You're Invited: Upcoming New Testament Seminar

Please join us at FBC Charlottesville on Saturday, October 14, 2023, for a one-day seminar on the synoptic problem and New Testament textual criticism. Admission (lunch included) is FREE. More information here. 

Don't Be a Quitter

Today my Greek students took their first exam of the semester. I am so proud of them. They did great. I appreciate their endurance. If there's one thing they're not, it's quitters. In 1 Thess. 5:14, Paul uses a word for "lazy" (ataktoi) that originally meant "quitters." In every walk of life, there are the quitters. Don't be lazy, says Paul. Don't be a quitter. There is always another step you can take. 

Don't give up. 

The Beckoning Alps

I'm now in touch with my mountain guide in Switzerland. 

He led me on 4 climbs safely in the past. 

Folks, this is getting real. If I do decide to return to the Alps, I will be all in. I am both scared and excited. As soon as we decide on my trip dates, I'll let you know. 

Religion Or Christ?

My Romanian family emigrated to the U.S. from Transylvania. This weekend's conference also saw many families from this part of Romania and thus many of the folks I met could speak German. 

Every time I could, I brought up this famous exhortation of the great Norwegian scholar Ole Hallesby:

"Fange damit an, Gott zu bitten, er möge dir begegnen and dir ein persönliches Gotteserlebnis schenken. Bitte um den Heiligen Geist und lies täglich dein Neues Testament mit diesem Gebet! Dann wirst du ein Christ werden, d.h., du wirst Gott in Christus begegnen."

I could not agree more!

At a Bible Conference This Weekend

This weekend a Romanian Baptist congregation near Atlanta held their annual fall conference at Lake Junaluska in beautiful western North Carolina. 

It was my joy and honor to address them 4 times. 

They welcomed me with open arms. 

Maybe it was because I am half Romanian. But I think it's mostly because they are such wonderful people. Jesus, I argued, is the perfect model for the human developmental cycle. He stooped. Low enough to become the perfect man. Low enough to increase in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. And then he stood up from the dead and left us with a model for us to follow as we seek to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

Do not accept the myth of adolescence. You'll get through child rearing. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use even your mistakes for good.

The WHOLE Bible Is Profitable

The Gospels contain two genealogies of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most people just skip over them. They are bored by the repetitive "so and so begat." This is a grave mistake. The genealogy of Jesus found in Luke 3 is an amazing account. Read Luke 3:23 and see for yourself what makes that verse unique in all of the Bible. 

I am more convinced than ever that the entire Bible is inspired by God and profitable/useful/practical. 

Never Too Late to Start

Climbing a 4,000-meter peak is an amazing experience. You are wasted when you arrive at the summit. And you still have to climb down! Do I have one more peak in me? I have until next summer to find out. If you'd like an idea of what's involved, watch this great video (click "Watch on YouTube")

Can you now see why I love mountaineering so much? 

Training for a climb like this takes a lot of discipline. Today's training was divided between a run at the High Bridge Trail and a workout at the gym. As you can see, the weather in Farmville was perfect for a run. 

I took my same old leisurely pace. 

Earlier at the gym, I completed my pull ups and then ran in place for some cardio. 

 

I may not be very good at what I do, but people tell me that I train with a teanager's enthusiasm. An old sports saying goes like this: "It's never too late to start, and it's always too soon to stop." 

These are words I live by. I hope you do too. 

Can You See It????

The arrow on the FedEx truck logo, that is. Care to try it? 

Can't Wait for the Virginia 10 Miler!

In two weeks the Virginia 10 Miler will take place in Lynchburg. I had to choose between it and the Chicago Half Marathon. Really, it wasn't much of a choice. No race can match the Virginia 10 Miler. Of course, I'm a little biased because I live in Virginia. But that doesn't change the fact that this is a great race. The course is a killer, but that's one of the reasons we runners love it so much. Here I am after setting a new PR for the race. 

The final stretch is all uphill, and it's brutal. All of this is offset by a truly scenic course, excellent aid stations, and absolutely incredible crowd support. It's usually perfect fall weather too. It's also great to see so many professional runners from Kenya and Ethiopia there. They are fun to watch, but they can't compare to the historic match between two running giants, Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. 

It sure will feel good to get out there again.

Nothing of God Dies

When Moses died, said the great A. W. Tozer, "nothing of God died." Joshua simply took over leadership. Nothing of God dies when you lose a loved one. He is still the same God. Widowed friend, take heart in that truth today. 

Preaching That Transforms

I will be speaking again this weekend, and as I reflect on the decades that I've been a follower of Jesus, I can remember countless well-prepared, soul-challenging messages that contributed to my own spiritual growth. They represented truth that was drawn from the word of God, truth that opened my heart to God in ways that I would have missed on my own. When the application was driven home, it invaded some area of my life that needed correction. In these sermons I found both refreshment and encouragement. How eminently blessed I am to have been the recipient of such blessings, and how I hope and pray that I can do the same for my listeners this weekend. This weekend, may we all learn to find precious treasures in God's word and have our very lives transformed. 

Dependent on the Creator

I've been watching the weather closely in view of Hurricane Lee's path up our eastern seaboard. 

As you know, I love to surf, but it seems like the only time there are any waves in Virginia Beach is when there's a storm brewing. When I saw that there are supposed to be 7-foot waves there on Thursday, the news was so good that I practically fell out of my chair. 

The problem is that the wave conditions will be anything but suitable for riding. 

I called some friends in VB and they confirmed what I was thinking: The waves will be totally blown out. I'm kinda bummed because I was really looking forward to surfing again before the weather turned cold. The last time I was in VB with my board was last summer. This photo was taken on July 11, 2022. 

That day the waves were smallish but the conditions were good. So I'll continue to monitor the surf reports and the weather. As with farming, you realize just how dependent you are on the Creator when you want to go out and catch a few swells. 

I Never Return Home ...

 And there's not a welcome committee greeting me!

New Testament "Geek"

I chuckled when I found this typo in my manuscript this morning: 

On the other hand, maybe someone should write a book for that New Testament "Geek" you know! 

Learning to Lift As an Older Man

Today I resumed my pull up challenge at the Y. The goal, you will recall, is to perform 5 sets of 5 pull ups daily for 30 days, taking one day off a week. 

I'm grateful for the progress I seem to be making. 

Even my triathlon swim times seem to be improving now that I'm working on my upper back and arm strength. The studies I've read about aging and lifting all seem to indicate the following for 60+ lifters:

• We have a vastly lower response to weight training than lifters who are under 60.
• Heavy sessions need to be less frequent.
• Lighter sessions should comprise MOST of our work.
• Injury avoidance is HUGE in our training.
• If you started lifting in your 60+ age group, you will see life-altering changes, but you will also begin to peak soon.
• If you started during an earlier age group, you will get smaller and weaker through this range. 

So many of us can't accept the fact that we have to go lighter as we grow older. Plus, injuries when you grow older can be devastating. If you are relatively active, you are going to face the possibility of injury and you have to learn to work with it. Warm ups, warm downs, stretching, good nutrition, and adequate sleep are NOT optional. I'm not gonna lie. It's hard work, but it's also so enjoyable. Slow and steady is the name of the game, but making gains and seeing benefits is so encouraging. I just keep telling myself that I intend to keep at this for a long time so there's no rush to load on massive weights. 

I have to say I am so grateful at how much more endurance the Lord has allowed me to attain. I am learning to be accepting of my limits, and I try to take what my body gives me and maybe just a tiny bit more. Persistence pays off. I'm watching my recovery and my joints really carefully but I'm not averse to risk. "Youth rewards the bold, age rewards the patient" are very wise words! 

God willing, I'd like to age in place, meaning living at home. I love what I do and believe that I can continue to get better. I'm a little late to the party, but I can't thank God enough for letting me start when I did. 

We Are Never Alone

When Becky died, I knew I was not alone, even though I had just lost the love of my life. My heavenly Father said not a word because he knew I could not hear one. Instead, he was there with me -- a vast presence, silent and subtle, but nevertheless there with me. I didn't need him to say anything. I needed him to hold me, to hear my pain. I needed to tell him how utterly unbearable all of this was and that if he did not help me to shoulder the burden I would never make it. 

The odd thing? More often than not, that loving presence looked a lot like my daughter's shoulder or my son's company. I held out my arms to them and they held me back. 

Doug Manning once wrote, "Loneliness comes only in one size -- extra large." In a word, your world goes silent. Death is a wilderness so vast that most of us don't know how to negotiate it. You survive by remembering one thing. You are never alone. A common thread links us all together no matter who we are. It's called being human. It's called holding one another. It's called saying nothing but hearing everything. 

When a spouse dies, you don't need a person to "fix you." Only God can mend a broken heart. But what you can do is reach out. Others will embrace your grief with you if you ask them to. It may help if you let them know that you would like them to call you frequently, to listen, to help with chores, to pray with you. You might tell them, "If I don't always make sense, please forgive me. Be patient with me." They'll understand. They are there for you.

Everyone needs something when a spouse dies. I needed someone to listen, to be there, to hold me, to talk to me, to go somewhere with me, to cry with me, to be the face of God in my life at that moment. They told me, in ways far deeper than words could ever express, that the ache in my heart would go away. That life would become more bearable. That there is a finished highway in my future. I might not know exactly when or where, but it is there. That hope would return. That I would be able to move on with my life. 

My children have been a constant source of strength and encouragement to me. Almost every day I take a few moments to send them a text message. Occasionally I will call them just to hear their voices. My life is filled with bounty, even as I continue to miss Becky. If I have learned anything in the past 10 years, it's to rely on God's grace in the midst of all of my inadequacy. God's sovereignty is no longer an abstract doctrine to me. I have brought my pain to him as never before. I will never again be completely whole, but I know beyond any doubt that he is with me. Life fills me with joy and awe. 

Brokenness drove me to God, and there I will stay until he calls me home.

Final Touches

One last pass at my chapter and then the book will go to the printer. 

I am still amazed that I am an author or that someone would read anything I wrote. 

I hope this book exhibits my conviction that, whatever else textual criticism is, it is an indispensable part of exegesis.

The Day I Became the Happiest Man on Earth

Who would have imagined that this amazing woman would have said "yes" to me when I proposed to her! 

But two months after this photo was taken, she did, and 47 years ago tomorrow we became husband and wife. This beautiful daughter of God made my dreams come true by saying "I do." I'm still in awe. Honey, you changed the world for the better, and we're so very grateful. You are gone but not forgotten.

P.S. If the Lord gives me the strength to do so, tomorrow I hope to share with you a few reflections on what Becky's life meant to me through 37 years of marriage, and what her death and its aftermath has taught me about God's grace. Your prayers are appreciated. 

Write It Down

A highly underrated Bible study tip: Process what you're learning through writing it down. Writing will help you to clarify your thoughts. 

What's Your Blood Type?

Basic to all discipleship is our commitment to the word of God. I was reminded of this during my morning Bible study in 2 Timothy. We must never underestimate the cost of what it means to follow the Lord Jesus. We want to "know him" (Phil. 3:10). Equally, we may say that knowledge of Scripture is knowledge of Christ. Hence Bible study demands our greatest effort. 

May we so daily immerse ourselves in the Scriptures that our blood becomes, in the words of John Stott, "bibline." Yes, it will require hard work. But oh the privilege of studying God's word! Daily. Deeply. Doggedly. Deliberately. Diligently. We do not come to the Bible to prove a point or even to find a sermon. We read to understand and to experience what we understand. And note: Not all of its diamonds are exposed on the surface. Their richness is mined only through hard intellectual and spiritual spadework.

Is your blood type "bibline"? 

My Training Day Today

It sure seemed like fall today. 

The temp was 72, there was cloud cover, and the humidity was low for once. 

I still perspired a lot but that's just me.

Earlier, I had a monster workout at the Y. To change things up a bit, I performed a great high intensity form of training called myo reps -- a sort of rest-pause training that helps you gain muscle faster by condensing a larger number of effective reps down into a smaller window. Instead of performing a standard "3 sets of 8," for example, you do an initial higher rep set followed by a series of lower rep "mini" sets with only a very short rest between sets. 

What I like about this technique is that it gets my heart pumping and I feel like I'm getting a fairly good cardio workout in addition to the muscle-building effect. It also helps me to avoid so-called "junk" reps. 

Needless to say, all of this is extremely tiring, and when I got home I treated my body to a 3 hour nap. In addition, instead of taking only one day off from exercising this week, I'm going to take both Sunday and Monday off, have my usual sports massage in Wake Forest on Monday, and then return to the gym on Tuesday, Lord willing.

Time to cook supper. I pray you have a wonderful Lord's Day tomorrow. 

Farming Pic of the Day

New Goal/Challenge

I am currently in the process of doing a 30-day challenge. My goal is to do 5 sets of 5 pull ups 6 days a week for one month. 

At the gym today. 

Consistency will be the key. But hey -- consistency is the key in many other areas of life as well. My Greek students know this well. 

There are two types of consistency in life. The first is the one we can control. This means all the decisions you make -- large or small -- to consciously start working on and sticking to your workout plan. The second is consistency that is totally outside of your control, for example being at the mercy of your health. So it is important to understand that being steady with your training (or your studying) without a solid plan is not going to cut it. If you are fighting to achieve a certain goal you are not as likely to fall off the bandwagon. So you need to learn how to schedule your priorities. As you watch your physique transform before your very eyes, you will know that your efforts will ultimately pay off. 

Never lose sight of the goal along the way! 

Chuck Swindoll: A Model of Communication

While in Texas I had the chance to visit an old friend who was Becky's youth pastor at Grace Bible Church in Dallas, where we were married in 1976. 

Chuck is one of the best public speakers I have ever heard. On Sunday he was coming off a 9 week sabbatical, and you could tell how happy he was to be back in the saddle. 

This month Stonebriar will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, so Chuck reflected on what he saw as his major priorities for the church for the past two and a half decades. 

Chuck has always impressed me as being a very loving pastor. I think that's what makes him such an effective speaker. Do you see yourself as a public speaker? If so, do you see yourself as confident, prepared, and effective? Public speaking involves an organized, face-to-face, well-prepared and intentional attempt to inform, entertain, or persuade people through words, physical delivery, and visual clues. The ancient Greeks used public speaking primarily to praise or persuade others. Since all Greek citizens had the right to speak during the assembly, a need for skilled public speakers arose. I do enough public speaking to know how difficult it can be to do it well. If you do ever have a chance to view any of Chuck's sermons, I believe you will learn much about what is needed to do it well. 

• Chuck smiles much.
• He focuses on his audience, not a camera. 
• He pauses between key thoughts, thus allowing people to process information.
• He is an expert at making proper word choices.
• He avoids a monotone delivery.
• He speaks clearly, enunciates carefully.
• He speaks from the heart.
• He has a knack for simplifying the complex.

In addition, he rarely refers to his notes. When he does, it's mostly to quote someone verbatim. Pastor friend, if you can, refer to your notes as seldom as possible. And for heaven's sake, stop scrolling down your iPad with your index finger. Every time you do that, you lose your audience. 

Through the years I've learned much about public speaking from pastor-teachers like Chuck Swindoll. Learning from his experience has reminded me again of the type of speaker I hope to become some day. Chuck is always a blessing with his balance, lucidity, and depth. His messages are worth watching. 

Stonebriar is a note-taking church. I love that. 

Take a Hike!

While YouTube is a decent informational starting point for anyone taking the initiative with his or her own health, try to ignore all the adds and "special offers." Instead, shut off the computer and go for a 30-minute walk. 

The Bible -- Divine and Human

The Bible is a human book and it is also a divine book. Neither can be denied. If we look on the Bible as only human, as many liberal scholars do, then we approach the Bible purely rationally. If we look at the Bible as only divine while ignoring its human elements, we approach the Bible as a good luck charm. Seek to read the Bible as you would any other book while at the same time affirming its absolute uniqueness as a book of divine truth from the very hand of God. 

Recovering Your Fitness

If you'd love to return to that earlier, more athletic phase of your prime, remember that fitness decline is not irreversible. Getting back into shape requires that you make a long-term commitment to diet and regular exercise. Yes, it's just that simple. 

Here's to Community

Hey there. Just back from the Big D. It was a privilege of mine to be around some awfully wonderful people this weekend. Here are the church elders of the congregation to which I spoke on Sunday. 

The membership is mainly comprised of believers from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The church was celebrating its 6th anniversary as a congregation and asked me to speak. 

While in Texas I also spent a lot of time with this dear lady. Mom is 92 years young. 

She lost dad two years ago after 69 years of marriage. 

We stayed up late into the night talking about the Lord and his faithfulness. Her life is like a deep well of truth. I sat and drank it all in as she talked. 

I also managed to get in some exercise -- much needed in view of all the eating out we did. Monday's triathlon was very well attended despite the heat and humidity that's plaguing DFW these days. 

I am glad to see that the body marking included not only your race number but your age. 

Below is my gun time at the finish. My chip time was 2:09. I am very okay with that. 

As I wrote before I left for Dallas, this time every September is like an emotional roller coaster for me. I am always astonished at how life can throw things at you that shake you to the core. When this happens, you get very clear, very fast about what is important. Life in community (be it a "church" community or a "running" community or a "family" community) means that you can open the door and someone will always be on the other side, someone who can hold your hand when your life is a blur. It means that you're never really alone. We weren't meant to grieve a loss by ourselves. Life is so much easier, so much richer, when you're doing it shoulder to shoulder with a community of people who can be strong when you are weak, when you ask "Why did I lose her?" 

Once again I'm left in awe of the way God orchestrates our lives. He weaves our stories together. Now mom and I both know the heartache of being widowed. We have front row seats to some of the most incredible blessings from the God of all comfort. 

It makes you long for your other home, not the one on the other side of the continent but the one on the other side of the universe, that home where community means everything and personal space means nothing, where the praise of God comes as easily as breathing. 

So here's to many more late nights of shared hearts and shared praise. To worshiping with Africans. To Mexican food. To trips to the cemetery. To strolls down memory lane. 

Here's to community. 

Swahili in Texas

This Sunday will be a first for me. I'm speaking in a Swahili-speaking congregation in Fort Worth. The DFW region has an estimated population of 7.5 million people. One third of them speak a language other than English. 2 million speak Spanish as a native language. The second most widely spoken language is Vietnamese. This is especially true in the city of Garland. There are 53,000 Chinese speakers as well. Both Plano and Richardson have vibrant Chinese communities. As for African languages, DFW has the largest population of Nigerians in the U.S. Ethiopians are also very populous. Want great Ethiopian food? Dallas is where it's at. (Our go-to spot is the Desta Ethiopian Restaurant in Richardson.) 

There are roughly 90,000 Swahili speakers in North America. One of the largest concentrations is found in Texas. Fort Worth boasts many Swahili-speaking congregations. Over 100 universities in the U.S. offer courses in Swahili. Today Swahili is the lingua franca of East Africa spoken by more than 140 million people. It is one of the official languages of the African Union. It is the only language that cuts across different African cultures. I'm told that, like Hawaiian, most words have vowels between every consonant. It also lacks both definite and indefinite articles. 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know a single word of Swahili. (Okay. I just lied. There's "jambo," right?) Maybe they will teach me a few this weekend. 

Fun fact: The language of Ethiopia (Amharic) is the most widely spoken African language in the following states:

• Washington
• California
• Nevada
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• West Virginia
• Virginia

Oh, did I mention South Dakota? South Dakota? Whaaaat? 

Happy September!

Happy September! September will always have a special meaning for me. Becky and I would have been married for 47 years this Sept. 11. September is the month when I think most about the mystery of marriage. During our 4 year cancer journey, God answered our prayers mysteriously and "exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine." I think of old Joshua's farewell address to the people of God. "You know in your hearts and souls, all of you," he said, "that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed." I do not weep any more for Becky. I am thankful for such a gift of grace. I am sure she was "assigned" to me, just as I am sure that you feel your own spouse is assigned to you. Her beautiful, freckled face is always before me. She never pitied herself. She expected no special treatment from God or from others. She took for granted the fact that she would continue on this earth as long as God had a work for her to do. She delighted to do his will. A husband cannot protect a dying spouse. But he can bring her to the cross, where a married couple's longings, hopes, and fears are gathered up in everlasting love. 

I had no power to control the circumstances surrounding Becky's illness. What I could do was choose how I would respond to them. Becky had that same faith. After 37 years of marriage, she died with dignity and in hope. When memories of our marriage flood my mind, as they will do this month, I will offer them to God the best I can. The sense of loss that I feel today is sweet as well as bitter. My heartache reminds me that heaven is man's true destiny, however good life on this earth may be. Until then, may those who grieve find their peace in the God who sustains meaning and purpose for broken people like me.