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

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

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

Thanks for allowing me to challenge them toward greater Christlikeness. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a Well from Which to Drink!

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

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

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

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

The One Who Hears Your Prayers

Here's my grandson hugging his great-grandmother. 

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

AI Won't Have the Last Word

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

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

Listen and be blessed. 

A. T. Robertson's "Big" Grammar

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

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

Thank you, Professor Robertson! 

Consistency

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

Choice is ours really. 

I Love Hebrew

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

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

Some -- I sporadically read my Hebrew.

Often -- I read the Hebrew every day.

Very often -- I am a Hebrew fanatic.

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

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

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

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

In your precious name, amen. 

How to Get a Stronger Back with Pull Ups

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

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

Have a wonderful evening my friend!

Welcome, Little One!

You Can Start TODAY

Once God gives you an urge or a thought and you don't act on it, it gets weaker. 

If you don't take action on it, it will fade away. 

Every day that happens, losses are made. 

It's progress, but in a negative direction. 

24/7/365, it's you versus you. 

You take good care of your car and your house. 

Why not do the same with your God-given temple? 

You can buy a new car. 

You can buy a new house. 

But you can never buy a new body. 

Neglect your health if you like. 

But spare your kids and grandkids. 

You owe it to them to take better care of yourself.

You know you can do it. 

What are you waiting for? 

Every day you postpone acting on what you know is right, the desire fades away until it is gone forever. 

You can start TODAY. 

Redemption never gets old. 

Very Happy to Do What I Do

This is just a brief report on my gym work today. It was cardio day. It took me 100 minutes to get in my 5 miles. As you can see, I was in a bit of a hurry. 😅

Today I forgot my earbuds so I just enjoyed eyeing the beauty of the outdoors as well as doing some people watching. 

As they left their cars to walk into the gym it was so neat seeing people who were just like me, mere mortals and rank amateurs who love getting fitter. We feel rewarded simply by getting to the gym and trying our best. You have to take whatever talent you have, train as hard as you can, and then see what happens. We must all find that edge between doing just enough to accomplish our goals and doing just a little too much and undermining our efforts. You quickly learn that sometimes enthusiasm is your greatest asset and at other times your greatest liability. Goals can never be too high, but expectations can!

At any rate, I loved getting in my daily step count and then rushing home to enjoy the sunshine and work in the yard. 

Even if I never climbed another mountain or ran another marathon, my workout schedule would be exactly the same. Very happy to do what I do. I know many of you are, too!

The Canvas of Your Life

Every day is like adding a brush stroke to the canvas of your life. 

What is the finished painting of your life going to show about you? 

Need Proof of God's Existence?

Watch a sunset. 

"Weighted" Pull Ups

You're never too fat to do pull ups. You're just doing weighted pull ups! 😄

"Fulfill Your Ministry" (Col. 4:17)

I am so inspired by this verse in Colossians:

The NIV reads:

Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the ministry you received from the Lord."

Here's the NLT: 

"Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you."

Phillips is amazing:

"God ordained you to your work -- see that you don't fail him!"

Finally, here's Eugene Peterson:

"Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best."

David, remember:

1. The Lord Jesus has given you a lifelong ministry. It's a stewardship from him.

2. This ministry needs to be "fulfilled" -- completed and accomplished.

3. You can "take heed" to this ministry by carefully discharging it.

The greatest surprise about aging that I've discovered is how satisfying it is. I enjoy an outlook on life that goes beyond happiness. Instead, there's a sustained tone of equanimity, knowing how the Lord has used me and will continue to fulfill his ministry in me in the days and years ahead. Call it wellbeing, but it's very real. 

It is to feel the sandals of new life on your feet as you continue to climb toward the next level in the spiral up the mountain. 

"Instructions" Are Not Suggestions (the Midway Near Miss)

"For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:2).

What a great text for my morning Bible study! 

As you know, in this fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul's moving from the past to the present, from explanation to exhortation. What follows is plain, practical, ethical teaching based on the new life in Christ.

Notice Paul's tone of authority as he addresses the church. In verse 2 he reminds them of the "instructions" (Greek parangelias) he'd already given them when he was in Thessalonica. This is a forceful word. In ancient times it was frequently used for either a military command or a civilian law. Thus we should understand Paul's "instructions" as authoritative commands. If our goal as believers is to please God, we cannot evade these instructions. 

I'm mentioning this because of the recent near miss at Chicago's Midway Airport. I'm sure you've seen the video. 

Instead of holding short of runway 31C as instructed, the FlexJet proceeded to cross it just as a Southwest Airlines 737 was about to touch down. The pilot and copilot of the SWA jet deserve medals for saving all souls on board. Thank God they were fully engaged and cool as ice. What blows my mind is that the FlexJet pilot seemed distracted from the get-go. Didn't he see the SWA plane about to land? Ask any pilot: Before crossing a runway you always look left and then right, calling out "Clear left, clear right." Works every time. Honestly, the FlexJet pilot sounded a lot like a teenage who's texting while "listening" to his dad's instructions. That nearly led to disaster. Tower "instructions" are not suggestions. They are authoritative commands. If you're told to hold short, you hold short. If you're not sure what to do or where you are, you ask the tower. 

From his general instructions on how to please God (1 Thess. 4:1-2), Paul moves on to specifying ways we should do this. Christian morality is not primarily rules we blindly obey but instructions to keep all of us safe and free from disaster. Complacency is a particularly horrid condition be it in the Christian life or on an airport taxiway. 

67 Degrees and SUNNY!

Hey y'all,

Can you believe it? Today it got up to 67 degrees with plenty of bright sunshine. I find it so much easier to live, move, create, think, and enjoy when there's hot weather, sunshine, shorts, t-shirts, green grass, more smiles on people's faces, and flip flops. Aside for days when the heat is scorching, there's so much to do, and so much life. Due to my upbringing in the 50th state, the sun doesn't bother me because I don't burn. 

Don't take long for me to tan. 

I also enjoy spending more time outdoors because of the longer days. Sunlight exposure encourages the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes a feeling of well-being. That's one reason why I love summer. Spring is a very close second, especially near dawn and dusk. 

This afternoon I fiddled about outdoors the whole time. I genuinely feel cooped up when I spend too much time indoors. Even when I'm being productive I still feel weighed down, like I'm missing something. But when I go outside for a walk or a run or even just to sit on my front porch taking in the surroundings of the farm, my mood is elevated and I just feel more energized. 

I love the outdoors. Thank you, Lord! 

If Exercise Were a Drug

I believe that when exercise is balanced with rest, it:

• Delivers the best attitude boost you can get.
• Provides enhanced vitality that lasts all day.
• Is the best stress reliever.
• Blends body, mind, and spirit better than anything else.
• Raises your body's overall physical performance capacity.

If exercise were a controlled drug, it would out-prescribe any other. The benefits of exercise -- even the simple act of feeding the animals -- are almost unlimited. 

Have a blessed day! 

Finding a Workout Plan You Can Do

Hey all. Just wanted to share what I did today. It's basically my normal routine nowadays. I lifted for an hour and a half, then I got on the treadmill to get my steps in. I finished up with some sets of close grip pull ups as sort of the icing on the cake. 

I get it that not everyone can do pull ups, but it's something you may want to try and learn how to do before you give up completely on the exercise. If it's still not possible, no worries. You can always use the alternatives such as band-assisted pull ups or the machine pull up. I think this depends on one's goals. I also think it's probably better to have a simple workout plan that you can do rather than an ideal workout plan that you're not able to do. 

Either way, I hope these workout reports can help you with your own motivation and goals!

Lipolysis and My College Greek Classes

Today in Greek class my poor students are being inundated with morphemes of every kind. 

Thing is, you never know when this can come in handy. Yesterday I ran across a new word in English. I had no idea what "lipolysis" meant until I looked at its morphemes:

Lipolysis is our body's way of breaking down stored fat.

I always knew there was a reason I took Greek in college! 

Up Early for Steps

Up early, grabbed some coffee, then got in some steps before starting my day. 

It was soooooo nice to be able to walk outdoors again. 

I pray you have a wonderful week as you live it in union with the Lord! 

My Paraphrase of Phil. 1:27-30

Phil. 1:27-30 contains some of the greatest metaphors that Paul uses in all of his writings. The driving word picture is the verb politeuesthe in verse 27. The verb has reference to citizen-soldiers who discharge their obligations faithfully. 

With that in mind, here's the paraphrase I've come with so far. See if you like it. 

Whatever happens to me personally, remember that there's only one thing that really matters. Yes, I realize that you are Roman citizens and rightly proud of it. But what matters most is the fact that you are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Continue, then, to exercise your heavenly citizenship in a manner that's in keeping with the duties and responsibilities which that citizenship imposes. Then, whether I'm able to come and see you again or only hear about you, I will keep on hearing good reports about you, especially that you're standing firm in a united spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the sake of the body of faith revealed in the gospel, not frightened or intimidated in any way by those who oppose you. Such courage will be a sign to them of their impending destruction, but also a clear sign to you of your salvation, and that too is from God. For on behalf of Christ, you have been granted the privilege not merely of believing in him but also suffering for his sake. It's now your turn to take part in the battle you once saw me engaged in and, as you hear, I'm fighting still. 

I repeat: the crowning part of our task in searching the Scriptures is to discover ways the truth applies to our own life and the lives of others. But it all begins by understanding what the biblical author meant to say to his original audience. My desire is to equip you with what you need to do this. If someday we should happen to meet each other in person and you say, "Dave, let me show you what I discovered about this passage as I dug into its grammar and context," no one will be more excited for you than me!

Lasting Lessons from Philippians 1

God's word provides his people with divine insight into how to face the challenges of life. Observation and interpretation always lead to the third step of Bible study, the critical step of application. Here is a list of some of the takeaways I've discovered in this wonderful chapter of Philippians. 

Mountains After the Flood (Great Video)

Maybe you didn't know this, but I'm a huge fan of creation science. I'm an even greater fan when I can combine my passion for creation research with getting in my daily steps.

Here's the video I watched while on the treadmill.

Here creation scientists explore how the earth's mountains were formed either during Noah's flood or just after that catastrophic event. I hope one day they'll make a video about how the Hawaiian Archipelago was formed according to creation science. I've done some preliminary work in this area, but I've yet to see anyone tackle this subject head-on. Oahu would a great island to begin with. 

Its foundational tectonic earth movements, combined with post-diluvian secondary volcanic eruptions (such as Koko Head), would make a fascinating application of flood theory to geology, don't you think? 

Is Sarcopenia Inevitable?

Here's a word you're probably unfamiliar with. It's sarcopenia. It's actually a disease. Sarcopenia begins in your 30s. At that age people begin to lose muscle and strength. The average American male can expect to gain an average of one pound of body fat every year between the ages of 30 to 60 and expect to lose about a half pound of muscle each year over the same time period. If you're in your 60s, it gets ever worse as the rise in body fat replaces muscle mass. 

The experts believe that there's nothing you and I can do about sarcopenia as we get older. Huh? Hasn't anyone out there ever exercised? With exercise we can avoid the loss of muscle tissue and strength as we age. Older doesn't necessarily mean sicker. It's possible to avoid premature disability and death. The average American male already possesses a genetic makeup that will allow him to live beyond 85. The key is to make the best of the genes we have so that we can not just live longer but better. True, there's no stopping the aging process. But we can learn to manage it. Every day, the lifestyle choices we make are affecting our health. The time to plan and act is now. 

I know how hard it can be to make behavioral changes for many reasons. But the truth is, it takes far less to prevent disease than it does to treat it. Most doctors are paid to treat -- not prevent -- disease. The insurance industry doesn't reward your physician for being proactive about preventing illness. That said, if your health is not perfect, you are not completely without fault. You must therefore learn how to prevent or reverse the loss of bone and muscle tissue. It's not too late to get with the program. You've got nothing to lose except for all those extra pounds you're carrying around!

God Still Carries Us

Are you growing older? Embrace it. God is still sending you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. "I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, and I'll keep on carrying you when you're old. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you" (Isa. 46:4, The Message).

Fitness Routines

Hey guys. I thought I'd throw together some vids showing my workout today at the Y. These are meant mostly for my great grandkids. Someday they may want to know what their Great-Papa-B was like. When they ask their father (my current grandson) what I was like, he'll point them to my blog -- and mightily bored they will be.

Staying in relatively decent shape has always been a priority for me partly because of all the traveling I've done in Africa, Asia, and so forth. Despite not having the greatest genetics, average people like me can be fairly good at maintaining a decent level of muscle mass and relative leanness. For me, this is partly due to the fact that the Lord has blessed me with the "gift" of sleeping (this gift is mentioned in First Conditionings 6:14). 

If you're trying to get into shape and your sleep suffers, it's not a very good combination. Getting a good night's sleep like I did last night (I slept for 10 hours) just makes showing up at the gym so much easier in the first place, not to mention the fact that it makes your workouts far more enjoyable and productive when you get there. I honestly never have to "force" myself to the gym when I don't feel like going, and I think that it's probably due to adhering to a bedtime routine that leads me to wake up at a similar time every day without an alarm.

Of course, maintaining fitness is more than sleeping. You still need to keep your body fat within a certain range and have some kind of control over your calories and macros. Every morning I get my protein and carbs at Bo's (sausage biscuit), a meal that is fairly low calorie so that I can afford a much higher calorie dinner with plenty of protein. This daily routine helps me to stay roughly where I need to be in terms of calories without having to actually enter calories into an app. I also train 3 days a week and get in between 8-10,000 steps a day. 

Currently I'm not making any really significant gains in terms of muscle mass, but that doesn't mean I don't train as if I'm trying to build muscle. At this point in my lifting "career," my progress has plateaued, but at the same time I'm losing unwanted body fat through cardio. The truth is, you're going to go through phases in lifting when you're more or less in a real good groove with your training. At my age I'm someone who's pretty much grateful just to be able to get out of bed in the morning. I do think that if you really want to get into good shape for life, at some point you need to start thinking long term, which means incorporating into your daily lifestyle basic things that will help you arrive at your health and future goals. 

Well, that's all for now. I told you you'd be bored. But as I said, I write these posts mainly for my descendants, who already show promising signs of moving well with their bods. 

Day Dream Believer

I'm sitting here watching the Waikiki Beach live web cam. One can always dream, right? 

Lovely Winter Day

Phil. 1:27-30: Initial Observations

Just trying to practice what I preach.

Next step: In-depth exegesis.