Category: Daily Bible Reading Blog

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

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Show me a spiritual sourpuss, and I’ll show you a person who lives without daily gratitude toward God and others.  But show me a gracious person who liberally gives thanks, and I will show you a person profoundly in touch with God’s steadfast love.
 
            The psalmist chose to give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!  I wonder how much different each day would be if we began it with the psalmist’s great call to worship:  “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” 
 
            There is a misguided notion that only certain people have the attitude of gratitude; some folks are just naturally ornery, and some are just born happy.  But the truth is that gratitude and giving thanks is a practice that must be carefully cultivated.  As it grows and develops, gratitude bears the fruit of joy.  Yes, thankfulness is a daily decision of faith that we need to make in order to have the kind of attitude that pleases God and blesses others.
            Loving God, this is the day you have made; I rejoice in it, and am glad that your steadfast love covers all things.  Help me to connect every good thing with your gracious hand upon me so that I will not look and act like I was baptized in pickle juice.  To the glory of Jesus Christ, I pray.  Amen.

John 12:34-50

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Everybody has a philosophy of ministry, that is, of how to proceed with the actual doing of Christian service to others.  Just because we might not have a written statement on it does not mean no philosophy exists.  Let’s think the thought that Jesus had a philosophy of ministry… which he did.  If we take his words as being weighty, then perhaps he actually articulated what he believes about handling people.  Contained in today’s Gospel lesson is the heart of Christ’s approach:
 
“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.  And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.  I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”
 
Here are several observations about Christ’s philosophy of ministry:
 
1.      True faith is Trinitarian faith.
2.      Jesus came to dispel darkness by deposing its ruler.
3.      Jesus did not come to nit-pick or harangue people.
4.      Jesus came to save the world.
5.      Jesus has the authority to save the world.
6.      Believing in Jesus brings salvation.
 
Folks who are into people-pleasing and angling for people-praise will actually not get judged by Jesus; they will be judged by the words of Jesus on the last day.  This means that, for us, there really is neither a precedent nor a need to do the Spirit’s work for him.  Instead, we believe in Jesus and allow our faith to shape our conversations with others.  A philosophy of ministry does not need to be complex; it just needs to be Christ-centered.
            Great God of deliverance, thank you that you sent your Son, Jesus, to save people from their sins.  I believe in you and what you did and what you stand for.  Each time I open my mouth, may you form my words so that they are not judgmental, but helpful in bringing others to faith.  Amen.

Acts 2:14-24

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            In the Gospels, the Apostle Peter was a flake.  He sometimes got it, and sometimes didn’t.  Peter could discern Jesus was Messiah, but then turn around and refuse that Christ had to die on a cross.  He would get bold and walk on water, but end up falling short and needing help from drowning.  Peter stood tall for Jesus, and then denied him three times.
 
            In the book of Acts, however, Peter is a completely changed man.  He gets it.  He is brave.  He confesses Christ.  And all the while he does not falter, flinch, or back down.  What is the difference between the Gospels and Acts?  The Holy Spirit comes upon him and he is never the same again.  Everything falls into place for Peter, who preaches in such a way that thousands repent of their sin and believe Jesus is the hope of the world.
 
            “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death,” Peter proclaimed about Jesus, “because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”  Let that one seep into your soul.  If it was impossible for death to keep its grip on Jesus, then there is absolutely nothing that can deter Jesus or hold him back from accomplishing what he wants to accomplish.  Flaky believers are not going to frustrate Jesus or upset his plans; he’ll just send the Holy Spirit. 
 
            We too often imprison ourselves in self-made spiritual jail cells, flaking-out in the Christian life, sometimes getting it right and once-in-a-while hitting upon some right combination we can’t explain, like a golfer who hits an amazing shot but can’t reproduce it no matter how hard he tries.  The truth is:  Jesus has conquered sin, death, and hell.  By faith, we have forgiveness of sins in him and have the way opened to a new life in the Spirit.  It isn’t a secret; it is a new reality.
 
            The season of Lent is a time of remembering those things that hinder us in our walk with Jesus, and repenting of our sins so that we can live anew.  As we quickly approach Holy Week, the golf clubs of vulnerability, confession and prayer will keep us in God’s fairway and allow us to shoot par.
            Gracious God, who raised Jesus from the dead, may the same power reside in me so that I can do your will in every situation through the power and presence of your Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 119:9-16

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Pornography is a $12 billion a year industry in the United States.  XXX Church, an internet site dedicated to helping people to kick the habit of porn, reports that 9 out of every 10 boys have viewed some type of pornography by age 17.  In fact, teen-aged boys are the largest consumers of pornographic internet sites.  64% of all American men have visited a porn site in the past month.  1 in 6 women in this country have an addiction to pornography.  In the time it takes for you to read this sentence 84,774 people in this country will visit a porn site.  And this does not even mention the new wave of “sexting” that happens among people who have ready access to cell phones to take and upload pornographic pictures any time of day or night. 
 
            Into this terrible muck, enter the psalmist with his ancient, yet very relevant question for us today:  “How can a young man keep his way pure?”  The answer: by guarding his heart according to God’s Word.  “I have stored up your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.”  The best thing parents can do for themselves and for their kids in this area of purity is for the entire family to do some old school bible memorization.  Yes, I mean getting down to rote memory work.  This is to be neither a legalistic practice nor some fetish that will keep evil away.  Instead, memorizing verses and large sections of the Bible provides a solid foundation from which to construct of base of operations for the work of meditation.  When temptation occurs there will be something to stand upon in the heat of the moment.
 
            These verses from Psalm 119 are a great place to begin.  Expand to memorize the entire psalm, all 176 verses of it.  When faced with the decision of viewing pornography or not, it would be wise to dedicate the time to memorizing Scripture so that there will be a delight in God’s statues rather than a depressed guilt over another fall into impure thoughts and actions.
            Merciful God, thank you for providing your Word to me so that I might read it, use it, memorize it, meditate upon it, and engraft it into my soul.  Fortify my spirit against the demons of pornography by the power of your Holy Spirit, to the glory of Jesus Christ.  Amen.