“Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays.”

That line has obtained legendary movie quote status. And rightfully so. And while I have no doubt that Peter Gibbons (and many men like him) gets cases of the Mondays, almost all pastors get them.

Generally speaking, pastors take a day off sometime during the week to compensate for their obligations on Sundays. And for a long time the accepted wisdom has been that Monday is the best day to take off, though many pastors take Friday instead. In my doctoral class today, Leith Anderson (recently retired longtime pastor of Wooddale Church in Edina, Minnesota) made this comment, which I then posted on Facebook:

“Taking Monday as your day off is crazy if you feel like most pastors feel on Monday. On Monday you feel depressed. You feel like a failure. You want to quit. You feel semi-suicidal. So… You should get paid for that day. Why would you want to feel like that on your day off?”

A person in our church who I know loves her pastors very much responded to the post with heartbreak, wondering why this is the case. I thought I’d explain a bit more what was behind Leith’s comment.

First of all, Leith was definitely using a bit of hyperbole to make his point. But there are a number of factors that make Mondays a significant drag on pastors. A few of them are as follows: First, preaching inevitably comes with an adrenaline surge in pastors. It’s completely natural. I think it’s one of the physiological processes God desires to use for the good of his church on Sunday mornings. It focuses your mind. It gives you energy and vigor. It makes you precise. It helps you articulate. It gives you visual acuity that allows you to see facial expressions from 100 feet away that you couldn’t normally see, so that you know how the guy in the back is responding to what you’re saying. It’s a great thing God does for us on Sunday morning.

But coming down off an adrenaline surge, as most people know, has a certain effect on your body. The adrenaline is gone fairly quickly, but your body feels worn out from the surge for much longer than that. So, for example, in February and March I’m preaching in all four worship gatherings at New Hope Church. I’ll have adrenaline surges for about an hour four times on Sunday. In between each surge, my body will come back down a little bit for 10-15 minutes before it surges again in anticipation of the next sermon. It’s a very relieving and relaxing 10-15 minutes. But then the next surge comes. And so on…

Needless to say, it’s super hard on the body. As far as your body chemistry and the constriction of your blood vessels and heart goes it’s like enduring four intense exercise sessions in one day. Your muscles aren’t tired like they are after a workout, and you’re not out of breath, but everything that controls your body chemistry is worn out just the same as if you had just worked out hard for 45 minutes (four times). It takes me three and a half hours to run a marathon. So, on Monday mornings in February and March my heart and blood vessels will feel like I just about ran a marathon the day before. I’m not complaining. I love preaching. And I love preaching four times more than I love preaching once (If I’m going to spend so much time preparing a message it’s nice to employ all that work more than once!). But that’s just the reality of how the human body works.

Second, pastors tend to be enormously self-critical. Every sermon I’ve ever given SUCKS on Monday morning (at least in my own mind). I might feel good about it early on Sunday morning, and I might feel good about it on Tuesday morning. But on Monday morning it was the worst sermon ever preached. It always feels like it could have–and should have–been better. Pastors always think of something they could have said. Something they should have said. They over-analyze how forcefully they said something. Did they nail the tone at that point? Did they go too hard? Too soft? They focus on jokes that bombed. Illustrations that didn’t connect. Points that accidentally got skipped. They focus on the looks they got from people when they didn’t understand something that was said. They think about the comments people made afterward, and usually don’t focus on the good comment. They focus on the critical. Again–just human nature. Which leads to another “pastoral case-of-the-Mondays” generator…

Third, Monday is when emails from the congregation about the sermon are sent. 99% of emails having to do with what you said on Sunday come on Monday before noon. And because pastors tend to be so self-critical already, they tend to pay more attention to the five people who hated the sermon and emailed you about it, rather than the two hundred people who were really helped by the sermon, but who don’t email about it. Which is normal. Mature pastors get that. It’s the same reason that most of us don’t call for the manager of a restaurant when our server did a good job. We call for them when the server botched it. Which is one of the reasons why, as a matter of fact, I always call for the manager when servers do a really good job. I rarely call for the manager when the server blows it. Unless the server’s work was just absolutely inexcusable. I’d guess that I call for the manager to compliment the server ten times for every time I call for the manager to talk about a problem with the server, because I get how they feel. But human nature is to say something only when we’re upset.

So… The moral of the story: You can’t do much about the first and second factors. They’re inevitable. They’re built into what it means to be a pastor. So, pray for your pastor. That is absolutely the best thing to do for him or her. And God loves to answer prayers for tired, self-critical pastors. As far as the third factor: Don’t email your pastor on Monday. If you really have a serious gripe, Wednesday or Thursday is a good day for that email. You might not even see it as quite as big of a deal on Thursday as you did on Monday, right?

And the moral of the story for pastors: Don’t quit on a Monday.

- 1 Kings, chapters 17-18
- Psalm 119:81-88
- Luke 4:1-13
- Ephesians 5:22-33

The wording of 1 Kings 17:22 is interesting: “And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.” This wording is curious because of how Joshua 10:14 is worded: “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man.” Seems really close to contradiction.

Today’s section of Psalm 119 is all about perseverance/endurance in the face of trials. Verse 83 stands out to me: “For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes.” How easy it is to “forget” (either intentionally or inadvertently) God’s law when I am going through difficult circumstances.

“To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will” (Lk 4:6). Context alert: this is the Devil speaking here in vs 6. Is this a valid claim of authority from him, or another example of his aptitude for lying?

Paul’s exhortations for husbands in Ephesians 5 contain deep theological truth about what Christ has done for the Church. And yet, these descriptions are what Paul commands husbands to also do for their wives. “IN THE SAME WAY husbands should love their wives as their own bodies” (vs 28).

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #12:

- 1 Kings, chapters 19-20
- Psalm 119:89-96
- Luke 4:14-30
- Ephesians 6:1-9

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord’” (1Kings 20:28). Noteworthy lesson in this verse: it is a costly mistake to underestimate/undervalue the power of the Sovereign of the universe.

I share this sentiment with the Psalmist: “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life” (119:93). I share the sentiment, but the reality is that I still often forget not only the Lord’s precepts, but also they reality that they have given me my very life (see previous Psalm 119 reading). Lord, help me remember.

Jesus’ words in Luke 4:25-26 make his hearers very angry. “But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.” It’s not difficult to see why the “unfairness” of what Jesus is teaching would make someone angry. Does it make you angry?

I will again take the opportunity to expose the blatant falsity of those who say that the Bible endorses/condones slavery. Ephesians 6 on slavery: “Bondservants (slaves), obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (vs 5-9).

Some review…

Defining the gospel is all about where you start. If you start with Paul’s letters and ways of thinking, and try to fit Jesus’s words and ways of thinking into Paul’s, your understanding of the gospel will have a distinctively “Paulish” flavor to it. On the other hand, if you start with Jesus’s ways of thinking, and try to fit Paul’s ways of thinking into Jesus’s, your understanding of the gospel may have an entirely different flavor to it. An important question, then, is: How can we proclaim the gospel in a way that reflects all of Scripture—not just our favorite parts?

“For many people, ‘the gospel’ has shrunk right down to a statement about Jesus’ death and its meaning, and a prayer with which people accept it. That matters, the way the rotor blades of a helicopter matter. You won’t get off the ground without them. But rotor blades alone don’t make a helicopter. And a microcosmic theory of atonement and faith don’t, by themselves, make up ‘the gospel.’”[1]

Many of us have mistaken the “Plan of Salvation” for “the gospel.” The gospel includes the plan of salvation, but the gospel is bigger than the plan of salvation. In other words, the gospel ≠ the plan of salvation.

Implication: We cannot claim to be gospel-proclaiming people if we consistently only proclaim the plan of salvation while leaving out much of what Scripture means by the gospel.

Implication: “Your system is perfectly designed to yield the result you are getting.”[2] The condensed version of the gospel (“the plan of salvation”) that we often share with people is so focused on a “making a decision” that it may unintentionally help people “feel saved” without calling them to be subjects of God’s kingdom—disciples of Jesus. This may be part of the reason we see so many “unconverted Christians” in our culture.

Some Clarifying Thoughts (related to the “Group Reflection Questions” from last week)

As an early follower of Jesus, what would you have understood that Jesus meant by “the good news”?…

1. The gospel begins with Jesus’ proclamation about the arriving Kingdom. Jesus’s first followers would have understood the gospel to be less about personal salvation and more about the salvation of the people of God as a whole (Mark 1:1; Matt. 4:17, 23; 9:35; 24:14; see also Isa. 9:1-7).

2. The gospel has a broader definition of “salvation” than personal forgiveness and rescue from Hell. Personal forgiveness, justification, ransom, etc., is a personal and individual aspect of God’s greater salvation (cf. Exod. 14:13; 1 Sam. 19:5; Hab. 3:13-15; Phil. 2:12; 1 Pet. 1:5; 2:2; see also Luke 4:17-19).

3. The gospel is about God’s plan for the recreation of the world. The role of God’s people is to be citizens of the new creation within the old creation (“outposts in time”) and heralds of his Kingdom (“gospelers”). (Acts 28:30-31; Rom. 8:19-25 Matt. 5:3, 5, 10; 13-16; Phil. 2:14-16; 3:20)

4. “Believing the gospel” always entails becoming a disciple of Jesus and subject of the Kingdom—never merely personal salvation. One of the reasons we see so many “unconverted Christians” in our culture is because personal salvation has so often been offered apart from the gospel. So people think they can receive personal salvation without truly becoming a disciple of Jesus. (Matt. 10:38-39; Matt. 16:24-26) Mark 1:15: “‘The time has come!’ he said; ‘God’s kingdom is arriving! Turn and believe this good news!’” Repentance isn’t mainly a matter of morality; It’s a matter of allegiance (to God’s Kingdom).

An example of an expression of the gospel (trying to avoid “churchy/theological” language):

God is the rightful and sovereign king of the world. But his sovereignty has always been disputed by human beings—including you and me. We have all rebelled against his sovereignty because we each thought we would make a better king than him. We each thought we knew best about what was best for ourselves and for the world. So God gave us over to what we wanted. He let us be our own kings for a time. But the result of humanity’s attempt at self-rule has been a disaster. Hunger, famine, poverty, corruption, war, sadness, lack of fulfillment, a sense of meaninglessness in life, broken relationships—with God and with each other, discord, disease, death….

But God loves his creation and was not willing to let it destroy itself. So he launched a rescue plan. He entered the world in human flesh as Jesus. Jesus is the rightful King over all creation, and in his lifetime he launched the Kingdom of God anew on earth—a kingdom of love and justice and blessing and peace and beauty. He died for his people, and in his death he absorbed his people’s sin and guilt and shame and rebellion so that they could be reconciled to the One they rebelled against and become part of his new Kingdom—anyone who commits their life to following Jesus as a subject of his kingdom. His kingdom will one day flood the whole world as God rules over all the earth in love, justice and peace.

In the meantime, his kingdom people live as “outposts in time.” We live the life of the new creation right here in the middle of the old creation. We proclaim the good news that God’s kingdom of love and justice is both here and is arriving. We invite people to lay down their rebellion against God and be reconciled to him by choosing to follow Jesus as their true and only king. And we wait for the return of the King to finish what he began and make a heaven of this world.

An example of a brief expression of the gospel:

We’ve all tried to be the king of our own life. We all thought we knew better than God. And our lives and our world have fallen apart because of it. But the good news is that Jesus, the one true King, came to save us from ourselves. He took the penalties and consequences of our rebellion on himself and died in our place so that our relationship with God could be restored, and we could become part of his kingdom project—a kingdom of love and truth that will spread throughout the whole world. This is what happens when we choose to believe that Jesus is the one true king of our world and of our lives, and then live out that belief. Would you commit your life to following Jesus?

What Does It Mean to Proclaim the Gospel? (Part 1)

Defining the gospel is all about where you start. If you start with Paul’s letters and ways of thinking, and try to fit Jesus’s words and ways of thinking into Paul’s, your understanding of the gospel will have a distinctively “Paulish” flavor to it. On the other hand, if you start with Jesus’s ways of thinking, and try to fit Paul’s ways of thinking into Jesus’s, your understanding of the gospel may have an entirely different flavor to it. An important question, then, is: How can we proclaim the gospel in a way that reflects all of Scripture—not just our favorite parts?

“I believe the word gospel has been hijacked by what we believe about ‘personal salvation,’ and the gospel itself has been reshaped to facilitate making ‘decisions.’ The result of this hijacking is that the word gospel no longer means in our world what it originally meant to either Jesus or the apostles.”[1]

“For many people, ‘the gospel’ has shrunk right down to a statement about Jesus’ death and its meaning, and a prayer with which people accept it. That matters, the way the rotor blades of a helicopter matter. You won’t get off the ground without them. But rotor blades alone don’t make a helicopter. And a microcosmic theory of atonement and faith don’t, by themselves, make up ‘the gospel.’”[2]

A Group Thought Exercise…

If you lived in first century Palestine and were a follower of Jesus, listening to his preaching, and building your life on his teaching (before there even was an “apostle Paul”), how would you explain to someone what the “good news” is? Try hard to avoid importing what you know now about the gospel back into what you would have been hearing from Jesus. What follows is representative of what you would have known about “the gospel.”[3][4]

Mark 1:1: “This is where the good news starts—the good news about Jesus the Messiah, God’s son.”

Mark 1:15: “‘The time has come!’ he said; ‘God’s kingdom is arriving! Turn and believe this good news!’”

Matthew 4:17, 23: “From that time on Jesus began to make his proclamation. ‘Repent!’ he would say. ‘The kingdom of heaven is arriving!’ …He went on through all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news about the kingdom…”

Matthew 9:35: “Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news about the kingdom….”

Matthew 24:14: “[Jesus replied], ‘…And this good news about the kingdom must be announced to the whole world, as a witness to all the nations. Then the end will come.’”

Group Reflection Questions:

As an early follower of Jesus, what would you have understood that Jesus meant by “the good news”?

How should we reshape the way we think about the gospel and proclaim the gospel so that we’re reflecting all of what Scripture says about the gospel? Write out, in brief, a statement of the gospel that tries to do this well:

Concluding thoughts about why this is significant and worth thinking carefully about…

“Most of evangelism today is obsessed with getting someone to make a decision; the apostles, however, were obsessed with making disciples. …Evangelism that focuses on decisions short circuits and…aborts the design of the gospel, while evangelism that aims at disciples slows down to offer the full gospel of Jesus and the apostles.”[5]

“Your system is perfectly designed to yield the result you are getting.”[6]

…In other words: Is the condensed version of the gospel that we often share with people so focused on a “making a decision” that it is unintentionally helping people “feel saved” without calling them to be subjects of God’s kingdom—disciples of Jesus? Is this part of the reason we see so many unconverted “Christians” in our culture?

Some catch-up is in order (to say the least), so the double-posts continue…

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #9:

- 1 Kings, chapters 13-14
- Psalm 119:65-72
- Luke 3:1-20
- Ephesians 4:25-32

I’m going to skip over the apparent injustice between the prophets from Bethel/Judah in 1 Kings 13 and instead comment on verse 6 of that chapter (though a helpful explanation of the chapter can be found here, and point B-3-c of the linked article somewhat explains the “injustice” issue). “And the king said to the man of God, ‘Entreat now the favor of theLord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.’ And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before” (13:6). Jeroboam is asking for healing from the wound inflicted upon him two verses earlier, and it is clear that both the wound and the healing are from the Lord. Some might see this as an unnecessary circle of events, but Jeroboam’s post-wound heart is definitely in a different state than it was pre-wound. Apparently God is not concerned with wounding or healing, but with the heart.

The idea that wounding is God’s method for bringing about heart change is conveniently reinforced in today’s Psalm 119 reading. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word”(vs 67). “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes”(vs 71). Also noteworthy here is verse 68, clarifying that God’s “afflicting” is for GOOD. “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.”

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance tfor the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 3:3). Not merely a baptism of water, a baptism of REPENTANCE.

The list of works to do and not do at the end of Ephesians 4:25-32 is helpful in understanding how a Christian should live, unless one forgets that the list begins with a “therefore,” linking it to the concept of the “new self” in verse 24. Descriptions of a Christlike life are opportunities for legalism, so it’s key to remember that Christlikeness comes FROM the new self, rather than being the means of creating the new self.

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #10:

- 1 Kings, chapters 15-16
- Psalm 119:73-80
- Luke 3:21-38
- Ephesians 5:1-21

1 Kings 15-16 describe the various kings over Israel and Judah, and most of them “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Asa was a huge exception, who, according to 15:13, “removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.” This bold move by Asa reminds me of Matthew 10:37.

“I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Ps 119:75). Continuing on the theme of affliction, the Psalmist here attributes his being afflicted to the Lord’s FAITHFULNESS. Preach it.

Jesus’ lineage in Luke 3, verse 38: “The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of… GOD.”

“Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph 5:10). The older I get, the more I value discernment… both in myself and in others.

- 1 Kings 11
- Psalm 119:49-56
- Luke 2:21-40
- Ephesians 4:1-16

1 Kings 11 begins by describing Solomon’s moral downfall, which resulted in the downfall of Israel as a whole, being split between Jeroboam and Rehoboam. “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father” (vs 4). How is it that such a wise man (cf 4:29) forsakes the Lord and turns to false gods? How can that action possibly be described as wisdom? I have heard it said that the mind is merely a slave to the heart, to fulfill it’s desires. When the heart asks the mind to suspend it’s wisdom and instead serve the passions and lusts of the flesh, it will often obey without hesitation. Solomon’s wisdom was astounding, but his heart went after women (cf 11:1-3)… and therefore so also did his mind.

The Psalmist says of himself in 119:56, “This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.” The keeping of the precepts is referred to here as a blessing, not an accomplishment.

Simeon, the Spirit-filled man who met Jesus in the temple, prophesies about him and in so doing reveals the same “mystery” that Paul refers to in Ephesians 3, that the gospel is for the Gentiles also. “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph 4:7). Two observations: 1) Grace is apportioned, and not necessarily equally apportioned. 2) This apportioning is Christ’s doing.

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #8:

- 1 Kings 12
- Psalm 119:57-64
- Luke 2:41-52
- Ephesians 4:17-24

Two verses in 1 Kings 12 make clear that Israel’s split was part of God’s sovereign plan. “So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (vs 15). “Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me” (vs 24).

The Psalmist reflect on the bond of brotherhood among believers: “I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts” (Ps 119:63).

“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them” (Luke 2:51). This is a description of Jesus, the Son of God, 2nd person of the Trinity, obeying his parents. I’m going to point this verse out to my daughter Betty next time she’s on a sassy streak.

Another Facebook “check yourself” moment, brought to you by the Apostle Paul: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29).

- 1 Kings 8
- Psalm 119:33-40
- Luke 1:67-80
- Ephesians 3:1-13

King Solomon captures well the paradox of “doing” something for God, as if he needs anything from us, or as if we could actually contribute anything to Him. 1 Kings 8, verse 27: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” 

Psalm 119:36-37 is a passage I memorized a few years ago, and I’ve found preaching these verses to myself to be helpful and relevant in almost every situation. “Incline my ear to your testimonies, and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways.”

Zechariah’s description of his son John in Luke 1:76-77 is unique to John in one sense, but in a more broad sense it is a description of all Christians: “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.”

Theologians and Biblical scholars use the phrase “salvation history” to describe the progressive revelation of God’s plan over time. Paul touches on this reality in Ephesians 3 when he speaks of the “mystery” of Christ: “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus though the gospel” (vs 5-6).

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #6:

- 1 Kings 9-10
- Psalm 119:41-48
- Luke 2:1-20
- Ephesians 3:14-21

1 Kings 9:8-9 are some sobering verses for a Christian, as one who bears the name of God. Obviously Christians in 2012 are not in the Old Covenant, but the seriousness of the issue still stands. “Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land and this house?’ Then they will say ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster upon them.’”

The Psalmist’s confidence in the Lord: “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame” (1 Kings 119:46).

The Luke 2 “Christmas story” is such a familiar passage. I don’t have any notes written for these verses from my reading last year, but today I noticed something about the shepherds I had seen before. Verse 9: “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were… FILLED WITH FEAR.” Now, verse 20 records that ultimately the shepherds were pumped about everything that took place that night, but it’s noteworthy to me that their first reaction to seeing God’s glory shining all around them was to be afraid. Beholding God’s glory, apparently, is not the warm-fuzzy-chicken-soup-for-the-soul kind of experience that many Christian radio songs make it out to be.

I wonder why the parenthetical thought in Ephesians 3:15 is included in Paul’s statement in this section. “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named…” (vs 14-15). Is it to again drive home the reconciliation of human ethnicities that is found in the gospel?

- 1 Kings, chapters 4-5
- Psalm 119:17-24
- Luke 1:39-56
- Ephesians 2:1-10

A description of Solomon’s wisdom: “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:29-30). The phrase used for Solomon’s wisdom is “beyond measure.” Wow.

Psalm 119, verse 20: “My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.” I can’t help but wonder if the Psalmist here is actually claiming this reality, or if he’s stating this as a goal for himself.

Mary’s song in Luke 1 celebrates God’s mercy, but also comments on who the mercy is for. “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (vs 50).

Salvation is not based on works, and Paul cannot make this any clearer than he does in Ephesians 2. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins” (vs 1). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing” (vs 8). It is the sin nature, and not the Scriptures, that pushes us to view salvation as something to be earned.

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #4:

- 1 Kings, chapters 6-7
- Psalm 119:25-32
- Luke 1:57-66
- Ephesians 2:11-22

In understanding the difference between the Old Covenant and New Covenant, one can’t emphasize enough the word “if.” I’ve noticed this so many times through the readings thus far, and now here, again as God directs Solomon in constructing the temple, the whole thing hinges on Solomon’s ability to keep his end of the bargain. “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12-13). Good luck with that huge IF, Solomon.

I’m noticing in today’s section of Psalm 119 how contingent on God the Psalmist’s requests are. “Give” in verse 1, “teach” in verse 2, “make me understand” in verse 3, and so on. Verse 32: “I will run in the way of your commandments WHEN you enlarge my heart!” Contingency.

A good example of a community together in faith – sharing and doing life with one another. “And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her” (Luke 1:58).

Paul’s explanation in Ephesians 2 of the deep unity found in the cross is as solid a foundation for racial and ethnic reconciliation as any I’ve ever heard. The specific topic in this chapter is the Jew vs Gentile issue, but the logic can apply anywhere. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility” (vs 14-16).

- 1 Kings 1
- Psalm 119:1-8
- Luke 1:1-25
- Ephesians 1:1-14

As I begin the November readings I’m really motivated to get caught up with the actual reading calendar, so look for two reading sets per day to continue for the next couple weeks. Hopefully I can start December with December’s readings.

It’s cool to start out November with new books… 1 Kings, Luke, Ephesians, and even Psalm 119 (which is so long it’s like a book in itself). I didn’t have any notes written for chapter one of 1 Kings other than summary points, but upon reading it today I can’t help but notice a slight overtone of manipulation on the part of Nathan and Bathsheba as they seek to have Solomon made king. Am I correct here, and the manipulation just maybe isn’t a bad thing? Or perhaps this another example of Scripture’s protagonists acting in ways that aren’t very respectable and not to be emulated.

In Psalm 119′s repeated praise of God and specifically his laws, there appears every now and then the yearning from the Psalmist that he might be successful in actually keeping the laws. Verse 5: “Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” I feel you, Psalmist…

It’s helpful to note that Luke makes clear his intentions for writing at the outset of his gospel. “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (vs 1-4). In summary: Luke paid attention to what had happened, he thought it was a good idea to write an organized historical document of what had happened, and his purpose was that the reader would have “certainty.”

The oft-debated topic of “predestination” sometimes takes a turn toward whether predestination itself is real or not. The debate should rather center on what predestination really means, since Ephesians 1:11 makes absolutely clear that predestination DOES happen. “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” I know I’m just nit-picking on semantics, but it seems like a worthwhile clarification. In fact, I feel like I may have already made a note like this on a different passage…

Daily Scripture readings for November, set #2:

- 1 Kings, chapters 2-3
- Psalm 119:9-16
- Luke 1:26-38
- Ephesian 1:15-23

The final verse of 1 Kings 3 contains an implicit definition of justice: “And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (vs 28). Justice = the wisdom of God.

Psalm 119:9 describes the reason I’m taking so much time each day to read the Bible, take notes on it, and post discussion points. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

The immaculate conception: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). I think the operative word here is “therefore.” Jesus is both born of a woman, but conceived of the Holy Spirit… THEREFORE he is the Son of God.

Ephesians 1, verse 18: “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Evidently there are “eyes” that are of your heart, rather than your face. And, evidently these eyes come in both enlightened and unenlightened versions.

- 2 Samuel, chapters 20-21
- Psalm 116
- Mark 15:33-41
- Galatians 5:1-12

Today’s chapters in 2 Samuel are somewhat confusing, and especially the issue of the Gibeonites in chapter 21. I did another Google search and found a very helpful (although a little long) explanation of this account from Old Testament scholar Bob Deffinbaugh. Check it out.

An encouraging word from the Psalmist in Psalm 116: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (vs 15). Death is not to be feared. It has been wrenched from the enemy and defeated, made instead to be the means by which we are ushered into salvation, and is therefore precious to the Lord.

“And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘Behold, he is calling Elijah’” (Mark 15:35). Ok, seriously… what part of “my god, my god, why have you forsaken me?” makes anyone think that Jesus is calling to Elijah? This association on the part of the bystanders has always struck me as odd. Does anyone know why Elijah is in view here?

Paul’s rhetoric in Galatians 5 turns ugly in verse 12: “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” It’s helpful to understand the overtones in this statement for Jews – that the Law forbade anyone with deformed genitals from entering the temple. James Dunn offers an interesting summary of Paul’s intention in this verse: “It has the force of a reductio ad absurdum argument: one slice of the knife = acceptability to God; another slice of the knife = total unacceptability to God.”

Daily Scripture readings for October, set #24:

- 2 Samuel 22
- Psalm 117
– Mark 15:42-47
- Galatians 5:13-26

2 Samuel 22 struck me as very familiar as I read it today, so I did a little research and found that the same passage (for the most part) is recorded in Psalm 18, so I suppose my notes and questions from that chapter apply here as well.

Psalm 117… shortest chapter in the Bible. And yet there are enough verses to included the recurring “enduring steadfast love” theme. “For great is his steadfast love toward us,and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever” (vs 2).

Joseph of Arimathea, the man who saw to it that Jesus be laid in a tomb after his death, is described in Mark 15:43 as “a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God.” It’s not surprising then that this man would have an interest in Jesus, who taught more on “The Kingdom of God” than on any other subject.

The concept of Christian Liberty and “freedom in Christ” is always a rousing topic of discussion, and can be easily misunderstood and misapplied. Paul knows this, and puts the ambiguous concept into as clear a context as he can in Galatians 5: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (vs 13). Yes, you are free… but the point of your freedom, and the anchor of EVERYTHING in the Christian life, is love for one another.

And… to get the October readings completed, here’s set #25:

- 2 Samuel, chapters 23-24
- Psalm 118
- Mark 16
- Galatians 6

2 Samuel 24:24 is an extremely relevant verse for my daily life. “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” I find this thought going through my mind constantly, in many different contexts and scenarios. It’s always a helpful perspective to bring to bear.

On another personal note, Psalm 118:24 is a verse that my 2-yr-old and I say together every morning when I get her out of bed. We’ve done that her whole life, with her joining in about 6 months ago when talking became a reality for her. An additional but unrelated note on this Psalm… it really feels like the two verses in Psalm 117 should have just been tacked onto the beginning of Psalm 118. Does anybody know how the chapter breaks in these Psalms came to be?

As a good Evangelical I view baptism as an outward sign of an inward transformation, and thus not itself a deal-maker/breaker. And then Mark 16:16 comes along and ruins my confidence: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” AND IS BAPTIZED… why include this? How should this verse be understood if not to include baptism as a mandatory component in salvation?

A final personal note… when I read Galatians 6:10 last year I decided to make it my day-to-day motto. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” As I am able I will be a blessing to everyone In encounter, especially to brothers and sisters in Christ. Based on my own experiences I think that last part is there because fellow Christians tend to be the easiest people to target my bad vibes at, as opposed to those that I would go out of my way to help.