Friday, May 9

1:55 PM The Baldwin 2008 website is now up and running.

1:20 PM Newsflash! I'm not the only person who enjoys taking pictures of Nathan and Jessica. Here's proof.

1:12 PM I don't know why, but I've been thinking a good deal about missions of late. Time rushes past as though it were trying to win the Breeder's Cup, and goodness knows when I will have the opportunity to record my miscellaneous thoughts in the future. Might I share them with you on this blog, beginning today? You will quickly see that I am no expert on the subject. These convictions are simply the product of a "lay" missionist and conclusions drawn from his own personal Bible study. Here they are, then, in no particular order of importance. Each entry will be prefaced by the words "Mission Conviction." I begin today with the following 3:

Mission Conviction #1:

The church, not the missions organization, is God's primary instrument in this world. Perhaps, then, the time has come to stop out-sourcing church planting to para-missions entities. This is not to downplay the role of those who are specially gifted in evangelism or church planting. These evangelists and church planters, however, are to work primarily with and through the local churches. Imagine the impact the church could have on the world if every local congregation saw itself as God's missionary organization. "Missions" would come to mean more than sending money to support missionaries and missions programs. Nor would we continue to use the term "missionary" to refer to professionals who are paid workers. The term missionary, if used, would be given its biblical sense of "representative of God in the world" (apostolos). In the scriptural sense, all Christians are missionaries, and all are to be involved personally in missionary discipleship in service to the world. That's why I often introduce myself to people, not as a professor of Greek, but as a "full-time missionary." Now, I am not with a para-mission organization. Nor am I paid to be a missionary. So people ask, "How then can you call yourself a full-time missionary?" We must change this way of thinking. There must be a significant move away from a paternalistic attitude towards the "laity," with a growing recognition of their importance in bringing the Gospel to our communities and to the world. According to the New Testament, ministry is not the prerogative of an elite corpus. It is not the function only of seminary-trained professionals. It is the function of the whole people of God. Thus every Christian shares the mission of the church both through personal witness and missions activities. This participation is irrespective of sex, age, gender, social standing, or academic achievement.

Mission Conviction #2:

This is an implication of #1. It is my personal opinion that we can no longer justify theological training that aims only at making "laypersons" into professional missionaries. Rather, theological education must aim at mobilizing all the people of God for ministry in the world. In light of 1 Pet. 2:9 and Eph. 4:11-12, we much change our definition of ordination to include the setting apart of the whole people of God for "works of service." In our seminaries, I believe it would make a very great difference if we were to recognize that the New Testament, from beginning to end, was written by missionaries for missionaries. It is critical to view the missionary mandate of Christ as the foundation upon which the entire work of Christian education rests. Missions acts, then, or at least should act, as the one encompassing task of Christian theology and community. Why, then, should "missions" be relegated to a missions and evangelism "department"? Such is to imply only a peripheral importance. Our goal in Christian education must be to incorporate the mission thrust of Jesus into all of our subjects. I can envision the day when trained "experts" are wedded to local churches rather than only to academic institutions. Together the whole body -- trained theologians and untrained practioners -- would join in the process of theologizing and missionizing. The object is for each local church to "hold forth the life-giving Word" (Phil. 2:16) in a way that people will know why and how they should turn to this new Lord Jesus Christ.

Mission Conviction #3:

This also implies that the theological task in our seminaries must go beyond the classroom. That is, God's plan for contextualized missions is rendered inoperable when academics fail to think in such a way that their theology comes across accurately in their lives. God never intended theology to be divorced from life. In our day, such a divorce has become a major problem within Western Christianity. We must reconnect the academy with the church. We seminary professors, whatever our area of expertise, need to live missions, not just talk about it. As with Paul, the Gospel must become the one passion of our lives. "What am I here for?" might serve as a good daily reminder to those of us who serve as academics in our colleges and seminaries. We so easily lose sight of the reason for our existence: to further the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a matter of keeping first things first (Phil. 1:27). And ultimately that mission belongs to the church, not the seminary. The church alone is permanent, and it alone can provide the permanent structure for evangelism and service. This is one reason why in our own mission work Becky and I work primarily with local churches and not with larger denominational structures. It is also why we attempt to link local church to local church between the U.S. and Ethiopia. Already several American congregations have decided to partner with their Ethiopian counterparts to further the work of the kingdom. This is because they have come to realize that the local church is God's center for mission strategies and outreach activities. In November we will again be taking a team of 15 of them to meet up with their sister congregations. And more and more churches are getting involved.

These are just 3 of my personal convictions about missions that God has laid upon my heart recently. Lord willing, I'll have an opportunity to share a few more with you later. I leave you with some pictures of last year's Team Ethiopia. Here's the group from Bethel Hill Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.

And these 5 intrepid souls represented Union Chapel Baptist Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church in Virginia to their sister churches in the Muslim region of Alaba. 

Jason taught the entire book of Ephesians in a single week to the men of the Burji district. When he got to chapter 5 there was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the men repented of the ways they had failed to truly love their wives. 

Danny's personal ministry was loving on the children of Burji. The median age in Ethiopia is 17, and children and youth are as numberless as ticks and about as tenacious.

Sherree taught a woman's Bible study to packed audiences in the villages we visited. Her technique of using role-playing was a novelty to these ladies but well-received. 

Miss Mary focused on discipling the younger women. Here she is teaching them how to sew. Mary was 80 years old when she made this, her first trip outside of the United States. I can still see her walking down the streets of Soyama and the people saying, "God must love us very much if He would tell this dear lady to leave all the comforts of America to come and visit us." Miss Mary is my hero.

Keep in mind that none of these missionaries went to Ethiopia merely as "individuals" taking a "short-term missions trip." They went as apostles -- personal representatives of their own local churches to their sisters churches in order to strengthen and deepen the ties that already existed. Once again, Becky and I see missions as church to church, not denomination to denomination. If you would like to see more pictures of Ethiopia and read our detailed reports, please go to our Ethiopia Files. 

11:56 AM News and Notes:

1) Last night Jessie invited us over for supper. She cooked meat loaf, carrots, and the best cornbread I think I have ever eaten. Afterwards we enjoyed popcorn and chatted. Becky and I are so grateful to the Lord Jesus for giving us such a wonderful daughter and such a perfect companion for Nathan. An excellent hostess, too!

2) It was a wild night. We were under a tornado watch the whole time. The tempest and fury of the storm were heart-stopping. No damage that I can see, thankfully. Right now the sun is shining brightly. Sheppie, no doubt, thinks he chased away Thor by all of his barking.

3) Back to my term papers today. So far the grades have ranged from A to F. After 31 years in this business, I can usually tell when someone is "pumping sunshine."

4) Here they come!

Thursday, May 8

8:03 PM Ten papers down, only 90 to go.

3:57 PM It has been a quiet day here at the farm. I have been mostly resting, trying to recover completely from my cold, while Becky has been working on various Ethiopia projects. I have to admire the work she does. It takes hours for her to chew over the tangled logistics of our trips to Ethiopia and the numerous projects we are involved in. I would ask for special intercession with regard to the medical clinic we hope to open this fall in Burji. The facility is much like a freshly conceived embryo. Your prayers through gestation and delivery, until viability and maturity, would be greatly appreciated.

3:44 PM Over at USA Daily, Izzy Lyman reminds us why Chuck Baldwin is no Mike Huckabee. Not that the mainstream media will take any notice. Those like Chuck who do not "conform" are irrelevant except to the degree that they justify the existence of those who do. The beatnik is necessary to make the square unimpeachably respectable. How sad.

12:39 PM This past week I was inundated with emails. I believed I have answered all of them, but I have this sixth sense that one or two might have been overlooked for some reason. My policy is to answer all of my emails with 24 hours (or less) unless I am traveling. So, if you have emailed me in the past week but have not received a reply, kindly send me another email and I will do my very best to see that you get an answer in a timely manner. Thanks. 

10:58 AM A huge "Mahalo!" to those who presented their papers in class yesterday: Rachael W. (Heb. 3:7-19), Andy B. (1 Cor. 3:10-20), Nathan S. (2 Thess. 2:1-12), and Andy M. (1 Tim. 6:2-10). Rachael reminded us that the best way to remain faithful to Christ is by encouraging one another daily. Andy asked, Are we building the church of Christ with worldly building materials and according to cultural standards or by the wisdom of Christ? Nathan noted how in the end times men will refuse to love the truth, and that the best way of waiting for the parousia is by resisting sin. Finally, Andy emphasized that we are to be content with food and clothing and not to be like the false teachers who are motivated by greed and who try to use "godliness" for financial gain. Next week there will be six presenters. My heartfelt thanks to each.

Meanwhile, today I begin grading the class's 15-page term papers, all 100 of them (photo). Contrary to what one might expect, this is a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me as I get to read the results of thousands of hours of diligent labor on the part of my wonderful students.

9:42 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Redestined to Be a 4-Point Missionist. 

9:40 AM I just received these books from Amazon. The classic hardback on Colditz cost me a grand total of 99 cents. It is in excellent condition. Someday I hope to visit Colditz and Spangenberg Castles in Germany, both of which functioned as POW camps during the Second World War.  

9:34 AM Must-read blog entry: Steve Sensenig on the heart of the Gospel. A sample:

So, the heart of the gospel? We are reconciled to God through Christ! The gospel is not a weapon with which to threaten people. It’s not a guilt trip to make people feel awful about their lives in ignorance of the good news. It’s not a call for behavior modification. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s not a way to build our own human empires. It’s the good news of a loving Father with whom mankind had a relationship that was severed, which relationship has now been restored!

9:30 AM The dogs are always happy to see Master Nathan whenever he shows up at the Hall. Know what? So am I.

9:22 AM Can a sentence end with a conjunction? The answer is clearly yes, as this Language Log entry proves. (An example from German is aber.) Indeed, many would argue that the book of Mark in the New Testament ends in a conjunction (16:8). In my book Perspectives on the Ending of Mark (which is due out Sept. 1), both Dan Wallace and Darrell Bock side with the consensus of textual scholars in supporting the shorter ending. Others would include the last twelve verses as authentic, I being among them. One might think that an article like the one linked to above adds support to the shorter ending view, but we shouldn’t let that mislead us into underestimating the evidence in favor of the longer ending.

9:14 AM I have really become attached to my good buddy Mr. Owl. Yesterday I found his brother hiding under our upstairs porch chairs. He snarled at me in owlese until I left him alone.

9:10 AM The church is a collegium of the laity, by the laity, and for the laity. The church is for the whole community. It is not only for the individual. The Body of Christ is a social movement. It aims at influencing the whole society and its institutions and ideas. It does this by selfless acts of service in the name of Jesus. All do not grasp this truth to the same degree, but here’s one man who does. I am now convinced more than ever that a higher percentage of men and women like him will cry out for these ultimate issues given the challenge. A goodly number will drink from that grandly flowing stream of Jesus and His apostles. These young men and women in their twenties and thirties are badly needed.

9:05 AM Magazine evangelism.

Wednesday, May 7

8:03 PM When Nate and Jessie showed up at Bradford Hall they were wearing their "traditional" clothes -- gifts from their brothers and sisters in Ethiopia.

After they changed into more comfortable dinner attire we enjoyed the injera and wat that Becky had cooked to perfection. 

As is customary, we ate with our hands, using the injera as a sop with which to pick up the various main courses. Ethiopian food not only tastes good, it looks good. 

7:11 PM This day just keeps getting better and better. Becky has finished cooking Ethiopian food for supper, and the Blacks have arrived to join in the festivities. Gotta run....

6:56 PM The Evangelical Manifesto was released today. I suspect I am not alone in doubting whether it will have any influence on American politics. It’s like spreading cold cream on cancer. And, unlike supporters of the Barmen Declaration, it will cost its signatories absolutely nothing. If you do take the time to read the 20-page manifesto, be sure you also read Sheldon Richman’s Statecraft Is Not Soulcraft.

6:44 PM Guess what I saw when I got home today? Nathan baling hay. As soon as he finished, Jessie drove the van and trailer and Nate and I picked up.

In my opinion, no task is "farmier" than haying. Nate has already sold this cutting to a regular customer down in Carolina.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this makes Wednesday, May 7, 2008 a very historic day at Rosewood Farm. Nathan and Jessica Black got up their very first load of hay as a married couple. Sound the trumpet in Zion!

In other news, Nate and Jess visited with the Terry family in Franklin yesterday and brought back with them this cutie pie. The kitten will go to a family in Oxford. 

Tuesday, May 6

5:45 AM We're getting somewhere. My students have convinced me. I speak with a good many of them who are throwing off the bonds of selfish individualism that mummify the Body and paralyze our people into thinking only about my salvation and about my soul and about my Christ. They are allowing God into their private lives, as 1 John and James and Jude teach them to do. Organizational self-appraisal no longer dominates their conversations. They are reexamining their crowded programs. Emphasis is being properly placed on personal sanctity. Programs to arouse pride impress them no more. They are no longer ignoring the pressing social issues of our changing society: corrupt politics, education without God, the welfare state, militarism, the gnarled problems created by the professionalization of the "ministry" -- how many more issues could I mention? Their reading of the Scriptures -- not the mere words of famous American pop-theologians but the Word of God itself -- has shaken their complacency, shocked the status quo. Now Christ is more important than Christendom. One student even told me he's leaving seminary to get a job in a secular field so that he could begin "full-time Christian ministry." Vital bonds between church and world are being formed. "I was naked and you clothed Me!" They are acting for Christ, striving to keep Him warm. Above all, they are becoming Gospelers. Evangelism is now a lifestyle, not something to do on Tuesday nights.

Yes, the road is long, but I dare say we're getting somewhere.

Monday, May 5

5:17 PM Tonight is our meeting with those in the Roxboro area who are interested in going to Burji with us this fall. The trip involves a number of complex factors, so the meeting will not be a short one. How many people will show up? How many will want to go? Dozens perhaps. But we'll have to be selective: only 10 can come with us this time. Speaking personally, I am as excited about this trip as any I've made to Africa. I often feel homesick for Ethiopia with its pains and problems, and its great potential.

5:12 PM Our owlet is back. I found him in the front yard nibbling on a Japanese beetle. Now he's resting in the flower bed. What can I understand about him in a glance so fleeting? What is he thinking? Where is his mother? How does he survive? What a miracle of creation!

5:08 PM Today I let out into the yard a bumble bee that was trapped in our screened-in back porch. Why shouldn't it be allowed to enjoy this beautiful day?

4:48 PM Becky and I left the house yesterday morning at 8:00 am and returned at 11:00 pm. We drove over 300 miles. When we set out we were fatigued and fighting allergies and head colds. Yet God was close to us. His strength in the midst of our weakness was very real. The weaker we grew, the more of His strength we seemed to experience. We found it profoundly inspiring to be with God's people from 5 different congregations: Immanuel Baptist Church, Greensboro Chinese Christian Church, Ethiopian Christians Fellowship Church, Antioch Baptist Church, and Goldston Baptist Church. To think -- the church is the place where Christ chooses to dwell, to create the space where His glory can manifest itself! All day long we felt His presence in our lives, yet in such a quiet, unobtrusive, elusive way. Praise be to God.

Pix, of course.

Saturday, May 3

5:45 PM Food, fun, fellowship, fishing, frolicking, family, fantastic. Here are a few pix.

8:37 AM Look at what we just found sitting in our front yard. Becky went over to pick it up and throw it away, thinking it was a clump of my hair!

8:26 AM Jon Glass heard Ron Paul at Duke last night. Here's his report.

8:22 AM More and more I am seeing how in reality the "good," the "kind," the "loving" intention of government bears fruit in real evil, cruelty, inhumanity, and hate. Every year that I live makes this more and more clear to me. A man who has come to terms with this awful reality is Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party nominee for president of "these United States" (as Chuck likes to put it). Chuck recently laid out his platform, as it were, in this essay. He shows how the roots of our political problems run very deep, so deep that few of us can humbly acknowledge how far we have fallen as a nation. In the end, Chuck's cause is the cause of all liberty-loving Americans who believe in limited, constitutional government. As a matter of fact, by showing that the "righteous" conscience of the nation in fact masks a brutal and cruelly unjust hegemony, Chuck is calling the nation to repentance. I say Amen and Amen to his message, and I pray that it gets through and strikes home.

8:13 AM In Greek, the "penult" is the accent mark before the last one. Earthly life is "penultimate" in the sense that it derives its dignity, its seriousness, its meaning from its weddedness to the coming of Christ and His judgment seat of rewards. My talks tomorrow will emphasize this truth. I love His appearing, and I want to be living each day with eternity in view. At the same time, the simple joys of this present life prepare us, in gratitude and hope, to enter into His kingdom. One such joy for Becky and me is our semi-annual Student Day, a time for my students and their families to enjoy one another's company and the beauty of nature. Term papers are due next week, and we are not expecting a very large crowd, but each and every person who shows up today is very special to us. Thank God for penultimate days like this.

Friday, May 2

5:02 PM This Sunday I've been asked to "preach" at a couple of churches in North Carolina. I have almost come to loath that word. Just as people can watch spellbound a circus performer tumbling through the air in a tight rubber costume, so they can listen to a "preacher" who uses the Bible to draw attention to himself. Especially if his sermon is "well-crafted." I have known a good many preachers who in many ways seemed quite frivolous in their exaggerated and confused enthusiasms. The problem is that a sensational preacher stimulates only the senses and leaves the spirit untouched. I usually pray before I speak, "God, you speak and help me get out of the way." I really mean it. I don't feel I have anything unique to say. Usually I just verbalize what people already know in their heart to be true. I think it's all very unsensational, actually. Yes, I'm very glad to "preach" in churches week after week. But I really just talk about what the text is saying -- a text that transcends time and place and unifies us with the one God who is Father of all believers in all places and all times.

4:36 PM If you haven't heard from me yet today it's for a very good reason. No sooner did Becky and I finish our morning cup of coffee than we were outside in nature. Yesterday B. had already planted her backyard garden: green beans, yellow beans, squash, green peppers, and banana peppers.

Here's the new-fangled irrigation system she's trying out this year. She's so excited about her garden, and I dare say she should be. After all, this summer she gets to stay home and tend to it while I'm in Ethiopia.  

And here's what we managed to plant today in our field garden before our aching backs grave out on us: marigolds and onions as a border, beets, a variety of beans (green, pole, yellow, lima), and okra. Right now Becky's gone off to the store to buy some tomato plants. But I don't think they'll get planted today.

Thursday, May 1

9:04 PM Guess what we got today? Becky's new injera cooker. (A birthday present from yours truly.) She plans to try it out tomorrow. If she succeeds, we'll be having injera b'wat for supper. Ain't nothin' better.

8:58 PM The sowers went out to sow....

Becky and I hope to plant our garden tomorrow. 

2:09 PM The latest addition to our home page is called A Message from Aberash and Tilahun.

1:55 PM Students, a reminder that I am happy to look at the structural analysis for your term paper and to answer any other questions you may have. I will answer your emails as quickly as I can.

1:43 PM I couldn't resist snapping this pic of the newlyweds spreading manure on their vegetable garden in preparation for planting. Nate's going to disc it up this afternoon I believe. What a blast watching those two work together.

1:36 PM Along with thousands of other Constitution-loving Americans I have ordered Ron Paul's The Revolution, 3 copies in fact. Sometimes books encourage a sort of collective daydreaming and create a world in which to escape. Hopefully, Paul's manifesto will lead to new aspirations and new motivations to face reality now and to work in unity for a return to constitutional government. Apparently God has not withdrawn Himself totally from our nation -- yet.

8:02 AM Great miracles continue to happen in the city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia. On Easter Sunday (which was observed last weekend in the Ethiopian calendar) the churches bonded together to feed the street people of the city. This morning we received a wonderful report and photo from the beloved disciples there:

The Ethiopian Easter was on Sunday 27 April 2008 and as you know we invited the home less (street) people of our city. Around 150 people came to eat their Lunch. The place was in _____ church compound. We built a simple tent that can protect us from direct sunlight. This church is relatively found at the center of the city. So it was ideal to invite the street boys and girls.

As they gathered we introduced ourselves; serve them lunch and soft drinks. The food was spicy, made of beef and tasty. We enjoyed it together. “He did good, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17. Soon after we eat our lunch, a guy preached the word of God from John 3:14-18 and Acts 4:12. All the street people heard the Gospel Message; Praise God! Mark 16:15.

After the preaching, when they are asked to accept Jesus Christ as their savior, 10 of them accept in front of us and made decision for Jesus. More over 5 of the street boys remain after the program and accept Jesus as their savior. Totally 15 people accept Jesus as their savior. Praise Lord, let all the glory be to Him!!! Finally we gave them clothes and let them go
We are rejoicing!!! Please rejoice with us!! The word of God says “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine Just persons who need no repentance.” Luke15:7.

All these 15 new believers are given to ______ church evangelists to start them discipleship courses. I believe most of them will complete their discipleship training.

This report is so marvelous I am speechless. I feel as though I have just read Acts 2:43-47. 

7:33 AM I appreciate everyone who has responded to Becky's wish list for Ethiopia. Our nation is affluent and has more than it needs. The realization that what we have is a free gift from God can deepen our desire to share this gift with others who are calling out for help. Unless we share the harvest with others, the blessing turns into a curse. Thinking about all of this, I realize that I am still obsessed by desires that are not wrong in themselves but are inappropriate because they are in the wrong place in the hierarchy of values. How much more could I do for others if I were motivated by the Christ-mind of Phil. 2:5-8!

7:30 AM Friends and comrades! Watch this interview with presidential nominee Chuck Baldwin as he talks about why he’s running and what he hopes to accomplish. (His acceptance speech can be viewed here.) Double kudos to Chuck.

7:25 AM Izzy Lyman is back, this time praising America’s youthful trailblazers. Check this out also. It is a joy to read essays like hers. Go Izzy!

7:20 AM Below is a portrait of me executed over 2,000 years ago in a previous incarnation. To think that it's been over 3 decades since I studied Greek and prepared my first translations from 1 John! And now my sincere and passionate students are doing this for me. The difficulty, of course, is putting myself in their shoes. Otherwise I might do more harm than good in assigning too much work, expecting meat-eaters when a galactic diet is more suitable. I do hope we can at least sight-read the entire book book of 1 John in class before the end of the semester. How wholeheartedly I agree with the apostle John when he says that the Christian life is to be a lifestyle of conformity to the will of God (1:5-10). Or at least not being a charlatan and an actor when it comes to Christianity. I loathe the thought of a student taking my Greek courses and not being knocked in the head by a good dose of fertile truth. It gave me goose bumps to see my students in class on Tuesday with their Greek New Testaments open for the first time, reading and translating from 1 John -- the first fruits of their labors these past two semesters. There are only two lessons to go in our grammar and we're done. Actually, we've only just begun. A foundation exists for only one reason, and that is to lay a superstructure on top of it. I do hope each and every one of my students will take third semester Greek this fall even though I will be on sabbatical. At any rate, they've worked very hard to get to this point. I just want to say "Thanks."

7:13 AM Quote du jour:

Whereas the sinner lives in sin and loves it, the saint lapses into sin and loathes it. He cannot, being a sheep, enjoy the filth which the hog rolls in.

Wednesday, April 30

8:08 PM A Texas-sized shout out to David Allen, dean of the school of theology at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth and a long-time friend of mine, who lectured in my New Testament class today on very short notice. He is in the area for revival services and stopped by my office to say hello. I asked him if he would share his views on the authorship of Hebrews with the class, and he agreed. He spent an hour trying to defend the completely untenable view of direct Lukan authorship. Seriously, David is the leading proponent today of that view, and I'm just glad to see that I'm not the only one trying to re-open the question. David has two forthcoming books on the subject, the first a major revision of his University of Texas doctoral dissertation in which he sets forth the main arguments in favor of Lukan authorship, and the second his commentary on Hebrews in the New American Commentary series published by Broadman & Holman.

Tuesday, April 29

5:59 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Dissent.

5:56 AM Ron Paul will speak at UNC and Duke this Friday. A blogging friend has gotten a ticket for the Duke appearance. If he blogs on it I'll let you know.

5:45 AM Today is my day to pray for all of my students, by name. What a wonderful group of people you are. I can assure you that your Savior loves you very much. And by the way, so does this professor.

Monday, April 28

3:18 PM Fun, fun, fun!

2:45 PM Today I had a wonderful conversation with pastor Steve of the Greensboro Chinese Christian church, where I will be speaking this Sunday morning. Actually it will be a combined service of three different congregations: the American, the Chinese, and (can you believe it?) the Ethiopian. Here is what is so exciting to me: the Chinese congregation has an annual theme for its church, and this year the theme is "Loving God" and "Witnessing for Jesus." Steve discussed with me a message dealing with missions that would highlight both of these themes, including Jesus' teaching about missions and my own experience as His "witness" in Mecklenburg County, VA (where there are pagans a-plenty) and in Ethiopia. This seems to me an excellent idea; and I would also plan to show pictures of my recent mission trips. I feel there is a great deal to be said about "lay" mission work of the sort that Becky and I are involved in, because for some obscure reason the great majority of churches tend to lose the innate capacity for the correct relation between head and trunk and consequently never enjoy a normal organic relation between missionary and sending church. At the moment I can visualize showing slides of places that would be of natural interest both to the Chinese and the Ethiopian congregations. But the big question is, as always: How in the world do I keep all of this within the parameters of a 40-minute talk that is being translated?

2:34 PM I am thrilled to report that the entire sum needed to refurbish the Burji clinic -- $18,000 -- has now been donated. I only wish our rulers would permit us to keep a little more of what we earn. Yet how generous people are even though they are squeezed to the limit! I have been reading with grave concern about the food shortages in the Horn of Africa. Even with the best will in the world -- and the good will toward Ethiopia is magnificent -- catastrophes of this kind seem to be a normal part of life there. Right now all I can do is pray -- then take protein bars with me next month.

10:51 AM Over at Military.com, Jeff Huber, a former operations officer of a naval air wing and an aircraft carrier, sizes up the consequences of an attack on Iran. Jeff's credentials increase his credibility ten-fold, something that can't be said for Justin Raimondo, even though Justin's logic is just as impeccable. At any rate, don't stop reading Jeff's essay until you see his classic peroration.

10:09 AM We are enjoying a steady rain today, the kind that seeps into the earth and allows the root systems of our crops to grow deep. Nathan tells me that we may have a cutting before I leave for Ethiopia. It would be fun if I could be a part of it. There is nothing in this world quite like getting bales up out of a field.

Meanwhile Becky has gone to get the boys from Matt and Liz's house. We've got lots of fun rainy day projects waiting for them. 

8:23 AM An invitation to all of my students, past and present. Student Day is this Saturday at the farm from 10:00 - 4:00. We'll plan to eat at noon. Bring your families and your walking shoes. Below are a couple of pix from previous events. The weather forecast is calling for clear skies and temps in the 80s. If you need directions, shoot me an email.  See you soon.

Sunday, April 27

8:32 PM Just back from helping Nathan with a little job and I've got some fantastic news. Our hens are laying again. That's right. Here's proof:

Our chicken mansion is now a fully functioning hen house again. Even the bantams are laying. It's the season of the year, I guess. Either that or they saw the chopping block.

6:43 PM Here at the we're-all-enjoying-the-springtime-farm, I'm glad to say, all goes well, very well in fact.

We are about to be plunged again into a period of rain and thunderstorms, which means that our little dog Sheppie will be barking all night long (thunder = enemy = threat = bark). We enjoyed an excellent meal over at Maple Ridge prepared by Miss Jessie. It is clear to all that the honeymoon shows no signs of abating any time soon.

Bobby, Shelly, Justin, and Jonathan braved the speed traps along Hwy 58 to drive to Rosewood, and we all had an exquisitely pleasant time eating under the giant pecan tree.

I would give a fortune to have the laugh of Shelly or Jessie, while Justy and Jon show a talent for telling little jokes and anecdotes that are simply enchanting. Really, we are the ideal family -- not much in way of refinements, just good old-fashioned fun and laughter.

In other news, I received today a very unique invitation from a very unique country which, like the U.S., has a tendency to wallow in old miseries while creating new miseries in the hopes of getting out of the old. If I accept the invitation, I shall have to give a talk on "religion and the media," or something along those lines. I will gladly undertake whatever work the preparation of my lecture entails gratuitously -- that goes without saying. The more I see of the media the more I am convinced that we human beings have an incurable propensity for the semi-pleasure of tyranny and the imperial destiny of nations. It's all the dastardly fruit of political megalomania, I think. I will be able, I'm hopeful, to fit the lecture into an extraordinarily busy travel itinerary this sabbaticalized fall.

Speaking of tyranny, I have been writing a little piece on the place of dissent in church and society. I have also finished a very important letter -- a long wearisome job that I am glad to put behind me. My free time this weekend has otherwise been spent trying to get caught up with world events. One might conclude from reading the news that the world is destined to destroy itself. After reading what Robert Gates recently said about Iran I feel quite certain of it. The whole planet is crawling with politicians working 3 shifts ad maiorem Diaboli gloriam. What a relief for me to read Phil. 4:4-9!

Finally, a little anecdote. This morning the newlyweds visited a church in the Roxboro area -- a place Becky and I have often spoken on Ethiopia and to which Nathan often accompanied us. But today was Jessica's first visit. Poor Jessie, I unwittingly put her at quite a disadvantage, for it seemed that everyone already knew her from reading our blog. "Hi Jessie! How's the work on the house coming? Has your family arrived yet today?" And on it went. All from complete strangers. Now that's funny.

Saturday, April 26

5:48 PM More dispatches from the farm...

These delicious M-and-M cookies were prepared by the one and only Jessica Black and quickly and efficiently consumed this morning.

These chickies came in the mail last week for Nate and Jessie, a wedding gift from some friends in western Virginia.

The newlyweds have been hard at work in their upstairs children's bedroom and it shows. The mantle you see is one that Nate and I scrounged from an old log house that dated back to the late 1700s. 

The latest musical addition to Maple Ridge: an upright with lots of class. This Lester was built in Philadelphia in 1918. Nathan traded his old grand for it.

It's got a very bright sound to it, just the way I like it. Here Nate and I play a four-handed rendition of one of our favorite tunes: Dixie. Nate is laughing because someone has just made a mistake. (I'm not saying who!) 

Right now Becky is cooking up some of her wonderful spaghetti for supper and I'm getting a sinus headache, which means that rain is heading our way. 

More pix later....

3:06 PM My congratulations to Chuck Baldwin for winning the Constitution Party's presidential nomination. As I have written before, Chuck is an outstanding man and candidate.

10:54 AM I see that Mrs. Nathan Black has just updated her blog. 

9:56 AM Odds and ends on a gorgeous Saturday morning:

1) Two things impressed themselves on me during my morning devotionals. Number one: Time. It seems just yesterday that the good race began and now I am in the fall of life. The relativity of time is more real to me than ever before. Number two: Faith. I constantly meet believers who are facing inordinately difficult situations. The danger is to think that there is light beyond the light of faith. I know in the marrow of my bones that all will be well and will work out for good in the end. I even feel that in my odd, fiddling, marginal sort of way I am helping by praying.

2) Today is also my day to pray for the lost. My salvation prayer list grew by 6 names this past week. It has been several months since I have been able to cross a name off the list. But it's all in God's hands.

3) I am also doing a bit of concentrated writing today, including some important correspondence. Nothing is more difficult for me than word-hunting and the wrestling with difficult concepts. Writing has the merits -- or perhaps one could say the demerits -- of being an entirely individual occupation, offering no support but what one can find from within. And it is always a drain on one's energy.

4) Tomorrow Becky and I are speaking on Ethiopia again at Antioch Baptist Church, which is located just south of the great metropolis of Wyliesburg (pop. 500). One crosses over into beautiful Charlotte County where the old antebellum farms jump out at you with surprising regularity.

5) After the church service we have been asked to dine with a very special couple who happen to reside just down the gravel road from Bradford Hall. This will be our inaugural meal over at N & J's home and we are so thrilled to be invited that we are practically beside ourselves. Jessie's family will be joining us all the way from their homestead in Franklin, VA. This will be the first time we have all been together since the fabulous wedding celebration exactly 3 weeks ago.

Soweit die heutige Nachricht!

Friday, April 25

8:10 PM Here's a project we completed today: Asian lilies with dahlias safely ensconced underground.

Here Sheba lets Sheppie have it. All in jest, of course.

Right now Becky is cooking steak and mashed potatoes and my writing juices are flowing. What a combo! Truly it has been a wonderful day.

9:54 AM I leave for Ethiopia in just 29 days. Becky has put together a list of items needed for various individuals who are faithfully serving the Lord Jesus in that land. Please read her essay entitled Ethiopia Wish List and prayerfully consider what you might be able to do to help them. Thank you.

7:22 AM Ich sag's nochmals: I long to revisit the Middle East this fall. It's a dreadful business -- and only made more dreadful by an unpleasant slough of uncertainty in which one seems to wallow so hopelessly these days. How can we possibly continue to use war-like means to preserve peace? What an appalling illustration of the truth behind the legend of the Iliad. Thank God I do not have to worry about that!

Meanwhile I'm enjoying a pleasant and fairly restful Friday now that the rigors of revival services and meetings involving Ethiopia are over. It's obviously impossible to synthesize in a paragraph the results of the Burji Clinic Coalition meeting we had yesterday with four Roxboro-area pastors (photo).

Generally, the Lord has decided to bring together a group of like-minded churches that share a burden for a neglected part of the world. It is not just that the Burji region of southern Ethiopia is accessible only by the most strenuous and inconvenient means. Like Rome, Burji burns because it has not been sufficiently fiddled over. The populous centers of power in the country ignore it, while in Burji itself the people are scarcely able to eke out a subsistence living let alone support regional health services. Some of us have decided that it is not enough to denounce or express horror at such realities, and our plan is to open a fully staffed health clinic in an area accessible to Christians, Muslims, and animists alike. Moreover, because it is useless to treat spiritual smallpox merely by cutting the pustules and stitching up the wounds, the clinic will have a full-time evangelist who loves Jesus and is equipped to share the Good News with patients every single second the clinic is open to the public. Miraculously God has already begun bringing in contributions from Roxboro's churches, and plans are being developed for a team of representatives from these churches to accompany Becky and me this fall to assist the local churches in Burji in refurbishing the existing clinic buildings, constructing new facilities, and arranging for the hiring of staff, guards, etc. It has been a joy for Becky and me to watch God generate a passion to act and the strength to carry out the action. Above all, we know that this passion originated with the Holy Spirit, and that the work is entirely the Lord's and not ours.

Below are some pictures I took on recent visits to Burji. They will give you a feel for who the Burji people are and the circumstances in which they live. I have often said to Becky, "I love these people so much it hurts." 

Note that the countryside has no electricity or running water. One of our goals this year is to dig a well at the health clinic as well as at 10 church sites in Burji. These would provide clean water to anyone in the area and serve as preaching points as well.

7:07 AM This email blessed my heart:

I have enjoyed reading your blog and have recently joined the ranks of Recovering Neocons.

I want to thank all the "affirmers" who regularly write. You are God's special gift to me. You inspirit me as I seek to live out my calling. I especially covet your prayers. Prayer provides a strong protective curtain about the one who is engaging in spiritual warfare.

Thursday, April 24

8:11 PM The lovely day sinks to sunset among the budding trees. Becky and I have just returned to the farm after meeting with what we are calling the Burji Clinic Coalition. (More on that later.) Last night, in our final meeting of the revival services at Smyrna Baptist Church, Becky shared about God's work in Ethiopia and Satan's attempt to nullify it.

Believers there are neither annoyed nor disheartened. If God is for them, who can be against them? They are writing new chapters in the book of Acts. A new outpouring of the Holy Spirit may be expected when we, like the early apostles, seek to follow the Master, not as ivory-tower theory but as Jerusalem-jail certainty. After our sharing there was a good deal of praying and singing. Our hands-on display of Ethiopian artifacts was also a big hit.

Perhaps the most widely selected essay on our display table was A Great Commission Marriage. In fact, when I was speaking on that subject Becky said she could see mouths opening in gaping astonishment, as if to say, "What in the world is he talking about?" Personally I believe that a great deal of marital unhappiness is brought on by a plethora of marriage enrichment seminars and aggravated by spiritual quick fixes (like drugs) used in trying to alleviate the symptoms. I have enjoyed married life for 31 years, but our greatest desire as a couple today is to further God's kingdom as "partners in the Gospel" (Phil. 1:5), and the resultant blessedness is incomparable. If you've never experienced a Great Commission Marriage, it's not too late to give it a try.

I want to confess that I struggled more with the preaching of this revival than with any other I have ever done. I see all too often how the results of revivals, if any, are short-lived. I've seen how there are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, no single method to cultivate an intimacy with God and attain a heart of obedience. Revivals are so often considered some magical breakthrough. They are not. The fact is, we are trying harder and only getting wearier, especially when we rely on a handful of expert "gurus" of the faith. Let's face it, that is the nature of a revival. Not that it is wrong for faith to express itself in occasional explosions of joy or passion. But when it comes to Christian maturity, only a few things really matter, perhaps only three: being Christ-centered, Scripture-driven, and grace-based. I guess I tried hard in every message to steer the church in that direction through very simple Bible teaching that focused on Christ and His love and that, I hope and pray, generated a new love for Him. It is refreshing and salutary to know that these emphases do not have to stop once the meetings have concluded. Jesus and Jesus alone is the solution to our spiritual dullness. He and He alone can replace our self-doubt and negativism with holy confidence. He provides the passion to finish the course and to win the race. The church constructs its places of amusement and entertainment, its places of "revival" even, but any church that is worth its salt will keep pointing others to Jesus and to Him only. In that sense the "revival" at Smyrna Baptist Church did not begin when Becky and I arrived there on Sunday morning and it did not end last night. The words of the Lord, "I will be your strength," will no doubt continue to ring forth in Dinwiddie for a very long time to come.

Wednesday, April 23

12:10 PM A great day thus far. I've gotten caught up on emails, and just now Liz and the CIM Team (Caleb, Isaac, Micah) arrived for lunch -- homemade tomato soup courtesy of Mama B. Becky and I need to leave no later than 2:30 today if we are to be in Dinwiddie in time to be taken out to supper by a family in the church. Meanwhile I am stickily entangled in several personal projects that are gobbling up a great deal of my time and energy, but at least I know how to spend the tedious hours when inspiration to write flags and books seem to have lost their appeal. In the course of only a month I shall be leaving for Africa, and there are many preparations yet to be made for the trip. Gladly, vague plans are being firmed up; essential contacts have been made; and a rough itinerary has been sketched out. If in the meantime the warring between the Gujis and the Burjis should manage to resolve itself, even if temporarily, I plan to traverse the mountain trails to evangelize among the nomadic tribes along with two of my Ethiopian sons who hail from Burji. In fact, the father of one of them was murdered doing this very thing years ago and is still honored today as a martyr. Tonight Becky and I will have but 50 brief minutes to paint a picture of what the Lord is doing in Ethiopia. Should be an eye-opener! Weather here has been somewhat unpleasant, with heavy rain on and off all week, occasioning a positive biblical plague of ants.

While I'm at the computer, I might remind everyone that today is secretary's day (or it is administrative professional's day?), and I hope you have not forgotten to honor yours. I know I could never manage to get anything accomplished without mine.

7:41 AM Last night my message was on the Gospel -- the Gospel according to 4 women (Matt. 1:3-6). I am constantly made aware of the relatively large knot of people in most churches who have made "decisions" for Jesus but who have never found what it means to integrate all sectors of life in the lordship of Christ. For some it is a lordship issue. For others it is a salvation issue. For many, their "decision" consisted of words without substance. Perhaps we have touched one of those reasons so many Baptists never attend church but claim to be followers of Christ. This is one reason why I always preach an evangelistic sermon when I am asked to hold a "revival." It is no accident that our Lord was pulled and guided by one mission -- to "seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). I for one am glad He did. It was 47 years ago when He sought and saved me. Regeneration breaks things up and starts something new. It's just that simple. We have over-complicated our God and His way of coming to us. It is clear that He wants to be both Savior and Lord, that He wants to lodge in the crevices of our homes, our churches, and our communities. Last night I felt Him wooing the lost and the sin sick. I am very grateful for what He did.

Tuesday, April 22

3:58 PM Once again I am enjoying Fitzhugh Lee's biography of his uncle, especially the portions covering the Petersburg siege and battles. There are things in his book that have the force and clarity of very good nineteenth-century writing -- e.g., "Lee and Grant, dissimilar in many characteristics, were similar in others: both were quiet and self-possessed, both sometimes restless -- Grant to break through Lee's works somewhere, Lee impatient to improve any opportunity that might be offered. By mere chance both were satisfied." The Gray Fox is also very good, but I don't get as much satisfaction from it as from General Lee. How often does one find a biography of a great man that is written by his own nephew, who himself was a very colorful figure? I imagine one of the war's greatest ironies was when Fitzhugh Lee burned the U.S. Cavalry barracks at Carlisle, PA, on July 1, 1863 -- a post where he had taught young troopers to ride just 5 years before. Like me, his favorite horse was colored gray ("Nelly"). Sadly, he will probably be remembered not for his unquestioned skill and bravery as a cavalry officer but for his failure to inform his subordinates where he and General Pickett would be dining during the Battle of Five Forks. (They were at a shad bake far behind the lines.) Personally, I think I most identify with the good general when after the war he became a farmer on 1,200 acres of land in Stafford County. Lee struggled with the transition to farming. "I had been accustomed all my life to draw corn from the quartermaster and found it rather hard now to draw it from the obstinate soil," he wrote, adding, "but I did it." I can certainly empathize with his struggle to master the "obstinate soil"!

3:42 PM Today Becky and I had the supreme joy of watching a video of the outreach we sponsored in the Gondar prison last year. It is not easy for me to express in a few words thoughts and emotions that are deep and broad. Toilet paper, soap bars, and New Testaments were distributed to the prisoners. Food was prepared and eaten. Jesus' love was seen and felt. I am struck by what God is doing in northern Ethiopia. The commitment to the Great Commission that Becky and I share is a mark of God's grace and sanctification in our lives. It is a reminder to me of how demanding the love of the Lord is. My prior life had been a sort of compromise. The attitude I had was like having hobbies on the side that offered gratification when the main task did not satisfy. Now the Gospel is the main task. Now I have discovered that I will never be happy unless I am totally committed to reaching a lost world with the love of Jesus. But without the support and cooperation of the brethren all this would be impossible. When we keep our hearts and minds directed toward the Great Commission, we will come more fully "together." As Becky and I watched the video, we saw how the churches in Gondar came together and sacrificed their time and resources to help a suffering world so desperately in need of the Savior. Truly the blessings that God has given us in our mission work are in a different class from all the other sources of happiness and pleasure that have come to us. I have certainly nothing to complain about under this head.

8:27 AM Sunday morning we drove to Dinwiddie in a thunderstorm that seemed to last all day and all night. Smyrna Baptist Church is located in a county where we had actually looked for a farm years ago, so the drive resurrected plenty of memories. It was nice to get reacquainted with shepherd Robert Rowland who had taken classes from me the very first year I taught at Southeastern. The services on Sunday morning and evening were well attended. I was impressed not only with the diversity of age groups but also with the ethnic diversity in the congregation, which I miss from my days in Hawaii and Southern California. On Monday the church bought us passes to Pamplin Park, which is a private Civil War museum located on the actual site of the battle called the "Breakthrough," fought on April 2, 1865.

Prior to the battle the plantation home (the "Tudor House") had been used to house Confederate officers. We enjoyed an excellent guided tour of the home as well as of the outbuildings, including the slave quarters.

Most impressive to me was to walk among the breastworks that are still standing today. It was here that our history was written in blood, as in so many other historic sites in Virginia. I gazed with awe at those dear parapets, wondering whether I would have had the courage to stand my ground.

On Monday evening I spoke again to a large and receptive audience. Tonight I am compelled to give an evangelistic sermon that I hope many non-believers will hear. There is no alternative to simple faith in Christ, nor can we ever assume that church goers and even church members have personally experienced the forgiveness of sin. Meanwhile Becky is preparing a slide show on missions for tomorrow night's service, which I'm sure the church will enjoy as it is already a missions-minded congregation.

Sunday, April 20

7:45 AM The amazing story of Aberesh and her baby continues. Becky's latest essay is called Just a Servant.

7:41 AM I see that Dinwiddie is located only a stone's throw from the site of the famous Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865. The Confederate defeat there led to the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg and Lee's surrender to Grant on Palm Sunday. The battle's depiction in a painting by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux is striking:

This evening, my message at Smyrna Baptist Church will focus on youth and their parents, while Wednesday night is a missions emphasis. On Tuesday I will "preach" and bring an intentionally evangelistic message.

7:34 AM Last night my mind wandered to the 1970s and to my Christian Education professor at Biola. He had a favorite question he would ask his students: "What do you think about it?" I think this must have been the key to his success as a teacher. We would, of course, read textbooks and discuss topics in class. But at the end of the day he would ask us, "What do you think?" For crude young men like us to hear such a man as he asking for our opinion was a marvelous boost to our self-esteem. We were discovering that we had a mind of our own -- ill-trained, narrow, opinionated perhaps, but a mind nonetheless. Under his tutelage we felt like mountain climbers, conscious that we were well above the timberline but made to feel we could conquer any peak we were headed for. He was never overweening, never dogmatic, never seemed to desire converts to his point of view. I had been brought up in a very liberal and dumbed-down public school system in Hawaii (Kainalu Elementary School, Kailua Intermediate School, Kailua High School), and I knew precious little about the joy of academic pursuits. After sitting in this professor's classes, however, I was wholly on the side of education. In the two classes I took from him -- College Teaching Procedures, and Tests and Measurements -- my grade depended solely on papers I wrote for him rather on useless quizzes and exams. One of these papers was titled "The Idea of Teaching" if I recall, and in it I subconsciously