Tag: christian message

Speak the Good Word (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
St. Paul the Apostle, Unknown artist

I’m giving you this commission in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom. Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. 

There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered. They will turn their back on the truth and turn to myths. But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances. Endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the good news, and carry out your service fully. (Common English Bible)

This letter from the Apostle Paul to Pastor Timothy was the last writing he ever crafted. Soon after sending this, according to historical tradition, Paul was martyred for his faith in the city of Rome, having been imprisoned there for two years. The letter contains some final words the Apostle wanted his young protégé to know that were important to him.

Paul left Timothy with a sacred charge to proclaim the gracious message of God – no matter the time nor circumstance – with all the divine patience and spiritual exhortation that the Lord gives.

A Word of Christ

The simple commission of Paul was to preach the word, proclaim the message, spread the good news. Paul called on Timothy to speak the word that God has spoken – the word passed on to him, first through his devout mother, then from his mentor, and finally from all the apostles. It’s a unified message of sound teaching concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ – God-breathed and committed to all God’s people who respond to the message in faith.

The responsibility is to not only hear the message, obey it, and guard it’s truth; the charge is to speak, to lift one’s voice and proclaim the message with confidence and without fear – because it is always open season on the proclamation of the gospel.

I don’t know what sort of picture this evokes for you to “preach the word.” Maybe you envision a preacher behind a pulpit in a church; or a guy with a bullhorn on a street corner; or an obnoxious coworker who takes any opportunity to puke the gospel onto another person; or some other picture which may be foreign to you.

Paul preaches in Athens, Unknown artist, 19th century

Please let me assure you that the Apostle Paul was not talking about any of those sorts of scenarios. The image is one of letting out something which is already inside of you, burning to come out and be heard.

It is to be so full of the life of Christ, that the words which come out of you are filled with that very life – a message of grace, redemption, hope, forgiveness, and love. And communicated in a way that also reflects the person of Jesus – an affect, gestures, posture, and tone of voice that resonates with another and is winsome, not annoying.

A Relevant Word

The person who proclaims the message of Christ does so in order to convince, encourage, rebuke, inform, and love. The messenger tells what another needs to hear, and not necessarily what they want to hear. This is a word that speaks to anyone in any situation within any sort of context or culture.

To speak with relevance in no way waters down the message of Christ. Rather, it means that the speaker takes great pains to talk in such a way as to help another in their own circumstance. Utilizing the mind and emotions, as well as the spirit, the preacher presents ideas, ethics, and feelings in order to announce good news.

And we are to always be patient with others. One must never resort to pressurized sales tactics to force another into the kingdom of God. The Word of God is a gracious message that provides life; and is not a big thick Bible that is used to smack somebody upside the head with condemnation.

Our responsibility is to be faithful in handling the message and proclaiming it with mercy. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to woo people to Jesus and purify them.

Don’t throw all over somebody a bucket of judgment, as if you are acting for God. Impatience, impertinence, impoliteness, and being impetuous, all belong to the devil’s imps, and have nothing to do with announcing good news of great joy for all the people.

An Uncompromising Word

Timothy lived in a society that was difficult in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ. He lived in a city that had a grand temple to the goddess Artemis. He walked around seeing unethical practices and dubious living. Any of us would likely understand if Timothy shrunk back from having a bold proclamation of Christianity.

Paul speaking in the synagogue, a 12th century Byzantine mosaic

But the Apostle Paul was calling Timothy to preach good news without shrinking or shirking the message. One might be tempted to simply tell others what they’d like to hear and not stir the pot and cause any sort of conflict. Not everyone wants to hear the truth. For everyone who genuinely responds to a truthful and merciful message, there are four more persons who want none of it. They want what they want, and if someone says different, they’ll make their life hell.

These are the conspiracy theorists who would rather entertain spicy nuggets of opinion and speculation, than listen to evidence-based research and professionally peer reviewed material. They ground their ideas according to subjective taste and forsake objective documentation and witness.

Paul did not want Timothy coddling such persons or giving into them in any form whatsoever, because they have a severe hearing problem. People who won’t listen, constantly interrupt others, and believe they are always right, need a good dose of the uncompromising word of Christ.

In the face of those who refuse to listen and use their ears for good, Timothy was exhorted by Paul to be a steady teacher who keeps presenting the truth in intellectually and emotionally responsible ways. Timothy may have to endure suffering and put up with a bunch of simpletons giving him a hard time, but he was never to back down from sound and solid apostolic teaching.

It’s important that we all maintain a sense of emotional calm and intellectual soundness amidst all the crud within a given society. The believer is to avoid a discouragement that leads to abject silence.

Let us not be deterred from saying and doing what is right, just, and good. And let’s make sure that in the words we say and the behavior we display, there is the very life of Jesus Christ oozing out of us.

There are more than enough bad words being spoken every day; let’s instead speak the good word, full of grace and truth.

Soli Deo Gloria

Believing Hearts vs. Poisoned Minds (Acts 14:1-7)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
A Roman bridge between Iconium and Pisidian Antioch

The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. 

But the residents of the city were divided: some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region, and there they continued proclaiming the good news. (New Revised Standard Version)

The typical approach of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas was to enter a city and find the local Jewish synagogue. But their missionary efforts went well beyond attempting to reach fellow Jews; they also had the mind and heart to include non-Jewish persons, Gentiles, in the fledgling Church.

As a result of this apostolic ministry, a number of both Jews and Gentiles believed the message of God’s grace and became followers of Jesus. Thus, two ancient enemies came together to form one new society. Old animosities and prejudices came down. Jew and Gentile began worshiping together and embracing the words and ways of Jesus.

Yet, at the same time, there were also many Jews who refused to believe. Just as the new believers united together in faith, so the unbelievers banded together for a different purpose: to stir up the Gentiles by infecting their minds against this new union of people, centered around a common confession of Christ.

The unbelievers started a slander campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion amongst the people in the street. But the sinful propaganda didn’t deter the apostles from spending considerable time in the city of Iconium and speaking confidently about the good news of Jesus.

What’s more, the message was confirmed by a demonstration of spiritual power. Paul and Barnabas were enabled by God to do many miraculous wonders in the city. This helped the gospel and the authority of the apostles to be established with the people.

The dynamic of belief and unbelief, cut right down the middle of the city. The people became divided and polarized. Some sided with the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, persuaded by their arguments and convinced by their actions; and others sided with the unbelieving Jews, having listened to their slanderous accusations and looking at the apostles as a threat to their existing society.

The climate in the city of Iconium became ripe for violence. Relations between believers and unbelievers deteriorated into planning harm against the new Christians. Even the city officials were becoming sympathizers with the planners to rid the city of the apostles once and for all. In other words, for Paul and Barnabas to remain in the city meant that they would likely get stoned and left for dead.

So, the apostles got out of Dodge and went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe. At least they could keep proclaiming the good news of grace to other people and avoid getting killed.

This story gets at a practical reality for many people of faith: How do people maintain their religious convictions and commitments in an environment that views them as harmful to society?

To be sure, not every person of faith faces this. But others around the world face it every day. And then there are perhaps the majority of the faithful, who sometimes find themselves in places and positions in which slander is rife and verbal violence abounds. What is a person of faith to do?

Not every situation is the same, so each circumstance will take some wisdom in handling it. Nevertheless, the following are some aspects to consider in dealing with the unbelief of others and the harmful effects it can bring:

  1. Persevere in your spiritual confidence. Paul and Barnabas did not cower in fear, but kept up their missionary efforts. The words of gossip and attitudes of hostility around them didn’t slow them down one bit. In fact, in other situations, the apostles who actually experienced harm, chose to view it as a privilege to suffer in the same sort of way Jesus did.
  2. Know when to walk away. Boldness doesn’t necessarily mean that one throws caution to the wind and simply keeps going, no matter the consequences. Paul and Barnabas knew when to leave the city and go somewhere else. They realized the shelf life of their ministry in Iconium was at an end. Neither one of them bemoaned the situation, but instead, looked ahead to the opportunity of gospel proclamation in other cities.
  3. Trust God in all things. Whenever we are slandered, or others actually make plans of harm against us, our initial desire may be to get them before they get us; or to fight back using the same tools of violence that were done against us. Paul and Barnabas did no such thing. Believers have spiritual tools of use that unbelievers don’t possess. So, use them. Pray for those who mistreat you. And let God handle the judgment end of things.

If Christians keep focusing on the words and ways of Jesus, they will consistently practice humility, not pride; confession of faith, not calling out in anger; meekness, not aggressiveness; righteousness, not wrongdoing; mercy, not judgment; purity, not dirty politics; and peacemaking, not war-mongering.

May it be so, to the glory of God. Amen.

The Son (Hebrews 1:1-4)

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

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (New International Version)

For Christians everywhere, we are only a few days until the culmination of Advent season: observing, remembering, and celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christianity discerns that all of history hinges on it’s midpoint of the incarnation and birth, life and ministry, death and resurrection, and ascension and glorification of Jesus. Everything in the Bible looks to Christ.

The entire Old Testament Scriptures point forward to the time of Christ; the Gospels focus upon him; and all the rest of the New Testament points back to Jesus as the fulfillment of all God’s good promises to people.

Indeed, the Lord Jesus is central to everything in the Christian’s world and life view. Jesus Christ is the center of all Christian worship, Christian belief, Christian practice, Christian ethics, and the entirety of the Christian life.

The New Testament book of Hebrews has a lot to do with this approach to life. It’s overarching theme and focus is to point out and demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over everything and everyone in all of history.

And the reason the author of Hebrews takes pains to do this for a lengthy thirteen chapters, is that his recipients needed the reminder and the exhortation that their difficulties and hardships in living the Christian life is worth it. Jesus is worth completely centering our lives around because he is indeed the central figure of literally everything.

Historically, God spoke through many prophets. Yet, Jesus is the ultimate prophet, because he is not merely a servant of God; Christ is the very Son of God who is over all of God’s big world – and even participated in making the world.

Like Father, like Son. Jesus Christ exemplifies and shows us the very nature of God. He is the light of God’s glory, representing God in all his words and ways of being in the world.

What’s more, Jesus not only came to reveal God to us, but also to get involved in saving us from ourselves by actually becoming one of us. And after all his work was done, and his earthly life over, he sat down in his rightful place – showing us that it is finished, once and for all.

We need no longer try and purify or perfect ourselves, to try and fix all that we have messed up in this life, or to prop up our fragile egos to make it at least look like we have it all together. None of this is needed because the Lord Jesus Christ became our Savior, delivering us from a hole so deep that there was no way we could ever climb out of it on our own.

So, it is rather ironic that people (even and especially Christians) can let Jesus get pushed out of the Advent and Christmas seasons as less than superior to our worries about finances, discouragements about family, and wonderings about the future. Advent is intended to put our focus and our delight where it rightly belongs, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Embedded within the season of Advent are a message and a mission. The Gospel of John begins with the great proclamation that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. God enters into human history in the person of Jesus. It is a message of grace and hope, completely centering around Christ. 

It is also a story – the greatest ever told – of the Creator God loving the creatures so much as to become one of them. This redemption narrative gives shape to our own witness. We simply tell the story of God’s love to humanity through the sending of the Son, Jesus, to deliver us from sin, death, and hell and bring us into a kingdom full of grace, joy, wholeness, and love.

Some may believe that Jesus laid aside his glory in order to be among us. I disagree. I believe that coming to this earth was the logical and loving thing to do in order to show and live into the radiance of God’s glory.

The word “glory” in the Hebrew Scriptures literally means to be “heavy.” In other words, God carries a lot of weight, namely because God is able to do so. That is, God is glorious. To enter this world and bear the great burden of human suffering and sin is perhaps the most glorious thing that God could ever do.

So, when we talk of the glory of God in Jesus Christ, we are really talking about the ultimate burden bearer showing who God is really like. The God, who is Love, is the God of glory, and the two are actually both sides of the same coin.

Therefore, Christians, the little Christs who walk about this earth, show the light of the glory of God in Jesus Christ when they carry one another’s burdens:

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, NIV)

In a few days, gift giving and receiving will take place. And that is appropriate. What is also more than appropriate is to be able to relate to each other in such a way that we are showing the radiance of Jesus Christ in helping others carry their heavy emotional and/or spiritual loads.

As light comes into this world through the birth of the Son, so also let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) Amen.

Justice for All (Matthew 12:15-21)

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

When Jesus became aware of this [a plot to kill him] he departed. Many followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
    my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the gentiles.
He will not wrangle or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break a bruised reed
    or quench a smoldering wick
until he brings justice to victory.
    And in his name the gentiles will hope.” (New Revised Standard Version)

Saying the words, “I love you” is important. And it’s also significant how we say it. If our tone of voice is monotone and our affect flat, then the incongruence between the words and the manner in which they are said will leave our love unrequited. If, however, our tone is soothing and excited and our face beaming as if starstruck, then the love expressed will likely be received, and stick.

Christians have a message of love to the world. It’s a message of Jesus Christ and his love for humanity. Both the content of our message and the way we communicate it are vitally significant.

For if the words we don’t match our tone of voice and affect, then love is not what we convey. Yet, if we have been profoundly and meaningfully touched by the love of God in Christ, then that love will not be constrained; it shall find a way to express itself with appropriate mannerisms.

The way in which Christ proclaimed his message, testified that he was, indeed, the promised Savior and the rightful Ruler for God’s world.

The message of Jesus was proclaiming justice to the nations. The disciple Matthew used a quote from the prophet Isaiah to explain the reason why Jesus withdrew, and told people not to make him known. This was a curious act for a Messiah, to say the least. 

After all, we might believe Jesus should loudly proclaim who he is and what he is doing. Human ingenuity might say he ought to be advancing, not retreating – getting his name out with some notoriety in a slick marketing message so that people will come running into the kingdom of God! 

But Jesus goes a different direction. Matthew (quoting the prophet Isaiah) made it clear who Jesus is and what he is all about. Jesus is God’s servant. Jesus is God’s beloved Son with whom he is well-pleased. The Holy Spirit came on him in his baptism. Jesus became a teacher of justice to the nations, that is, to gentiles, to all kinds of people – even the ones we do not like. 

I personally find it strange that some Christian folk think justice is something which is not part of the Gospel, as if it were nice, but optional. They might believe it’s important to engage in some sort of social justice toward the downtrodden, but want to put it on a secondary shelf. Speaking the message is primary to them, as if we could or should separate the message from the messenger.

Yet, we can no more divide the good news of forgiveness in Christ from social justice any more than we can neatly separate the cross and resurrection. All of it is redeeming work; it all goes together.

In the kingdom of God, all things and all people are to be redeemed and come under the Lordship of Christ. And the practice of justice is central to making redemption a reality for humanity.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, NRSV)

Mercy and justice go together like corn on the cob and butter, and like pork ribs with barbeque sauce (I’m from Iowa, after all!). Kindness and mercy refers to God’s unconditional grace and compassion. Justice treats all people with equity, without any favoritism.

Biblical justice is not primarily punishment for wrongdoing; it gives people their rights – and this concept is overwhelmingly taught in Holy Scripture – over 200 times in the Old Testament alone. Jesus Christ’s back to the Bible movement rightly emphasized justice.

God loves and defends the weak, the poor, and the powerless:

He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
    The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The Lord loves the godly.
The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. (Psalm 146:7-9, NLT)

We, as God’s people, are to share the Lord’s passion for justice:

Speak out on behalf of the voiceless,
    and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. (Proverbs 31:8, CEB)

“Cursed is anyone who obstructs the legal rights of immigrants, orphans, or widows.” All the people will reply: “We agree!” (Deuteronomy 27:19, CEB)

Since believers are justified by faith in Christ, we bring justice to our communities, in both word and deed, by advocating for the least, the lost, the last, and anyone else without social or economic power in this world.

We are to use our voice for both us and for those who have no voice. The voice of justice is the voice of action.  To be concerned for the justice of God is to actively work for God’s rule and reign to enter every inch of this world, to penetrate every nook and cranny of our homes, neighborhoods, and schools. 

“If you are a Christian, and you refrain from committing adultery or using profanity or missing church, but you don’t do the hard work of thinking through how to do justice in every area of your life – you are failing to live justly and righteously” Tim Keller, Generous Justice

The Christian life is much more than avoiding sin; it’s about actively pursuing God’s will through words and acts of justice on behalf of the needy. Jesus came to this earth to proclaim justice, and, as his followers, he expects us to do it, too. For this to happen, we must overcome our prejudices toward anybody unlike us so that we will stand with the weak, the poor, the oppressed, the lowly, and the pained, all around us.

The probing question for all of us is: Am I able to see the image of God in someone different from me?

Jesus did. Christ will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice. That is, Jesus is gentle, humble, and meek. He did not look for dramatic confrontations with others, but instead went quietly about his Father’s business. 

Jesus was no bullhorn guy, loudly proclaiming his message on a street corner. Instead he interacted with and ministered to the lowliest people of society who had no power and nothing to give in return. Jesus did everything to connect with them, and not to avoid them.

Along the Jordan River in Israel, reeds grew by the millions, in Christ’s day. They had little value because there were so many of them. Reeds were used to make baskets, pens, flutes, and a variety of other things. A perfect reed is fragile, and a bruised one is useless. 

The reference that God’s servant will not break a bruised reed, means that Jesus will treat the weak with sensitivity. A smoldering wick is also not worth much; if it’s damaged, you just get another one. A contemporary example might be a paper clip; it’s not worth much to us, and a damaged one we simply discard and use another. 

The point is: Jesus handles hurting people with care. Society’s poor, disadvantaged, and struggling will not be callously overlooked and tossed aside by Jesus.

Jesus Christ discovered his own island of misfit toys. He then demonstrated to the world that are a needed part of society. Small wonder, then, that droves of the lowliest people throughout history have come to Jesus, placing their hope in him.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16, NIV)

Our help is in the name of Lord who made heaven and earth. May you find Christ, God’s servant, as your anchor and hope in the world. Amen.