Big Lessons from the Greek Games (Phil. 3:12-16)

When Paul wrote Philippians, the Olympic Games had been around for 700 years. And though the early Christians had reservations about the Greek games -- not least the invocation of the gods and all the violence -- it didn't stop writers like Paul from pulling big lessons from the games about spiritual reality. "Learn from those athletes," Paul might have said. "Start with ditching your small ambitions. Be as passionate about your Christianity as athletes are about sports."

In Phil. 3:12-16 there's an image of a racecourse stretching out before a runner who's pressing on to reach the finish line and win the prize. Paul is emphatic: He hasn't yet attained complete knowledge of Christ. Yet that doesn't discourage him. Instead, his imperfect knowledge drives him on to know Christ more and more.

Think of a marathon runner. You have a consuming desire to run the race. You're almost obsessed with it. In a sense, the total focus of your life is to finish the race. The fact that the race is long and arduous doesn't dampen your ardor in the least. Rather, the challenge drives you forward. The unimaginably difficult distance doesn't deter you. You're keenly aware of the immensity of the task. It's difficulty could easily paralyze you if you let it. Nevertheless, the reason you signed up for the race is precisely because of the greatness of the effort involved. As a consequence, you set out on the course to see whether you have what it takes to complete it successfully. Past attainments are forgotten. The only thing that matters now is continual concentration. Your head is fixed forward, never glancing backward over your shoulder. With resolute determination, you pursue the end of the course. 

If that doesn't describe the Christian life!

Thankfully, Paul doesn't expect us to achieve everything on our own. There is a God who is in charge of it all, whose purpose is to make us like his Son. As we obey the truth he's already given us, he himself will take control of the process. 

In the meantime, like Paul we have not yet "arrived." We are still on the way. 

Finishing the St. George Marathon in Utah. Of my 20 marathons, this race remains my PR. 

Will Surfers Ruin Surfing?

Just saw another report about mainland surfers not being welcome at the North Shore. Localism is the most ridiculous "rule" in all of surfing. Respect locals, yes, but that doesn't give locals any rights on nature's assets and to behave like jerks. Locals should be respected as keepers of the sport, but not as being idiots. I remember surfing Ehukai and Sunset and Point Panic and Ala Moana back in the 60s when there were only a handful of us out there. 

Now there's literally 50+ surfers vying for every wave. So I can see where locals expect priority. But we need to show some aloha to visitors as well. The same goes for California and any other surfing spot. 

Wouldn't it be sad if surfers ruined surfing?

Below: At Publics in Waikiki last summer. I got along fine with the locals even though they didn't know I'm a kamaaina. 

Gods and Generals

Heading to Northern Virginia tomorrow for a speaking engagement, which means I should be able to make a quick stop at the Chancellorsville Battlefield on the drive up. 

This battle enjoys a prominent place in Jeff Shaara's book Gods and Generals -- the prequel, if you will, to his father's Killer Angels, which formed the basis for the movie Gettysburg. 

I realize that the dialogues in both books are characterizations (and thus speculation), but it all feels so very real. If you like a story told from multiple and conflicting angles, these books are for you. That said, Killer Angels is far and away the better read. 

Calculating Life's Risks

If God wills, in exactly 4 months I leave for my attempt to climb the Riffelhorn in the Swiss Alps. The Riffelhorn has a number of routes you can take to the top. I'm told that the South peak has the best route options as well as the best views of the Breithorn (which I've already climbed) and the Gorner Glacier down below. The East side is said to be the easiest side to climb and is used by most beginners. The West ridge is said to be the most challenging climbing route. Whichever you route you take, you will be in Matterhorn-like terrain. Which route I take will be up to my guide based on my current fitness level. Pictures like this one will help him make that decision. 

In the Alps, even the "easiest" routes have tremendous exposure, so you need to be prepared to be challenged. You absolutely MUST have solid fitness and endurance to do this. If you are overweight you will almost certainly fail. I would never attempt it without a professional mountain guide (fee: $800.00 per day). Climbing with a knowledgeable guide is like having a mentor by your side, offering not just safety but words of encouragement as you're climbing. 

During our journey of life, overcoming a challenge offers a greater feeling of success than something easy enough to do every day. I've spent a lot of time talking to my family about this. I assured them I wouldn't take any unnecessary risks. Risk can be calculated. We realize that even great hardships in life can be acceptable. When you step out of your comfort zone you can develop great skills that can enrich your life. I tell students who are contemplating getting a doctorate to choose, not the easiest program, but the most difficult one. Much of the growth I've experienced as a teacher has come from the risks I took by choosing to go to Basel for my D.Theol. We had to live in a different culture. We had to become fluent in a foreign language. We had to get accustomed to a completely different educational system. We would be living far from home. Despite the fears, uncertainties, and so on, I look back on our stay in Basel as some of the very best years of my life. Taking that risk helped me to discover my strengths and weaknesses as a Greek teacher. I think even taking small risks can improve our judgment and life skills. Taking a risk just to be taking a risk is stupid. Personally, I don't want to live in regret and what-ifs. I'd rather live my life trying than never doing anything. Though no longer young, I'm still adventurous. But before taking a risk I always try to perform my due diligence. 

In short, you don't want to look back over life thinking about all the things you should have done. Everyone will have regrets, but ideally you don't wish you'd done it all differently. 

The Bible: The Most Illegal Book in History

Did you know that the Bible was once the most illegal book in history? In 1408 a law was passed in England prohibiting the translation of the Bible into English. But that didn't stop William Tyndale. 

He smuggled 1,800 English Bibles across the channel into Britain. Later he was burnt at the stake, having being condemned of heresy. (The Bible is still on the banned book list in some 52 countries.)

The prologue of the Tyndale New Testament reads as follows:

"I haue here translated (brethern and susters most dere and tenderly beloued in Christ) the newe Testament for youre spirituall edifyinge, consolacion and solas."

Some of the most popular Bible translations in English today are revisions of Tyndale. If you compare it with the RSV, NRSV, and ESV, in many places it is very similar if not identical. Tyndale's devotion and martyrdom for God's word reminds me not only of the necessity of English translations but also their surpassing value. This point is clearly made by John Miles in a recent Youtube video.

The Bible we hold in our hands today is to a great degree the result of one man's willingness to "be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13). Every person in the world who writes, speaks, or even thinks in English is indebted to William Tyndale. That's about 2 billion of us. What a man he was.

Glory to God! 

It's All God's Grace

The Christian Life Is a Struggle; But That Ought Not Lead to Despair (Phil. 3:12-16)

In writing the book of Philippians, Paul wants his readers to know that his one goal in life is Christlikeness in character, attitude, and behavior. At the same time, he's clear that he hasn't yet arrived at the goal. Likewise, as believers, we know that we've started, but we know we're not what we ought to be. This truth, I believe, will help us to avoid the trap of despair. 

Despair happens when we allow our ever-changing emotions to dominate our thoughts rather than the never-changing promises of God. We struggle against sin so much that we even begin to doubt our salvation. I've often had a student come to my office and say to me, "How can I possibly be a Christian? I'm such a failure. I'm finding it really difficult to battle against the materialism and impurity all around me." I often reply, "That's not a bad thing. What you're saying is a good sign. The Christian life is a tough race, it's a tough battle." I remind them that all the verbs in the New Testament about the Christian life are action terms:

Fight the good fight of faith.

Wrestle with me in prayer.

Resist the devil.

Run the race.

You see, one of the signs of progress in your Christian walk is humility. Paul had it. "I've started but I'm not what I ought to be." That's refreshing to read. There's a great deal of humility there. "I have not attained. I'm not perfect. I haven't gotten there yet." He's referring to the mature life, the Christlike life. There's a constant tension between perfection and immaturity. And it will last until the day we see Jesus face to face.

Plutarch, the first century philosopher, said that when young men came to study in Athens, they went through three stages. 

They came as wise men. After they'd been there a little while they were lovers of wisdom. At the end of their course they described themselves as fools. We're in the school of Christ, says Paul. We're aiming for the unattainable, for perfection, knowing full well that in this life we can never attain it. We can live with that tension once we understand it.

In the car this morning I was listening to C. S. Lewis's remarkable book Mere Christianity. In it he writes these words:

God knows our situation. He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them. Before we can be cured, we must want to be cured. Those who really wish for help will get it.

Then he adds this powerful statement:

We may indeed be sure that perfect chastity, like perfect charity, will not be attained by any merely human effort. You must ask for God's help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure, ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just the power of always trying again. For however important chastity or courage or truthfulness or any other virtue may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and on the other that we need not despair even in our worst. For our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down with anything less than perfection.

What an encouragement! Paul never heard about Nike or New Balance. He probably never ran a literal race. But he knew enough about track and field to realize just how difficult the Christian life is. That's why, in talking about our walk with Christ, he used hard words like fight, struggle, battle, and race. He knew what he was talking about. 

Why not take a few moments and develop of list of, say, the five biggest struggles you are dealing with right now that are holding you back from running your race. Write them down, using a brief phrase to describe them:

1. ______________________________.

2. ______________________________.

3. ______________________________.

4. ______________________________.

5. ______________________________.

Talk to the Lord about these regularly, asking him to help you to overcome them. And remember: He's on your side, even when you fall down. As Lewis said, when that happens ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. 

Inspired by Today's Run!

All day long I've been pouring myself into Phil. 3:12-16 -- our passage for next week's Greek class. As you know, here Paul uses a common metaphor from the Olympic Games, that of running a race. Inspired by that, today I took to the High Bridge Trail in Farmville to get in my steps by running instead of walking. 

I ran at a pace I feel I could run at forever. I have the energy of an animal, the ease of movement, that good lean body, that sense of occupying the greatest space in time, the Master's creation. 

There are many reasons to run. But mostly I run because I am a runner. 

So, too, are you. Self-renewing compulsion is not only for athletic elites. It's for all of us. We too are meant to be athletes, not spectators. That's Paul message in Phil. 3:12-16. The Christian life is no spectator sport. It's for everyone. It requires participation. Believers need to see Christ as the all-consuming passion of their lives. 

I'll have more on this amazing passage of Scripture soon!

Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain in GETTYSBURG

Been rewatching Gettysburg directed by Ron Maxwell -- one of my favorite movies of all time. The actors were all superb, but none more so than Jeff Daniels as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top. Gettysburg would not be the epic movie that it is without Daniels. His soliloquies are the heart and soul of the film. 

It's always been amazing to me that Daniels was in both Gettysburg and Dumb and Dumber within a year or two of each other. Talk about versatility in acting. In Gettysburg Daniels absolutely killed it when he went from the soft spoken college professor to a soldier shouting "Fix bayonets!" in just a few frames. 

Now that is acting. No one could have matched Jeff Daniels in that role. He should have won an Oscar for Chamberlain. He was more than merely "inspired." Who could have imagined a Bowdoin College professor becoming a Civil War hero and a Medal of Honor recipient? Daniels made that movie! Sam Elliott also gave an Oscar-worthy performance as Buford in a small, supporting role. 

Love this film!

The "Skinny Fat" Excuse

People often blame their physique on "bad" genetics. But should they? 

I've always been skinny. 

As I've aged, I've begun to become more "skinny fat" -- still skinny but with a pouch. I think what we need to do is acknowledge that it isn't just because of bad genetics that we're fat or skinny fat. It's because of our lifestyle choices and habits. In my 30s and 40s I would often come home from work and eat a whole bag of Doritos and a bunch of other junk food, so it was no wonder that I had a pouch. The good news is that through little lifestyle choices and habits we can overcome an unhealthy diet. You can begin to burn calories through things like walking and your general movement throughout the day. It's pretty obvious that you also need to build muscle by lifting about 3 times a week. You need to be contentiously doing this to make sure your body is continually adapting so as to get stronger and stronger. If you can, be sure to find a gym where the trainers are eager to help you track your progress with a camera. 

Walking definitely is a game-changer if you're getting up to 20k steps a day while keeping your calories low and your protein high. Together with strength training, this formula for weight loss is virtually impossible to fail. I'm now 72 and in the best shape of my life so far. People want the next gimmick or trick diet but the truth is that many of us are moving too little. Physical labor jobs are a no-brainer if you can go that route. If not, you have to get out of that chair and move.

Just some thoughts. Have a wonderful day! 

Snack Time

Hawaii Beckons

Lord willing, in 13 weeks from today I will hop on a plane for Hawaii, where I plan to spend 9 days surfing. This will be my 10th trip to Oahu in as many years. I spent the morning prepping for all the paddling I'll be doing by lifting and then getting in my 20,000 steps. 

For surfing you need a really strong core, arm strength for the pop up, and a strong back and rear delts for all the paddling you have to do, especially at Diamond Head. 

Really, surfing is a full body activity. You're mostly paddling and waiting, but once you're up and riding you're recruiting the muscles in your legs and core. To increase your time out in the water you'll also need to focus on cardiovascular fitness. Even in Hawaii, we have small and flat days when you might catch only one or two waves while you're out for 3 hours. But I'm never happier than when I am in "my" element, the ocean, where I was born and bred. 

Of course, the best exercise for surfing is surfing. Keeping my eye on the Virginia Beach surf report! 

How We Are to Rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 3:1)

I loved going through Phil. 3:1-11 yesterday in class. Thank you, Jesus, for making it so plain how we are to rejoice in you! I want to do every one of these things in the days I have left on this earth!

1. Boasting in Christ -- not in ourselves or our accomplishments, but in what God has done for us in Christ Jesus!

2. Gaining Christ -- because Christ himself is the true profit in life. We can't afford to lose him!

3. Being found in Christ -- that is, when we stand before his bema seat not on our own merits but the all-overcoming merits of Christ!

4. Knowing Christ -- which is much more than the acquisition of facts or a mere intellectual apprehension of truth but rather a personal and intimate relationship with him. It involves the mind, yes, but primarily the heart. To know Christ is more important than anything else in the world!

5. Becoming like Christ in his death -- that is, by renouncing our own selfish desires and saying "yes" to the Christ who calls us to take up our cross daily!

So there you have it:

• Boast in Christ!
• Gain Christ!
• Be found in Christ!
• Know Christ!
• Become like Christ! 

The prize of the Christian life is Christ himself and living our lives close to him and his cross! Friend, if you want a humdrum existence, a boring life with no adventure, no challenge, no excitement, no deep satisfaction, then you'd better not read Philippians any more because you can have that kind of life all by yourself without any outside help! 

Was Matthew Our First Gospel? Interview with Tim Miller of the Shepherd's Seminary

Now this was lots of fun!

Free Book in Greek Class

Any student who gets a perfect score on today's Philippians exam will get a free copy of one of my books. Hope to give away many today! 

Guaranteed!

Yes, there will be chori pollo in heaven.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Tomorrow our Greek class will be exegeting Phil. 3:1-11. Please pray for me -- for clarity, strength, and God's blessing as we study this vital passage of Scripture. We need this message because the church is always in danger of drifting away from the sole sufficiency of Jesus in every generation. Here Paul combats the whole idea behind "religion." Religion is all about what we do for God. The gospel is all about what God has done for us. In other words, the gospel is all about grace. The gospel says, "I'm accepted by God because of what Christ has done." Religion says exactly the opposite. The 3 words of religion are, "Get to work." The 3 words of grace are, "It is finished." No one can ever be good enough for God. We can only rely on a righteousness which is through faith in Christ that comes from God as a free gift on the basis of faith alone. The gospel says, "I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, and I am so loved that he was glad to die for me." Here's how I want my class to remember this truth:

• Not FAITH + WORKS ("through faith alone")
• Not GRACE + MERIT ("by grace alone")
• Not SCRIPTURE + TRADITION ("according to Scripture alone")
• Not GOD'S GLORY + MINE ("to the glory of God alone")

In short:

JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING! 

A Visit to the Five Forks Battlefield

160 years ago today, both the Confederates and the Federals near Petersburg knew that the decisive campaign of the war was about to begin. It the midst of a pouring rain, Union troops fought a battle with Lee's forces at a non-descript country lane called the White Oak Road, which was an important supply line for the besieged Southern army. By the end of the day, the road was in Union hands, so the Confederates shuffled off to the west to set up a defensive line around an intersection called Five Forks.

It had been several years since I last visited the Five Forks battlefield, so I decided to retrace my steps there this afternoon. The visitor's center, a small, nondescript building, was manned by a single ranger. 

He was the only other person I saw in the visitor's center or on the battlefield today. 

I imagine he was eager to see me (or anyone for that matter), and we began discussing what happened here on April 1, 1865. Union cavalry general Philip Sheridan wanted to attack the Confederate lines at Five Forks around noon, but the Federal infantry wasn't ready until 4:00 pm. By the time the sun had set, the Federals were in control of the crossroads. The next day, Grant followed up the success at Five Forks with a major attack all along the Confederate lines. They broke through the entrenchments, and the race for Appomattox Court House was on. 

It was pretty quiet today at the Five Forks battlefield. 

But the place was anything but quiet 160 years ago on April 1. After the battle, Grant divided his army into two separate wings, with one pushing Lee, the other hoping to confront him head on. What developed was a classic envelopment situation: Lee was attacked at his rear, accompanied by an attack on his front. Thus Lee was virtually surrounded at Appomattox. 

There was nothing left to do but surrender. 

There's Something Magical about the Gym

There's something magical about the gym. When you arrive you simply can't bottle up all that energy.

There are few other experiences I've ever had where just the intensity and the joy and the anticipation of what's going to happen that day is magical. 

A successful climb in August would be reaching the summit of the Riffelhorn still smiling, still happy, and giving the glory to God. I'm competing against myself, so having this enormous goal is hopefully going to bring out a better Dave when I return home. 

I admire anybody who does the same thing. Whether you're first or last, you're a winner. 

Ideas to Get Your Daily Steps In

What's up guys. As you know, I've gone from 10,000 daily steps to 20,000, most of which I get by walking on the treadmill at the gym (18,000). The rest I get from my normal daily activities. When you extrapolate these steps over an entire day, they really do add up a lot. Just as one basic example, when I go to the store I park as far away as I can. 

I know this may sound a bit goofy, but when you add up all the steps you have to take to walk to and from the store, plus the steps you will inevitably take while shopping, you will probably get anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 steps in easily. 

Other ways to get in more steps are to walk while chatting on the phone or to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I've also started skipping the drive-thru at the bank or pharmacy and walking inside instead. 

You don't have to do these things. Just options to explore! 

Our Farming Philosophy

No child sheep left behind. 😉

Don't Worry about Anything. Instead, Pray about Everything (Phil. 4:6-7)

Three nights ago I asked God for a very specific healing for a rather desperate situation. He graciously answered "yes." Which led me to write this free translation of Phil. 4:6-7. Hope it can encourage you!

Don't let your heart be weighed down with the anxieties of life. It is not God's will that you worry about anything. He stands ready and eager to help you no matter what you're facing. Just take your concern to him and leave it there. Simply let your request be made known to God. Tell him exactly what you need. God loves the sound of your voice. He will hear and answer your prayer. Do not think for a moment that the effectiveness of prayer resides in your ability to use the "right" words. Help me! is quite enough. The Lord is never apathetic toward our plight. In fact, he says "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:10). He once spoke to the storm. He can speak to yours. Why? Because he's God. 

By the way, don't forget that sprinkled among your phrases should be two simple words: "Thank you." Say them often, not only when his answer is an immediate "yes," but when it's "not yet." If you will do this, his peace will be yours -- the peace that transcends man's understanding and keeps constant guard over your heart and mind when Christ replaces worry at the center of your life.

Shine We Must (Phil. 2:15)

Last Monday in Greek class we discussed Paul's reference to "stars" in Phil. 2:15. The real "stars" aren't those famous persons in sports or entertainment.

From God's point of view, they are those believers who "shine like bright stars in a dark world as they hold forth the word of life." We are put here to shine the light and so guide others safely home.

Not all at once.

Not all by ourselves.

Not without the movement of the Spirit of God.

But shine we must. 

Daily Steps (Quick Update)

Here's today's treadmill report (18,000 steps):

Total steps today:

Current weight is 215 pounds. (Goal: 210 or even 205.) 

There's only 5 months to August! 😅

Two Grandbaby Quotes

"Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation."

"Grandchildren fill a space in your heart that you never knew was empty."

Cherish them while you still can. 

Untying 5 Nots

So I finally tried my hand at transating Heb. 13:5b today. Here's the Dave Standard Version:

For God has said, "I will never under any circumstance desert you, nor will I ever in any degree leave you helpless or relax my hand on you!"

I know this sounds wordy. But hey -- the Greek does has five negatives!! 

Look at What's New in Southside Virginia!

Another state park visitor's center has opened. This one is very dear to my heart. I stumbled upon it during my run the other day. Care to take a brief peek?

The High Bridge State Park Visitor's Center at Camp Paradise near the town of Farmville, VA, is on the exact spot where one of the last battles of the Civil War took place. On April 3, 1865, Union general George Meade wrote to his wife, "The telegraph will have conveyed to you, long before this reaches you, the joyful intelligence that Petersburg and Richmond have fallen, and that Lee, broken and dispirited, has retreated toward Lynchburg and Danville." He added, "We are now moving after Lee, and if we are successful in striking him another blow before he can rally his troops, I think the Confederacy will be at an end."

Thus Meade began the great pursuit west. He would catch up to Lee alongside a little waterway called Sailor's Creek. The battle was a disaster for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It lost 8,000 men, including 8 generals. Moving further westward, the Union troops arrived at the town of Farmville, but only after the Confederates had attempted to burn the High Bridge over the Appomattox River to stymie their pursuers. They failed, and the rest is literally history. 

The situation of Lee's army was hopeless. Writing from a hotel in Farmville on April 7, Grant wrote to Lee, asking him to surrender. Two days later, Lee's army was finished.

The Virginia state park service deserves my thanks -- and the thanks of people everywhere -- for the work they do to preserve and share the many state battlefields I have visited. I always leave impressed by the friendly and knowledgeable people I encounter on such visits. The Civil War remains a fascinating and compelling period of American history for many people. Why is that? My guess is that, as William Faulkner once observed, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." The past is always present. It permeates everything. It's the ether in which we live. 

Which is one reason I love to run here so often. 

Meade's Faith

George Meade has often been called the Rodney Dangerfield of the Union Army. 

Few probably even know that he was the winner of the Battle of Gettysburg. Think about it. The principal army of the United States had been consistently beaten and even humiliated over the course of the 21 months of its existence. George Meade delivered not only that army's first victory of the war but also a victory in what was the largest land battle ever fought on the North American continent. 

Lee had met his match in Meade, who was no fool. A veteran army officer described Meade as "a most accomplished officer." "Meade," he wrote, "had been thoroughly educated in his profession, and had a complete knowledge of both the science and art of war in all its branches. He was well read, possessed of a vast amount of interesting information, had cultivated his mind as a linguist, and spoke French with fluency." His letters to his family reflect effusive tenderness and a devout Christian faith. He often reminded his wife and children that events are ultimately dictated by "the will of our Heavenly Father."

Moving mountains (or even climbing them), my friend, is not something to tackle on your own. You have about a zero chance of budging them an inch if you think you can do the job alone. But you have every chance in the world if you trust God to do it. 

Lesson from Today's Workout

You don't have to be perfect to see results.

You just need to be consistent in your workouts. 

Have a wonderful day! 

He Is My Dwelling Place

This morning I am like a deer in a desert. I pant for the streams of water that satisfy. My soul longs for what brings deep peace and lasting joy. There's no one else who can do that for me. Only my God. He alone is my dwelling place. In him alone is true, lasting satisfaction.

Who have we, Lord, but Thee,

Soul thirst to satisfy?

Exhaustless springs, the water free,

All other streams are dry.

So I came today with parched soul and dry heart to be nourished with truth, and to hear what he has to say to me.

He is my dwelling place.