"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

Paul's letter to the Colossians is one of the most exciting books in the Bible, or at least that's the way it appears to me. Some of the greatest descriptions of the Savior are found in this beautiful book. Consider these words:

"Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can't, the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities. All were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together."

I hope you're reading each and every one of these words slowly and carefully, meditating on what God is saying to YOU right now through these words. Are you really aware of the fact that right now, this very second, it is Christ's power that is holding the universe together? When the end of the world comes, nobody is going to have destroy the earth. All Christ has to do is let go and there you have it -- BOOM and it's done.

Cup your fingers together like you're holding a round ball between your two hands, letting your fingertips touch each other. Imagine that you're holding the entire world in your hands. Now separate your fingers and hands. That's all that Christ has to do to withdraw his holding power on the earth. Your own body would just fly into pieces should Christ withdraw his power. 

How fabulous to know we serve a living Jesus with that kind of power! 

Book Recommendation: "Those Footnotes in Your New Testament"

Folks, I failed to mention that the papers from the Clearview Apologetics Conference last weekend will be published in book form. My own paper is entitled "Matt 5:22a in Recent Research: A Contribution to the Byzantine Textform Debate." I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my co-author Dr. Thomas Hudgins of Liberty University's Rawlings School of Theology. 

Thomas holds doctorates from both SEBTS and the Complutense University in Spain, where his dissertation dealt with textual criticism. I love telling people about the excellent introduction to textual criticism he published several years ago with Energion Publications. 

Many people asked me at the conference which book I would recommend for lay people as a brief entree into this field. I can commend no book more highly than this one. 

Pray for Your Kids

Whatever else you do today, pray for each of your children. 

Every Day Is a Gift

People keep asking me how old I am. Who are these people who don't me know me very well? I'm a 45-year old going on 73. That's my answer. Some senior citizens you'll never catch in a gated community or a senior living residential complex. They feel the need to remain among all ages, all abilities, and all backgrounds to stay alert and aware of their world. I recently read of one runner who doesn't run marathons anymore. He walks them with his buddies. I read about another man who ran his first Ironman triathlon at the age of 70. He said, "I appreciate every minute of every day. As I get older I want to make sure that I am self-reliant, that I don't end up in a nursing home with a pile of bills and become a burden to my kids. I am mindful of my lifestyle -- what I eat, how I exercise, and also make time to socialize. Those three things are key to my life and keep me happy, healthy, and content." He always finishes a race even when it takes him hours. 

May I offer you a few tips at the age of 73?

1. Keep moving. Be it gardening, walking, housework. Be active.

2. There's a fine line between pushing yourself and wearing yourself out. Don't overdo it. 

3. Don't worry about things you can't control. At 73, anything can happen. I don't worry about that.

4. Surround yourself with family and friends. They are the most important things in in your life. Be part of a community.

5. Enjoy everyday "magic moments" that take your breath away. Today at the Y one of our kind trainers videotaped me while I did 8 band-assisted pullups. As soon as I can reach 10, I'll try my first muscle up. 

I am not ready to retire or stop running. It's time on your feet, not speed, that will keep you around longer. 

Every day is a gift. Thank God for it. 

Love Is Giving

As an expression of love, give something away today. 

Why We Exercise

Hi. Me again. Just popping in randomly before I head off to campus. Being so busy over the weekend, I had no opportunity to do any exercising. Thankfully, the Lord allowed me to make up for that today. Getting in my steps ...

As well as enjoying a few chin ups ... 

Lord willing, in just 4 and a half months I'll be back in Waikiki with my surfboard. Now if that isn't motivation to work out! 

Did you know that our actions in life are always compelled by some good we want to attain? The question is: which good? Shall we give into the tyranny of the urgent? Or are we able to see a higher goal in the future, sometimes way in the future? Inevitably, the good we will possess later is better than the one we can have right now. 

That's why we exercise. The benefits come from denying our pressing desire to enjoy ourselves this very minute, though, of course, many of the good consequences of a healthy lifestyle are immediately evident: more energy, weight loss, improved productivity at work, etc. Other good results of exercise, however, aren't so readily apparent. You have to believe in benefits you can't see. 

Thankfully, there is a scientific way to get the most years and mileage out of the body God gave us. Our only excuse is ignorance. We sell ourselves short, we narrow our horizons, we forfeit our goals, we settle for a mundane passing grade in life. But for the believer who is learning to number his days (do I have one year or 20 years left?), exercise becomes progressively more urgent. There's no time for dilly-dallying. Each and every day requires its own prodding. 

Running in long races and climbing tall mountains and surfing luscious waves have made this whole subject plain to me. My goals suddenly put urgent demands on my body. The race becomes me against me. In the third century BC, Greeks spent an hour every day in the gymnasium. You don't necessarily have to do the same thing. Go with what works for you. Just exercise. Exercise = health. Period. Here's what I look like now in case you forgot. I'm not exactly where I want to be but it's not where I used to be. 

Friend, start doing what's good for you, be it going to bed early or cooking your own meals. You will quickly realize that what you love to do as an exerciser will quickly become the lifestyle you know you should have adopted in the first place. 

Keep a positive mindset and know that whatever difficulty you're facing is temporary. 

Adjust your expectations when you have to. 

Keep your head up and your eyes focused on Jesus. 

That's about it. 

"I Need All of the Bible" (Mark Ward)

Mark Ward hits it out of the park.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us all of your word! Praise God that even though our finite and limited convictions may differ (Mark espouses the Critical Text view, I do not) and will eventually fade away as the grass withers, the word of the Lord will last forever! Thank you, brother, for reminding us how much we need the Bible. I will never be able to thank God enough or praise him enough for the fact that he had so much mercy on us that he gave us his word! 

P.S. One of the greatest Bible study resources you can avail yourselves of is Mark's KJV Parallel Bible. Check it out here. 

Meet John Miles

The most neglected area in the lives of defeated Christians is probably Bible reading. It shouldn't be! Bible reading should be the most exciting, stimulating part of our day! And it can be if you'll do just a few things. Ten of the shortest books in the Bible come from the Old Testament and 14 are found in the New Testament. Any of these books can be read in less time than it takes to watch a 30-minute TV program. The Bible is God's love letter to us. So let's make it our "hobby" to read it daily!

Such is the message of John Miles, who flew all the way from Washington State to be with us at the Clearview Apologetics Conference this weekend. 

I have long admired this young man and both his Facebook page and his Youtube channel. Friend, check him out. You will come away encouraged as never before. And may your journey through the Bible never end. May your walk with the Lord continue to deepen. May your knowledge and discernment increase as you faithfully and regularly humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Then may he use you to encourage many to realize the joy that awaits them as they discover how to feast on God's word in a way that will transform their lives! 

John, what a pleasure to meet you this weekend. May God richly bless you my brother!

Today's Clearview Panel Discussion

Today's panel discussion at Clearview Church centered on the topic of the relevance of textual criticism to the Christian life, including evangelism and apologetics. 

In addition, it was yet another chance to honor Maurice Robinson for the work of a lifetime he's put into making available to all of us the Byzantine textform. 

For more than 60 years I have cultivated a love for the Bible and have pursued an understanding of it. I was drawn to the truths of God's word and captivated by its wisdom largely through the work of men like Professor Robinson. For me, opening up God's word is like attending a banquet. It's nourishment for my soul. Now my goal is to pass on this love for God's word to others. You too can experience the joy of personal discovery as well as the great satisfaction of helping others gain an understanding of God's word. So once again I would like to express my profound gratitude to my esteemed colleague Maurice Robinson. His work in textual criticism has been of inestimable value in helping me and countless others as we come to God's word for instruction and comfort. 

Today's' Clearview Church Apologetics Conference

Such great fun today at the 2026 Clearview Apologetics Conference in Henderson, NC! My thanks to pastor (and former personal assistant) Abidan Shah for his invitation to be a speaker at the event today. Abidan is an outstanding churchman and textual scholar and has a vision for equipping the informed layperson -- any literate member of the church without specialized expertise in a specific technical field like textual criticism -- in how to go about resolving textual difficulties. 

I also got to meet some internet friends for the first time, including Dwayne Green (far left) and Mark Ward (next to Dwayne). 

I thoroughly enjoyed both of their presentations on the Byzantine text. I'm afraid during my own presentation I may have gotten a bit carried away and gone from lecturing to preaching haha! 

The field of New Testament textual criticism is so vital to the health of the church! No original manuscripts exist, and the 5,500 plus existing copies of the New Testament contain variants. Textual criticism allows for a high level of confidence in the text of the New Testament, ensuring that modern Bibles are based on sound evidence. Thank you, Abidan and Clearview, for hosting these amazing apologetics conferences. Conferences like these are essential for equipping believers to confidently defend their faith with both reason and compassion. 

Sandy Beach No Ka Oe!

Oh yeah. Sandy Beach is breaking!

Here's what it looked like when I surfed there last July. 

Can't wait to get back there this summer!

Get Ready to Ruuuuummmmbbbble!

Let the games begin! Tomorrow at Clearview Church: Which approach to the Byzantine text is the best one? And the contestants are:

Abidan Shah

Dwayne Green

Mark Ward

Maurice Robinson

Elijah Hixson

And yours truly

May the cutest man win! 

6 Weeks to Go!

That's right. Yours truly has an ultra coming up in just 42 days. A fun and adventurous day for sure. I've done this race 3 times before. The ultra community is pretty unique. The average age is probably 30 and everyone's bodies are perfect and their muscles are taut (don't look at my 73-year old gut). Today I practiced at the track just to mix things up. 

It was hot but I managed to get in some respectable steps. 

I'm a believer that the best races come from a desire to run and not an obligation. Nobody makes us do this. So I'm still out here doing my thing. In a week or so I'll kick it into high gear, then begin my taper. I know the race will be a grind to be taken one mile at a time. You slog through those miles, mentally ticking them off as you go. Fun, right? Then you'll recover and actually want to do another one! 

Today's Steps

"Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far." -- Thomas Jefferson. 

Mark Ward on the Use of Translations in Bible Study

Hey folks. You will love this interview with two of my favorite people. 

Mark Ward's message is a simple one: don't use any particular Bible translation as a badge theological identity or to divide Christians. Instead, Mark says we should use different Bible translations as we would tools in a toolbox. Love that analogy! He adds that it's probably a good idea to use Bibles that reflect the broad spectrum of translation philosophies, from formal to functional equivalence. As you know, I have been encouraging people to use and compare multiple translations in Bible study. Thank you, Mark, for this great reminder of that, and thank you, Paul, for having him on your show. Mark is one of the speaker's at this week's conference (I believe he's coming all the way from the Pacific Northwest to be with us) and I'm really looking forward to meeting him in person for the first time. If you haven't already done so, do yourself a favor and check out Mark's Youtube channel. It's called Ward on Words. Lots of food for thought for sure. 

Have wonderful day! 

Meade's Decision to Fight It Out at Gettysburg

I've been enjoying, as you know, Ron Chernow's fine study of the life of U.S. Grant. But it does have its weaknesses, including painting with a brush that's too broad. One such gross overgeneralization is found on p. 295 in his discussion of Meade's actions on the night of July 2 during the battle of Gettysburg. He boldly states that Meade, having convened his generals in the Leister House late that evening, "wanted to withdraw before Pickett's Charge but was overruled by his generals." The fact is that by 8:00 pm Meade had already written to his superior Halleck down in Washington saying that he's going to stay in Gettysburg tomorrow though he can't determine whether his preparations will be offensive or defensive until he checks on the condition of the army. Others who were not present with Meade that evening later portrayed him as having been unwilling to remain on the field. Abner Doubleday has Meade pouting, "Have it your way, gentlemen, but Gettysburg is no place to fight a battle in." Doubleday, however, did not attend that meeting. 

Alas, it seems that Meade continues to be the Rodney Dangerfield of Civil War generals.

The Leister House, where Meade held a council of war on the night of July 2, 1863, still stands. 

Saturday's Conference Schedule

This Saturday's conference schedule at Clearview Church in Henderson, NC, has now been posted. 

To register for the event, go here. 

Feeling Like a Failure After Preaching

Just a word of encouragement to those of you who teach or preach the word of God on a regular basis. When you feel deflated after delivering your sermon (or classroom lecture), don't be surprised. It's a normal part of teaching and preaching. Don't assumed you've failed. Most preachers feel at least a bit disappointed with their presentation. I know I do. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once confessed, "I can say quite honestly that I would not cross the road to listen to myself preach." 

But your feelings about your messages aren't necessary an accurate measure of their effectiveness. You're probably doing a better job than you're thinking. God is still working despite your limitations and many shortcomings. Here's a passage from Augustine's Confessions I was reading during my morning devotions today:

I might paraphrase these words as follows:

"Woe to those who are silent about Thee, because even the most loquacious among us become quiet and can't speak a word."

Elsewhere (Tractatus in Evangelium Iohannis 1.35) Augustine writes, "All things can be said about God, and yet nothing about God can be said worthily."

Preacher friend: Don't ever despair when you feel like a failure. Do your best and then leave the rest up to God.

"Who is adequate for these things?" 

The Lord's Prayer in Greek

We're praying this together in Greek class tonight. How wonderful. 

Just Arrived: Filologia Neotestamentaria 58

Always nice to get the latest issue of Filologia!

"Will You Join the Cause of Global Missions?"

That was the title of my message this morning based on Matt. 28:19-20. 

Plugging into the Great Commission is what it's all about. 

"But I'm not gifted for evangelism," you say. Then touch people in ways appropriate to your own giftedness. God isn't so much asking you to tell people what a friend they have in Jesus as in showing them what a friend they have in you. So love them. Love them until they ask you why. The truth is, your relationship with Christ is the single most important qualification for becoming a redemptive person. 

"Are you saying that evangelism is a way of life?" Yesirree! Evangelism is simply a way of revealing the truth about God's character through the particulars of everyday living. One of my friends used to put it this way: "Life is a mission trip. Take it." I thank God for professional missionaries and the impact they are making on global evangelism. Such godly giants are few and far between. But their ministries depend on the faithfulness of common foot soldiers like you and me. 

Church, unleash the foot soldiers, the troops in the trenches! Turn them loose! Release them to use their skills, gifts, and hobbies as redemptive tools! 

Vignettes from Ron Chernow's "Grant"

There are many vignettes -- brief, evocative accounts or episodes --in Grant's life that bear mentioning. Here are 3 of them.

1. Grant was "a restless, energetic man, who must have occupation, and plenty of it, for his own good" (p. 69).

2. While he was stationed in Oregon, Grant leased 100 acres of farmland near the Columbia River. He planted potatoes, corn, oats, and onions. "His hands grew rough and calloused from hard labor and he developed a slight stoop from bending in the field" (p. 79).

3. After he tendered his resignation from the army, Grant was at first depressed. Later, however, he realized that his army departure was providential. He saw "a redeeming side to his resignation, even though it had been wrung from him against his will" (p. 86).

I'll be the first admit that I am somewhat addicted to activity. But staying consistently busy doesn't always mean being productive. It's important to leave downtime for ourselves throughout the day, even if it's just a small break. I also need to remind myself constantly that self-worth doesn't come from being busy. That said, studies have found that the older we get, being busier is linked with advantages such as  faster cognitive processing, greater reasoning ability, and improved memory. Like anything in life, moderation matters. My challenge at 73 (soon to be 74) is to craft a stimulating strategy that empowers rather than overwhelms.

I can also identify with Grant's love for the soil. Being a farmer now for some 26 years, I've come to realize that farming is a calling, a way of life that requires dedication, hard work, and resilience. It's a journey filled with joy, happiness, challenges, and a deep connection to the land. While the journey may be arduous, you find joy in even the simplest moments on the farm. Our farm is now a third-generation enterprise. One of my sons now works the farm, as does one of his sons. His hands are so calloused from work you could light a match on them. For our family, farming is not just a job. It's a meaningful and (I would say) essential part of our life. The challenges are real, but so are the rewards.

As for Grant's resignation from the army, failing can absolutely be a profound blessing. For every "no," there's a significant "yes" waiting. When I dropped out of my beginning Greek class at Biola after just 3 weeks, it wasn't about failing. It was about learning. Every time we fail to meet a goal, we gain insights that are only attained through experience. By recognizing (as Grant did) that failure is simply feedback, we can turn every setback into a foundation of strength. In the words of Nelson Mandela, "I never fail. I either win, or I learn." Many of our dreams fail, not because they they were impossible, but because we stopped trying too early.

Pics from Today's Workout and Run

Growing up, my buddies and I enjoyed telling each other this story. Imagine you're on a World War II sub and the commander of the vessel addresses you over the intercom:

"Now hear this. Now hear this. This is the captain speaking. That is all."

We thought that was so funny. The point of the joke I imagine was something like, "You don't need the captain to tell you what to do. Just do it!" 

Let's get real. So many people are trying to find their mojo to get off the couch and run or walk or bike or whatever. I get so sick of hearing myself and other people constantly making excuses about why they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, the things they actually want to do. Sheesh. Stop being such a crybaby. Just ditch the excuses and go out and do it. 

Listen, if you're healthy, you get to do this. 

Be grateful you can get out there and stop your griping. If you don't feel like it, you will feel more awesome than usual when you get it done! 

After my workout at the gym, I even got in another 7 miles at the High Bridge Trail. 

And without even thinking about it or planning it, I had achieved my weekly goal of 17,000 steps a day. 

That is all I have to say. The point of this is that the only person stopping you from becoming active is YOU. Some people would kill to go just one mile in your shoes. So adjust your attitude! 

Please Pray for Oahu

Prayers for my home island please. Windward Oahu is experiencing 1-2 inches of rain per hour. On the North Shore the rain has triggered rapid flooding. 

Roads in and out of Haleiwa are cut off, as is the Pali Hwy. between Honolulu and Kailua. Floodwaters have inundated streets, swallowed vehicles, and prompted evacuation orders for over 4,000 people. In some places power has been off for over 60 hours. Please join me in asking for God's protection over every home, every family, and every community affected by the storm -- especially the children, the elderly, and the homeless. That he would give wisdom and protection to the first responders and all those volunteers who are working to rescue the stranded. That he would calm the winds and end the storm soon, if it is his will. 

In 19 years of living on Oahu, not once did we experience anything like this. Lord, have mercy on us. 

How to Build Muscle (= High Effort)

It's so easy to fall into the trap of just pumping out mindless volume when you're lifting rather than focusing on training harder. I've been guilty of this all too many times. No, you don't have to lift all the way to failure on every set. But time under tension is what builds muscle, and tension comes from lifting close enough to failure, so you'll build muscle as long as you're training with high effort. It's so simple, but by just focusing on two things can literally take you from minimal gains to exploding your progress over night:

• Practice proximity to failure with good technique on all your sets.
• Aim for small weight/rep increases over time. 

I'll try and do the same when I get back to the gym tomorrow :) 

Oopsie

Hmmm. What's "sich" doing here?? 😒

(Full transparency: I make silly mistakes like this all the time in German.) 

Grant and Longstreet: A Lesson in Irony

I'm loving this biography.

I'm only 100 pages into it and already I sense a master biographer at work -- good storytelling, an engaging narrative, and a nuanced portrayal (no hagiography here). The author has a great eye for detail. I feel like I'm right there with Grant as the life of our 18th president is laid out with as much showing as there is telling. 

One day in 1854 after Grant had been forced to retire from the army and had taken up poor dirt farming, he ran across James Longstreet in St. Louis. Longstreet was shocked to see how poorly dressed his old friend was and how far down the social ladder he had tumbled. Grant pressed a 5 dollar gold piece into Longstreet's hand to repay a 15-year old debt. "You must take it," insisted Grant after Longstreet refused. "I cannot live with anything in my possession which isn't mine." Longstreet reluctantly accepted the money. At Grant's wedding, James Longstreet had served as his best man. Later, Longstreet and two of Grant's groomsmen would join the Confederate army. 

All three would later surrender to Grant at Appomattox. 

The war is full of such ironies. Irony reminds us that outcomes often contradict intentions. The world never operates exactly as we expect it to. We are constantly being forced to analyse the gap between what we think will happen and what actually occurs. This is one reason historians have always found it difficult to decipher Ulysses S. Grant. 

Don't read this book unless you're prepared to rethink your predisposed biases about the man. Frankly, I'm having trouble putting it down. 

Spring Has Sprung

Happy first "official" day of spring! How are you celebrating it? Here's what I did. 

As I ran, this happy mantra kept going through my head: "Keep going as far as you can see. And then you'll see farther."

My friend, commit to the Lord whatever you do. And he will establish your plans.

Have a wonderful day! 

Ultra Training Day

Okay. Only 50 days -- count 'em, FIFTY! -- before my ultra trail run in Farmville. Here's my promise to you. No matter how well how I do on race day -- finish or take a DNF -- I will have trained as hard as I can for the event. I'm hoping for the best (or at least a good photo op). Some might call this behavior risky. But I like to live on the edge. Take chances. Take risks. These strategies aren't for everyone, but I think they keep me healthy and happy. My cardiologist says I need to view this ultra not as a race but as a long run. We agreed that even if it took me ten hours, I can probably still pull out 32 miles given my fitness base. We also talked about doing all my runs in zone 2 (60% of maximum heart rate). I used to always go pedal to the metal. Live and learn. So, thank you for hanging in there with me. For your words of support. For your emails just to check in. It means the world to me. It really does. 

Here are some pictures and vids from today's activities. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, so feel free to skip. My destination today was obviously the High Bridge Trail. To get there you drive northeast from Farmville along the River Road until you hit the trailhead. Here's the entrance. As you can see, it's waaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. 

You run mostly on crushed gravel -- remember, it's a former railroad bed. But eventually you get to experience the highlight of the trail, the bridge itself. 

Today I plodded on for 8 miles. That used to sound like a lot of miles to me. But to complete the ultra I've got coming up, I'll need to complete exactly 4 times that number of miles. Right now this is all a bunch of numbers in my head. After my run I mosied over to La Parota, my favorite Mexican eatery by a long shot. I got my usual meal of chori pollo because I am addicted to this dish (it WILL be in heaven, guarans). 

Here's me talking to my server. 

Yes, I know my pronunciation stinks. Earlier in the day I lifted for 1.5 hours working mostly my arms and back. 

I love this place. Your gym rat friends are always waiting for you to show up. (Fun fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns anywhere between 0 and 0 calories. Bet you didn't know that. You have to actually show up.) I'm told that all this gym work helps to stabilize your body and helps with alignment when you run. I hope so. When I go to the gym I go to work and work hard. I don't mess around. I am in the zone. I get my stuff done and get out. 

Anyhoo, winter has felt really long this year but the days are finally getting longer and the temps are rising slightly. Spring is right around the corner. I just know it. But for now, I leave you with me running off into the sunset.

Have a wonderful evening!

Birthday Shout Out

This little guy turned 43 today.

He's now married and he and his wife have 7 kids. My how time flies. 

Happy, happy birthday son. I love you.