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.

Psalm 73:21-28

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            We have all had the experience of saying rash words that we later regret; and, of being dumped on by another who had some choice words for us.  In Psalm 73, the psalmist, Asaph, records an encounter with God in which he had some rather upset musings for the Sovereign of the universe.  Later, after some reflection, Asaph said:  “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.”
 
            As human beings, we process information in different parts of our brains.  The neo-cortex, the rational part allows us to engage in logical analysis and complex decision making.  Another part, the limbic system, is sometimes known as the “reptilian brain” because it processes information very quickly, largely by instinct.  When we become scared, surprised, upset, or angry, adrenaline gets pumped into our limbic system so that we can react to the perceived threat, danger, or injustice.
 
             Having our brains flooded with adrenaline when there is real danger is a necessary thing.  But when we are continually fearful and upset, even when there is no real problem, our brains never calm down and the result is less than stellar behavior.  So, what is the answer to this situation?  Asaph said that God holds his right hand and guides him with wise counsel.  Being near to God is what brings the levels down so that we can relax and trust.
 
            God is with us always in the person of the Holy Spirit.  There is never a time, place, or situation where God is absent.  As we learn to rely on God’s presence, and remind ourselves of it on a daily basis, we can restore more rational thoughts to our lives so that we can live knowing God is in control.
            Gracious God, I have no one in my life like you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, my brain might become overwhelmed with irrational fears, but you are my strength and the Rock of my salvation.  Thank you for your continual provision and help each and every day through Jesus Christ, my Lord.  Amen.

Proverbs 22:1-21

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            As a pastor, I have seen my share of parents broken over their particular son’s or daughter’s lifestyle and/or behavior.  In some cases, the parents have a great deal of work to do in their own lives in order to deal with shortcomings.  But in many other scenarios there are godly Moms and Dads who have experienced the heartache of a wayward child through no real fault of their own.  Yet, some of them feel tremendously guilty because of a famous (or infamous) verse tucked away in our Old Testament lesson for today:  “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
 
            It must be borne in mind that there are many different literary genres in Scripture.  Narratives, parables, gospel, epistles, poetry, and even apocalyptic literature all occur in the Bible.  The book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom sayings.  A proverb is a short pity statement of experiential truth.  In other words, a proverb expresses a general truth in which, all things considered, a particular outcome will likely occur.  Proverbs were never designed to be ironclad promises of how things always are; they were meant to teach wisdom.
 
            So, when we come to the verse about training children, it cannot be claimed that if a parent does a certain set of practices and disciplines that the child will always come out living a certain sort of way.  Neither people, nor Scripture, operates in that manner.  What the proverb is designed to do is place the emphasis on the necessity of training children, and instructing them with intentional focus in the ways of God.  And, more than likely, that training will kick in when the child is an adult and living on their own.  But it is not a guarantee.
 
            Even God had rebellious children, and he was the perfect parent.  What Proverbs wants us to do is encourage us to put significant effort into developing children to be responsible people.  Like God, we teach, train, exhort, live by example, and discipline our kids.  We do it all because we seek to be faithful, and we live with the hope that our efforts are not in vain.  So, it is good for parents, teachers, and all who work with kids to have a plan for training those children.  As we do so, we trust God who is the One who ultimately does the needed renovations of the heart, and transformation of the mind.
            Gracious God, you are the Lord who alone can change lives.  Give me wisdom so that I might always pray intelligently, live circumspectly, and speak lovingly to all the children in my life for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Taming the Tongue

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
Words are powerful.  God created the entire world with speech.  Since people are created in God’s image and likeness, our words carry a great deal of weight.  Within the church, the tongue is the most powerful tool we have for building up the Body of Christ, giving praise and offering prayer to God, and for proclaiming the good news of forgiveness in Christ.  However, the bald truth is that there are far too many duplicitous tongues within the church which can say something good one minute and something hurtful the next.
 
Whatever comes out of our mouths reveals what is on the inside of our lives (James 3:0-12).  If we can grasp the truth of this, I believe it could transform the way we talk to one another.  Salt water and fresh water cannot both come from the same spring.  A fig tree cannot bear olives, and a grapevine is not going to produce figs.  Here is the biblical point:  Whatever comes out of the mouth reveals the source.  Evil words come from an evil source; and, good words come from a good source.  If a person has a pattern of negative condescending speech, then that person is drawing from a well pumping up words from the depths of Hell.  And if a person has a practice of continually saying helpful words that encourage others, that person is producing good fruit from roots that draw nourishment from God’s Word.
 
            Here are four ways to bring the tongue under control so that our speech and our words can reflect the God who created us for good:
 
  1. Train your tongue for good, just like you would train anything else.  When starting an exercise regimen, you are training your body for health.  When dieting, you are saying ‘yes’ to certain foods, and ‘no’ to others.  The tongue needs to be trained to express gratitude, gospel, and grace.  And one of the best ways to do it is through speaking Scripture out loud in a daily regular regimen.  Consider going on a fast from talking, and seek only to be silent and listen for a specified amount of time.  Paul said to Timothy:  Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7).  The writer of Hebrews said:  Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).
  2. Read a chapter of Proverbs each day for a month.  There are thirty one chapters in Proverbs, one for each day of the month.  Pay attention to the power of words.  Notice the difference between the speech of a wise person and the words of a fool – and take to heart the consequences of both approaches.  Here are just a few of Proverbs’ short pithy statements about the tongue:  When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise (10:19); Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18).
  3. Foster relationships and friendships with people that are positive and encouraging.  If a negative person keeps being negative, even after you have warned them more than once about it, you likely need a new relationship.  Paul was straightforward with his young protégé, Titus, by saying:  Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with him.  You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11).
  4. Listen and learn before speaking.  A judgmental spirit comes from an inability to rightly interpret another person’s words and/or actions.  We can too often jump to conclusions about something or someone with only partial information and a fact or two without the whole story.
When it comes to using our words, love is to be our guide, as the Apostle Paul so eloquently said in the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13:
 

 

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects (does not destroy or harm), always trusts (gives the person the benefit of the doubt), always hopes (that is, thinks the best of others), and always perseveres (never gives up on loving speech).  Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled….

Hebrews 11:17-22

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            I have always thought that kids are collectively closer to God than most adults.  The older one gets it is far too easy to become cynical, having had a bevy of expectations and/or dreams squished in the press of life.  But kids tend to not have that kind of history.  They simply believe. 
 
            Maybe Abraham was a kid at heart.  When God gave him a promise that it would be through his son Isaac and not anyone else that the great spiritual inheritance would be passed on, Abraham simply believed.  In fact, he was so thoroughly convinced that God was good for his word that even when the most contradictory of circumstances seemed to warrant that it was not going to come to pass, he still believed.
 
            At the heart of genuine authentic biblical faith is the simple unshakable conviction that one can completely bank his/her life on the promises of God.  So, even when God came along and told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, child-like Abram just reasoned that even if his son were dead, God would just do the most impossible thing of all by resurrecting his lifeless body.
 
            Abraham is the father of all who believe not because he always did the right thing and never stumbled.  He is our spiritual ancestor because of his simple faith placed firmly in the God whom he believed could do the impossible.  It is faith that ought to dictate how we pray and how we go about living.  It is faith that really should determine how we make decisions and how churches should lay plans.  And it is faith in the promises of God which ought to cause us to respond to him like a little child.
            God of the impossible, you are the one who fulfills every good word in and through Jesus Christ.  I trust you, that as I proclaim the good news you will continue to do your work of raising others from spiritual death through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.