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.

Thanksgiving

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  If we are ever to wonder what the will of God would be for us and our churches, these succinct exhortations make it quite clear.  If we were to simply focus on those three short commands of Scripture it would completely alter the spiritual landscape of our lives and our churches.
 
            This is a season in which we take the time to intentionally and specifically thank God.  Engrafting the practice of thanksgiving into our lives on a consistent basis is a means of keeping cynicism and sarcasm away from us.  At this time of year we are not only in danger of frostbite on our fingers from being outside too long; we also can be in danger of having frostbite of the soul by a prolonged exposure to negative thinking and speech.  Thanksgiving Day is an opportunity to allow your inner self to thaw in the warmth of God’s grace and goodness. 
 
            It is an understatement to say that this has been a difficult year for my family.  Yet despite the challenges we have faced and are still facing we are thankful.  The Apostle Paul specifically encouraged the church to look for ways to be thankful whatever the circumstances may be.  So, I want to express my thanks to God in the following ways:
 
  • I thank God for the opportunity to demonstrate love for my wife through caring for her after three surgeries this year.
  • I thank God for my epileptic grandson’s constant happiness, his encouraging spirit, his smile, and the joy he brings to others.
  • I thank God for my oldest daughter’s hard work and her courage in raising a special needs son.
  • I thank God for my youngest daughter’s humor and keepin’ it real.
  • I thank God for my middle daughter and her husband – that they love the Lord in so many ways.
  • I thank God for the privilege of preaching God’s grace to my congregation each week.
  • I thank God for the many people who care and pray for me and my family each and every day.
  • I thank God for all you who commit yourselves daily to God’s Word.
  • And consistent with Paul’s admonition to be thankful in all circumstances, I thank God for the problems and the adversities of my life which humbles my heart to pray.

 

What has God done in your life this year?  How has his grace been mediated to you through the church?  In what ways can you be thankful in the midst of adversity or difficulty?  How is God currently blessing you?  To whom could you express gratitude for being helpful or encouraging?

John 5:19-40

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
            Christ the King Sunday is a time in which the church observes and recognizes the exaltation and glorification of God the Son as authority over every dominion.  Following the emphasis of that Sunday, these verses in John’s Gospel provide the words from Jesus as to the basis for such power.  Jesus is God.  God the Father works through God the Son.  The works that Jesus did bear testimony to the cosmic reality that Jesus is Lord of all.  Jesus lets us in on his relationship to the Father, and to his actual position and power.
 
            In the face of such biblical evidence as to the greatness and majesty of the Lord Jesus, the only valid and appropriate response is sheer submission to Christ’s authority.  Just as Jesus listened to the Father and obeyed the Father’s will, so we need to listen to Jesus and carry out his will.  Just as Jesus enjoyed his relationship with the Father, so we are to bask in our wonderful relationship with Jesus.  Since Jesus submitted to death on a cross and rose from the dead through God’s power, we now have access to that power by God’s grace through faith in Christ.
 
            We need not bend to any other master other than King Jesus, the rightful ruler of the universe.  Let us put away all others “gods” in which we depend upon for solace and help.  Jesus is a leader who guides us with grace into God’s will for us.
            King Jesus, I submit my life to you alone.  You are the object and desire of my heart.  Use me to work your divine will on this earth, to your own glory and honor.  Amen.

2 Timothy 2:8-13

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
            C.S. Lewis once described God as the Hound of Heaven.  By that phrase he meant that God doggedly pursued him and would not let go.  Lewis came into Christian faith “kicking and screaming” as God’s faithful pursuit won out in his life. 
 
            The Apostle Paul reminded his young protégé Timothy of some basic sound theology that was to keep him on track and encouraged in a tough ministry.  Paul gave Timothy a trustworthy saying that he could easily remember and say to himself day after day, especially when the going got tough: 
 
            If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
            if we endure, we will also reign with him;
            if we deny him, he also will deny us;
            if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.
 
            The beauty, wonder, and distinction of God is his amazing grace.  He is not fickle, but loves and holds on even when we are unlovely and are trying to avoid him and jump out of his hand.  When God pursues, he finds; when he holds on, he will not let go.
 
            This trustworthy saying of Scripture is a good, short, solid expression of theological truth to memorize, meditate upon, and repeat to ourselves over and over again.  We belong to Jesus Christ.  God is with us.  The Hound of Heaven will always sniff us out and bring us to himself.
            Thank you, O God, for your great faithfulness to your elect, even to me.  I give unceasing praise and undying devotion to you for your grace of being the One who never lets up, through Christ my Lord.  Amen.

Christ the King Sunday

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
Christ the King Sunday is intended to help us see the cosmic reality that Jesus reigns over all creation.  It is an intentional proclamation that every creature on earth must submit to Jesus as the only rightful Sovereign of the universe.  This Sunday always comes just before Advent so that we remember we do not only anticipate a baby in a manger, but a great king.
 
            The fact that Jesus is Lord of all exposes three problems that we might face.  First, because we live in a fallen world and we are all profoundly touched by sin, in our depravity we have this nasty tendency to build our own petty kingdoms and set ourselves up as masters over our own small worlds.  People who have been hurt (which is really all of us) often attempt to seize power for themselves in order to avoid ever being hurt again, or in the belief that if we had power we could stop others from being hurt.  The classic villains of movies, literature, and even gaming are the ones who seek to destroy the earth so that they rebuild it in their own idea of how the world should operate.  Instead of submitting to Christ’s rule, which we may feel insecure about, we will control our little ends of the world to protect ourselves from pain.
 
            A second problem which Christ as King exposes in us is a rush to bow to other kings besides King Jesus.  When we become stressed and under pressure from life’s difficulties, we might not run to Jesus but instead rely on another ruler to alleviate the situation.  Addictions are common ways of dealing with stressful circumstances.  But we also might expect other people like fellow church members, pastors, even politicians or others leaders to give us only what Jesus can.  No matter what or who it is, we might willingly submit to them as our king because they provide a temporary way out of our problems.  Instead of taking the gospel road of confession and repentance through Jesus Christ and doing things God’s way, we instead run to the kings we have set up in his place to cope with whatever is going on in our lives.
 
            A third problem is that we might not realize the power we actually possess as being subjects of King Jesus.  Maybe no one has ever told you that as a believer in Jesus you have authority in Christ.  Perhaps nobody has ever communicated to you how to use the power that has been given to you in Christ.  As Christians we reign with Jesus and can exercise authority over every dominion that exists, especially the dominion of darkness (Ephesians 1:15-23).
 

 

            In the name and through the blood of Jesus we have authority to use our God-given power to confront every enemy of our souls and resist all the machinations of the devil in our lives and our churches.  This is a day to take our place with Jesus as the Body of Christ and confront the dark forces seeking to destroy us.  Let us live into the position we possess with the incomparable great power for us who believe.