Tag: lent

John 12:36-43

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
             The season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, and of repentance from sin.  It is a time to consider our ways and the state of our hearts and find that only the grace of God in Christ can heal all wounds.  Today’s Gospel lesson gives perhaps the most succinct and convicting statement about the dark places of our lives.  Many of the religious authorities actually believed in Jesus, but they did not speak of it because they were afraid of being put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees.  “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
             The word “glory” has its roots in the Old Testament, and has the meaning of being weighty or heavy.  In other words, we might picture God descending to earth among humankind in all his weightiness.  If we were back in the ‘70s we could say, “heavy, man, heavy!”  Glory is really a reference to God’s presence among us.  So, if we plug this thought into the religious authorities, we see that they preferred the presence and accolades of their peers to God.
             It is easy to be hard on the religious rulers in the New Testament, but this is Lent, and, so, we must shine the light of Scripture upon ourselves.  Perhaps the burning question for all believers at this time of year is:  Do I seek the presence of God more than the presence of anything or anyone else?  
             In my church the first few rows on Sunday morning are always empty.  It bugs me.  I don’t like it.  There are times when I am more concerned about the presence of people than the presence of God in a worship service.  Maybe you live in fear at work and are more concerned about the presence of people around you than the presence of God, so you keep quiet about your beliefs.
             Lent is not just about identifying sin; it is about receiving grace.  So, let us find that the cleansing work of the Spirit through the work of Jesus is active through our confession of sin.  And let us pursue the glory of God in all we do and say as grace permeates deep in our souls.
             Glorious God, your presence is awesome and appreciated.  Fill me so with your presence that your glory comes shining out of me in all I do and say, through Jesus Christ my Savior, and Lord.  Amen.

Matthew 4:1-11

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Let’s think about the season of Lent for a moment.  It is not a time for unhealthy introspection that seeks to rally all our willpower in order to have success over temptation and sin, thus proving how either strong or weak we are.  Lent is, however, an opportunity to give a forty day focus to the truth that overcoming temptation and achieving victory does not come from within, but only through Jesus.  In other words, no one can earn a right standing or even right feelings or right behavior – I must have the grace of Christ’s cross.
 
            Satan’s sly temptations were, at their core, attempts to try and get Jesus to circumvent the cross.  Satan wanted to see Jesus bring in God’s kingdom by another means, thereby destroying the kingdom all together.  An appeal to miracles for personal gain; popularity; accolades and recognition; proper branding of the Jesus phenomena; and, of course, avoiding the suffering of the cross completely were all ways of subtly trying to get Jesus to veer off the path toward the cross.
 
            We all desperately need to rely solely, completely, and totally on the grace of God in Christ through the cross.  Any attempts to seek holiness in our own ability to perform will only result in shame for not measuring up.  The greatest temptation of all is the belief that the cross is not enough; I must myself supplement the work of Christ with my own effort, ability, and willpower.  The true work of Lent is having all that useless striving broken down and done away with, so that the cleansing and healing of the cross will do the real work.  We are, then, set up for the pinnacle of Easter and new life.
            Gracious God, thank you for sending you Son, the Lord Jesus, to endure the cross.  I choose today to get off the performance treadmill and receive your grace as my only sure hope and salvation.  Amen.

Getting Rid of Gossip

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
            Taking stock of our lives and how we live day in and day out is especially pertinent during Lent.  Our speech and how we use our tongues is of utmost importance to God.  So, having a heightened realization of the words that come out of our mouths might just be the best place to begin in living the repentant life of Lent. 
 
One of the leading temptations of people (in both the church and the world) is gossip.
 
            Scripture speaks with clarity on the subject of gossip.  Gossip is included on lists of evil behavior (Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20).  It is to speak against another person behind their back, without their knowledge.  The New Testament word for gossip can literally be translated as “whisperings.”  In other words, anything that needs to be whispered and not said out loud is likely to be something that should be kept to oneself.  The Apostle James was straightforward in exhorting the church that “with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:9-10).
 
In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, which is the place to find short pithy statements of experiential truth, we see the damage and destruction that our tongues can wreak through gossip.  Here are just a few:  “A gossip betrays a confidence….”  “…a gossip separates close friends.”  True repentance does not only identify and confess wrong speech, but adopts new patterns of speaking that kills gossip. 
 
To avoid gossip we must:  be trustworthy by being people who keep confidences (Proverbs 11:13); and, steer clear of people who talk too much (Proverbs 20:19).
 
We even get a glimpse in Scripture of why a gossip uses his/her tongue in such a way.  The Apostle John found it difficult to minister in certain places because of Diotrephes’ wagging tongue.  He maliciously gossiped about John because Diotrephes loved to be first (3 John 9-10).  Indeed, much gossip comes from a feeling of superiority or power over another.  Gossip inevitably, as in the case of Diotrephes, leads to a lack of hospitality and imitating evil behavior instead of loving words and actions.
 
We often grossly underestimate our ability to say unkind words of gossip to others. 
 
If a person cannot go twenty-four hours without drinking liquor, we would say that person is addicted to alcohol.  Likewise, if one cannot go twenty-four hours without saying unkind words about others, then that person has lost control over the tongue and repentance is in order.  There is absolutely no place for backbiting in the church; it is the one institution on earth that ought to be a gossip-free zone. 
 
What destroys churches is not lack of members or funds, or government oppression or anything else; what kills congregations is gossip.
 
The way to overcome gossip is to talk with the person who slighted you, ignored you, or hurt you.  There cannot be a healthy culture of encouragement, help, and forgiveness unless there is an equal commitment to avoiding gossip through speaking to the one who caused damage.  Such persons are called peacemakers by Jesus.  Listening to gossip is like eating a wormy rotten apple; it will always leave a bad taste.  But having an environment free of gossip brings a feeling of health right down to the bones. 
 
For gossip to dry up in the church there must be a shared value and commitment to do away with it.
 

 

Yes, Lent is a season of repentance.  It is a time to realize sin and turn from it through embracing godly words and actions.  If there is to be the joy of Easter and new life, there must be the hard work of repentance during Lent.  There are no shortcuts.  

Daniel 9:1-14

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
          There is no evidence in Scripture that the prophet Daniel was anything but godly.  He was a wise man with a high level of integrity and spiritual acumen.  Yet, when he prayed he identified himself fully with his people and their sins.  Daniel was not one to exult in his own private faith while railing against the sins of others.  Instead, when sin abounded he practiced lament.  When Judah landed in exile Daniel did not complain about getting a bum rap from God because he himself was not like the others.  Daniel did not try and claim the moral high ground and distance himself from his fellow Jews.  Notice how Daniel’s prayer of confession is a very “we” thing:
“We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.  We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name….  To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you….  All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice.”
             At the beginning of this season of Lent, let us as God’s people realize our mortality, our dependence upon God, our sinfulness, and our desperation for the Lord.  Let us lay aside all pretensions to godliness and confess our sins together.  Grace can only really be received by being profoundly in touch with our private and corporate complicity in the sins and abuses of the world.
             Gracious God, hear our prayer.  We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed in those things we have done and the things we have left undone.  Yet, your mercy is eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.  Amen.