Tag: character

Receive the Blessing (Genesis 48:8-19)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”

Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers,
    Abraham and Isaac, walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
    all my life to this day,
the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
    —may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”

When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” (New International Version)

Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Frederick Pickersgill (1820-1900)

Jacob (Israel) was on his deathbed. His son, Joseph, was in charge of all Egypt. Jacob had Joseph bring his two sons to him so that he could bless them. Joseph fully expected that his father would follow the convention of primogeniture, that is, the elder son receives a double inheritance. But that is not what happened. Jacob purposely went against normal convention.

It was not, however, against biblical convention. In the stories of Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, the rights of the first-born are superseded by the promises of the next-born.

Family rules, ethnic customs, and cultural procedures are fine. Yet, when those practices become inflexible laws which are never to be different, then we get into trouble. Joseph had an expectation of how the blessing of his sons was to go. Jacob had another idea about it.

“We’ve never done it that way before,” are the seven last words of any institution. Any group organized around that belief is doomed. If we cannot make a distinction between the letter and the spirit of a law, rule, or custom, then our inflexibility will eventually break us.

In the ancient world, and even in many cultures today, birth order determines how things go with families, societal rights, and personal obligations. The firstborn occupies an esteemed position. In Judaism, when the temple still stood, the first fruits and firstborn of animals were considered the best sacrifices.

By blessing the younger son, and going against expected convention, Jacob taught future generations a valuable lesson: A person’s actions and character matter more than birth order. What’s more, being blessed first or last or whenever is not what guarantees future success.

Jacob had firsthand knowledge and experience that life is unpredictable and requires faith in God. One’s life cannot be projected and determined along an upward linear trajectory. We cannot predict what will happen in our lives by laying things out with Cartesian coordinates. Ultimate control belongs to God, not us. And that’s a good thing, because the Lord is good, all the time.

Our Lord, everything you do
    is kind and thoughtful,
and you are near to everyone
    whose prayers are sincere.
You satisfy the desires
    of all your worshipers,
and you come to save them
    when they ask for help.
You take care of everyone
who loves you,
    but you destroy the wicked. (Psalm 145:17-20, CEV)

It’s best to trust in pure goodness than to rely upon human ingenuity. Abraham – who was not a firstborn son, but the youngest of three – received the call from God to receive blessing. Isaac inherited the birthright over his older half-brother Ishmael. Jacob himself received the birthright over his older twin brother Esau. And Joseph, next to the youngest in a long line of sons from Jacob, was the clear head of the clan.

In matters of human faith and divine promises, birth order and typical cultural mores don’t apply. More important is fidelity to God, concern for one’s fellow humanity, and upholding love for the family. And it is these very things that are important going forward. Inevitably, suffering comes. And when it does, birth order, primogeniture, and societal expectations aren’t going to get you through it.

It is likely that the main reason why some folks embrace the adage “we’ve never done it that way before” is because of fear. Doing the same thing over and over again, even if it isn’t helpful anymore or is useless in a particular situation, still feels normal and secure. Moving out in faith is scary; we don’t really know how things are going to shake out.

This is why our concept and understanding of God is so crucial. A good God acts on our best interests and does not act with malevolence toward us.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me;
    he freed me from all my fears.
The oppressed look to him and are glad;
    they will never be disappointed. (Psalm 34:4-5, GNT)

Only obeying the letter of the law leads to fear. Only acknowledging the spirit of the law results in bondage. Only by observing both the letter and the spirit of the law will we experience freedom from fear and deliverance from anxious striving for blessing.

Blessing is given freely by the God who delights in doing so. Let the Lord bless you in the ways God wants to do so.

May God have mercy on you, bless you, and show you kindness, today and every day. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit be with you, now and forever. Amen. 

Remember… (1 Thessalonians 2:9-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
St. Paul writing to the Thessalonians, by Jan Lievens, c.1629

Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. (New International Version)

The Christian believers in Thessalonica were becoming discouraged. The church sincerely believed that Jesus was coming soon… any day he could show up!

But as time went on, and Jesus was still nowhere to be seen…

the Thessalonians began losing their spiritual resolve…

started wondering if they had missed out on something…

began doubting if it was all real…

started slipping spiritually.

Missed expectations can be difficult to deal with. Maybe we have been praying for someone or something for so long that we wonder if it will really happen; or secretly question if something is wrong with us. Yet, maybe God simply wants us to wait… to be patient and to persevere… maybe the answer is closer than we think.

Since the church was becoming discouraged, the Apostle Paul reminisced with them. He wanted them to remember and not forget about what God had done in their lives. The Thessalonians desperately needed a faith for the long haul.

Remembering is a prominent theme in Scripture. Well over a hundred times we are told to remember:

  • God’s covenant and actions on behalf of people
  • Those less fortunate than us
  • Important people in our lives who influenced us in our journey of faith

In order to steel the church for a faith that lasts a lifetime, Paul reminded them of his own example, his own character, his ministry among them, and how they initially came to faith.

Remember my example among you

Paul was trying to inspire the believers with his own model of faithfulness, so that they would persevere in their Christian lives and not give up. He reminded them of his hard work in order to preach the gospel to them. The picture that Paul painted for them is having done whatever it took to make the good news of Jesus Christ known to the Thessalonians. 

Who were the people in your life that went out of their way to communicate the gospel to you both with words and with actions? 

Who were those persons who labored behind the scenes in prayer so that you and others would know Jesus? 

If any of those persons are still around, and you know where they are, remember them. Drop them a note. Express to them a simple thank you for their influence in your life. In doing so, you will not only encourage that person, but it will help you remember and re-engage with something in your life that you may have forgotten or taken for granted.

Remember my character with you

Paul was not shy about reminding the Thessalonians concerning the way in which he interacted with them. He did this not because he was trying to illicit some praise for himself, but because he wanted the church to emulate his character. 

That particular character is described as holy, righteous, and blameless. And we are to emulate Paul in these character qualities. These three words refer to the full range of relationships we encounter on a daily basis: with God, the church, and the community. 

Holiness in our relationship with God means that we have been set apart completely in Christ, so that we say and do nothing impure. 

Righteousness in our interactions with fellow believers in Jesus means we are in right relationship with them, so that there is nothing that hinders or stands between us. 

Blamelessness in our relations with the world means that the ways we live and work among outsiders are ethical and consistent with being a Christian.

Remember my ministry among you 

Paul described his ministry as one of encouraging, comforting, and urging the believers to live lives worthy of God. He expected the Thessalonians to live into their callings as believers in Jesus. 

Encouragement refers to the ministry of coming alongside others and telling them what they need to do both in teaching and by example. Comfort refers to consoling others with the gospel. The word “urge” in the NIV is the word for “witnessing” which is a reference to the reality that Paul was constantly living his life in such a way that proclaimed Jesus to others.

Remember what God has done for you 

The Thessalonians had received the Word of God; and this was an occasion to thank God for it. Each time we recall and remember what God has done for us through others and through God’s Word, we need to offer thanks. God’s Word is implanted within us, then takes root, grows, and produces a harvest of righteousness for those who have been disciplined by it.

We must remember those who brought us the Word of God; and to remember how they treated us, and what they did for us. Then, we must be obedient to what we learn. 

There are several needs we have as followers of Christ: 

  • intimate relationships in the church
  • to be mentored, and mentor others, in the faith
  • the power of God’s Word
  • our callings as Christians 

We forget these needs too easily – which is why repetition is a good thing. For example, each time we celebrate a baptism, it causes us to remember our own baptisms, and to live into our callings as Christians. Or when we move through the worship liturgy, we remember our sinfulness, God’s forgiveness, and our responsibility to live according to God’s Word. 

Our lives, our work, and our worship might seem plain and ordinary. However, the majority of life is lived in the mundane. The tangible reminders we can put in front of us are important, so that we never forget the spiritual experiences God has given us. (i.e. Deuteronomy 27:2-3)

We are meant to live our Christian lives in a vital connection with Christ and other believers. We will continue to persevere and thrive in the faith, when we remember those who have gone before us, and allow those here in the present to journey with us along this road of faith.

Blessed God, continue the good work begun in me; that increasing daily in wholeness and strength, I may rejoice in your goodness; and so order my life always to think and do that which pleases you, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

Be Real, Not Fake (Titus 1:5-16)

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

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 

Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true.

Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. (New International Version)

Everything in life needs some decency and order – including the church. The bulk of the Apostle Paul’s letter to Titus gives needed instructions about structuring the life of the church, along with some warnings about those who would attempt to disrupt that good order.

One of the most important aspects of church life and organization is to appoint competent persons with good character and sound doctrine to oversee and serve the congregation. The leaders of the church are to be mature, unselfish, concerned for the common good of all the parishioners, and able to handle Holy Scripture by strengthening the faithful and rebuking the faithless.

It takes solidly worthy leaders to counter people who are opposed to doing and believing things that are inconsistent with apostolic teaching. Paul had neither the tolerance nor the patience for rebellious folk who sought to deceive the faithful. So, he told Titus to silence, rebuke, and put a stop to such persons.

Orthodox icon of St. Titus the Apostle, the first Bishop of Crete

The rebellious persons, however, were not so easy to spot for many in the church – which is why Paul instructed Titus to deal with false teachers forcefully. They were not the real article, but came across as genuine.

Sometimes, you cannot tell a fake by the external appearance. In Christianity, and within the church, a person might give a good outward performance, but actually not be the real deal because they are full of bitterness and death on the inside with a heart far from God.

A sobering reality for devoted believers in God is that the church and Christianity can have people who are religious on the outside but not really Christ followers on the inside. Claiming to know God isn’t the same as actually knowing the Lord. It’s like putting perfume in a vase – it might smell like flowers but the flowers aren’t really there.  

The Apostle was pointed about how to handle those of the “circumcision group” because they were legalists who put heavy spiritual loads on people and were unwilling to help them carry those burdens. Paul, following the example of the Lord Jesus, was always laboring and challenging people into a genuine, real righteousness from the heart that would submit to God’s kingdom. 

And, much like Jesus before him, Paul kept having the Judaizers in the church undermining him, talking behind his back, and stirring up resentment against him. 

The rebellious people of the circumcision group were not helping believers know God better through active service, but only tried to talk a good line. Paul pointed them out to Titus because such persons were not strengthening the faith of others and enabling them to live a sound spiritual life.

The Judaizers did not practice what they preached – and even what they taught was neither gentle, nor had any grace. People need one another in the church to truly live for God; but if there are double standards, then heavy loads aren’t getting carried because some individuals think they are above helping, or think too little of themselves and believe God could not use them. 

In both cases the person declares, “Someone should do something!” Someone should give, someone should pray, someone should visit, someone should tell that person about Christ, someone should help. To which Paul (and Jesus) would say that someone is you.

We may believe we are genuine and think we are being helpful when we really are not. Whenever we plaster on fake smiles, only obey and serve when others are looking, and/or pretend like everything is just peachy keen when we are dying inside, then we are in the same category as the Judaizers. We have become in need of putting aside how we look to others and ask the God of grace to have mercy on us. 

It’s possible to be so obsessed about the right thing to say that we never say what is really on the inside because we think it isn’t spiritual enough and we fear looking bad. We then put up a spiritual façade, live into a false self, thereby and eventually becoming a false teacher.

The rebellious in the church are those who seek power, status, authority, and prestige. Respect and honor from others is everything to them, so they want the positions of prominence and insist on being recognized for whatever they say or do in the church.

But facades will not work for Christianity. The church is about integrity, mission, worship, and service – and not about acting with the spectator in mind, and seeking to elicit praise and respect from others. For such persons, it does not matter what’s on the inside as long as the outside looks good. 

Instead of being a liar (one whose outward actions and inner dispositions don’t match) and an evil brute (not acting with anyone else’s needs in mind or at heart) and a lazy glutton (always receiving but never giving) instead be a servant of others with a good character, a basic understanding of Holy Scripture, and a heart to know and love God. 

If there is a job that no one wants to do, I’ll do that job.

If there’s a lonely person, I’ll be with them.

If there’s a parking space up close, I’ll park in the back of the lot.

If there’s a need is someone’s life, I’ll meet that need.

If there’s a hardship someone has to endure, I’ll help carry that hardship.

If there’s a sacrifice to be made, I’ll make that sacrifice. Amen.

Imitate the Right Use of Power (1 Corinthians 4:14-20)

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

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (New International Version)

We need to talk about power.

And we need solid sacred examples of how to wield power rightly and justly.

Power is a lot like sex. Everyone wants it, but not everyone respects it and uses it well.

Humanity was created by God to exercise power. True human power has always been intended by our Creator as a means of giving love to others. Wherever you find love being extended by people in power to the powerless, there you will see that it works.

Yet, here’s the rub for many of us: This godly use of power may not (and likely will not) achieve instant results. That’s probably why we so often associate humanity’s possession of power with threats, bullying, and violence – because they usually work to get the immediate results of obtaining power and keeping others in subservience to that power.

The right use of power rarely gets rolled out smoothy without any wrinkles to it. Instead, wielding power through love makes its way by means of suffering. It comes from the humble servants like Mother Teresa, and from those who could throw their weight around, but instead choose to use their influence for self-giving love.

This sort of just and right authority is realized when we are aware of our own weaknesses and failures. Believing that “might=right” is merely a prescription for working out our own complexes on other people; it will only result in extending hate, not love, when others resist our authority.

The ones who hold true power are those who know they are unworthy of it, and incapable of using it without humility and divine help. Real power is like a shepherd looking after a flock of sheep – and not like pulling out a sword to kill the bad guys when they come to challenge authority.

Believers everywhere need awareness that the Christian message offers a profound reversal of what we think we know about power. All signs of real power lead us to the foot of the cross. National governments seems to think that power must be both achieved and sustained by the threat of violence. But the power of God’s kingdom is exercised through giving, serving, and loving.

And it is that sort of power which transforms the world in ways that probably won’t make headlines on the nightly news. The power of Christ is passed on throughout the generations of believers – learned by imitating people, like the Apostle Paul, who demonstrated humble service, instead of arrogant authority.

Faith is passed from person to person; and not just handed down from individuals reading their bibles in seclusion. Power and authority are given to those who are capable of handling it with justice and righteousness.

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

The Apostle Paul to his protégé Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2, NLT)

Christians learn from leaders how the faith is lived out, and how power is used, by imitating what they see and hear. Therefore, an important question is this: Who do I imitate?

“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.”

The Apostle Paul to the Philippian Church (Philippians 3:17, NLT)

Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. (Hebrews 6:11-12, NLT)

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. (Hebrews 13:7, NLT)

Those who hold authority and power in the Christian Church must exemplify a proven character of persevering love in the face of pain and suffering. Such persons, having shown humility through it all, are worthy to imitate.

This does not necessarily mean that we emulate those who eruditely speak the Word of God, have superior gifts and abilities, and enjoy success in ministry. It does mean that we ought to imitate, and have as mentors, those persons who imitate Christ and are not self-promoting peacocks who go after being admired and praised.

A cocky Christian leader who has not focused on suffering love, and who has not experienced the purgative fiery trials of this life, may easily become seduced by their own importance. However, leaders who have seen their share of hard circumstances, pain, and suffering, and have come through it loving God and serving others out of grace and humility, are leaders worth imitating. 

Character shapes power, and never the other way around.

God of unchangeable and unending power: Look with mercy on your Church everywhere, and carry out your good and loving purposes through us your people. We trust that your power and love will have it’s way in this old fallen world – and that your plan of salvation shall be carried out, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the strength of the Holy Spirit. Amen.