Category: Year C

Ephesians 4:7-16

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
 
 
            The Body of Christ without love as its skeletal structure would be as ridiculous and silly as a boneless chicken ranch.  “We must stop acting like children… Love should always make us tell the truth.  Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body.  Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love” (CEV).
 
            When Jesus ascended to heaven, ten days later the day of Pentecost occurred.  The Holy Spirit came upon the small band of believers and the church became a full-fledged phenomenon, growing and expanding.  The gracious gifts of the Spirit are given to each and every Christian in order to grow and strengthen the Body of Christ in love.  Each gifting might be different from person to person, but every one of them is meant to be used in love for the benefit of the entire church.
 
            The church will be weak and ineffective without any bones or skeleton.  It might look like a church, but will not be able to do anything in the world.  It is quite necessary that every single Christian in the church learn his/her spiritual gift and use it in love to build up the Body.  This is the only means of realizing a mature and functional church. 
 
What is your passion and desire for Christ’s church?  What issues stir you emotionally?  What group of people do you feel most attracted to reach?  What area of your church’s ministry would you most like to influence?  Are there people whom you notice that others seem to ignore?  Will you step out in faith and learn how God has wired you for ministry?  Will you speak and serve in Jesus’ name?
 

 

            Loving God, you have graced me with spiritual gifts for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Use me for the loving strengthening of the church, and for positive influence in the world.  Amen.

Proverbs 4:1-9

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            “My advice is useful, so don’t turn away… Be wise and learn common sense.”  Wisdom is personified in proverbs as a sage counselor for whom we must pay careful attention to listen and heed.  Wisdom in the Old Testament is the practical application of knowledge and understanding.  It is the ability to take the knowledge of God and use it in everyday life in a way that leads to human flourishing.
 
            Thus, there are really two important aspects to wisdom.  First, the individual must possess some body of knowledge.  We cannot employ knowledge that we do not even possess.  So, it is absolutely imperative for us to seek understanding, to strive to see life from God’s perspective, and to put ourselves in other people’s shoes.  We must become readers, listeners, and devoted learners because without books, the ability to hear well, and the humble posture of discovery, we will never realize wisdom.
 
            Second, the individual must use knowledge in order to act, to live well.  Knowledge by itself, apart from relevant use, only produces puffed-up pride.  The reason for accumulating understanding is to use it for the benefit of others in love.  We have quite enough preening peacocks in this world with snappy opinions and answers for every earthly problem.  This world needs much less of them, and more of those who seek the humility that comes from biblical wisdom.  As the Apostle James once put it, we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only.
 
            When wisdom is realized, there is learning through both head and hands.  The book of Proverbs is perhaps the best place to begin constructing a life of wisdom.  Reading a chapter a day for one month will get you through the entire book.  Make a wise plan to carefully go through Proverbs sometime this spring or summer.  You will be very glad you did.
 

 

            Wise God, I love wisdom.  I desire it more than money, fame, or power.  Help me to use biblical common sense and learn the ways of Jesus through the enablement of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Ephesians 4:1-6

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


             “I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:  one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (NAB).
             The whole unity thing is quite important to God.  It isn’t just an ancillary or side issue to the real work of the church and the Christian life; it is very much at the center of Christianity.  Christians have been fashioned through the Holy Spirit into a single harmonious religious community of redeemed people, called to exemplify a counter-cultural presence in the world.  There is a solid theological reason for this:  God is one.  Just as the triune God exists as one deity in three persons, so the church is to reflect God’s image through its unified oneness.
             Although unity has been accomplished through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, the practical implications must be daily worked out.  This is why we are to strive, or to put significant effort, into having unity.  Simply getting along but harboring animosity is not unity.  Because two people are not at each other’s throats does not mean there is peaceful unity.  Unity only occurs when the Body of Christ works together in its diverse gifts toward a common goal of knowing Christ and making him known.  
             Yesterday, I laid down the challenge of praying chapter one’s prayer daily for two weeks – doing it with another person in the church will bring about a common unity of purpose, mind, and heart.  If there is to be church revitalization, personal renewal, and national revival, it will begin in the prayer rooms of unified believers.
             Blessed Holy Trinity, the God whom I serve, may your church on earth be one as you are one.  I pray our unity of love and purpose will transform individuals, churches, organizations, systems, and the entire world for the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Ephesians 1:17-19

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            “I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit.  The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.  My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you.  Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.  I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers” (CEV).
 
            A few observations about this biblical prayer:  praying this makes every Christian a “Pentecostal” believer, whether you are in a Pentecostal denomination or not; and, God wants us to pray that his Holy Spirit will give us spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we will know his great power.  Out of all the things we might pray, we really ought not to fail in praying biblical prayers.  And this is a doozy of a prayer!
 
            Let me lay down a challenge to you:  pray this prayer every day for two weeks, beginning today.  Yes, every single day.  Maybe even multiple times in the day.  Pray it for yourself, your church, your family, your friends, and even for those who do not yet know that they need Jesus.  Pray this prayer for the Spirit and, after fourteen days (up to and including June 1) see if there is any change, any difference in your life, in your congregation, and in your relationships.  There is no need to keep bemoaning the state of religion and the lack of spirituality in this world when we have such a prayer as this to pray.  Let’s you and me have less complaining, more praying, please.
 

 

            Mighty God, give me your Spirit.  May the light of your gracious gospel flood my heart so that I will experientially know all of the blessings of Christ’s redemption and the incomparably great power available to me because of his finished work on the cross.  Amen.