Category: Daily Bible Reading Blog

A blog following the daily readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.

Christ the King Sunday (Ephesians 1:15-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The 118 feet high Christ the King statue in Świebodzin, Poland

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (New International Version)

Christ the King Sunday is intended to help us see the cosmic reality that Jesus reigns over all creation as the only rightful Sovereign of the universe. This day always comes just before Advent so that we remember to anticipate both a baby and a king.

Christ as Lord of all exposes three problems humanity faces:

  1. Building our own petty kingdoms and setting ourselves up as masters over our own small worlds.  People who have been hurt may attempt to seize power for themselves in order to avoid ever being hurt again; or in the belief that if they had power, the could stop others from being hurt. Instead of submitting to Christ’s rule, they will seek to control their little end of the world, to protect themselves from pain.
  2. Bowing to other kings besides King Jesus. When distressed, some people may rely on another ruler to address their hard circumstances – thereby expecting another to give only what Jesus can provide.  Instead of running to God, they run to politicians or pastors to fix whatever is going on.
  3. Lacking awareness of the power possessed in Christ the King. Christians reign with Jesus Christ, and therefore can exercise authority over every dominion that exists, especially the dominion of darkness.

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers provides God’s design for the church. It’s a plan for Christians to know their spiritual blessings and exercise the power they have being united to Christ. God wants us to understand this power and authority, and to actively use it.

We have a clear understanding in Ephesians of how to pray: To know Jesus better.  There is probably no higher prayer, according to the Apostle Paul, than to pray to know Jesus better – so that we will know the hope to which we have been called, and the incomparably great power for us who believe.

The word for “power” is where we get the English word “dynamite.” When I was a kid we had a neighbor who had a fondness for playing with dynamite (especially when he drank too much!). Even though he lived a mile down the road, when he blew up a tree stump or anything else on his property, it shook our house and felt like the windows were going to break. Yet, one stick of dynamite is nothing compared to God’s power.

This divine power is for us who believe in Christ the King. It’s the same power used to raise Jesus from death, and which exalted Christ as Lord of the universe. The rule and reign of Jesus is far above any other existing authority – including powers of the dark domain.

Concerning dealing with the powers of darkness, we possess the authority of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and glorification, Christians therefore have a vital and inseparable union with Jesus.  Jesus redeemed us; we belong to God as adopted children. 

Since all earthly and spiritual powers are subject to Christ, they are also subject to us. The imagery of Jesus as Head, and Christians as the Body, means that we have an inseparable union together. Since we are united with Christ, we share his authority over all spiritual powers.

It’s one thing to know this information; it’s another to use it. We are to experience Christ’s power through exercising our authority as believers. We can link faith and knowledge together in a confident use of spiritual authority because we have rights as blood-bought children of God.

All the pronouns used by Paul in Ephesians are plural. This means that tackling the forces of darkness needs to be a communal activity; going it alone is dangerous. The following is a prayer we can pray together, that boldly exercises our authority in Christ:

Almighty God, we bow in worship and praise before you, and thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ is King over all creation, and the rightful Sovereign of the universe. We are grateful that we have power together with Jesus.  We therefore surrender ourselves completely in every area of our lives to You. 

Since Christ’s authority extends over every dominion, including the dominion of darkness, we take a stand against all the work of Satan that would hinder us in prayer. We address ourselves only to the True and Living God, and refuse any involvement of Satan in our prayers.

Therefore, Satan, we command you, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave our presence with all your demons. We bring the blood of Jesus Christ between us.

Sovereign God, we recognize you are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise. We renew our allegiance to you and ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray. You have loved us from eternity past; and you sent the Christ into the world to die for us. So, we are thankful for complete forgiven; for adoption into your family; for eternal life; and for your daily help and strength.

Glorious God, open our eyes so that we will see how great you are, and how complete your provision is for today. The victory of Christ’s cross and resurrection has given us a seat in heaven. We take our place with Jesus, and recognize by faith, that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under our feet.

Thank you, gracious God, for the spiritual armor you have provided. Therefore, we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, and the helmet of salvation. We lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery arrows of the enemy; and we take in our hands the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We use your powerful Word against all the forces of evil, living and praying in complete dependence upon you, Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, we are thankful that you disarmed all power and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross. So, we claim victory for our lives today by rejecting all the insinuations, accusations, and temptations of Satan; affirming that the Word of God is true; living in the light of God’s Word; and choosing to obey you. 

Open our eyes, blessed God, and show us the areas of our lives that do not please you. Cleanse us from anything that would give Satan a foothold against us. We stand into all that it means to be your adopted children; we welcome all the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives today.

By faith, and in complete dependence upon you, we put off the old sinful person and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the sinful nature. We put on the new person and stand into the victory of the resurrection and the provision Christ has made for us to live above sin. We put off the old sinful nature with its selfishness and put on the new nature with its love.  We put off the old nature with its fear and deceit; and instead put on the new nature with its courage and righteousness.

We are thankful, mighty God, that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ; and with new life into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, so that today we can live filled in the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Since we recognize and affirm that this is your will for us, we therefore reject and resist all the attempts of Satan and his demons to rob us of God’s will.   

We are thankful, blessed Holy Trinity, that our spiritual weapons have divine power to demolish demonic strongholds, arguments, and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We therefore take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ; we tear down the strongholds and smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against us; we affirm that you have not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline; and we choose to make right decisions of faith. 

Powerful God, show us the ways Satan is hindering, tempting, lying, and distorting the truth in our lives. Help us to be aggressive in prayer and faith; and to think rightly, and actively practice Your Word. We cover ourselves with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that you, Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and all your work of Pentecost into our lives today.

In the name of Christ the King, we surrender ourselves to you, O God; and we refuse to be discouraged because you are the God of all hope. You have proven your power by resurrecting Jesus from the dead. Therefore, we claim this victory over all satanic forces in our lives, our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our faith communities; through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving, we pray. Amen.

Family Dynamics (Matthew 12:46-50)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
En la Cena ecológica del Reino (At the Ecological Kingdom Dinner) by Spanish artist Cerezo Barredo

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside trying to speak with him.Someone said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are outside wanting to speak with you.”

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” He stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother.” (Common English Bible)

Jesus obviously did not get the cultural memo that blood is thicker than water.

When his own blood family were waiting outside for him, Jesus used the occasion to speak of what makes up a true follower of God. Christ boldly asserted that his true family is made up of people who do God’s will. By saying this, Jesus brought the point home that the kingdom of God turns on obedience.

Rather than merely confessing a belief, or appealing to a family heritage of faith, Jesus said that a genuine believer in God is one who listens to God’s words and then promptly obeys them. Therefore:

A Christian is defined by allegiance to Jesus, and not by having a certain bloodline. 

Identity determines activity. For example, if I identify myself primarily as…

  • a worker at my job, my activity will show it – I will spend long hours at my labor, and will do whatever it takes to please my boss and gain promotions.
  • an athlete, I will spend long hours honing my skills, and do whatever it takes to please the coach and to win.
  • a spouse and a parent, I will focus most of my attention on my family and seek to please them in all things. 

But if my identity is first and foremost as a Christian, I will seek to please Jesus. With my identity in Christ:

  • I will view my job as an opportunity to express the ethics of God’s kingdom, as a calling from God, and as a means for God to transform me for his glory.
  • I will view athletics as means to glorify God, and not as an end in and of itself but as a special gift for God to teach me about the importance of community and working together. 
  • I will view my kids as belonging to God and I will steward the trust of children given me by doing whatever it takes to teach and train them in the way of Jesus. I will thank God for my family and not confuse them with being God by idolizing them.

Jesus was inside a house, with his family on the outside. So, why were the family members of Jesus not inside the house sitting at his feet, taking the posture of a disciple?

The disciple Matthew wanted to communicate more than physical distance between Jesus and his physical family – being “outside” was meant to convey the posture of Christ’s family as spiritually distant, skeptical of him, and indecisive about who he was and what he was up to. The disciple Mark made this spiritual and emotional distance clear:

Jesus entered a house. A crowd gathered again so that it was impossible for him and his followers even to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they came to take control of him. They were saying, “He’s out of his mind!” (Mark 3:20-21, CEB)

Christ’s earthly family were not looking for Jesus to give them warm-fuzzies and have a big family hug. They were there to essentially say to him, “Cut it out, Jesus, because you’re acting like a nut-cake and embarrassing us all!”

Jesus was saying that identifying only with a biological family leads to only pleasing that family. However, identifying with Jesus leads to a radical form of following God that seeks to please him instead of submitting to family practices, mores, and beliefs which are inconsistent with the kingdom of God. 

Ethiopian Orthodox Church depiction of Christ and his disciples

For the Christian, the church is the family of God, and we are to act consistent with being in such a family.  We are to pursue God’s will, serve one another, and adopt outsiders into our family. The church is a family, not a restaurant. When we go to a restaurant, we either like the food and the service, or not. If the experience was unpleasant, we might complain to the waitress and may or may not come back. Try doing that with your mother and see where it gets you! 

As a biological family, we are committed to each other. There is no complaining about mom because of dad’s wrath. Instead, we are expected to clear our plates and put them in the dishwasher, to sweep the floor and clean the table, and to work together for the benefit of the entire family. In the same way, following Jesus means being committed to his family, the church.

Priority is to be given in doing God’s will, regardless of blood, because obedience to Christ identifies us as being in the family of God. Our actions and the way we live points to what we honestly believe and where our commitments truly lie. 

The first step of God’s desire for us is quality focused time in sitting at Christ’s feet and listening to him, because this is at the heart of all Christian discipleship. We can only do God’s will if we have clearly heard it; and we can only hear God’s will by taking the time to be at the feet of Jesus. 

Both listening and doing are necessary. Listening without engaging the world is a failure of mission; and doing without first listening leads to misguided acts and eventual burn-out. Allow Jesus to call the shots and let him instruct us so that we can live wisely and obediently. 

Jesus did not devalue blood relatives as irrelevant. Rather, the kingdom of God seeks to restore and redeem all things, including family. Both church and family are important. The relationships within each are to be nurtured.

The family of Jesus, the church, is important because Christ suffered and died for her. So, we are to be committed to the church, love the church, and serve the church because we are family. If we have a good grasp of this, we will make decisions based in what we believe God’s will is, instead of whether a relative will get upset, or not. 

We need to persistently pray for spiritually lost family members, and those whom we are estranged from. Most families have at least a few toxic persons in their orbit. Here is how we might pray for them:

  • That God will arrange divine appointments between them and others who love Jesus.
  • That God will draw them to the mercy of Christ.
  • That God will hinder the devil’s schemes against them.
  • That they will understand and respond to the good news of God’s grace.

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Vision of the End (Revelation 14:1-11)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
The Great Day of His Wrath, by John Martin, 1852

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first-fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” (New International Version)

Throughout the book of Revelation (The Apocalypse of John) the Apostle John communicates visions of the end, of God’s wrath and human suffering. Yet John also pauses throughout his vision to offer encouragement for the faithful followers of Jesus in the present time who are undergoing suffering, even persecution.

The assurance believers have is that God sees their struggle, their devotion; the Lord will protect them – not from suffering and death – but from the effects of divine judgment and punishment on the earth. The Lord will not abandon the believers. Instead, they will share in God’s new realm.

The Lamb and the Redeemed

The ultimate destiny of Christ’s faithful followers is not in judgment but in triumph – even though many of them had to face extreme circumstances and died the martyr’s death. Christ, the Lamb of God, stands in the center of God’s kingdom with the 144,000, who sing a new song to God.

It could be that these 144,000 persons are representative and symbolic of all redeemed humanity. Or, they may likely be Christian martyrs, the ones who were the victims of evil (Revelation 13). Whoever they actually are, their description is figurative in order to convey that these faithful persons are morally and spiritually pure; they did not defile themselves with the wickedness of the world’s systemic and structural evil.

These redeemed persons are the first fruits, believers who have sacrificed their lives for God and maintained their witness to King Jesus, and not to Ceasar as Lord. In the Old Testament, every firstborn (both human and animal) belonged to the Lord. The first fruits (the initial yield of crops) were set aside specifically as a sacrificial offering to God.

In the New Testament, the concept and practice of first fruits is used as a metaphor for something given to God in advance. So, in the book of Revelation, this refers to the harvest at the end of the age; the first fruits are the 144,000, the ones who are the anticipation of Christian resurrection. In other words, there are many more converts to come – people redeemed by the Lamb and set aside for resurrection and new creation. A great harvest of souls comes; because of Christ’s resurrection, his followers shall also experience resurrection.

The Message of the Three Angels

The Apostle John spoke of three angels, each of whom proclaim a coming judgment of God. The first angel has a call to repentance and a warning of imminent judgment. The second angel announces the fall of Babylon (Rome). And the third angel pronounces judgment upon those who gave themselves to the powers of this fallen world, who participated in organizational wickedness through oppression, abuse, neglect, disrespect, and dishonor of others.

It is with the third angel that the “mark of the beast” upon a person’s forehead is the mark of judgment on them. Although the language and picture of this, and what happens to them, was (and still is for some) used to scare the hell out of people so that they would embrace heaven, we must very much distance ourselves from such disgraceful rhetoric.

Again, the vision is full of symbolism and is not to be taken literally; it is John’s attempt to convey an otherworldly experience he had, in terms which his readers could grasp. The big idea is that those who have become devoted members to the machinations of evil in its various forms on this earth will experience the judgment of God.

As they sought glory in this world by any means possible – including using people to keep and hold power – so, they will face an inglorious end when God holds them accountable for their wrongdoing and for letting their own hearts become shriveled and dry.

This is neither the time to participate in evil, nor to procrastinate in making things right – while you still have time to do so.

For those holding on to bitterness, it is time to forgive.

For the ones giving in to their anger through hating others, it is now time to humble yourself, repent, and turn to right and healthy ways of dealing with that anger.

For the persons allowing themselves to be used by others for perpetuating evil in their workplace, neighborhood, or church, it is high time to find your voice, renounce the damaging practices, and speak truth to power.

We all must suffer. What it is we suffer for, is up to us.

Almighty and everlasting God, the rightful Judge of all things and all people, help us, your people, to be rightly prepared for Christ’s coming, through a right confession and right practices in this life. Enable us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling so that we might cast the bright beams which radiate from the approaching day of glory into those dark days and nights of suffering.

Sovereign God, draw us, we pray, near to Christ and in union with him. May we taste and see the goodness of the Lord; be strengthened in faith for the trials and tribulations which lie before us; bask in the love of Jesus; and hold fast to divine promises, and our confession, especially since the end of all things is at hand. Amen.

Generosity and Thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (New International Version)

Generosity is at the heart of any good family, neighborhood, workplace, organization, church, and individual. To be generous is to reflect the image of God, who is wildly generous, giving freely and liberally on our behalf.

We often associate being generous with giving a handout or money to someone or some organization in need. It is that, but much more. Generosity doesn’t have to do with the size of our check or the amount of our contribution. 

We can be generous with our time, abilities, words, and with what little or much we have of money, as well. Generosity means to go above expectations – to give with magnanimity, to go out of your way to do good when no one is looking – and experience giving as its own reward.

Jesus, for whom the Apostle Paul learned about the true nature of being generous, embraced generosity as a way of life while he was here on this earth. No one expected Christ to go out of his way to call the least, the lowly, the lost, and the last of society. The people on the margins of respectable culture had no expectations that the Messiah would head their way. But he did. 

Christ the Lord even went so far as to hang out with the despised tax collectors, and freely talk with sexual deviants. The high brows of society couldn’t raise their eyebrows high enough for Jesus. It was just too much for them. Not only was Jesus making them look bad with his generosity as a way of life, but he was also, in their minds, generous to the wrong sort of people.

The follower of Jesus does so by surveying the landscape of human need and giving to people in places where no one expects a handout. 

It’s interesting that Christ lived a simple life with little to no money. He largely depended on the generosity of others. Yes, my friend, generosity is a two-way street. Being generous to others is the easy part for many people; receiving the generosity of other people is often much harder.  Yet, Jesus did both – he gave and received.

Jesus was generous in ways which were consistent with the Father’s will. Christ gave of his time, and of his divine ability to heal and forgive. He was perhaps the most magnanimous person of all-time, due to his generosity of compassion, kindness, love, and humble service to others. 

And the height of Christ’s generosity was in giving his life so that you and I could live a life free from the power of guilt and shame. Such deliverance, through the cross, is offered and given, free of charge. That’s over-the-top generous.

Money is merely a barometer of one’s generosity, that is, of our stance and approach toward money. You don’t need to be rich to be generous. A large and expansive heart always finds ways to have a generosity of spirit wherever it goes.

Jesus warned against using generosity in order to be noticed:

“When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4, CEV)

A generous heart is a heart of gratitude. Giving thanks is the logical and organic way of expressing generosity.

Consider just a few biblical verses that encourage us toward thanksgiving: 

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise. (Psalm 95:2, GNT) 

Enter his gates with a song of thanksgiving.
Come into his courtyards with a song of praise.
Give thanks to him; praise his name. (Psalm 100:4, GW)

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1, NRSV)

In the Gospel of Luke, a story is told of ten men with leprosy who were miraculously healed by Jesus. A Samaritan, the lowliest of the low, was the lone person who came and fell at Christ’s feet with intense gratitude. While the other nine went about their lives free from disease and glad for it, only one guy took the time to thank Jesus. (Luke 17:11-19) 

Indeed, sometimes we must be reminded to give thanks and to show gratitude for the ways in which God has provided for us. Yet, if our hearts are abundantly full of generosity, no reminder is needed; it just comes pouring forth.

Those who have small hearts will only realize small blessings. But those who plant many seeds of generosity and gratitude will see abundant blessings.

May it be so, to the glory of God.