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.

Matthew 17:14-21

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            I have a grandson with epilepsy.  So, when I read an account like we have today in our Gospel lesson, I especially take notice.  Jesus had been up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John.  Meanwhile, the other disciples were in charge of taking care of things below.  They dealt with a man whose son would have seizures so badly that he would hurt himself when they occurred.  Although the disciples had experienced healing people before, they could not do it in this instance.  Jesus, of course, comes down and takes the seizures completely away from the epileptic boy.  The disciples, understandably, want to know why they were not able to heal the boy.
 
            I’m not sure they were prepared for Jesus’ answer.  He bluntly told them that the reason for their ministry inability was because of their little faith….  Ouch!  What is more, Jesus said to them that even if they had a faith as small as a mustard seed that they could move mountains….  Double ouch!  Jesus was teaching a couple of very important lessons.
 
            First, ministry cannot be reduced to a technique.  Perhaps the disciples thought they could do exactly what they had done before, say the right words and do the right gesticulations, and the healing would come.   But it didn’t because God does not bow to formulas; he responds to faith.  So, then, the second lesson is that the issue is not the amount of faith but where the faith is placed.  If we put stock in our proven methods for healing or doing ministry or living a certain way, then God is put outside the equation.  Faith, when placed even in the smallest way in Jesus, can result in some very big results.
 
            Maybe we all need to completely re-evaluate the way we pray and do ministry.  Do we depend upon particular phrases or words, or do we throw ourselves upon the sheer mercy of God in Christ?  Have we had success before, and now rely on the proven process, or do we persevere in prayer knowing that only Jesus can bring the needed healing to our lives and our loved ones?  Realizing the impossible can only happen when we divest ourselves of the possible.
            Merciful God, I believe in Jesus; help me in my unbelief!  Without your grace I cannot take another breath or one more step.  I desperately need you or I will be completely undone!  Have mercy upon me so that what arises from my life is all your doing, and not mine.  Amen.

"Why, God?"

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
In Lodi, California, in March of 2006, a city dump truck backed into a car belonging to a man named Curtis Gokey. The car was damaged badly, so Gokey sued the city of Lodi for $3,600.  There is, however, a catch to the story: Curtis Gokey was driving the city dump truck that crunched his personal car. And he admitted it was his fault. The city dropped the lawsuit, stating that Gokey could not sue himself.  Like Mr. Gokey, we are often our own worst enemies. There are times when it is easy for us to justify ourselves while blaming God and/or others in the church for things we don’t like. 
 
            When life is not going so well, it is possible to slide into a private belief system that thinks God is not good for his promises (James 1:16-17).  At worst, one can start to think that God is the problem and the source of the trouble.  To be “self-deceived” means to go astray or slowly drift from the truth.  And it can happen to anybody.  The first step to self-deception is having expectations that do not get met.  An expected answer to prayer goes unanswered; another person lashes out and there seems to be no protection from it; an expected blessing does not come to pass – it is then that complaining and blaming God for the problem can occur.  Immediately after being delivered from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites faced some significant challenges in the desert (Exodus 15:22-16:3).  They responded not with faith but with grumbling against Moses.  They began to believe that God did not have their best interests at mind, and started to skew how they looked at the past.  The Israelites quickly forgot that Egypt was terribly hard and they were slaves.  Yet, they looked at it as the good ol’ days.
 
            Trusting God when we do not understand everything that is happening can be a challenge.  Asking “why” questions are not all bad.  God is big enough to take our questions.  “Why, God, did you let my son or daughter die?”  “Why, God, did you give me so-and-so to deal with?”  “Why, God, is there so much suffering in the world?”  “Why, God, do people I care about have to go through such difficulty?”  “Why, God, do the wicked go unpunished?”  “Why, God, are so many Christians dull and apathetic?”  “Why, God, does everything seem to be changing?”  “Why, God?”
 
            Questioning can help us make sense of our situations.  Questioning may also cause us to doubt that God is there and that he will act on our behalf.  In such times it might be tempting to blame God for a broken relationship, a terrible event, a dysfunctional church body, or an adverse situation.  But God has chosen to give us birth through the word of truth (not a word of deception and lies) so that we might have new life with fresh eyes of faith to see our situations as God sees them (James 1:18).  That is what wisdom is – the ability to see all of life from God’s perspective.  If any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to us (James 1:5).  This is a promise from a good God who knows how to give good gifts.
 
            None of us are above falling into misinterpretations that lead to the self-deceptions of questioning the goodness of God.  We need to be vigilant in watching for the clever stories we might tell ourselves:  ‘it’s not my fault; it’s all your fault; there’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll just belly-ache about it.’  We are all to take charge of our lives through having a robust theology of God that discerns he is always good, all the time.
 
            The good news is that a good God has taken care of the sin issue once for all through the cross of Christ.  He has brought us the good gifts of forgiveness and grace.  Furthermore, God has given us his Holy Spirit to help us and guide us into all truth so that we will have wisdom and humility to live the Christian life as it is meant to be lived.  The key to it all is faith – genuine authentic faith that places head, heart, and hands completely in Jesus Christ so that we have right belief, right motives, and right actions all rightly working together in a full-orbed Christianity that glorifies God and blesses Christ’s church. 
 

 

            Don’t be your own worst enemy by sabotaging your thoughts with the double-mindedness of wondering about the true nature of God.  Explore the depths of God in Christ and discover the goodness that can result even in life’s most difficult experiences.

Hebrews 12:3-13

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Perseverance is important to God.  It is important enough to him that he disciplines us for our own good so that we can endure for a lifetime of being faithful to Jesus Christ.  Our response to the disciplining work of God depends upon how we look at it.  If we view discipline as a dirty word to be avoided at any cost, then any time there is trouble or difficulty, we are going to spend our efforts trying to wriggle away like an earthworm to a flashlight.  But if we discern that discipline comes from God as a gracious means of developing perseverance within us, we will patiently endure the circumstance knowing that God is doing an important work in us.  We can submit to God and look forward to the righteous fruit that he will produce in us; or, we can buck our adverse situation and refuse to learn from it.
 
            Even Jesus himself endured hostility, trouble, and eventually death despite the fact that he did nothing to deserve such treatment.  We are not above our Master.  Just as he suffered, so we will, as well.  The real question is:  What will we do when we face painful difficulty?  God loves us enough to not leave us alone but is active in allowing us to endure hardship as discipline so that our faith will grow and develop.  This is a healthy thing, and not a thing to avoid.
 
            We are to consider Jesus, his attitude and way of life, so that we ourselves will not grow weary and fainthearted.  We are to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our feeble knees and find fresh inspiration to keep going through looking squarely at Jesus, our faithful example.  Whether our painful trial is a very real physical disability, a relationship problem that is constantly on-going, or an emotional situation that seems to maintain a constant vice-grip on your head and heart, there is a God in heaven who sees it all and desires to bend each and every adverse circumstance for use in developing your faith and bringing you closer to him.  Allow God to do the expert work that he alone is suited to do.
            Gracious God, I believe that you discipline me for my good.  Help me to not grow weary when you bring adversity into my life.  Instead, strengthen me as I submit to your will for me through Jesus Christ my Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 125

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
             Psalms 120-134 comprise a collection of short songs of ascent meant to guide Jewish pilgrims in their communal trek up to the city of Jerusalem, and ultimately to the temple mount.  The rhythm of the pious ancient Israelites centered round particular festivals, seasons, and Sabbath.  Taking the annual pilgrimage to the Holy City was an especially anticipated time of year.  This yearly cycle brought both increased faith and needed spiritual stability to the people.  It reminded them of the sound theology that God cannot be moved, and he will always be there.
 
            “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”  One of the most fundamental of all truths about God is that he is consistent and constant in his basic nature, that he is forever present with his people.  If God seems or feels as though he is not there or is not listening, it is not that he is aloof or not paying any attention.  It simply means that he chooses to reveal himself when he chooses to reveal himself, and that our responsibility in the entire affair is to engage in consistent rhythms of spirituality that place us in a position to receive grace when God decides to give it.
 
            Therefore we must not despair but anticipate meeting with God, just as the Israelites of old looked forward and upward to their annual worship at the top of the mountain.  The truth is that God surrounds his people, even when we do not always perceive it to be so. 
            Ever-present God, there is no place where I can go where you are not.  Help me to so intuit your presence that it bolsters my faith and resilience for daily life in Jesus Christ.  Amen.