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.

Luke 11:33-36

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            At first glance this verse seems a bit weird:  “Your eye is the lamp of the body.  When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.”  Huh?  Well, we need to keep in mind that Jesus the Jew communicated in distinctly Jewish ways.  Speech was often expressed in metaphors and word pictures.  In other words, the word “body” serves as a way of saying “life” and the word “eye” represents our contemporary word “goal.”  So, then, let’s restate the verse:  “Your goals determine the direction of your life.  When your goals are good, your entire life is healthy, but when your goals are bad it messes up your life.”
 
            Ah, now we get the gist.  Our goals, whether stated or unstated, set the focus and direction of our lives.  If the orientation of our lives is the pursuit of selfish gain and temporary satisfaction, then we will move in that direction and it will not end well.  But, conversely, if our goals are toward God and the accomplishment of His will, then we will be light for the world.  It’s all a matter of focus and where we set our attention.
 
            Therefore, goal setting is an important thing to do.  We are to be careful, deliberate, and sensitive to the ways of Jesus when doing so.  What are your goals for this year?  Take some time to write them out.  Then, think through an intentional pathway of realizing them.  Finally, ask for the agency of the Holy Spirit to help you accomplish them.  If this seems like a daunting task, begin with just one goal and follow it through to its realization.  It is true that if we aim at nothing, we will hit our target every time.
 

 

            Loving Lord Jesus, help me to set my life’s gaze on the living and doing of your teaching.  Enable me to set godly and worthy goals, and grant me the power to see them realized through your Holy Spirit.  Amen.

God Alone Justifies

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
God alone makes people right (Romans 8:33; Luke 18:9-14).  Because it is God who justifies, we do not have to!  We do not need to defend ourselves, make ourselves look good, or fool ourselves into believing that we are what we want others to think of us.  Insisting that we are always okay and right only creates division, separates people into bad and good, fosters disharmony, and is an affront to God.  To pursue what is already provided by God’s grace is sin.
 
            I realize I am using strong language here about self-justification.  But consider its origins.  It goes all the way back to the original sin of Adam and Eve.  They were told by God that they could eat from any tree in the garden; but they were given strict instructions not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Have you ever wondered why God deemed it so important not to eat of that specific tree?  The knowledge of good and evil actually seems like it might be useful, even necessary.  So, why completely avoid that tree?  When Adam and Eve ate from it their eyes were opened to a different perspective, a new reality that changed the way humanity deals with one another.  From that point forward people began drawing lines down the middle and placing themselves on the good side while vilifying those on the other side, the bad side.
 
            Adam and Even started justifying their actions, their attitudes, and their behavior on the day they fell by drawing lines between good and evil.  Adam drew a line between him and Eve.  Eve gave him the fruit; she is on the other side.  Eve drew a line between her and the serpent.  Adam drew a line between himself and God!  Ever since our original ancestors started drawing lines and taking sides, it has never stopped.  We draw political lines and place ourselves on the good side while demonizing the other side.  We draw religious lines and place ourselves on the good side while distancing ourselves from our fellow humanity and calling them evil.  We draw lines between classes, races, gender, and ethnicities.  We are constantly drawing lines and taking sides.  Violence, war, and every other sin in the world come from the original sin of self-justification:  I am okay, you are not.
 
            In the movie, What About Bob? Bill Murray was asked by his therapist why he was divorced.  His answer:  “There are two kinds of people in the world; those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t; my wife loved him.”  Bob drew a line, placing himself on the good side of it while implying that his ex-wife was on the other side, the bad side.  Ever since the fall of humanity we keep drawing lines and justifying our attitudes and our actions.
 
            Self-justification always compares itself with others.  People who think that it is their job to always be right are constantly concerned about other people; they need to know what is going on with them.  They keep their ear to the ground because they must be vigilant to keep the lines drawn and distinguish themselves from those on the other side, the bad side.
 
            But when we are justified by God and he makes us right by his own grace, the curse upon humanity is reversed.  Everything changes and reverts to its original design.  Our souls are rebuilt and become robust and vigorous not through effort and work, but through relaxation and rest in Christ’s finished work.  There is now no fear because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  There is no comparisons needed anymore because God is enough, Christ is sufficient.  There is no more worry about how we look to others; instead, there is contentment and satisfaction in the love of God in Christ.
 

 

Only God can justify!  Righteousness is a gift.  Until we know this, receive the gift, and live in it, we will continue in vain to make ourselves look good and be on the right side of everything while making others look bad.  It is not the job of church ministries to group people into who is in and who is out, who is bad and who is good; rather, church ministry is to proclaim the righteousness of Christ as the only means of making people right.  If there are no sides to take, then we are all in life together.  Until we get to that point, there is no progress.  But when we do, there is peace, love, and abundant joy that God would save such as sinner as I.

Ephesians 6:10-17

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Today’s New Testament lesson has some densely packed verses concerning spiritual warfare.  We need some pegs to be able to hang all the ideas and concepts.  There are three major imperatives or commands for every believer and every church:  1) Be strong in the Lord because we are in an invisible war; 2) Put on the whole armor of God and make preparations for spiritual battle; and, 3) Take up your spiritual weapons and do battle.
 
            We are to be strong since Satan and his wicked spirits are highly organized for evil with devious schemes and stratagems designed to blunt our spiritual growth.  We are to put on the necessary armor of truth, righteousness, and peace to defend ourselves against the inevitable attacks.  We are to use our spiritual weapons of faith, salvation, and the word of God to advance against the darkness.
 
            These are non-negotiable commands given by General Paul.  He is serious about this because the spiritual forces we are up against are wicked, cunning, and they do not observe any kind of Geneva Convention rules when it comes to war.  Therefore, we are in need of some spiritual boot camp that equips us to engage the enemy of our souls. Each and every day we need the training that comes through careful, sustained and thoughtful examination of God’s Word and focused prayer.  Basic spiritual disciplines will help arm us for the certain attacks.  The goal is not simply to read and utter a prayer, but to take off the old street clothes and put on the armor provided by God.
 

 

            Holy God, I am your soldier.  I pray that words would be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ so that your ethical kingdom will prevail here on earth through the power of your Spirit.  Amen.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            The book of Ecclesiastes is not usually on many Christians’ list as the most enjoyable piece of literature they have read in the Bible.  If you have ever worked your way through these words of Solomon, then it is quite possible that you have walked away from it a bit discouraged.  Let’s face it:  this is a really depressing book.  When the chief message being expressed is that “all is vanity” when it comes to life, then it is hard to become enthused.
 
            However, we need to feel the impact of Solomon’s perspective.  He was expressing a common worldview present in his time:  history apart from God, without the divine Sovereign in the equation, moves along in vain with no real purpose behind it.  The ancient world in the days of Solomon looked at history as cyclical, not linear.  In other words, there is no real hope for things to improve, be different, or get better because what-goes-around-comes-around.  The only option in such a view of history and of the world is to accept your lot in life and try to make the best of it.  Yep, it’s depressing to say the least.
 
            But when we have God in the equation of history, there is a goal, an end to all that is happening; there is meaning and purpose to the world.  Everything we do and all that takes place around us is only vanity with the absence of God.  Yet, when the Christian fears God and keeps his commandments, then life moves along a decided pathway of following Jesus.  Life’s journey is not marked by useless activity, but faith, hope, and love.
 
            We all have a need for purpose and contribution, which is why the worldview apart from God is so meaningless.  We need to deeply and meaningfully connect with our Creator.  In doing so, we discover that life opens up to new and fresh vistas of peace and joy.  There is an end to the story, if we have spiritual eyes to see.
 

 

            Almighty God, you sometimes seem hidden and life appears to be going nowhere.  Open my eyes to see what you are doing in your world so that I might be directed toward your purposes in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of Jesus Christ.  Amen.