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 19

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Different cultures have multiple words for things which are important to them.  For example, in most Asian countries there are various words for “rice” depending upon which strain it is and in what manner it is cooked.  Rice is important to them.  In America, we only have one word for “rice” no matter where it comes from or how it is prepared.  However, whereas the country of Indonesia might only have one generic word for “money,” we in the West have a plethora of terms for it:  coins; bills; dollars; checks; debit accounts; stock; bonds; annuities, etc.  Americans have dozens of words for “money” because it is weaved into the fabric of our capitalistic way of life.
             When we come to the text of Psalm 19, we encounter several words for “law:” testimony; precept; commandment; and, rules.  Not only that, even the physical creation itself proclaims God’s law and his speech throughout the earth.  The law is important to Hebrew culture and to the Scriptures.  Indeed, we would not have the Bible as we know it without being filled with all kinds of commandments.
             Therefore, a healthy way to approach God’s Holy Word is to pay careful attention to the commands because they are important.  The law of God is to be as familiar to the Christian as Jesus and the Spirit.  We need God’s guidance and direction in order to live rightly and please him in every way.  When we look at the law with gratitude and seek to obey God through it, we will learn to avoid sin and lead a blameless life.  So, to commit God’s Word to heart and to memory would be sage for every believer.
             Gracious God, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Amen.

Exodus 19:1-9

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            I have worked in more places than I immediately recollect.  Some workplaces were run well, most were characterized by inattention to working conditions and expected employees to be more like extensions of their machines than people.  The same could be said for churches.  Some are run well and others leave much to be desired.  Without trying to be simplistic, today’s Old Testament lesson gives the clue to what makes the difference:  a clear sense of purpose.  God made it clear that Israel was given the mandate to “be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
 
            Although there was always a remnant of Israelites who held to this original purpose, we know the end of the story.  Israel largely failed to fulfill their God-given reason for existence and did not follow through with their missionary purpose.  They ended up in exile because of their stubbornness and lack of holiness.
 
            When we as Christians lose sight of why we exist, we degenerate into a bunch of finicky cats who want ever richer food and a lusher bed to sleep in.  We exist not to be catered to, but to be people who do the priestly work of interceding for others so that the nations might come to know the God of all the earth.  We exist to walk in holiness, set apart to be the conduit between heaven and earth so that others might come to embrace Jesus.  It was Christ who did what the Israelites did not do, and secured salvation for all who believe.
 
            Where there is complaining and backbiting there is a lack of purpose.  Where there is only talk of how others can meet my needs there is a lost mandate to be a priest bringing others to God.  The gracious and priestly work of intercession on behalf of those who need Jesus is the purpose many are lacking.  Let us return to this holy vocation.
            O God, you are holy.  So, I choose to be holy in all I do.  I intercede for those around me who either cannot or will not come to you on their own.  Draw them to yourself so that they might experience the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Shame

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
            There is a vulnerability crisis in the church today.  What I mean is that far too many Christians keep up appearances and keep their human interactions on the surface level.  Simple exhortations to not be that way will do no good because at the root of the behavior is shame.  If we want to have healthy behaviors in the church, Christians will need to have their identities fully based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.
 
            Shame is a mindset, not a behavior.  It is the notion that something is wrong with your personhood.  It is to believe that somehow you are deficient, defective, or worthless as a person.  It is to not have the ability to distinguish between what I do and who I am.  When we live with a sense of shame (either knowingly or subconsciously) we are setting ourselves up to practice idolatry.  If we really think there is something wrong with our very humanity, we will seek something to base our value and acceptance upon.  This is why the workaholic cannot stop working, because he believes that by much effort, hard work, and productivity it will make up for the deficiencies in his life.  Others will then accept him.  Indeed, he will accept himself.  This is also why so few people take Sabbath breaks or take advantage of a day off or even all their vacation time.  After all, they feel too guilty if they are idle.
 
            People who live with a sense of shame do not realize that they have the right to set personal boundaries.  If you have a terrible time of saying “no” to people, then it is a good bet that there is some level of shame working underneath the surface.  It just seems selfish to such people to refuse a request.  Living with shame is awful because one feels as though she is simply not good enough as a person compared to others.  The over-responsible, over-achieving, over-functioning person is compulsive about doing things perfectly well so as to avoid feeling ashamed of poor performance.  Conversely, others avoid responsibility, under-achieve, and under-function in the belief that if they were to do the job they will surely fail – so best to not do it at all.
 
            The real problem with all this is that it is a performance-based life.  And, so, it is crippling.  Always wondering if you measure up is a depressing way to live.  Unfortunately, there are far too many performance-based churches out there which shame people for struggling, asking honest questions, not complying with man-made rules, and not being like everyone else.  If I have not made it clear enough yet, trying harder does nothing to break the cycle of shame.  Satan has enough of the world on a self-improvement path; let’s put ourselves on God’s path to freedom.
 
            If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed (James 5:16).  Jesus has taken our shame away because he faced it down and achieved the victory for us that we could not achieve ourselves.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).  The cross may have been a humiliating experience, but Jesus did not let that stop him from bringing us salvation from sin and shame.
 

 

            We do not need to wear our hearts on our sleeves in order to become more vulnerable with one another.  Struggles with life do not mean we are defective – it just means we are real people.  Unless we come to grips with scorning shame, we will live stunted Christian lives in plastic Christian churches.  Only through embracing the truth about ourselves, and accepting Christ’s sacrifice on our part, will we experience genuine spiritual and emotional freedom.  There is no need to live in the isolation of shame.  Our identity is in Jesus.

John 12:36-43

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
             The season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, and of repentance from sin.  It is a time to consider our ways and the state of our hearts and find that only the grace of God in Christ can heal all wounds.  Today’s Gospel lesson gives perhaps the most succinct and convicting statement about the dark places of our lives.  Many of the religious authorities actually believed in Jesus, but they did not speak of it because they were afraid of being put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees.  “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
             The word “glory” has its roots in the Old Testament, and has the meaning of being weighty or heavy.  In other words, we might picture God descending to earth among humankind in all his weightiness.  If we were back in the ‘70s we could say, “heavy, man, heavy!”  Glory is really a reference to God’s presence among us.  So, if we plug this thought into the religious authorities, we see that they preferred the presence and accolades of their peers to God.
             It is easy to be hard on the religious rulers in the New Testament, but this is Lent, and, so, we must shine the light of Scripture upon ourselves.  Perhaps the burning question for all believers at this time of year is:  Do I seek the presence of God more than the presence of anything or anyone else?  
             In my church the first few rows on Sunday morning are always empty.  It bugs me.  I don’t like it.  There are times when I am more concerned about the presence of people than the presence of God in a worship service.  Maybe you live in fear at work and are more concerned about the presence of people around you than the presence of God, so you keep quiet about your beliefs.
             Lent is not just about identifying sin; it is about receiving grace.  So, let us find that the cleansing work of the Spirit through the work of Jesus is active through our confession of sin.  And let us pursue the glory of God in all we do and say as grace permeates deep in our souls.
             Glorious God, your presence is awesome and appreciated.  Fill me so with your presence that your glory comes shining out of me in all I do and say, through Jesus Christ my Savior, and Lord.  Amen.