of a therapist but from my own feet. I am learning that I can be defeated but not beaten. I am learning to admire others for being faster or leaner or stronger than me without allowing myself to believe that they are better than me. I am learning that success is measured not by what I accomplish but by how hard I work to get out the door every day. 

This feeling is out there for everyone. It's out there for you. You can't predict it. You can't force it. But you will know it when you feel it. It's called being fully alive. It's called experiencing the best and the worst that I am and accepting them equally. 

So if you see me at the gym with a huge smile on my face or out on the trail happily plodding along, don't expect the smile to ever come off my face. 

When You Complete Your Daily Steps

Don't forget to have kimchi with your dinner. 

Accepting the Challenges of Aging

Currently the surf report is calling for 1 foot waves in Virginia Beach. Rats. I'm off for Easter break this week and next and was hoping to catch a few. After all, we don't want to get to Hawaii in July rusty, now do we? Someone asked me the other day if I could still surf at the age of 72. I told them, "It's like riding a bike -- you never really forget." 

That said, I will admit that the older you get, the better shape you need to be in for all the paddling surfing requires. Hence today's back and arms workout. 

It's these muscles that will have to do the heavy work of getting me out to the breakers at the South Shore of Oahu. They'll also be asked to be get me up the Riffelhorn in August. 

Old I may be. If you are new to surfing or mountain climbing, you may be too. But by accepting the challenges presented to us by our choices and our genetics, we can work at being the best surfer or mountaineer we know how to be. Every day gives us an opportunity to improve. It may be that, like me, the more you train, the more connected you feel to your past surfing successes. Before you know it, there will be times when you will imagine yourself dropping into an 8-footer at Publics or Kaiser's in Waikiki. You will see yourself paddling hard and strong and well. 

Every day that you train you are one step closer to wherever you are headed. 

The Power of Enthusiasm

I woke up this morning with so much enthusiasm I could hardly stand it. I mean, who could witness a moonset like this at 6:00 am and not be enthusiastic? 

Took my breath away! 

Ralph Waldo Emerson lived from 1803-1882. He graduated from Harvard at the ripe old age of 18. Not too shabby. 

He once wrote this:

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines for success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic, be faithful, and you will accomplish your objective."

Then he added:

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Professors earn their doctorates because they stayed enthusiastic about their academic pursuits. Their classes have students in them because they are enthusiastic about what they're teaching. It's more than content. It's not just what they say. It's that they say it with passion.

I've been a Greek teacher for 49 years and my goal has never changed. I want to see my students equipped and empowered to teach and preach the word of God with credibility, integrity, authority, and enthusiasm. If they're like me, they think Greek during the daytime and dream of it at night. That's why I have never lost the joy of teaching. 

In Rom. 12:11, Paul writes, "in spirit being on fire." 

Here Paul uses the participle as a command: "Be fervent in spirit!" (ESV). 

Other versions say:

Keep your spiritual fervor!

Let us keep the fire of the spirit burning!

Serve the Lord enthusiastically!

Our goal as teachers of Scripture is to help our listeners understand what a passage is saying, what it means, and how it applies. And you teach in a way that is interesting, creative, and illustrative, so that the truth of the Scriptures will burst alive in the minds of those who are hearing the truth proclaimed.

Never underestimate the power of enthusiasm! 

Feels So Good ...

... to be back on the mower again. 

The Only Thing Better ...

Than an hour workout ... 

... and a 9-mile walk to get in your daily steps ...

... is a dinner of oven-baked veggies and a pan fried t-bone steak.😄

"Getting Older"

In our crazy world, it's considered weird to choose walking instead of driving short distances, but it's considered normal to feel tired all the time and blame it on "getting older." 

Being Consistent

Whatever your health and fitness goals might be, don't stop pursuing them. By simply not stopping you will get amazing returns. Your biggest competitive edge is not your genetics or your talent. It's your consistency. 

Meditating on the Bible

Great video here from John Miles.

His channel is a great source of information and I encourage you to check it out. 

Phil. 4:13 Ain't about Self-Achievement

Phil. 4:13 -- we're in chapter 4 of Philippians this week -- is a gravely abused text. It's become a sort of slogan for self-achievement. But look at its context. Paul's saying, "I can do rich and poor, I can do hungry and filled, not because of anything in me. I can get through it simply because I have the strength that Christ gives me."

Paul's point is not that we can achieve anything we work for, but that God enables self-centered people to find their strength in Christ rather than in ourselves. The road to "all-circumstances contentment" is found in Jesus alone. 

That said, let's don't be too quick to judge people we might think are misusing this text. At the Chicago Marathon expo a few years ago, an organization called "Team 4:13" had a booth where they shared the Lord with runners. I loved that. When offered one of their wrist bands to wear during the race I took it and gladly wore it. But my was I was tempted to be judgy! 

Actually a Nice Day

Nice enough, in fact, to get in a run this afternoon. My drive to Farmville was pleasant except for all the "traffic." 

Let's see. How 'bout I run 4.5 miles to Rice, turn around, and then run 4.5 miles back to the High Bridge Trail parking lot? Sounds like a plan.

It takes me about a mile to get into my rhythm. Once there, I'm on autopilot. 

The trail, as usual, was very crowded. 

And thus I got in my daily steps.

Raise your hand if you got in your workout today.