Tag: belonging

Jesus Prays For Us (John 17:6-19)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Word of Life, by Millard Sheets

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

“Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 

But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. (New Revised Standard Version)

It seems to me only fitting that Jesus concluded his time with the disciples in the Upper Room before his betrayal, crucifixion, and death with prayer. It also seems to me that if you really want to know the heart of a person, listen to them pray.

The prayer of Jesus was thoroughly oriented toward the spiritual needs of his followers – even potential believers who will follow him in the future. And it was a prayer completely devoted toward honoring the heavenly Father through praying consistent with God’s will for this world.

Without the physical presence of Jesus – which would soon be gone – his followers would have to rely on prayer. And Christ was intent on instilling within his disciples the confidence and hope they needed for a solid life of prayer.

For post-resurrection Christians living in an ever-expanding world of oppression, greed, and indifference, we can be encouraged not to settle into despair or loneliness. Why? Because believers can have a solid hope and an abiding trust in the continuing presence of Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit.

God Gives

God gives. Jesus gives. Both the Father and the Son are givers. This is a major reason and motivation for prayer because God is not a reluctant giver. In the act of giving, the Father and the Son are fully on the same page; God is ready and willing to give. The Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – are in complete unity, and act as One, in giving to us what we need.

“Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14, NRSV)

“Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27, NRSV)

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28, NRSV)

We Belong

Through giving we are included. Believers and followers of Jesus – having been given the grace of faith – know that they belong to God. Christians are in union with Christ. The redemption which Jesus has secured is a million billion times stronger, and bonds us closer, than any sort of Gorilla glue. And, what’s more, once we belong, we are never forgotten, but always remembered by God.

“The Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:15-16, NRSV)

Christ the King, statue in Swiebodzin, Poland

The Name of Jesus

Because we belong, we know God’s name. The divine name stands for all that God is and all that God has done. It’s all focused in Christ. In the name of Jesus, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have everlasting life, spiritual power, and eternal security.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31, NRSV)

We Have the Word

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus has given to his disciples only those words which he first received from the Father. Those who accept the enfleshed Word and his words have been given power to become God’s children (John 1:12). Because believers belong to God, they know the truth and that truth has set them free.

It is the Christian’s mission to live into the words and ways of Jesus, to follow Christ in thought, word, and deed. The very glory of Jesus in his cross and resurrection is focused within the believing community, who is in union with Christ and belongs to God.

In his prayer, Jesus claimed an intimate oneness in the sharing of concern for people who are the objects of the Father’s gracious giving of love through the Son. All who belong to Christ belong to God, and vice versa. All the love that went into the cross was poured out upon us.

Those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ are the very glory of Jesus, and thus, the glory of God.

Sent Into the World

Because of the Father’s name—because of who the Father is and what the Father has given in love to the Son—we are set apart for truth; the words of God are truth.

Since we belong to God and bear the name of Christ, we don’t belong to the world’s systems of guilt, shame, injustice, and evil. And yet, we are separated from the world for precisely the reason of immersing ourselves in the world. In other words, Christianity is meant for the life of the world, and not as a religion that’s only concerned for itself.

To reach the world, we must be different from it. To reach the world, we need to have boots-on-the-ground in it. To reach the world, Christians are to be both far from the world, and near to the world.

As the Father sent the Son, so the Son sends us into the world – not to be like the world, but to embody the words and ways of Jesus to and for the world.

Just as the world rejected Jesus in his suffering and death, so the world, too, will reject his followers. Which means we will need to pray, a lot! And there is no better scriptural prayer to emulate than the very words of the Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us.

Holy Father, guard our hearts and minds in Jesus, as we pursue this Christian life which you gave as a gift through Christ, so that we can be united, just as the Father and the Son are one. Although we long for heaven, don’t take us out of the world until we have fulfilled our sacred mission to carry the words and ways of our Lord to the world. Make us holy, and give us everything we need for life in this present evil age; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

“I Choose You!” (Ephesians 1:3-6)

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

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. (New English Translation)

There is perhaps no greater sense of worth, security, and love, than stating with sincerity and conviction to another, “I choose you!”

That is exactly what God has done for us. In fact, the Lord chose us and included us before we were even born into this world. Our identity is secure in belonging to God because it isn’t based in any of the screw-ups I did yesterday or the bad decisions I made years ago. Christian identity is based solely and completely by the choice and action of God, in Christ, through the Spirit.

People tend to live up to how they view themselves, to how they self-identify. So, it is critical to our well-being how we truly understand self, others, and God.

If we see ourselves as never getting ahead and needing to lie, cheat, and steal to obtain anything in this life, then we will view ourselves as common thieves.

If we think the only way to have love and security in this life is to hustle for it – to make ourselves as presentable as we possibly can, then we will view ourselves as basically unlovely and search for love in all the wrong places by trying to keep up appearances.

If we look at ourselves as stupid, then we will tend to make poor decisions even when it’s in our ability to make good choices because we see ourselves as unable to compete with those smarter than us. 

The common theme in all these scenarios are people living apart from God. Without the Lord Jesus, we are like lost street children trying to survive from day to day. What we need, what we search for and long for, is to have a good, blessed life in a loving home, a place to belong in a world of disconnection.

To be “blessed,” to have “blessing” in the Holy Scriptures, is to have God’s stamp of approval on your life. It is to know, experience, and feel Divine favor resting upon you.

The picture being painted at the very beginning of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is of wayward children roaming the streets as orphans. The Ephesians were ensconced in their idol worship of Artemis, the fertility cult goddess. They were going about life without a whim about the true and living God.

Out of sheer grace, God plucked them from their worthless condition and adopted them. God placed blessing upon them because of love and gave them a reason to rejoice and praise.

What’s more, the Ephesians were chosen and predestined for holiness and purity. God set them apart for divine blessing. It’s as if God brought them into the kingly palace, provided lavishly for them, and let them have the run of the place. They get to enjoy every privilege that comes with being children of the king.

The focus and orientation of today’s New Testament lesson is about how tremendously special the believer in Jesus really is. And it has nothing to do with how presentable we are to a holy God. Instead, out of the vast storehouse of blessed grace, God chose and adopted. The Lord looked upon you and me with googly divine eyes and said, “I choose you!”

God chooses from a place of divine pleasure. Yes, that’s right. God chooses, predestines, and adopts with a willing heart because it brings great pleasure and divine joy to do so!

There was no arm-twisting from the Father to the Son in securing redemption for lost humanity. And there was no persuasion necessary for the Father and Son to send the Spirit for our ongoing benefit and help in this life. Each redemptive event of Jesus was done out of the grace and love of God in Christ through the Spirit.

Do you see how God views you? Do you know how special you truly are?  Have you an understanding of the incredible position and majesty you have as a human being in God’s image and likeness?

As a child of the king, you live up to the position you know you possess. Freedom from worry and anxiety don’t come from willpower, but from an understanding that God owns all things, and we will never be in need. 

Deliverance from the power of darkness doesn’t come by trying to do better; it comes through the knowledge that God has redeemed us and chosen us to live in the gracious realm of divine love forever. There is no need to hustle for love with God because you and I already have it.

The believer has every spiritual blessing in Christ. God has your back. We belong to God. And to belong to Jesus Christ is to be blessed. It makes all the difference in the world. It is our reason for gratitude and praise, and for settled peace and glorious rest.

Gracious God, your loving activity has snatched me from the barren streets of sin and brought me into a realm of incredible blessing. Thank you for blessing me and giving me a place to belong forever; through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit reign forever and ever in a celebration of redeeming love.  Amen.

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.

What Do You Long For?

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Pastor Tim's PonderingsLeave a comment

Indeed, what do you long for? Before anything ever came into being, it was dreamed for. Everything that exists, had a beginning in the possibility of longing for it. I think it is inappropriate for me to ask you such a question, without first telling you what it is I long for. And there are so many things that I long for! Yet, I offer just a few of them…

I am a hospital chaplain. I dream of a healthcare system that values its caregivers so much that it does away with hierarchical organization. I imagine and visualize such a system taking psychological safety as seriously as physical safety. I long for healthcare administrations to establish the individual employee’s care – not in cheap talk of self-care – but in actual establishing of policy and procedure to ensure that care is realized.

For only in the consummate care of the caregiver, can care seekers receive what they truly need.

Such caregiver care toward the care seeker will translate into taking all the time needed to listen to the patient, practicing patience themselves in seeking to truly understand. With the caring caregiver full of attentive love, they can and will step back in thoughtful reflection for a gracious and effective care plan for the patient.

And, what’s more, they will follow up with equal motivation and attention in order to provide skillful love, precisely where it is needed and wanted. For all caregivers shall know that a “bedside manner” is not optional, but is as important to healing as the actual care plan which is on paper.

I am a church pastor. I dream of good and effective change and reformation for the Body of Christ, as well as all faith communities everywhere. I imagine churches and church leaders who bathe all things in prayerful conversation with God and others. I long for a church that truly cares for those struggling to make sense of faith, and gives ample and adequate space for faith seekers to express their doubts, feelings, and questions in a safe and supportive environment.

Such pastors, elders, deacons, and denominational leaders will give scant attention to the more secular matters of building needs, budget finances, and butts in the pew (which, of course, often emit the most foul odor, because they originate in the person who is a tedious fart). They will have the sweet smelling incense of mentoring others in the faith, attending to the needs of the community at large, and lifting up emotional and mental needs with equal passion alongside the physical and spiritual needs of people.

For only in the consummate care of the pastors and leaders, attending to their foundational needs of bodily care and exercise, mental and emotional health, and spiritual disciplines, can parishioners receive the holistic care they truly need in order to grow and mature in faith.

Oh, how I dream, imagine, and long for a world that exalts the holistic person – body, mind, feelings, and soul – so that everyone in everyplace on the earth realizes their God-given potential as people gifted to serve the holistic well-being of others.

All of us are but temporary sojourners on this earth. And this world which we inhabit is fundamentally broken. Let us long for better days, imagine those days in our mind’s eye, and dream into existence that which originally had its origin in the heart of God.

Longing is only realized through belonging. If we remain emotionally lonely, bodily disconnected, mentally rootless, and spiritually adrift, we’ll never know the confident hope of belonging to God and community. Until we participate with ancient and universal rhythms of being in this world together, we will continue to experience the things which are nightmares to us.

So, what do you long for? It really is neither an esoteric nor impractical question. It is the vital question of our time.