Author: Tim Ehrhardt

I'm just a common ordinary pastor, chaplain, father, grandfather, and dog owner who loves the smell of a genuine leather Bible and the aroma of its message. I'm on a quest to track down the best Bibles, how to best read and use them, and to discover the encouragement inside.

Grace to the Poor

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
“My dear friends, pay attention.  God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world.  He has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him” (James 2:5).
 
God’s grace is what makes the world go round.  Grace trumps everything.  An absence of grace in God’s people is offensive to him.  When I was growing up, our family dog was named “Sam.”  Sam loved being on the farm.  One time he tussled with a skunk.  I could barely get close enough to him to clean him up because he stunk so badly.  Favoritism toward those with means over those who don’t, stinks, and God has a hard time getting close to us when we show partiality to others.  And he is going to clean us up when he smells the stench of discrimination on us.  Showing favoritism to some over others is evidence that the dog is running away from the bath of grace.  In order to develop relationships and interact with people the way God wants us to, we must be free from prejudice.
 
            God cares about persons trapped in poverty.  The poor are important to him.  When Jesus began his ministry he pointed people to Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor (Luke 4:18).  In the Old Testament, there are seven different words for the “poor” because poverty was such a pervasive reality (and still is across the world!).  The range of meanings includes those who are poor because of laziness, those born into poverty, being poor because of inhuman oppression or slavery, simple beggars, and the pious humble poor.  These spiritual poor persons are the Hebrew anawim.  The anawim are humble persons who are caught in grinding poverty, having no choice but to put their trust in God.
 
            God has a lot to say about such persons because they are dear to his heart.  The law was quite clear about how to treat the poor.  There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward the poor and needy in your land (Deuteronomy 15:11).  Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.  Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it.  Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin (Deuteronomy 24:14-15).
 
            The mistreatment, exploitation, and just plain inattention to such persons were a chief reason God sent the prophets to Israel.  God had something to say concerning them:  Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?” – skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.  The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:  “I will never forget anything they have done” (Amos 8:4-7).  Instead of being generous to the poor and allowing them to forage for grain at harvest behind the harvesters, they kept “those people” away from the fields so that they could turn a profit at every little bit they could.  And God thought it all stunk to high heaven.
 
            We must be reminded that it is only the poor in spirit who will enter the kingdom of heaven.  Only those who trust in God alone, and not in their stuff, will he accept.  The real issue here is the humility that demonstrates grace to people who cannot offer you something in return.  It is easy to be merciful to people who will turn around later and scratch our backs.  But it is altogether a different thing to be gracious from a place of humility and service to God.  God cares about the condition of our souls and not the balance of our bank accounts.  Inattention to the needy only betrays a heart far from him.  If God were to audit you, would he find your finances reflecting a spirit of humility and concern for the anawim?  God does not judge people on face value and the state of their finances, and neither should we.
 
            We are to speak and act with mercy to all persons, without prejudice.  The only way to rid ourselves of the stench of showing favoritism is to receive the cleansing bath of God’s mercy in Jesus Christ.  The shampoo of grace is available, if we will let God apply it.  God is the expert in:
 
Ø  Turning people from only associating with those they are comfortable with, to lovingly reaching out to people very different from themselves;
Ø  Changing people from the stinking thinking about what they can continually obtain and consume, to people who are loving and generous with their words and their physical resources;
Ø  Putting to death a proud spirit that looks to get ahead and accomplish an agenda by any means possible, to giving new life through humble repentance.
 

 

Ministry to the poor is a non-negotiable for the Christian church.  Beyond only dispensing benevolent funds, the poor need relationships, connections, resources, and a chance to give back in ways they can contribute.  It’s just part of being attentive to them, and extending them grace.  How does your church show their concern for the poor in your city and/or region?

Revelation 21:5-27

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Things will not always be this way.  Life will not always consist of heartache, suffering, and tears.  The world, as we now know it, will eventually pass away with its constant barrage of war, famine, hunger, sickness, misunderstanding, conflict, and pain.  There is a coming a day when Jesus will return and make everything new.  The vision of this next-to-last chapter of the Bible portrays a Lord who is in charge, and whose authority will, in the end, be seen for what it is.  Everything wrong will be made right; all that is crooked shall be made straight; and, the endless struggle to do what is right and just will prevail once and for all.
 
            Whenever we get caught in seemingly endless cycles of addiction, insecurity, and fear; whenever we find ourselves having to endure yet another day of undeserved backtalk; and, whenever we see that perseverance has become our abiding companion; it is in such times, like the original recipients of John’s vision of the final apocalypse, that we are to be strengthened and encouraged with the truth that Jesus is Lord.  Christ reigns as Supreme, and his rule will be shown and revealed to all nations.  In our Lord’s benevolent kingdom, everyone who is thirsty for justice will receive from a life-giving fountain; and, all who hunger for righteousness will be filled and satisfied.
 
            But until that time comes, we are to hold onto the hope that Jesus shall return to judge the living and the dead.  For the righteous this is truly good news, but for the wicked, this is anything but.  Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be in the celestial city.  So, let’s put on words and deeds that are appropriate for the light of Christ our King, and eschew the works of darkness, utilizing all the tools of faith, hope, and love given to us by our Sovereign Lord.
 

 

            Lord Jesus, you are making everything new.  You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  All things hinge on your gracious rule in this world.  Help me to so embrace your kingdom ethics that every word and each deed is done consistent with your divine justice and mercy through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Luke 18:15-17

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


            Current Western society has experienced a juvenilization of culture in recent decades, and perhaps the past two hundred years, in ways that would seem strange to ancient people.  In the biblical world, children had no rights.  Life did not revolve around them whatsoever.  They were looked upon more as potential adults, and were expected to conform to family, synagogue, and society.  So, it was quite understandable, within such a society, that Christ’s disciples were perturbed with people bringing their children to Jesus – this was adult business, and not for kids.
             But Jesus would have none of this from his disciples, and he said something which was a jaw-dropping shock to them:  “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”  The upwardly-minded disciples did not have this as their strategy for taking over the world.  It was not even close to being on their radar because the worldly tools of power, influence, and position were their ambition.
             Citizens of the kingdom of God, in-other-words, enter through sheer humility and remain through complete dependence.  Like little children, they have nothing to offer and no rights to claim.  It would all have to be given to them.  Ah, now we are not far from the kingdom!  A life of faith and entrance to God’s kingdom is a gift of grace.  We cannot enter through superior skill or intelligence and not by hard work or savvy insight to the system.  None of that stuff neither impresses nor influences Jesus in the slightest.  Rather, the subjects of his kingdom need the king, and the realm of King Jesus is wherever the will of God is done.  And the will of God cannot be done apart from the spiritual virtues of humility and trust.  Will you become a little child and embrace a life of humility and dependence?
             King Jesus, I forsake all pride and selfish ambition and come to you with all the humility I can muster.  I need you for all things, and trust in your grace and compassion to gently and mercifully guide me into a life of faith that pleases you and blesses the world.  Amen.

1 Peter 1:3-9

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Christians ought to expect suffering.  Yes, you heard that one right.  In our litigious age of claiming rights and avoiding pain at all cost, the biblical teaching can seem like some antiquated throw-back to an age we can’t relate to very well.  But Peter’s letter to the churches was all about facing and dealing with suffering.  Unfair treatment was happening, and was going to happen.  Peter would think it weird if believers were not undergoing suffering of some type.
 
            But it is not random meaningless suffering.  It is a testing of faith.  “Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire.  And these trials will prove that your faith is worth more than gold.”  Because faith is much like a muscle, it needs to be flexed, used, and exercised so that it develops and grows strong.  An absence of adversity will only lead to faith-muscle atrophy.  So, how do we endure such adverse situations of suffering?
 
            Christians deal in the currency of hope.  God has “given us new life and a hope that lives on.  God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.”  The path forward through suffering is to know that we are being trained and developed for eternal life with Jesus.  We learn to put our hope in things which are permanent, instead of putting too much investment and stock into the temporary.  Our strengthened faith will not decay, will never be ruined, and shall not disappear.  It only makes solid spiritual sense to develop a robust life of faith in this life, since eternity awaits us.
 

 

            I praise you God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  You are so good by raising Jesus from death and giving us a permanent inheritance which can never perish, spoil, or fade.  I entrust myself to you and seek spiritual growth by means of the trials you bring into my life.  May they be used for your glory.  Amen.