restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

Building in Bedene

Becky Lynn Black  

We have received some new pictures from Ethiopia. Our sister church in Alaba is being built! The name of this church is Bedene. The people cut down tall Eucalyptus trees and remove the branches and bark. The church is a simple rectangle. These trees are placed close together in a cement base to form the perimeter (walls). The walls are filled in with mud and straw. The roof is corrugated tin. The floor is packed mud. There is no electricity and there are no restrooms. The windows are wood shutters. 

This church is being built on the place where the Muslims burned their Bibles. It says to the community, “Jesus Christ is alive, and Christianity is here to stay.” Lord willing, we will visit this congregation on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006. 

Tabernacle Baptist Church of Mecklenburg County, VA, has adopted the Bedene congregation of Alaba. They are helping by providing funds for a tin roof, cement for a perimeter foundation, and solid wood for windows and doors. The Bedene people do all the labor themselves. They cut the trees for the poles, dig the sand from the rivers and the rocks from the fields for the cement, and they work to erect the building. The believers from several churches come together to help in the building. They sing as they work. They sing of their Savior, the Lord Jesus. In one rural community, a favorite song is “Let the Gospel expand!” Many Muslims convert to Christ because they see the joy and peace in Christians, even in midst of severe persecution.

In African culture, a building shows power, authenticity, and permanence. Muslims are watching: Is the Christian God able to provide for His people? Is the Christian God strong? Is He real? Is He here to stay in our community?    

Inflation has hit Ethiopia in a very bad way. The people are suffering as the cost of food has doubled in just the past 6 months. The cost of the cement tripled between May 06 and Oct 06. The price of tin, nails, and wood has also increased tremendously. Should we abandon these Ethiopian churches because of their economic situation? No! We will continue to move ahead at whatever speed our Lord allows.

The three young men in this picture have been taken into hiding by the mother church in Alaba Town. They have come to our Lord Jesus for salvation, and their Muslim families and neighbors are trying to kill them. The Muslims move in groups, ambushing new Christians. They take them to the mosque and beat them, trying to get them to say that Jesus is not God and only Allah is God. A Muslim family is very embarrassed when one of their own forsakes Islam; they would rather kill their own family member than bear the shame.

Kedir is standing to the right of these boys; he is a leader of the Bedene church. The church is now trying to provide housing, food, and clothes for these boys. This further stretches an already-tight budget. (The boys are about ages 18-25. The Ethiopian economy is so difficult that a man is not self-sufficient until about age 30-35.)  Please pray for these young men from Bedene village and the others like them in Alaba, Ethiopia.

December 3, 2006

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An Easter Meditation on Freedom

 David Alan Black 

There are countries in this world that no one would call “free” or “democratic.” In recent years I have had the opportunity to visit several of them. Yet in these countries the church exists, indeed thrives. The freedom attained through Jesus Christ is all that matters. It is the only true freedom. If we grasp this freedom, we fulfill both ourselves and God’s design for us. In Jesus Christ, the foolishness of God turns out to be wiser than the wisdom of the world. Human wisdom — all of the “kingdom building” that takes the form of political action and economic control — is utterly futile. Nothing of eternal significance in life takes place except by the Holy Spirit. This is, of course, no excuse for inactivity on our part. I have written my books and preached my sermons and taught my courses and advanced my causes and promoted my vision of this or that. But when all is said and done in the sphere of human activity, when all of our laws have been passed and all of our causes have been defended, all that remains is God’s action. Unless He does it, it is not worth doing. Our only role is that of unworthy and unprofitable servants.

Job asks, “Where can wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12). Paul provides the answer: “Woe to me if I preach not the Gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). The Gospel! Man’s folly but God’s wisdom! I am struck by the vanity, the futility, of all of my efforts. It is useless service. What good is it to teach Greek unless God’s powerful Word is reenacted in the lives of our students? What good is it to preach sermons if the application is completely out of our hands? Even prayer cannot be uttered without the sighs of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27). It is in this sense that we may say that nothing of eternal consequence takes place except by faith. This is why we must not press God into our systems and programs and plans and programs and politics. Often what we call “causes” are simply expressions of human pride. This is fatal to Christianity. Just ask David Brock, author of Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative, or David Kuo, whose Tempting Faith tells “The Inside Story of Political Seduction.” Kuo served as Special Assistant to the President under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. Describing the seduction of Washington, he writes that it’s “not just because of the perks, which are nice, but because of the raw power of the place hidden in a true desire to save the world. It is the ring of power from Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings.’ The longer anyone holds the ring the more he loves it, the more he hates it, and the more desperate he is to hold onto it. It becomes the most precious thing in his life …. The ring owns, it is not owned” (pp. 250-51).

The Gospel is meant to subvert political power, not vice versa. Christians do not need to promote God’s agenda. We should simply bow before the unfathomable expression of His love — Jesus Christ — and “live like He lived” (1 John 2:6). This, in short, is what it means to enter Godworld. In the kingdom, God always has the freedom to act in surprising ways, quite apart from our human archys. He seeks neither polemics nor apologetics but obedience. This is the way of Jesus. When we are tempted to bring the church under submission to money or the state or popularity, when we promote social triumphalism, when we engage in religious propaganda for political causes, the only remedy is repentance and faith. Both Scripture and history show us that when the church uses political means to protect itself and its interests, then it is endangered by the very thing in which it trusts. Politicians do not rely upon God. This is why government exists. As a Christian, it does not matter to me in the least whether America is a great nation, or that I should live in a democracy. The disciple of Jesus plays a role in society that is radical and disinterested. Institutional power is of no concern to God. He raises up nations and then sweeps them away. Some might endure longer than others, but none has an assurance of perpetuity. That the U.S. currently enjoys democracy should be a warning to greater usefulness in the kingdom and to greater love for the nations. The presence of the church in America is no guarantee of future divine blessing. Democracy may be lavishly golden. But it’s a trap. Inside there is nothing of eternal consequence.

One wonders what would happen should America ever cease to be democratic. Would the church have to go underground, as it has had to do in so many other nation-states? Probably. But let me be quick to underscore that the idolatry of power can exist even in an underground church. Power divides and corrupts the innermost depths of man. But institutional power, whether political or ecclesiastical, is of no interest to God. On the contrary, the way of Jesus is the way of downward mobility and powerlessness. In His kingdom, outer props become unnecessary. The essential thing is not what we do but what God does in us and through us. All of our deeds are useless unless they originate from Him. Looking over my 35 years of teaching, I can tell you that establishing the discipline of hearing God was one of the most important decisions of my life. If I am an effective follower of Jesus, it is because I absorb the words of Christ into my attitudes and actions. The same thing is true of the church, the Body of Christ. The church is nothing less than the active presence of God Himself in the world. This is why it does not have to intervene in politics. Because Christ is present, even the least desirable political reality is endurable. To this actual, living, present Word of God, the nations must give an account. The emphasis is always upon prophecy, not upon political machinations. This means that, for the Christian, involvement in politics is never a matter of political action alone. The reality is that of judgment and not of ethics.

We learn from this two lessons. The first is that if we do not preach the Gospel and do the works of faith, nothing in this world is likely to change for the better. It is by casting our bread upon the waters that we see a foretaste of true freedom, a freedom exclusively offered in the Gospel and exclusively received in Christ. The second lesson is that in the political arena we have nothing of lasting consequence to achieve, nothing to prove. It is all finished. We are thus struck by the vanity, the futility, of politics, by its inadequacy and poverty. Vote? It is our privilege, yet it is a useless effort. All the lasting interventions in history find their true meaning in the Easter miracle of Jesus Christ. What has been accomplished at the cross and the resurrection is that men and women can now acquire the power of freedom, and true societal change now becomes a possibility. Because Christ has come and is alive today, the one who receives God’s Word is restored to liberty. But we have to choose this course. If we fail to experience this freedom, we are without any excuses.

March 8, 2012

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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Christianity’s Prescription for Sick Churches

 David Alan Black  

Nathan just showed me a personal Bible study he recently completed. It’s called, “What does the Bible say about paid/salaried Pastors?” It is a magnificent study. All he did was assemble the verses, study them in context, and type up the results. He gave me a copy to look at.

I wish you could read every word of it. I especially enjoyed his conclusion:

Let’s show our love for the world by loving them, visiting them, helping them, praying for them, ministering to them FREELY. Only then will they truly know the love of Jesus.

Why not live like Paul? Why not work with our own hands while using the gifts God has given us to share the good news with others? Why not care for our own needs without being a burden to others or the church of God?

Bingo! Every member of Christ’s Body is a minister. Every function is a ministry. This means, as Nathan implies, that all Christians are to be known by one word: servant. This service to others is an obligation, not an option. The Bible teaches the priesthood of all believers, and not merely a few.

Nathan himself is a rank-and-file part of his small congregation in rural Virginia. There he leads and plays piano and teaches the Bible lesson everySunday, not as a pastor, but as a parishioner. (The church, in fact, has no full-time “pastor.”) This is how he “washes feet” in Jesus’ name. He refuses to be paid for serving. After all, he reasons, I am an able-bodied man and can support myself.

Nathan truly practices what he preaches. What a rich heritage his children will have. No, there is nothing wrong with receiving an occasional love offering from others. But that, it seems clear from Scripture, is to be the exception, not the rule.

I’m so proud of Nate and Jessie. I’m so pleased that they have rejected the “consumer” mentality of so many church members. And I’m so pleased with all of my students and friends who think and act like Jesus. (There are many of you!) I’m especially pleased with the way they so humbly follow their Savior, who went out of His way to serve others “free of charge.” Why? Because the Gospel is free!

During an election year it is important to remember that Christianity at its core is neither liberal nor conservative but radical. It involves being a “living sacrifice.” It thrives on scandalous love. The Christian is to be Christ’s servant in the world. It is just that simple. Thankfully, this servanthood can take place regardless of who becomes our next president!

In the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, Christianity has an ancient prescription for a modern malady. The only question is: Will sick churches take it?

October 28, 2008

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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Club Med Christianity

 David Alan Black 

The parallel between government and church has always intrigued me. It was therefore with great interest that I read this essay by Christopher Ortiz that an online friend emailed me today. It seems to me that all governments are based upon the premise that power can make people good, or healthy, or educated, or whatever. History is full of examples. I am quite sure that even dictators like Hitler and Mussolini thought they were creating happiness for their people through power.

For many of us who believe in the Old Constitution, Christianity alone is both the definition and the means of virtue. There is nothing that government can do to make people good. Our civilization is based upon this Christian understanding, but we have long since gone our own separate way. We cannot expect the world to understand this, because the world cares nothing about biblical doctrine. But for years now the orthodox, evangelical church has done no better.

In America it is not only the socialist system that has broken down (it is only ruthless power that keeps it going); capitalism has gone bust as well. Wealth and pride and lechery and many other things associated with capitalism have become status symbols among evangelicals. Yet if socialist principles cannot create a perfect society, how much less can capitalist principles? Both socialism and capitalism are based upon the false assumption that men can create perfect societies. Both appeal to the flesh. Both are equally egotistical. So by their very nature they are bound to fail. Both liberals and conservatives are leading our culture over a cliff, though it may take a bit longer with the conservatives in power.

As Bible-believing Christians, we need to recognize that the biggest chasm in America today is not between Democrats and Republicans, or between liberals and conservatives, but between those who have bowed to the living God, and those who have not. Do not think that merely because a Christian is elected to public office or is appointed to an important office, this will provide salvation for our society. Both the new humanism and the new evangelicalism have no concept of the true truth. Historic Christianity, biblical Christianity, believes that the Gospel is not a truth, it is the fundamental truth of all of life. Adherence to any other belief system is unfaithfulness to the Gospel; it is spiritual adultery toward the divine Bridegroom.

If wives should show honor and loyalty to their earthly husbands, how much more should Christians show honor and loyalty to their spiritual Husband? But how do we do this? Not with flying flags, nor with shouts of Hallelujah. We do this by opposing the infiltration of humanistic ideas into both our theology and our praxis. We do this by proclaiming “No King But King Jesus” in both our politics and our churches. And we do this by rejecting the Club Med, super-church mentality that Mr. Ortiz so eloquently exposes in his essay.

May 4, 2005

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com. If you would like to know more about becoming a follower of King Jesus, please feel free to write Dave.

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Finally, a True Conservative Who Will Fight for the Constitution

 David Alan Black

With the election of George W. Bush and the tragedy of September 11, 2001, a new vision of America arose. America would now use its unequaled military power to reshape world politics by crushing tyrannical regimes and establishing “democracies” in their place. On the domestic front, no longer would there be any question of reducing the size of the federal government. The only question now was whether government growth would be merely big or gigantic.

When traditional conservatives like myself voted for Bush in 2000, we had no idea that this policy agenda would be in effect just two years into the Bush administration. Many of us who had lived abroad had a growing concern about the anti-American feeling around the world. It was therefore with delight that we heard candidate Bush speak of a “humbler” foreign policy and of reducing U.S. forces overseas. We also anticipated that the new administration would embrace conservative objectives such as tax cuts, smaller government, fiscal responsibility, a balanced budget, protection of individual rights, and support for state and local governments.

None of this has happened. Instead, a constitutional coup d’etat has occurred. Today the fundamental beliefs of our Founding Fathers are being subverted as never before and our precious God-given freedoms are being stripped away in the name of an all-powerful state. Our political, media, and educational establishments are now controlled by people who pay as much attention to the Constitution as you and I do to our junk mail. Statism on the right has become indistinguishable from statism on the left. And perhaps most disturbing of all is the fact that few Americans seem concerned about losing their freedoms. After all, we can trust government, can’t we?

There are times in life when anyone with a shred of principle should be profoundly angry. I believe this is such a time in our nation’s history. It is a lie and a deception to pretend that George W. Bush’s religious convictions justify his unconstitutional vision of government. Bush came into office an advocate of leaner government and then enlarged it by creating a gigantic new cabinet department. He’s increased federal spending on a per capita basis more than any other modern president. In my opinion, the pseudo-conservative government in Washington is now the most dangerous power in this country. It is a perfect example of what George Washington described when he said: “The essence of government is power, and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” Indeed, Thomas Jefferson might have been referring to the current administration when he said: “The greatest calamity which could befall us would be submission to a government of unlimited power.”

Tragically, many pastors have cultivated a careful silence on the real issues facing America today. For all intents and purposes, God has become an adjunct of man, a help in the work of the church and in procuring victory in our man-made wars. The Power that humbled Job no longer finds an echo in the American mentality. Acceptance of the status quo has replaced principle. Ours has become a religion without deeds. Where, I ask, are the Christian men and women who will stand up and fight in the political arena without compromise? They are scarcely to be found.

Friends, the way out of the dilemma is simple. Just reverse the equation. If neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are willing to throw off the shackles of the socialist welfare state, then a third party must do the job, one that will promote constitutional tenets based on certain foundational beliefs about government:

• the belief that our Founding Fathers designed our system of government in the form of a constitutionally limited republic under God with maximum freedom intended for the people and minimum government control or interference into our personal lives and business affairs.
• the belief that the pre-born child is a human being created in God’s image, and that it is the duty of all civil governments to secure and to safeguard the lives of the innocent.
• the belief that government at all levels was originally intended to be controlled by the people, that the Constitution explicitly restricts the power of the federal government, and that the Bill of Rights guarantees that the government may not infringe on our God-given unalienable rights.
• the belief that power belongs to the states, to local governments, and especially in the hands of “We the People.”
• the belief that it’s time to end all unconstitutional federal involvement in states issues such as crime, health, education, welfare, and the environment, including social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
• the belief that all treaties and international agreements not in agreement with the federal government’s constitutionally mandated task of protecting the rights of the people should be repealed.
• the belief that the United States should disassociate itself from the United Nations and that the federal government should refrain from meddling in the business and squabbles of foreign nations unless there is an imminent threat to the people of the United States.

Michael Parenti spoke the truth when he said, “The worst forms of tyranny, or certainly the most successful ones, are not those we rail against but those that so insinuate themselves into the imagery of our consciousness, and the fabric of our lives, as not to be perceived as tyranny.” When the thirteen colonies came together in 1787 they created the federal government as their agent—not the other way around. It’s going to take some brave Americans to send that message to Congress—and some unconventional methods, like saying no to the federal Leviathan that is fed by both major parties.

On February 21, 2004, Mr. Michael Peroutka announced his candidacy for President of the United States. My wife and I had the privilege of hearing his announcement speech in Baltimore. It was a clarion call for Americans to return to the personal values and beliefs that have sustained our great nation throughout its history.

Please take a moment and read Michael’s speech, then ask yourself this question: Should I waste another vote on a party that stands for more spending, more government intrusion into our lives, more job losses, more illegal aliens, and less freedom?

My wife and I can attest to the strong Christian character of Michael and his wife Diane. We have worshipped with them at their church. We have eaten together in their home. We have prayed with them. Their devotion to Christ and dedication to the Constitution is genuine and deep.

Dear friend, if you want to see a positive change in our country, may I ask you to prayerfully consider the candidacy of Mr. Michael Peroutka? I know you’ll be glad you did.

February 23, 2004

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com. His latest book, Why I Stopped Listening to Rush: Confessions of a Recovering Neocon, will be released this year.

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Church Business Or Kingdom Business?

 David Alan Black 

In his book The Home Church, Robert Banks writes (p. 52):

…Paul never retracted his understanding of how the church should operate. He never moved away from his view that the church is a genuine extended family in favor of a less personal, more institutionalized entity. He never suggested that the local church should occupy itself with only one aspect of activities – the alleged “religious” – and only one aspect of the personality – the so-called “spiritual.” He never lessened his belief in mutual ministry and shared authority for one based more on liturgical order and hierarchical leadership.

Banks is right. Much of what we call “church” today actually originated in the post-apostolic period. Today the following significant changes are apparent:

• The Lord’s Supper has changed from a celebration to a ceremony.
• Worship has changed from participation to observation.
• Witness has changed from relationship to salesmanship.
• Leadership has changed from servanthood to professionalism.
• Mission has changed from being missionaries to supporting missionaries.
• Body life has changed from edification to entertainment.
• Buildings have changed from functional to sacred.
• Child care has changed from the hands of parents to the hands of strangers.

The church of today has gotten itself into deep trouble, and the cause is not difficult to discern. Believers get into trouble whenever they think they are in the church business rather than in the kingdom business. In the church business, people are concerned about church buildings, church programs, church activities. In the kingdom business, people are concerned about kingdom activities.

To take just one example, in America we spend billions of dollars on church buildings to honor the One who said “I dwell not in temples made with human hands” (Acts 7:48). Irony of ironies! Jesus in His own person displaced the cult of the holy place. He taught that worship is open to all who come to God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24). The sacrifice that a Christian offers is the “living sacrifice” of his own person (Rom. 12:1-2). In the New Testament, the language of the temple service is reapplied to the church’s worship, which involves no earthly sanctuary. The church is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17), a temple not made with human hands.

I have said it before and I will say it again: The great need of contemporary Christianity is to return to biblical faithfulness and to the profound simplicity of the New Testament. The “church” is never a place – it’s always a people. The Book of Acts clearly shows that our elaborate church buildings are necessary neither for numerical growth nor for spiritual depth. And adding a “fellowship hall” will not guarantee genuine koinonia either. If a church building has any significance at all, it can only be practical – simply a place to meet and carry on the essential functions of a church.

So I ask: Are you in the church business or in the kingdom business? Just look at your “church” building!

August 5, 2005

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com. If you would like to know more about becoming a follower of King Jesus, please feel free to write Dave.

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A Lesson from King Arthur

 David Alan Black 

King Arthur—yes, Arthur of Camelot, that storied kingdom of days gone by—King Arthur had been captured in battle and was awaiting execution. The victorious king came to him and said, “I’m willing to spare your life if within a year’s time you come up with the answer to the question of the ages—that question men have been seeking the answer for since the beginning of time, that most pressing question of the ages: What does a woman realty want?”

Well, Arthur didn’t know the answer, so he called all his scribes and all his philosophers and all his wise men together, and they didn’t know either.

Just then Bruhilda the witch stepped forward and said, “I know the answer and I’m willing to give it you, on one condition—that you give me the hand of your most wonderful knight, Sir Lancelot, in marriage.”

Now you have to understand what she was requesting, because, you see, Bruhilda the witch was ugly. She was uglier than ugly. She was the ugliest ugly you have ever seen. Her face was ugly, her hair was ugly, her body was ugly, she had bad breath, she had body odor—she was just plain UGLY.

Lancelot, however, feeling compassion for his king, consented, and thus he began to court Bruhilda. He began treating her with tenderness, and with kindness, and with affection—not that she ever responded, you realize—that’s just the kind of man Lancelot was.

Finally the day of the wedding came, and true to his word Lancelot went through with it. That evening he went to the marriage chamber just dreading it—absolutely fearing what he would find. But when he opened the chamber door he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

“Who, who, are you??” he mumbled.

“I’m your wife,” she said. “I’m Bruhilda.”

“But, but, you’re beautiful!” exclaimed Lancelot.

“That’s right,” she replied. Then she said, “You treated me beautifully—you treated me as though I was beautiful—and as a result I have become beautiful. You treated me beautifully, and therefore I am beautiful!” She added, however, “There’s just one catch. I can only be beautiful half the time. But I’ll let you decide when I will display my beauty and when I will have to resort to my former condition.”

Sir Lancelot thought about this and mused, “Well, if I ask her to be beautiful during the daytime, I can take her out and show her off in front of all my friends. But if I ask her to be beautiful at night…” (the reader will just have to use his imagination here). However, being the kindhearted man that he was, Lancelot said to Bruhilda, “I will leave that decision totally up to you. As for me, I will continue to treat you as though you were beautiful all the time.”

Immediately Bruhilda exclaimed, “That’s it!”

“That’s what?” asked Lancelot.

“That’s the answer to the question of the ages: What does a woman really want? What a woman wants is to feel secure in the love of her husband. And because you have made me feel secure in your love, I have decided for you, and for you alone, I will display my beauty all the time!”

Bruhilda paused for a moment and then added: “But if you should ever stop loving me, and if I should ever stop feeling secure in your love, things are going to get ugly around here again real quick.”

When a husband understands his headship and manhood in the biblical sense, he will consider it both a privilege and a grave responsibility to make his wife feel secure in his love. Christ “romanced” the church (Ephesians 5), and Paul is eager to show how one great lover, Christ, loved His chosen one. When a husband loves his wife in this manner, she will be overwhelmed with his love and a willing companion to him as a very special “help” (Genesis 2:18).

Strange how we can celebrate Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and even Secretary’s Day, but there is no Wife’s Day. But perhaps that is only fitting.

Let each day be Wife’s Day. Full of joy and “sick with love” (Song of Songs 2:5), the Bridegroom knows nothing more lovable than she.

April 28, 2003

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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December 2011 Blog Archives 2

Saturday, December 31

9:40 PM Just had to share this picture with you. Here’s Nigusse before a warm fire in our library studying the Second London Confession of 1689 on my new iPad. He’s taking Baptist History with Keith Harper starting the day after tomorrow. What fun!

7:08 PM As we ring in a new year, my heart is filled with gratitude. So many undeserved blessings. Family. Food. Fellowship. Fun. Life. Love. Work to do for the kingdom. Happy New Year to all of you.

11:28 AM Please join me in welcomingPam Brown to the wonderful world of blogging. Now why in the world would she do something as demanding and time-consuming as that? In her own words:

Hello! After watching my husband and oldest daughter blog for a while now, I decided that it is my turn. I am always saying to myself, “I need to Blog about that!” and I finally broke down and got Katy to set up a Blog for me. Most of my musings will be about God, motherhood and life at home with my husband (a pastor) and my four kids who are 17, almost 14, 6 and 6. I hope to take you along with me on my journey. I believe that it is never too late to stop learning and I will share the things I learn. Hopefully they will help someone besides just me.

Welcome, Pam. May God use your blog to be a great blessing and encouragement to many.

11:20 AM My colleague Alvin Reid says the Great Commission is also theGlobal Commission. Amen to that. It’s also, to continue to play on the letters “GC,” the Great Cause. Really, it’s the only thing that matters in life. Paul says so (Phil. 1:27).

“Rise up, O men of God, have done with lesser things!”

11:10 AM Also this morning, Becky and I have been enjoying 3 new Christian music CDs, gifts from some very special people who really know how to practice grace. I want to become like that, more and more. Giving is a grace that can be practiced anywhere. I have often found it where I least expected it. When some hardworking businessman manages to manifest more grace than a renowned Bible scholar, it gives one pause. Honestly, I’m more impressed by benevolence than by knowledge. It’s easy to opine. It’s even easier to gripe. Anybody can do that. Only great Christians are truly kind.

Thank you, Simon and Kathy, for these wonderful CDs. May God fill your hands with honey (Judges 14:6-9).

10:55 AM This morning, as we “patiently” await the arrival of Matt, Liz, and the kids, Becky has been preparing gifts. She’s sewed pajamas for each member of the family, including our precious little Mercy Magdalene.

Can’t wait for everyone to try them on. Photo to come!

(Don’t hold your breath.)

10:31 AM It’s a gorgeous day here in Southside Virginia, sunny and warm. A good day for reflection. So, what are your New Years’ resolutions? Doing anything differently this year? I for one am going to begin meeting regularly with a group of men I greatly admire and trust. We’re all “laypeople”; none of us is “ordained.” But we’re all in fulltime Christian ministry. Napoleon claimed that a man becomes the man of his uniform. Do you know what we are? Jesus called the 70 His “lambs.” Interesting term! It highlights our vulnerability, our weaknesses. Yes, we are His sheep. We need the Shepherd — and each other. It’s been a while since I’ve met with a group of Iron Men (“as iron sharpens iron”). I’m ready to start up again.

So, how ’bout you? Will you be doing anything differently in the New Year?

Friday, December 30

6:48 PM The Hebrew University of Jerusalem announces an opening inReligious Studies.

6:35 PM Energion is offering a fantastic pre-order sale. If you like good books, at a discounted price, check it outhere.

5:08 PM Thanks to all who’ve sent in their iPad app suggestions. Keep ’em coming! I’m especially excited about Dropbox.

5:02 PM Been following Danny and Charlotte Akin’s tweets from Israel. Here they are enjoying the Sea of Galilee.

Becky and I once spent 5 days in a youth hostel in Capernaum. Awesome experience. This coming summer we’ve enrolled Nigusse in a course in the history and geography of Israel at Jerusalem University College. It will be life-changing. 

3:10 PM Good afternoon, bloggers and bloggerettes! Nigusse just gave me his camera’s SD card. There were 621 photos! Care to enjoy a sampling with me? That way you and I can take a trip to Dallas, vicariously!

Here’s the flight from RDU to DFW. It’s just like my Becky to give Nigu the window seat so he can enjoy the scenery from 35,000 feet. I love her!

This is “Willow Wood,” mom and dad’s home in what used to be the country until it got gobbled up by the greater Dallas megalopolis. The town is called Murphy and sits adjacent to Plano.

This scene brings back lots of happy memories — sitting around the breakfast table chewing the fat.

The two Ethiopians on their way to Grace Bible Church to talk about — what else? — Utopia.

Here’s Becky in Don King’s Sunday School class.

Of course, what’s a trip to Dallas without a visit to THE seminary? Becky’s grandparents were key players in the founding of DTS, and her grandfather sat on the Board of Trustees for many years. Her dad, of course, earned his Th.M. there before sailing for Ethiopia. 

Here’s Nigusse getting a history lesson: Chafer, Walvoord, etc.

The DTS library is truly impressive.

Here’s Nigusse in the DTS bookstore. “Look, dad, one of your books!”

South of Dallas, in a town called Desoto, live Ray and Lauralee Lindholm, who spent the better part of 30 years living and working among the Munz tribe of Ethiopia. Today their ministry is called Heart for Ethiopia.

Then it was on to SIL.

Here they meetPeter Unseth, an expert in all things Amharic.

Did I mention that Dallas has a large Ethiopian ex-pat population? This means, of course, some great Ethiopian food.

Trivia: This log cabin was the first structure to be built in Dallas long ago when it was a mere trading post.

More trivia: The building from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK.

Even more trivia: You know you’re (in)famous when they name a street after you!

Nigusse and dad hit it off big time. Both have a love for all things Ethiopian, including books.

The Murphy Cemetery. It’s quite a historic site. In fact, Becky and I are charter members of the Murphy Cemetery Association.

Our friends Maël and Cindy hosted B. and N. on a visit to Southwestern Seminary.

Here David Allen gives Nigusse a copy ofText-Driven Preaching, which David co-edited along with my colleagues Ned Matthews and Danny Akin. (I contributed the chapter on exegesis.)

So, what was this trip all about? It was about missions, about family, about connecting. Mom and dad, you were the perfect hosts, as always. We will be eternally grateful for your love and godly example. Blessings on you, and Happy New Year!

10:50 AM Just added to my 2012 meeting schedule:

1) March 3-4, SBL Regional Meeting, Atlanta, GA

2) March 9-10, ETS Regional Meeting, Fort Worth, TX

3) March 23-24, ETS Regional Meeting, Wake Forest, NC

Hope to see many of my readers there. If you are a prospective doctoral student, this is an excellent opportunity to meet face to face.

10:42 AM On Monday I will be greeting a brand new class of beginning Greek students. Welcome to each one of you! Let me tell you why I am teaching Greek. It is simply this. God has a plan for individuals. And He has communicated this plan to us in His Word. Our God is a communicative God, and He has made known His will to and through His spokesmen who penned the Scriptures. Biblical truth is just that: truth that is communicated in and through the Bible. It is truth that is at once “inspired by God” and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” It is clear that biblical truth is not given for knowledge’s sake alone. I therefore emphatically agree with the old Scottish proverb that says: “Greek, Hebrew, and Latin all have their proper place. But it is not at the head of the cross, where Pilate put them, but at the foot of the cross in humble service to Jesus.” The ultimate reason for teaching and learning New Testament Greek is that, properly applied, it can issue in a “readiness for every good work” – that is, a life that is equipped to do God’s will and go God’s way.

What all this implies is that if we are to move from the classroom to real life we will have to prize what we learn and view it as a life skill and not merely as an educational attainment. Of course, this is not easy. Almost all of us feel tremendous ambivalence as we wrestle with the question of just how to apply what we learn in the classroom to the real world. Obviously, knowledge of Greek is essential if we are to have a firm foundation upon which to build our exegesis of the New Testament. On the other hand, I must say forcefully that facts, no matter how brilliantly taught or diligently acquired, are nothing more than the raw building blocks of life. How we put them together, and for what use (and whose glory), is another matter altogether.

On Monday you will take the first step in the adventure of a lifetime. I will be there as your guide and encourager. But we will have only one Teacher. My prayer is that all of us will look to Him and Him alone for the help we will need not merely to get by in this class but to excel for His glory. 

10:31 AM Missions news …

1) Becky has been working nonstop on our speaking schedule for Ethiopia. Thus far we will be at the following venues:

• January 8, Bethel Hill Baptist Church, Bethel Hill, NC

• January 22, Cresset Baptist Church, Durham, NC

• January 29, Amelia Baptist Church, Amelia Court House, VA

• February 5, Bethany Baptist Church, Asheboro, NC

• February 19, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, North Wilkesboro, NC

2) Becky and Nigusse had two great meetings in Dallas speaking about Ethiopia. Several people have expressed an interest in going with us to Ethiopia this summer.

3) Nigusse and brother Joel from Bethel Hill will be in India February 26 through March 7. This will be Nigusse’s first trip to Asia. 

4) My next international trip will be April 1-10.

5) Yesterday and this morning I regaled Becky with stories from my latest trip. Much was accomplished but much more remains to be done. “Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God’s glory!” —  David Brainerd.

Thursday, December 29

7:15 PM They’re H-O-M-E. Say that word again: Home. Safe and sound. And sleepy. Both have gone to bed. But not before we had some good laughs together. The Lord indeed gave them a wonderful trip. I’m one grateful husband and father. Between my mission trip and Becky’s sojourn in Dallas, we were separated for 24 days. I can’t tell you how lonely I was. Loneliness is a terrible thing. No one ever really escapes it. And now mom and dad are lonely for their eldest daughter. It goes on and on. The good news is that loneliness is not necessarily rejection. I may not have been happy the whole time Becky and I were separated. But I was usually joyful. Joy is a far better thing. But then again, there’s nothing wrong with the happiness of human companionship. In fact, it’s downright delightful. I missed not only Becky but also Nigusse. Both fill my days with life and love. Believe me, that’s a lot to be thankful for.

Welcome home, you two. Sleep well.

4:28 PM Felicity Dale asksWas the Great Commission given only to the eleven disciples? Excellent question. Excellent answer!

3:27 PM Becky and Nigusse just called from RDU. They’re back in Nawf Carolinah. The puppies and I are anxiously awaiting their arrival!

12:50 PM Do you remember the words of missionary martyr Jim Elliot?

We are “sideliners” — coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers. Oh that God would make us dangerous!

I thought of these words today when I readthis comparison between being “imprisoned” by church traditions and literal imprisonment for the sake of Christ. As many of you know, I often travel to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East assisting the persecuted church. I have seen the suffering, up close and personal. As much as I deplore many of our unbiblical church traditions, I find the comparison unhelpful and inaccurate. Of course many of us feel trapped in our manmade traditions. And yes, we are called to suffer for the sake of Christ (Phil. 1:29). But the suffering of the persecuted church is, in my mind, in another category altogether, and I will continue to do whatever I can to make Americans who are cozy sitting in their padded pews (or on their living room sofas) as uncomfortable as possible about it. Not only do I make no apologies for it, I think that with every passing year it becomes more and more obvious to me that the most important thing we can be doing in our churches — regardless of our ecclesiology — is to get rid of our lukewarm insipid faith and take up the cross of self-discipline, suffering, and real sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. If I have any prayer for the readers of my blog, it is that God will use it to help you take steps in this direction in your personal and congregational life. Jesus is calling all of us to a radical lifestyle lived from obedience that affects the world. With tears in my eyes, I say that as long as we are content to live out a religion of externals (home church versus institutional church, the Lord’s Supper as a full meal versus the Lord’s Supper as bread and cup, etc.), we will continue to miss the mark. Never in the history of the world has there been so much discussion about the church and Christianity but, I feel, so little real knowledge of God. Jesus made it clear that His mandate for each of us is to do the will of the Father by going into the fields just as the Father sent Him (John 4:34-38). This means that “missions” is not just one of several options for our churches. God is not asking us to give money to missions. He is asking us to make missions the central passion and thrust of our lives and congregations. When I think of your church, is that what I think of? Or of my church? Tragically, many of us have developed a church-first mentality that is distracting us from our main task. I should know, because I have been the chief of sinners in this regard.

There is a way out of this mess. New Testament Christianity is not reserved only for super saints who are doing all the “right” things church-wise. It is for every believer, whatever your church structure, whatever your location or occupation, whatever your circumstances in life. Jesus wants to live His life through us in the world. The only question is: Will we let Him? Our problem today is that we want it all, and we want it now. But we have to choose our priorities. Yes, I will continue to call us back to the Scriptures as far as church life is concerned. But my constant prayer is that God will help me to do it with a broken heart and with a renewed willingness to make a deliberate calculation to accept sacrifice and suffering for the sake of following Christ.

For more on this subject, see my essayPaper Perfect Churches.

9:54 AM Top iPad recommendation so far:Accordance.

9:46 AM Calling all Greek geeks! SEBTS student Jacob Cerone has been having fun with codex Vaticanus.

Here’s a sampling:

• Citations and Divisions

• A Mysterious Lamed

• Abbreviations

Lots of other good stuff at Jacob’s site as well.

By the way, can you translate the title of his blog into English (without looking up the Greek word)?

8:27 AM Good morning, blogging buds! I’m spending some time today setting up my iPad 2. If you’ve got any suggestions for good apps you think I should have, please email me atdblack@sebts.edu or list them on your blog. I’m especially interested in Bible study helps, Bible versions, etc. Thanks, friends.

Wednesday, December 28

10:28 PM Just spoke with Becky. She and Nigu had a fantastic day at Southwestern. I want to thank David Allen for taking time to meet with them. He is always a gracious host. Before they arrived I called David and taught him a few basic Amharic expressions. I thought Nigusse would enjoy it if the dean of Southwestern Seminary greeted him in his native tongue. Thanks, David, for being such a good sport and playing along.

Right now Becky is helping her dad with his website. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s calledGood Amharic Books. Once again, this is Cyberspace at its best. You can download for free hundreds of Bible study books in Amharic. Thus dad continues the work for Ethiopia he began so many years ago when he and his wife and their baby daughter left by freighter for the Horn of Africa.

Brad Lapsley has been a great example to our family of a man who serves his God despite his advancing years. The greatest of all pedestrians is the Christian who walks with the Lord in the light of His Word. God bless you, dad.

3:05 PM Al Mohler has listed histop news stories of 2011. It makes for fascinating reading. For what it’s worth, I think THE top story of 2011 is Al’s 10th and final pick: “The Redefinition of the Book and Publishing.” He notes, “2011 may well be remembered as the year that readers had to decide whether to read a book in print, or on screen.” I’d guess that over half of my books are now available as e-books. Let me also put in here a good word about the Internet. It’s almost impossible to exaggerate how important the world wide web is for publishing one’s thoughts and ideas. Add to that the simplicity of Windows and you have literally millions of self-published authors who are disseminating their own content in digital form. I began my writing career using a machine called a typewriter. Think of what one human being today can do with a PC. This represents a huge advancement in personal empowerment. It’s what made the Arab Spring so successful, for without social networking who would have known? This amazing thing we call Cyberspace has become a self-publisher’s dream. And even web dummies like me can operate it without understanding the complexities of computers and cables.

So, two and a half cheers for electronic publishing. I think Al would agree. After all, I read his thoughts on his — blog!

12:32 PM Greek students! My Greek 1 syllabus for J-term has just been uploaded to the seminary website. My thanks to Alan Knox for his help! 

11:02 AM Hearty congratulations to Larry Hurtado for having his book God in New Testament Theology publishedin French. Larry writes:

As there are in fact few books on “God” in the oceanic volume of studies of the New Testament, I intend my book to draw attention to what the great NT scholar Nils Dahl referred to as “a neglected factor in New Testament theology.”  As I try to show, in fact the exalted christological claims of the NT all have a profoundly theo-centric grounding.

Amen to that. I might take it a step further. Where is a section on the “Father” in our theology books? It’s missing. You’ll find chapters on “Christology”” and Pneumatology.” You’ll also generally find a section called “Theology Proper.” But the Father is forgotten. If our theology is to be balanced, shouldn’t we have a corresponding chapter on “Patrology”? (Yes, I realize we can’t that use that word because of its use by patristics scholars, but it really is the perfect counterpart to Christology and Pneumatology.) I’m not sure how to put this into shoe leather. Maybe you’ve got some ideas. 

10:50 AM Looking ahead ….

1) Becky and Nigusse arrive tomorrow afternoon. They tell me they’ve had a wonderful time in Dallas. But they miss home. Home misses them more.

2) This weekend we’re hosting Matt and Liz and the grandkids (Caleb, Isaac, Micah, and Mercy Magdalene). They’re visiting from Upstate New York. Dinner menu calls for Ethiopian food.

3) On Monday, Greek 1 begins on campus. We’re meeting from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon in Binckley 104. See you there!

4) Next weekend I’m speaking at Weems Creek Baptist Church in Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday night and Sunday morning. On Monday morning I will hold a pastors workshop on the book of Philippians. Nice serendipity: They’ve arranged a tour of the United States Naval Academy for me.

10:21 AM Odds and ends …

1) Arthur Sido claims that all true farmershave beards. He’s right, of course. (The same is true of all brilliant intellectuals, Arthur.)

2) Paul Himes wants you to meetsome neglected works on 1 Peter.

3) Harrison’s bleeding has stabilized. For updates go here.

4) Lisa Robinson wants a word with all of youworship music nit-pickers.

5) The 400th anniversary celebration of the King James Biblecomes to an end.

Tuesday, December 27

9:30 PM What a wonderful year it’s been. Sure, we’ve had our disappointments. Sure, there’s been pain. But I can assure you, the joys have far outweighed the stresses. Truly, great is His faithfulness! As a tribute, then, to the goodness of our great God, I offer the following “Year in Review.” These pictures represent a mere sampling of the blessings God granted us in 2011. I invite you to praise Him with us. 

My J-term Greek class.

Michael Rudolph, the first of three outstanding doctoral students to pass his Ph.D. comps this year under my tutelage.

Enjoying an outing with Nate, Jess, and, of course, Mr. Blue Eyes himself.

This year I began — and completed — the revision of my Basel dissertation, first published in 1984.

My all-time favorite chapel service of the year: Commissioning our students as they leave for the foreign mission field.

The first of two student days at the farm.

Easter sunrise service on the lake.

Becky made this beautiful quilt for pastor Jason and his family.

The view of my farm from 30,000 feet as I made the first of three trips in 2011 to a foreign country to teach Greek.

Enjoying delectable Korean food with one of my Th.M. students and his wife.

Former students Mike and Courtney Sexton joined us for dinner at Bradford Hall.

Becky teaching the young ladies of the church how to sew.

Teaching the cohort from Uganda and Tanzania on campus.

Becky giving one of many Ethiopia presentations this year in various churches.

February was the month for Becky’s Cyberknife treatments to reduce her lung tumors.

Once it’s over you get to “ring the gong” at UNC.

Becky’s mom plays her flute at church on a visit from Dallas. Becky accompanies.

Teaching a beginning Greek class for laypeople at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro, NC.

Getting up hay. 

Hosting Ugandans in our home.

Speaking in chapel at Cary Christian Academy.

Welcome to America, Nigusse!

May graduation.

Planting our summer garden.

Sharing a few thoughts about excellence at our faculty worship.

The Glass family pays us a visit.

Nolan loves his new baby brother Bradford.

Speaking to the Internationals Class at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Raleigh.

Ed.D. student Thomas Hudgins and his wife Lesly join us for dinner.

Reception for Nigusse at Bradford Hall.

Becky and I attended the Wheaton Theology Conference next to the famous College Church, where Becky’s uncle once pastored.

Jason and Stacy Hatley from Bethel Hill share a meal with us.

Holding a Bible conference at Rock Spring Baptist Church.

Our donks Tinnish Koi and Tolo Tolo arrive at Rosewood Farm.

Nigusse speaking at Cresset Baptist Church in Durham.

Feeding migrant farm workers in North Carolina.

Speaking at a youth retreat at Lake Gaston.

Holding revival services at Hunt Spring Baptist Church near Sanford.

Farm clean up day.

Nigusse checks out his first library books.

Cutting up debris after a devastating tornado strikes the Bethel Hill community.

Nigusse presenting Danny Akin with a gift from Ethiopia.

My private Greek class in Dallas.

Teaching a seminar on Philippians for Sunday School teachers in Greensboro.

Becky holding Mercy Rondeau, born on my birthday (June 9)!

As you can see, it was a great year. But another year past means another year ahead. The Psalmist prayed that God would not forsake him when he was old and gray (Psa. 71:18). As we grow older, our struggles don’t necessarily grow fewer. Just because I am saved should not make me complacent with what I have attained. There remains much land to be possessed. I press toward the mark. I’m not just looking up, I’m looking unto Jesus. And when I face trials, I will listen for His gracious Word above the storm, “Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid.” Whatever the new year may hold for us, let’s remember who is holding us.

So then, from our house to yours, Happy Newness Year (Rom. 6:4). May 2012 be our  best year ever as we serve King Jesus. He is worthy! 

4:58 PM I see that Alan Knox is at it again,dispelling our misconceptions about Greek words and such. Right he is to put to bed our crazy notion that somehow the Greek word ekklesia means “called out.” But it is just here that I would like to make a brief point if I may. Christians are indeed called out of the world. John 17:6 says so: “I have manifested Your name to the people whom you gave Me out of the world.” But don’t miss verse 18 of the very same chapter: “As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” Christians are to be a separate people, but it is easy to overdo our separation. The reason we have been called out of the world is to be sent back into it. The sick need the physician, said Jesus, not the healthy. Jesus was separate from this world, yet no one associated more with a sinful generation than He.

OUT OF — and then INTO. That’s the divine pattern.

And that applies no matter whatecclesiastical terms we use.

11:41 AM Finally, Christianity Today offers up a hard-hitting essay on…

Beards?

Huzzah!!!!!! ReadBeards: A Hairy Topic in My Household.

10:52 AM Interesting news stories I’ve been following …

1) Journalistssentenced in Ethiopia.

2) U.S. teenager sets7-peak record, including Everest.

3) Republican Politics has become the new “American Idol.”

4) Feargrips Nigeria after Christmas attacks.

5) Lamb born atOhio nativity scene.

10:36 AM The story continues to unfold …

At the conclusion of my interview with Paige Patterson in 1997, I was asked a most unusual question. “Dave,” he said, “if I were to send you to a level-three security nation on a mission trip, and you knew there was a strong possibility you would not come back alive, would you go?” As you can well imagine, I had never been asked that question in a job interview before. I requested a minute to think about it, and then I replied, “Yes, sir, I believe I would.” I can see clearly enough now what Dr. Patterson was trying to do. I had endeavored, it is true, to be involved in missions prior to coming to Southeastern Seminary. Never before, however, had I been asked to risk my life for the sake of the Gospel. The supreme importance of the Great Commission struck me for the first time in my life. Today, many come to me with questions about how to prioritize the Gospel and integrate it into the rest of their lives. I often ask them the same question I was asked by Paige Patterson.

Today, Danny Akin has maintained and deepened the commitment at Southeastern to the Great Commission. “Every classroom a Great Commission classroom” is our motto. The is one of the biggest reasons I love teaching at SEBTS. No longer do we have to protect our pet doctrine or our departmental turf. We have a greater responsibility. I believe that 2 Cor. 5:14-21 teaches that we are all to be Christ’s ambassadors. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. This means that every activity, every effort, every program, every project is to be evaluated in terms of how it contributes to the ultimate mission of the church and of the seminary — global evangelization. The Great Commission leaves us no option. Jesus makes no apology for demanding obedience in this area. Global missions is to be the task of every individual Christian and every church and every Christian organization. It is the Lord’s final charge to us before He ascended to the Father’s right hand. Measured against that, can anything else be more important?

In my bookThe Jesus Paradigm I told about my life-changing encounter with this Jesus who loved lost souls so desperately that He was willing to spend His ministry reaching out to sinners of all kinds. He saw what was of ultimate importance in life. No wonder He could live for others as a selfless servant. This is also, I believe, the acid test of any seminary that claims to honor Christ. Does what we do square with the Great Commission? Or is our institution just another tangent that detracts from the other-centeredness of the Gospel?  It is when we realize that we are building the kingdom and not our own little ministries that the great growth really begins in our lives. When we stop focusing on ourselves, we are free to act on the really important questions.

Plainly, I did not always view the purpose of graduate theological education in these terms!

(To be continued ….)

9:47 AM Steve McKinion continues to request prayer for his son Harrison. Doctors are working hard to alleviate the blood clots. He did have a stroke. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.” 

Monday, December 26

10:23 PM Speaking of DTS, did you know that there is a website devoted exclusively to the life and ministry of John Walvoord, former president of Dallas Seminary? It features audio messages, articles, books, and more. Check out Walvoord.com today!

9:35 PM I spoke with both Becky and Nigusse today. Becky’s latest project? Wallpapering a room for her mother. Man, God will honor her loving and supportive response to her parent’s needs! As for Nigusse, he has been reviewing myGreek DVDs in preparation for taking Greek 2 with me in the spring. He finished chapter 7 today. Only 5 more to go. I’m so proud of him. On Wednesday they are visiting the “other” seminary in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, SWBTS. (They’ve already toured the hallowed halls of DTS.) I’ve arranged for Nigusse to meet my good friend (and arch nemesis when it comes to the authorship of Hebrews) David Allen, the dean at Southwestern. He’ll also get a tour of their state-of-the-art library. Becky and Nigusse are having such a good time they are beginning to make me feel obsolete. They return on Thursday. Which means I have a lot of house cleaning to do on Wednesday.

Incidentally, if you’re unfamiliar with our DVD set, here’s a clip for your entertainment. The DVDs might have been better, but they were as good as I knew how to make them.

One last thing. We have not yet been able to post the syllabus for my J-Term Greek course to Campus Net. This is because my secretary is on sick leave. So please bear with me. I will likely have to bring hard copies with me to our first day of class on Jan. 2. In the meantime, the only thing you really need to know is that our textbook isLearn to Read New Testament Greek. (I’m trying it out to see if it’s any good.) It’s available in our bookstore (and elsewhere).

See you in class!

8:55 PM Just got word that my colleague Steve McKinion’s son Harrison has been rushed to the hospital with 5 brain bleeds and a stroke. This is serious folks. Please pray.

5:18 PM Odds and ends …

1) Thomas Hudgins asksIs experience required to serve as a pastor? 

2) If you’re studying German, Andy Bowden has got agreat link he’d like you to know about.

3) Alan Knox enjoys beinglinked!

4) Matthew McDill saysadapt or die.

5) Markus Twisdale offers us asimple sketch of his life.

By the way, all of these bloggers have one thing in common: they are either current or former students of mine. I am blessed to know each one.

3:12 PM Hello fellow bloggers! This afternoon I feel like recording some memories, with or without your permission. I am writing, of course, for the benefit of my grandchildren, who, I’m sure, will be too busy earning a living to care whether their grandfather ever knew Woody Jacobs or visited historic Civil War sites in Virginia. Perhaps you will be a better audience.

I began the day by having breakfast at Shoney’s with a member of the Jesus Revolution. If you know Woody, you know he will challenge you to follow Jesus to the max. I’m glad to know another Christian on a less-traveled road. Thanks, Woody, for the fellowship. Looking forward to doing it again real soon.

Then it was off to the heart of Virginia to pay a visit to a place I’d read about but never actually seen in person. After the Civil War, people created a symbol out of Robert E. Lee. Actually, he was a normal human being who bore the normal burdens of life. During his recuperation in Richmond he accepted circumstances beyond his control and had the courage and wisdom to do the best he could with the conditions God had given him. “Life is indeed gliding away,” he said, “and I have nothing good to share for mine that is past. I pray I may be spared to accomplish something for the good of mankind and the glory of God.” One month after the war he wrote to a friend, “My purpose is to procure some humble home for my family for the present until I can provide some means of providing it with subsistence.” The sanctuary Lee sought was provided by Mrs. Elizabeth Cocke, whose plantation (“Oakland”) lay about 50 miles west of Richmond. She offered Lee the use of a small house calledDerwent on grounds adjoining her estate.

Called a “cottage,” Derwent was a two-story-and-basement frame house with four rooms, two on each floor, with a dining room in the basement. It was here that Lee lived until he moved to Lexington 3 months later to become the president of Washington College.

If you drive back to the main highway and go north about a mile you’ll come to Muddy Creek Baptist Church.

Older than the nation, it was constituted in 1774. I was graciously given a tour of the facility by Derek, the pastor’s son. Here I’m standing in front of the original doors.

The building was re-bricked after a fire in the 1960s, but here you can see the original brickwork.

It is said that Robert E. Lee, though an Episcopalian, often attended services here. To the rear is a cemetery in which I counted the graves of at least 3 Confederate soldiers. On September 14, 1865, Lee left for Lexington on his steed Traveler and never returned to Derwent. His wife Mary wrote a friend, “I do not think he is very fond of teaching, but he is willing to do anything that will give him an honorable support.” Sure sounds like 1 Thess. 4:11-12 to me.

Speaking of labor, I’m off to get some work done in the garden. This day is just too beautiful to pass up an opportunity to work outdoors.

Thanks for stopping by.

Dave

Sunday, December 25

5:56 PM Wow! What a great time I had with the saints of God! Like the early church, Bethel Hill has an extraordinary commitment to outreach. The entire focus of our service this morning was on the Great Commission. We began with “Joy to the World” and ended with “Go Tell It on the Mountains.” Jesus, our ultimate Leader, came to “seek and to save what was lost” and “to give His life a ransom for many.” He did give His all. He fulfilled His mission. Now He tells us to go. Every Christian is part of the church to which Christ gave the Great Commission. We need nothing less than 100 percent participation. I believe we are living in the midst of a Great Awakening in the slumbering Body of Christ. Everywhere I travel in the world, people are dreaming new dreams of what it means to be the church and to love the world for which Christ died. Maybe I’m a little crazy, but I want to live — and die if necessary — making the Jesus way of life accessible to people. Even in the country I just visited. Especially there. Listen, the odds are indecent. The enemy is everywhere! Ever seen a lamb send a pack of wolves running? It can happen. It is happening. It’s not because the wolves are afraid of the lambs. It’s because they’re afraid of the Shepherd.

That, in essence, was what my message was about this morning. The persecuted church in [           ] is not a defeated church. It is a victorious church. The church always is when it trusts the Shepherd. Sure, the pressure is intense. Sure, the persecution is escalating. (I documented this fact.) It’s tremble time — but not for the church! When the Shepherd says, “Go, I’m sending you,” the sent ones go under the protection of His commission. Always have. Always will. Friend, don’t fear the foe. Yes, the opposition is strong. Yes, it is even deadly at times. But we will be vindicated. Our choice to follow the Shepherd, our choice to turn our backs on everything this old world holds so dear, will be vindicated. Just you wait and see.

This was a very special day for yet another reason. This would have been the birthday of my former dean, Russ Bush. He went home to be with the Lord a few years ago after battling cancer.

Russ was a lover of old books and of bass fishing. He taught philosophy well. I still possess an autographed copy of his magnum opus, Baptists and the Bible. I grew very fond of him. The extraordinary faculty assembled at the seminary was due largely to his efforts. He found his considerable talents and abilities fully employed in seminary administration and in planning for the various new programs of the school. He had many delightful personal qualities and a strong following among both the faculty and the students. He became, as everyone knows, a formidable cancer fighter. Even when he was sick, he treated others with an elaborate Southern courtesy that today seems a trifle old-fashioned. But in him it was genuine. No one among his friends had any uncertainty as to his nobility of character. He held himself inflexibly to his God-given tasks, and I would venture to say that the seminary today is much the better for it. It is the ancient story of the hero — and of the martyr. He will always be missed.

Merry Christmas to all,

Dave

Saturday, December 24

9:42 PM Good news! An Ethiopian Bible manuscript returns to its home country. You can watch a video about ithere.

8:52 PM Please remember my colleague Steve McKinion and his family in your prayers at this time. Their youngest son is being treated for leukemia. Stevewrites:

At Christmas we recall the announcement of the birth of Immanuel, which means our God is with us.  Our family rejoices in the arrival of Jesus Christ our Savior every year.  But this year, the promise that Jesus is “God with Us” is even sweeter than before.

Harrison is being treated at UNC. Who knows, maybe Becky and I will run into him sometime. I don’t know what Harrison is going through, but I do know what Steve is experiencing. Steve, you are right: Because of the trial, God’s promises are indeed “sweeter” than ever before. He promises His strong arms of support and assistance to all who determine to rely on His inerrant Word and trust Him through the painful but essential process of change.

God bless you my brother. You are in my heart, thoughts, and prayers.

7:51 PM Newsflash! Logos Bible Software is announcing a special2011 Christmas package. That’s right, folks. For only $825 dollars you get 500 books by 434 authors and 116 different publishers. Is it worth it? Of course it is! It contains at least two of MY books! 

5:25 PM Even though Becky is in Dallas she continues to blog at the Bethel Hill site. Her latest post is called I wonder ….

4:28 PM My good friend and publisher Henry Neufeld has just posted some wonderful thoughts about Christmas.

Henry writes:

I think if we empty ourselves as did the babe in the manger our joy will increase. If we make our lives be about the incarnation, sacrificial giving of ourselves, our joy will increase. I don’t mean life will be easy or trouble free. The book of Hebrews makes that clear as well. But there is a joy that is set before us (Hebrews 12:2), and what most of are called to endure is considerably less than the cross.

Jesus was and is God’s message to the world, and we are Christ’s body here and now. Let’s determine to live as witnesses to the message we have been given.

ReadAn Incarnational Christmas Witness. Thanks, Henry, for the reminder that Christmas is all about getting the Gospel out to those who have never heard.

3:04 PM The Society for the German Language has announced itsWord of the Year for 2011. It is none other that “Stresstest.”

If you had to pick one word to describe the year gone by, what would it be? I think mine would possibly be Whew! It is one thing to set annual goals for yourself. It’s another thing entirely to get them finished. One of my major goals this year was to revise my doctoral dissertation (Paul, Apostle of Weakness) for publication and to write a book on global evangelism. What a relief it was to get these manuscripts into the hands of their publishers. Winston Churchill’s comments on writing a book are often quoted by authors, and with good reason:

Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him about to the public.

What author can’t identify with those sentiments! Secondly, this year the Lord graciously allowed me to train up a new generation of Greek teachers in a foreign land that desperately needs good teachers. I made three trips this year and, believe me, foreign travel is tough! Was it worth it? Indeed it was! I’m glad I stuck it out.

I can think of only one thing that has been more difficult than writing or traveling this year, and that has been the cancer journey that I’ve been on with Becky. I am honest when I say that dealing with cancer is more costly, more time-consuming, and more demanding than almost anything else one does in life. But it is also perhaps more rewarding. There is a “calmness of the soul” that God develops in those who are yielded to Him. I especially appreciated the way Becky faced every step of her journey with courage and with a vibrant Christian witness. I’m convinced that there are dozens of people at UNC Hospital who would never have known the love of Jesus up close and personal had not Becky contracted this dreaded disease.

Someone has said that pain is inevitable but misery is a choice. That’s why I want to end this year by saying to anyone who will listen: God’s grace is sufficient. He holds out hope and encouragement no matter what you are going through, and because He is absolutely sovereign we can declare (without reservation) that His promises are reliable. But we must give Him full freedom to step into our lives. We must establish those vertical priorities that lead to a godly mindset. The greatest delight of my life is knowing Him. He alone allows me to:

• Rejoice regardless of my circumstances

• Adapt willingly to life’s changes

• Live realistically

• Give generously

• Trust fearlessly

So, what is your “Word of the Year” for 2011?

9:05 AM I’ve been working on my slide show for tomorrow’s missions presentation. What an awesome trip it was. It’s just as awesome to report about it to the Body, as we read in Acts 14:27:

Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.

How thankful I am for a Great Commission church like Bethel Hill!

8:21 AM Just received Christmas greetings from a friend in Australia. Yes, it’s already Christmas Day Down Under! 

8:04 AM The saga continues …

I’ve already mentioned that 1976 was the year I began teaching Greek courses at Biola College. What a dream come true! I was like a boy taking his first theology lesson and saying that he would like to be a Karl Barth. The salary was microscopic, but in those days very little could be expected if one was a humble instructor.

When I returned from Basel I picked up my teaching mantel again at Biola, though it was not long before I would be wooed away. In Long Beach an effort was underway by Grace Seminary in Indiana to establish a West Coast Campus. My appointment as academic dean at Grace Graduate School (a ministry of the Grace Brethren Church of Long Beach) was to be the first step in making that a reality. Eventually, Grace West opened its doors as the fully-accredited extension campus of Grace Seminary in Winona Lake. I was not so keen about the commute this involved from my home in La Mirada, but the opportunity to reach students with a non-traditional schedule was too good to pass up. Our goal was never to compete with what Biola was doing; our courses were targeted at those students who could only attend classes in the evenings or on the weekends. We were working hard to reach out to the ethnic minorities in Southern California, and were seeing some success. How idealistic I was then!

I was brought back to earth sharply. Political dissention on the main campus in Indiana led to the closure of Grace West after only three short years of operation. It was an intensely difficult time for me. I saw my vision collapse for what I saw as no good reason. Back to Biola I went, and there I remained until 1998, though I was also moonlighting at other institutions such as Simon Greenleaf University and Golden Gate Seminary’s Brea campus. Personally I owe Biola much — and not merely because it offered me my first chance to earn a living. It was there that I cut my eye teeth as a classroom teacher under the watchful supervision of Dr. Harry Sturz, one of the finest Greek professors who ever graced the halls of academia. He watched me, with those glittering eyes, incessantly. In my classes I was left free to do my work in my way. In the evenings I worked steadily at my writing and tried to keep current with the latest scholarship. It seems to me now that in my early thirties I had more intellectual curiosity and energy than I do now, but in those days the world of academia meant for more to me than than it does today.

In 1998 I was called to Southeastern Seminary, then under its new president, Dr. Paige Patterson. I had no great desire to leave the West Coast, but since several eastern institutions were courting me I decided to write Dr. Patterson and send him my resume. In November of 1997 Becky and I were flown out to Wake Forest for an interview. I must say it was love at first sight. We were made at home in the spacious Lion House and feted night and day by various members of the faculty. There were many interviews, of course. In the one with the president I was able to ask any question I wanted to. I recall inquiring about office protocol. “How many office hours do you require for your faculty each week?” I asked. I will never forget Dr. Patterson’s answer. He smiled at me and said, “Dave, around here we have only one rule: We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Act accordingly.” I thought to myself, This is a place I’d like to work at! Perhaps the most attractive feature of Southeastern for me at that time was its fledgling Ph.D. program in Biblical Studies. I knew that if I ever relocated it would be to a place where I could mentor doctoral students. Thus it was that in the summer of 1998 we moved the horses and goats and settled down in the tobacco fields of Granville County, North Carolina. Some of my work at the seminary, like that of every teacher, is of the grindstone variety, but by no means all. One is almost given carte blanche as to courses and hours, and overloads are usually available. I began teaching the Advanced Greek Grammar course as well as a Ph.D. seminar in Greek Linguistics. I have been able to host two major New Testament conferences on campus, a place of keen enjoyment of academic debate. I have found both the physical climate and the spiritual atmosphere of Southeastern to be more than congenial. I still miss the deserts of the American West, but I have found the pace of life here to be relaxing and soothing after the frantic hubbub of Southern California.

6:52 AM Several bloggers have been recommending books to read in 2012. Others have noted their favorite books of 2011. I’d like to re-post here my ten best books for studying New Testament Greek (excluding my own books, of course). I hope many of you will read them if you haven’t done so already.

1. William Mounce,Basics of Biblical Greek.

Mounce’s beginning grammar remains perhaps the most widely used introductory textbook of New Testament Greek. Speaking as an author of a beginning Greek textbook, I am glad that Mounce’s grammar has had the recognition it so richly deserves and offer my best wishes for its continuance, since the book is a great service to students everywhere. No matter which beginning textbook you used, you will need to own this grammar as well.

2. Dan Wallace,Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics.

Wallace’s intermediate grammar is a tour de force. It is absolutely impossible to describe the profundity of this book. I prefer to recommend it to you and then let you discover its treasures. The pedagogical implications, however, are such that I cannot agree to them without compromising what is dearest to me as a teacher — simplicity. It would do good service if one day the book could be rewritten and placed on a slightly lower shelf. Oh wait — this hasalready been done!

3. A. T. Robertson,A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research.

I seldom felt so pitifully incompetent as when I first picked up this book. It almost counts as a “mental autobiography.” Robertson tried to show the effect, upon a growing new science, of the profound transformation that modern linguistics had brought in the way scholars approached the Greek of the New Testament. Most modern teachers of Greek give the book faint praise, then promptly ignore it. In my opinion, that is a huge mistake. I require the book in my Advanced Greek Grammar course, but even intermediate level students who are willing to work will benefit from it.

4. Robert Funk,Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.

At the Amazon site, Dan Wallace writes:

BDF is still the standard Greek grammar of the New Testament even after four decades. It is in the process of being revised (by a revision committee of eight members), but the revision will take several more years to complete. We felt it needed revision because BDF presupposes that the average reader has had much exposure to classical Greek prior to working in the New Testament. This is part of the reason that BDF is so hard to use: most NT students have not had exposure to classical Greek nowadays. Another reason is its cryptic nature, Teutonic abbreviations, and omission of ‘normal’ grammar. Nevertheless, even with these shortcomings, every responsible exegete of the New Testament must own a copy of this goldmine of information.

Enough said.

5. Peter Cotterell and Max Turner,Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation.

In a sense this book could be called a popularization. It seeks to bring linguistics within the grasp of educated people in general rather than leave it in the possession of a closed and mysterious community. The authors have selected the thinkers in the field who have good judgment, and their own comments are accurate and clear as well.

6. Moisés Silva,Biblical Words and Their Meaning.

This book is a retreat from the radicalism of an earlier generation of New Testament teachers that believed in “Holy Ghost” Greek. Silva’s exegetical acumen fitted him well for writing a book on lexicography. This book inveighed me into actually delving into linguistics myself, and when eventually I produced my own book on linguistics it was Silva who agreed to write the preface.

7. Stanley Porter,Verbal Aspect in the Greek of the New Testament, with Reference to Tense and Mood.

This book, which suffers from gigantism, deserves a prominent place in my list because it opened an important can of worms known today as the verbal aspect debate. You mustn’t expect clarity from Dr. Porter, but you must read this book. Porter impresses me as one who has his finger on the heartbeat of the problem, though I disagree with many of his conclusions.

8. Maximilian Zerwick,Biblical Greek.

When I was in seminary I was introduced to this book and lived with it night and day. Despite its recklessly ambitious preface the book largely accomplishes what it sets out to do: introduce the reader to all the categories of New Testament Greek grammar in an understandable way. It really is a first-rate piece of work.

9.  Neal Windham,New Testament Greek for Preachers and Teachers.

What a pleasant surprise when I first laid eyes on this book! It covers five different areas of reading one’s Greek New Testament, including morphology and the Greek cases. Why it has not attracted more attention is beyond me. I feel it is one of the most underrated books of our generation, and I’d dearly like to see it read by every student of New Testament Greek.

10. Rodney Decker,Koine Greek Reader: Selections from the New Testament, Septuagint, and Early Christian Writers.

Having taught Greek for 35 years I can say with conviction that nothing is more important to the mastery of New Testament Greek than keeping our students in the text. Decker’s book is simply the best reader available today. The readings are all engaging, and the notes are both accurate and helpful. Decker will stretch your students without breaking them. The book is also very user-friendly for the independent learner.

Obviously, by composing this list of what I believe to be essential books, I have no intention of imposing upon you harsh punishment. I can only speak personally, and — speaking personally — I have found each of these books to be a fascinating and helpful read. I surmise you will too. Like all books, they contain unforgivable omissions, and many pay far too little attention to English style. But they all have one thing in common: they will destroy your smugness. The sin of many seminarians is what the ancient Greeks called hubris — arrogance in the midst of prosperity. I am partly to blame if my students graduate with a head full of knowledge and a heart full of pride. I know of nothing that will dispel our inflated egos quite like seeing how much we don’t know. We are all imperfect teachers, but we may be forgiven if we have at least tried to warn our students against self-satisfied complacency.

At any rate: Happy Reading in 2012!

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   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

Defenders of the U.S. Constitution—Then and Now

David Alan Black

On this date in 1787 the first complete draft of the proposed U.S. Constitution began to be debated. The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of American states that were sovereign in most of their affairs. Congress as the central authority had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency. In practice, however, these powers were sharply proscribed because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops.

By 1786, it was apparent that the loose confederation would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia. On May 25, 1787, delegates from every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House (today known as Independence Hall) for the Constitutional Convention. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.

During an intensive debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal system characterized by an elaborate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more-populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the so-called Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate).

At the conclusion of the convention on September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the thirteen states. Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states (especially Massachusetts) opposed the document because it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

In February 1788 a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the understanding that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted twelve amendments to the U.S. Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments—the “Bill of Rights”—were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original thirteen colonies joined the “United States of America.”

Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world. It was ratified, however, only after lengthy—and oftentimes heated—debate. Indeed, the War for Independence itself was a subject of much discussion and disagreement among colonists. One need only look at the Loyalists to see the extent to which the Christians among them took Romans 13 seriously: the believer’s duty is to be subject to the governing authorities under which he lives. In fact, some years after the war President Timothy Dwight of Yale could say that the revolution had “unhinged the principles, the morality, and the religion of the country more than could have been done by a peace of forty years.”

But among orthodox Christians in America support for separation from the Mother Country was at least as powerful—one need think only of Revolutionary General John Peter Muhlenberg (eldest son of the head of the Lutheran church in America), who saved the American forces from annihilation at Brandywine. Men like John Witherspoon argued that revolution was justified when a sovereign so exceeded his legitimate powers that he could be said to have abrogated his proper sovereignty. Being no longer sovereign except in name, he could be toppled from his throne without doing harm to Romans 13 and Paul’s teaching about submission.

Our Christian forebears in the Revolutionary War and following thus possessed a strong belief that an oppressive use of political power gave the injured populace a right to seek redress of its grievances. It was this desire to protect the fragile flower of liberty that led our Founding Fathers to risk life and limb for freedom. Professor Charles Andrews, author of The Colonial Background of the American Revolution, has said:

The American Revolution, like nearly all revolutions in history, was an uprising not against a king and his ministers, but against a system and a state of mind…. The problem was not one of mercantile subordination or of imperial authority, but concerned the very constitution of the British empire; and such constitutional concessions as would have satisfied the demands of the colonists, these British statesmen could not make, because they were barred by the mental limitations of their own time and class. Only the threatened collapse of the entire colonial system in the thirties of the next century, the rise of a group of young enthusiasts who refused to believe that matured dependencies were necessarily foreordained to revolt, and a ten years’ war with the stubborn bureaucracy of Downing Street finally convinced the British official mind that colonies might be entrusted with responsible self-government and still be retained as parts of the empire.

In rebelling against a “system and a state of mind,” our forbears chose to preserve the scriptural ideal of liberty and thus became the main torchbearers of that ideal in the world. Tragically, we have fallen away from the ideal of the founding generation, but the movement back to limited constitutional government is accelerating in many quarters of the nation and among many communities of faith. As Americans, these Christians are refusing to accept the nation’s slide into oblivion, and the culture wars are intensifying between them and the ruling liberal elite.

Today the danger is very real that radical liberalism will be allowed to remain triumphant for the foreseeable future, but not everyone is ready to admit that America has passed the point of no return. This nation can in 2004 elect a responsible president who will uphold constitutional principles. All over the land, coalitions of commonsense conservatives are resisting the liberal media, building alternative means of communication via the Internet, and encouraging trends toward political sanity that are already in place. They are the patriots of today, every bit as much defenders of the Constitution as were their forefathers, and they refuse to be defeated.

May their tribe increase!

August 6, 2003

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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