Bible Reading Challenge Blog

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most possible, where would you put yourself on the “being at peace” scale?  This Psalm, once again a lament and a cry for help, begins with a cry to the Lord for Him to “answer me when I call!”  It isn’t a request, it is a demand, a command.  God, answer me when I call, is a prayer that we should never feel afraid or ashamed to pray.  There is nothing more that I could desire than to hear God’s answer to my prayer.  Psalm 4 is once again a prayer which is then set to music and should be played by stringed instruments, I guess they mean the acoustic or electric guitar.  No, I’m guessing it was meant to be played with the harp.  

There has been for generations now the long standing debate between contemporary and traditional worship services, and to be honest, most of it comes down to the music.  I’ll never forget when we were looking for a music director in Florida and I had a musician call me and ask the following question (it was actually more of a statement): “I won’t be required to play what you call contemporary music, will I?  I fully believe that it is of the devil.”  Needless to say that person was discouraged from applying.  Is there any stronger way to express our thoughts and feelings to our Savior than in music?  Can anyone sing How Great Thou Art without a tear coming to our eye?  

But so many of the contemporary songs have as their settings these psalms which are repeated in a unified chorus.  It is actually very reformed and Presbyterian to read or sing psalms during the service.  See, we didn’t even know that at the second service we are actually following a long standing Presbyterian tradition of saying or singing the psalms.  Did you also notice that all of my call to worships at the first service are psalms in sequential order? There is a lot in the psalms that drive us to a deeper understanding of our God.  Psalm 4 is a great example of that.  Let’s actually work through it.

It begins with a call to be heard, a call that I mentioned earlier we do not need to shy away from.  But he quickly transitions from calling to the Lord to castigating the people for not seeking after the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul.  He then gives us advice on how to seek after the Lord.  When we are upset or angry it is always better to not sin but rather to be silent and think about it on our beds, in the safety of our homes.  This is a very direct counsel to not be reactionary to any situation which we may face, but rather to allow ourselves the time and the composure to address issues within a perspective of time.  When we react to a situation we tend to sin when we do.  Think about that next time a driver cuts you off on route 30.

But time has become so collapsed that it is hard to imagine how we can live our lives without reacting immediately to issues that come before us.  We receive text messages and people are upset if we don’t respond within a few minutes.  We receive emails and people are upset if we don’t respond in a few hours.  We receive phone calls and we are expected to not only pick up but to return the call immediately.  The time that we have today to process information has been condensed which almost demands reactionary responses from us.  So for us today here is what I would say: If we see a message on facebook and we don’t know what to say or do then allow a day to pass before you answer.  If you receive a text that upsets you don’t fire off a text…allow some time to pass, you may not even need to respond.  If you receive a long email that demands that you answer, let it go and maybe ask the person out for coffee where you can talk face to face.  I love being connected, but love less the demand that we feel to answer immediately.  I tend to try to buck that trend by answering after prayer and consideration and normally it is a phone call.

This might be a key to having the peace that is described in vs.8.  People like to put demands on our lives.  Listen to the pastor who is infamous of asking people to help and volunteering them to do certain things.  It is true, though.  The demands that people put on us should never weigh us down.  If they do, then we have to say no, even to that pastor who asks you to lead a program which just might expand the ministry in leaps and bounds.  Sorry, my family comes first.  It is only being enfolded in the arms of the Lord where we are going to be able to discern how demands will affect our lives.  We lie down in safety because our priorities are in the right place and we won’t be in danger of putting others before our families or whatever is first in your life aside from Jesus.

Here we go.  Psalm 3 introduces us to two methods which the psalmist will use throughout this entire book of the Bible.  The first is the method of using introductory remarks to set the context of the psalm.  Let’s be clear, in some Bibles you will have short phrases that summarize what will come next in the Scripture.  For example, before the Lord’s prayer there might be a title above the paragraph which reads: “Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray”.  It is important to note that these summaries are at the liberty of modern translators and are not in the original texts.  They simply are not a part of the Bible.  But that is not the case with the Psalms.  We find the introductory sentence: “A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.”  This is in the original Hebrew and is supposed to set the context for the psalm which we read.  This is in the Bible and this is important.  Scripture contains contextual information so that we can understand what the psalmist is saying and why he is saying it.  It might be helpful to read the passages in the Bible that depict Absalom chasing King David in II Samuel 17 and 18.  Some have called this the darkest, most difficult days of David’s life.  You can probably imagine what you would write or say as you are going through the most difficult time in your life.

Let’s set the stage for David.  Absalom is David’s son and is planning on overthrowing his father.  The story ends in II Samuel 18 with Absalom being killed and David is unconsolable.  The drama, tragedy, and intensity of this story cannot be overstated.  David is distraught as he recognizes that he is paying for his sin with Bathsheba in the death of his son Absalom.  The sins of the father have certainly come back to destroy the son.  David now realizes this as he writes the psalm.  Think of this story as you read this psalm.  

Another method to which we are introduced is the refrain which is called Selah which is a Hebrew word that could mean that a break should take place in the singing of this psalm at this time.  As our music sometimes contains the word (chorus) interjected in various points in songs and we know what it means, we are to repeat the chorus, so in this instance the word Selah could be a musical term which means that a break in the music and the song take place so that potentially the Torah or other books of the Hebrew Bible could be read.  (Wow, I just read through this sentence and it is really long, but I don’t want to change it)  So, now you know that when you get to a Psalm and it says Selah, and you don’t know what it means, that’s okay, no one else really does either.  

Okay, back to the content of Psalm 3.  David does seem to express his desperation in terms of enemies which are pursuing him and surrounding him, just like his real life situation dictated.  But notice the flow of the psalm.  We begin with David lifting up a problem: my foes are against me and my advisors are telling me there is no hope.  But somehow in the recesses of his mind David remembers that God is our shield, God is our glory, God is the one who lifts up our head.  He hears God’s response in his supplications.  So even in the face of insurmountable odds, even in the face of what others might see as hopelessness, we find that God sustains us, we will not be afraid because deliverance belongs to the Lord.  

Is it okay to not be a huge fan of certain verses in the Psalms?  I’m going to say yes.  So, for me, vs.7 is one of my least favorite in Scripture.  I really don’t want God to break the teeth of my adversaries, but then again, I’ve never had my son, or daughter, pursuing me to kill me.  But what if we were to find ourselves where our life is in danger, would we ask God to strike our enemies and to break their teeth?  I would hope that the pacifist nature that has been nurtured in me would say no, there has to be another way.

But David’s point in this entire psalm is that even if those around you say that God is not there and you have no hope, we have to remember in those times that God is absolutely there and will always rise up to deliver us.  God does not sleep on us.  God does not abandon us.  God never, ever leaves or forsakes us.  I love the Psalms, I need to hear that more often than I think.

I wanted to cover a couple of administrative issues before we launch into Psalm 2.  First of all, who noticed that I put the wrong year on my post yesterday?  It is hard to get out of the past, isn’t it?  Secondly, when we talk about the Psalms and we are addressing the entire book we call it Psalms.  The reason why is because there is more than one Psalm in the book, there are 150.  But when we speak about each individual Psalm, like today we are discussing Psalm 2, we use the singular.  It is a very, very common mistake to speak about an individual Psalm and describe it in the plural.  I have heard consistently someone talk about Psalms 6, or Psalms 23, when it should be in the singular.  Just a heads up, it is one of those things where people are able to distinguish who knows their Bible and who doesn’t.  It reminds me of how we pronounce the book of the Bible Job.  It is a long o and not something that you do to make money.

Okay, on to Psalm (singular) 2.  There are many categories of Psalms.  We have laments where the author basically complains that the entire world is against him.  We have Psalms of praise where the author rejoices in what God has done for him.  Today we find what we call a royal psalm which describes God’s doings with the ruler of Israel.  Remember, David could have been king at the time of this writing so when he describes God as being on his side, well, that isn’t unusual.  Whenever the Scripture describes the anointed one then we know that he is talking about the king.  The literal word for anointed one is Messiah.  So here David is described as the Messiah, anointed one.  See, I told you that we are going to find Jesus in these Psalms.

But it gets better.  Look at vs.7.  Where have you heard the beginning of vs.7 in the New Testament?  Remember when Jesus is baptized?  Go to Matthew 3 and you will hear after he is baptized God says: This is my son.  In John we find John the baptizer deny that he himself is the Messiah, but saying that the one who came after him, Jesus, would be the Messiah.  From the very beginning we find that the author is laying out the fact that God has chosen a people and He will be their advocate.  But we also find that from the beginning of time the Son, Jesus himself, had a plan to be involved in the life of the people of God.

It is interesting in this day and age when there is much conversation in our nation about the nation of Israel and whether we are their ally or not.  Okay, I’m about to dive into a fairly controversial topic, but it applies as we read in Psalm 2 the author depicting God as being an unabashed ally to the people of Israel.  But when Jesus comes we hear the Apostles Paul tell us in Galatians 3:28 that there is no Jew or Greek.  We hear in John 3:16 that God so loved the world, not just one group of people.  So today, when one group of people refer back to the Old Testament in order to give themselves primary citizenship then there has to be a red flag.  When they are involved in similar human rights abuses as other nations against which we speak out, then we need to remain consistent.  We should be vigilant about all abuses of power.  

As Christians we do a disservice to God’s Word when we side almost exclusively with one group of people because we think that it is somehow commanded by God.  No, God commands us to love and protect, and work with all people, whether they are mentioned in the Scripture or not.  I fully recognize that this may put me outside of  the common approach for evangelical Christians, but I simply do not see a backing in Scripture for the affinity that many Christians have for the people of Israel to the point where a blind eye is turned to injustice and oppression that may be caused by the hand of the nation of Israel.  We must be vigilant about all abuses of power. 

There is a reason that Psalm 1 is in the position in which it finds itself.  It is the first Psalm, and so it is supposed to set the standard for all of the other Psalms which will be coming up.  The word “psalm” means literally a song or a hymn.  We read that David before he was the king used to play the harp for King Saul, before Saul sought to kill him.  We also read that David was a righteous man and a man after God’s heart (I Samuel 13:14).  So what does he write about in this first Psalm which will set the stage for all of the psalms to come?

The battle between good and evil is a perennial one.  That is his emphasis in this psalm.  The battle between the good and the righteous is one that authors of the Scripture consistently reflect upon and give us insight.  Lest we be swayed by this first psalm, we do know that “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  (Matthew 5:45)  As we read through the Psalms there is almost a “pay to play” and “quid-pro-quo” between us and God.  If we are good then God will bless us.  I am very, very uncomfortable with this theology.  We know that Bad things Happen to Good People (Kushner).

So can we take anything of modern day substance from this first Psalm if it is all relative to us understanding that the theology behind it just might be one that can lead us to a dangerous belief that somehow our life is predicated upon our righteousness?  The take that I see in this Psalm is not so much how God will view us if we are good or bad, but rather the happiness that will be a part of our life if we are to follow the way of the Lord.  

You see, so often we think that we ought to be good so that God will like us and then as a result we will end up in heaven and not you know where.  But really the reason we ought to follow God’s desires, is that if we do we simply will be happier.  We will be happier if we love our husband and wife and remain faithful to them.  We will be happier if we pay our taxes and work hard.  David in Psalm 1 really lays out a way in which to be happy in this life: delight in the law of the Lord.  It all seems very self-centered, I know.  So maybe a compromise would sound something like this: We ought to do the will of God because we are so grateful for what God has done for us…made us righteous through the blood of Jesus.  But as we do that which pleases God, we will also find joy which cannot be found elsewhere.  There, that’s better.

Well, over these next 150 days (are you ready?) we are going to do just that, delight in the law of the Lord by reading His Word and meditate on his Psalms days and night.  I hope they will lead to a joy and happiness in your life that will never be shaken.  Oh, and Happy New Year!

Dear FPC family and friends,

We are becoming a bit more adventurous in this Challenge.  We are moving from our traditional ninety day to a whopping 150 Day Challenge.  The reason should be obvious.  We are going to be looking at the Psalms and there are 150 of them.  We will begin on January 1 and it will take us all the way through May 30.  It will be challenging because with a much longer discipline of reading the Bible one just might get distracted.  But it’s the Psalms!  How can we get distracted with the Psalms?

Many attribute this book of the Bible as having been written by David, but we know that it was compiled over many centuries of writing.  It falls squarely within the poetical book of the Old Testament.  Within the Psalms we find some of the most familiar passages of Scripture along with some of the most comforting.  “The Lord is my Shepherd”, “Thy word is lamp unto my feet”, “Praise the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me”, are just some of the passages that have become part of our vocabulary.

I know that as we embark on this journey together we will be enriched by a hope that can only come from a faith in Jesus Christ.  Even though we are focusing on a book of the Bible in the Old Testament and the person of Jesus is never mentioned by name, we will find him immersed in every word that we find.  His grace, sacrifice, love, and faithfulness are heralded as the consistent attributes of our God and our Savior.

But we will not only find Psalms of hope and praise and thanksgiving, but also Psalms of lament.  We will hear the author bemoan the fact that he feels that he has been left alone.  Anyone reading this ever feel that way?  We will find a compatriot in the author who asks the question: “Is anyone there?”  But inevitably we will find ourselves reminded of God’s grace and providence and our need to reflect upon the fact that God always follows through on His promises.

I hope you enjoy making your way through the Psalms.  I can’t wait to get started.  See you on January 1.  If you want to follow along in the blog that I will be posting daily just go to

http://www.straspres.org/150-day-challenge.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Bob

And so it ends.  It is really hard to believe that we have completed not one, but two 90 Day Challenges.  We end on Paul’s greeting to the church in Colossae.  I love what he says in vs.5.  He reminds us to conduct ourselves wisely with outsiders, and make the most of our time.  So much of our ministry has to be focused on outsiders that at a certain point we should be feeling like outsiders as well.   We should never, ever make outsiders feel, well, like outsiders.  The only way to make an outsider feel like an insider is to make them know that what they say and who they are is important to us.  We don’t want them to become like us, we want to become and learn from them.  That’s hard to do.

In these final greetings I think of those who work behind the scenes here at FPC.  I think of people who are never recognized, who do the sound, the media, who set out the flowers and make sure the communion is ready.  I think of those who conscientiously make their way through the church looking for things that need to be repaired or thrown out.  I think of those who teach and don’t ask for accolades.  Our church is filled with Marks, and Barnabasses, and Epaphras, and Tychicus and many others.  There are almost too many to mention by name.  

Do you notice who he does mention by name?  He speaks about a certain Luke who was a physician.  Many think this is the writer of the Gospel of Luke.  He also mentions a letter from Laodicea that was to be read aloud.  The problem is that we don’t have that letter any longer.  We don’t have a letter to the church in Laodicea.  What we do have is the church mentioned in the Revelation in Laodicea.

So I will leave you as the Apostle Paul left Archippus: “See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.” 

Paul did seem to like to make sure that the family structure was without question one that was clear.  He encourages wives to be subject and husbands to love.  As we have said in previous comments, this does not mean in any way that husbands are not to be subject nor does it mean that wives are not to love.  The relationship in a marriage is based on mutuality.  

Vs. 17 is a great benediction verse which reminds us that all that we do we must do for the sake of Jesus Christ.  That has to be our motto.  It is hard to believe that we only have one more day left.  Wow, these 90+ days have gone by fast.

Were you able to follow what Paul was talking about in this second chapter.  It can be a bit confusing to us, but remember the Colossians knew exactly what he was talking about.  Now that we are more than 2000 years removed from his writing, it makes sense that we don’t understand the innuendos.  For example, we had a great church picnic this afternoon, more than 150 people were there.  There was a mean cornhole tournament and the winners, Billy and Kristi Harrison, annihilated the competition.  If I wrote this and it was dug up 2000 years  from now, they would have no idea what I was saying and they just might think that we were quite a violent church, what with all that talk about annihilation.  So let’s try to understand what he is saying.

His main emphasis is making sure that the church is not swayed by theologies and philosophies that were sweeping the culture.  The church was getting caught up with modern fads in thought that were taking them away from seeing Christ as the center of their purpose.  That is so important for a church not to be taken away from its primary purpose which is to preach Christ and Christ crucified.  I think I’m going to leave it at that.  Paul does.  Look at vs.14.

We begin our last leg of the journey.  It is a journey through Paul’s letter to the church  in Colossae as we read in vs.2.  It is a church made up primarily of gentiles, so those who would be foreigners to the long history and culture of the Jewish people which had shaped so much of the early church.  It is not a church that Paul had personally founded, but certainly his work in the area had an impact where those to whom he preached had gone to Colossae to begin this community.  We find that the primary emphasis of this letter is to address heresy that has overtaken the church and Paul’s attempt to right the ship and oppose that heresy.  He loves the church and repeatedly tells them that he is praying for them.  The letter was written probably in the mid 60’s.  

We begin with a very common statement by Paul that he is constantly lifting up the community in prayer.  This is something that he says to all of the communities, but in this case he supports these prayers by the evidence of their love for the saints and the witness of their strong faith.  He begins by encouraging them and lifting up their strong faith which many in the Christian community have commended.  Paul speaks about the beginning of their faith journey as a community by pointing to Epaphras who is considered the founding member of the church in Colossae.  Since their inception, Paul states in vs.9, they have been praying for this community without ceasing, and specifically that they would be filled with knowledge and wisdom.  

A couple of times Paul mentions the work of Jesus and refers specifically to the blood of Jesus as something that is not only efficacious, but instrumental in the saving of our souls.  Look at vs.14 and depending on your translation it should have as a trailer: “…the forgiveness of sins through his blood.”  The italicized part is not seen in all of the manuscripts, but it is present in some.  It makes sense that it reveals itself here because later on we find that same concept repeated.  Look at vs.20 and we find the phrase “…by making peace through the blood of his cross.”  There is a movement in some circles to tone down any type of violent or directly referenced terms which would lead to a theology built around death and violence.  There are some who skirt around using the term: “the blood of Jesus”, simply because they see it as too disturbing and could lead some to run from the Gospel message because of its explicit reference to blood.

I don’t see how we can avoid that reference, or why we would want to.  Paul mentions it clearly as a necessary factor in our redemption.  The blood of Jesus is what washes us clean, regardless of how uneasy it makes us.  Think about what we do at the Lord’s Supper when we eat the body and drink the blood of our Savior.  Why is it so important to maintain that image and that reference to the blood?  Because from the very beginning the cleansing of our sin through the blood of a sacrifice is what has defined both the old and the new covenant that we have with God.  We cannot run away from this reality.  If we are uncomfortable with that imagery, then maybe we are uncomfortable with the fact that someone actually had to die for us in order for us to be saved.  Jesus didn’t just come on the earth to hang out and set up a kingdom.  No, he came and died a death that was brutal, vicious, and unforgiving.  All of this was so that we could be forgiven, and yes, have our sins washed clean by his blood.  

We find Paul’s words resonate even today in a verse that is to be the operative verse for every church on this planet.  Look at vs. 28 where Paul reminds us: “It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”  He goes on to say that for this reason, and this reason alone, do we work as hard as we do.  What a great goal and what a great reason to live.  So that others would come to a maturity in Christ that is life giving.  I think you are going to love this letter.