On earth things break down, tear up, wear out, cave in, rust, corrode, get eaten by bugs, or stolen. Hold things lightly. Hold on to eternal hope tightly. Sometimes a paraphrase captures the idea better than a literal translation. J.B. Phillips translation into Portuguese, of Ephesians 5.19, is very fine. Tell me again that all […]
Continue readingNew Portuguese Bible study group in USA?
Firstborn maybe starting Portuguese Bible study group for Brazilian community in his area. Excited to hear that. WHO says don’t do lockdown. Pope says LGBT is OK. Topsy-turvy world. Light meal tonight of fruit and nuts. Keep me away from the brownies. During our renovation, found my initial ring in a closet. Parents gave it […]
Continue readingGod guides
Sometimes I stay busy with good things, if not with those listed in my journal. But God guides. God provides. The synagogue provided quite the model for the church, so that it did not start from nothing. So much to learn and study, and so little time to do it in. Will there be a […]
Continue readingGood but old nobody wants
Back issues of our old magazine has tons of good stuff. But nobody wants to read old stuff. A word of yours today, whatever form it takes, may save someone tomorrow. If they don’t hear it from you, it’s likely they won’t hear it at all. A good brother identified himself as a gospel preacher […]
Continue readingTruth often challenged
Truth is often challenged, never defeated, sometimes obscured from proper view by enemies and disciples who deny the Master. Talk about rapture and earthly millennium quickly devolves into “I think,” “I believe,” and “I don’t see any problem.” Shouldn’t that tell us something? Sofa from the library looks great in the living room. Colors work […]
Continue readingA translation rule
I’m not a professional translator, although I’ve done some of it, even for pay. It’s a challenging task. One of my translating rules: Prefer translation over transliteration, in order to reveal the meaning. For example, there’s no reason in the world to translate the NT Greek word as presbyters instead of elders. None whatsoever. In […]
Continue readingImprecise meteorology
Wife was up at 2 am, without waking me, to drag baseboards and flooring into the living room, after it started raining and broken tiles (from work on the roof) let water run in to the garage. I’d read it was supposed to be hot and dry until Sunday. Then Friday. The front came early. […]
Continue readingSay no
Warren Buffett said, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” I’m learning. It’s not that I’m trying to be a billionaire, but to do a good work in the Kingdom. A few principles apply from one area to the next, but I’m usually […]
Continue reading