The Hope of Eternal Life

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 21, 2022

The Hope of Eternal Life

The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:9 

Read: 1 Peter 1:1-9

I believe the epistle First Peter was written by the Apostle Peter from Rome in 67 AD, to the churches scattered throughout Asia. Peter encourages the people of God to stand firm in the faith, not because they will be punished if they don’t, but because of all that God has done for them, and will do for them when Christ returns.

There are two characteristics to this letter that give insight to the work of the first church. First, there was a consistent theme and form to the preaching in the early church. Peter’s words here are very similar to the record we have of his preaching in the Book of Acts. This message was so consistent in the early church it was given the name Kerygma. Essentially this form of preaching contained six points:

• 1-    The era of the New Covenant, foretold by the prophets, has dawned.
• 2-    This has taken place through the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• 3-    By virtue of the resurrection, Jesus has been exalted at the right hand of God as head of the church.
• 4-    The Holy Spirit in the church is the sign of Christ's present power and glory.
• 5-    The era of the New Covenant will reach its consummation in the return of Christ.
• 6-    An appeal is made for repentance with the offer of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.

In addition to consistency of preaching, there was also consistency of teaching in the first church. As an example, in our reading today, there are striking similarities to the teaching of Paul in the book of Ephesians.

1 Peter 1:3 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,”

 

Ephesians 1:3 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”

Peter is also consistent with James in noting how the trials and sufferings of life are used by God to refine and purify our faith. Paul also joined the chorus: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)

My Takeaway: As we continue our journey through the Season of Lent, I think it will be helpful to reflect on how consistent our life in Christ is with the six points of the Kerygma.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power of Prayer

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 18, 2022

The Power of Prayer

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

James 5:13

Read: James 5:13-20

James closes his letter with a discussion of prayer that continues the theme he began in chapter one: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” For instance, James encourages the sick to go to the elders for anointing with oil and prayer. In that culture, the people believed there was a direct connection between sin and sickness. Doctors and medicine were not readily available, if at all. Today, when we are sick, our options include going to the pharmacy, calling our doctor, or going to a clinic or ER. The difference between our culture and first century Jerusalem reminds me of something Mother Teresa said, “You will never know Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.”

God has blessed us to live in an age where we have many healthcare options, and we should use these. However, we also need to remember that God is the author of our life, and it is good to go to God in prayer in all our circumstances. Anointing and praying for the sick is an expression of the truth that our lives belong to God. By creation and redemption our lives belong to God.

James is very consistent with Paul in affirming that our life in Christ will overflow with joy and singing and prayer. These three are like a doctor taking our blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. When these measurements are abnormal, we are sick. So also, when there is an absence of joy, singing and prayer in our lives, we are spiritually sick.

To see how singing, joy and praise were an integral part of the life in Christ in the first century look up: 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26; Romans 15:9; Ephesians 5:19; and Colossians 3:16.

The news media reports a steady flow of stories of war, inflation, crime, and discord. It is easy for the reality of the world today to drift into the consciousness of the Christian and the Christian Church. We want our churches to stand against the world culture, but we also want our churches to be a safe place for our spiritual wellbeing. Let me reach back to a portion of yesterday’s reading to close these meditations on the Book of James.

My Takeaway: “. . . as you wait for the Lord’s return.” In reading this, I am reminded of a portion of the Eucharist liturgy: “When we receive, by faith, the bread and cup, we experience anew the presence of the Lord Christ Jesus in our lives as we look forward to him coming again in Final Victory.” Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Patience and Endurance

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 17, 2022

Patience and Endurance

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return.

James 5:7a

Read: James 5: 7-12

Patience was centrally important to the early Christians. They talked about patience and wrote about it.  Christian writers called patience the “highest virtue,” “the greatest of all virtues,” the virtue that was “peculiarly Christian.” They concluded that they, trusting in God, should be patient—not controlling events, not anxious or in a hurry, and never using force to achieve their ends.

Our Christian ancestors believed patience brought to Christians the life of the Beatitudes and the life of love that Paul celebrates in 1 Corinthians 13. How? Because patience is rooted in God’s character; God is patient, is working inexorably across the centuries to accomplish his mission, and in the fullness of time has disclosed himself in Jesus Christ.

The heart of patience is revealed in the incarnation of Jesus Christ; Jesus’s life and teaching demonstrate what patience means and beckon those who follow him to a patient lifestyle that participates in God’s mission. Patience is not in human control; people who live a patient lifestyle trust God and do not try to manipulate outcomes; they live incautiously, riskily. Patience is not in a hurry; patient Christians live at the pace given by God, accepting incompleteness and waiting.

My Takeaway: Patience is hopeful; it entrusts the future confidently to God.

(The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Alan Kreider, Baker Academic, March 29, 2016) 

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Warning to the Rich

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 16, 2022

Warning to the Rich

For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

James 5:4

Read: James 5:1-6

Did you watch the Olympics this year? I didn’t. My personal boycott wasn’t noticed in China or in the executive suites of the television networks. But it was something I could do as my protest of the genocide by the CCP. Remember the sins of omission from yesterday?

Today’s passage affirms that the cries of the oppressed reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Have the cries of the oppressed in our own cities reached our ears? When is the last time we heard our religious leaders speak out against oppression and mistreatment of workers? When is the last time our religious leaders have spoken out against political leaders whose policies have contributed to the homelessness crisis across our country? When is the last time our religious leaders have spoken out against the political leaders whose policies have made it dangerous to walk in so many neighborhoods, and to take public transportation in so many of our cities?

My Takeaway: I am responding to today’s passage by praying for God’s guidance for one thing I can do, or change how I am doing, or stop doing that will align me with the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and those who are being oppressed.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

If The Lord Wishes

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 15, 2022

If The Lord Wishes

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:15 (NRSV)

Read: James 4:11-17

On February 23, I shared the prayer of Adoration that includes the line, “I am not my own, I am Thine. By creation and redemption I am Thine.” In today’s passage, James illustrates an application of this prayer.

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (v.13-15)

This is much more than semantics. Verse 15 is an acknowledgement that our lives belong to God and thus we seek God’s wisdom and leading in all that we do. The Apostle Paul also warned about the dangers of being corrupted by the world and in the importance of leaning into God’s will for us.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

My Takeaway: James continues to give us appropriate Lenten messages when he admonishes us, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (v.17) I suspect our sins of omission may well exceed our sins of commission.  

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Divided Loyalty

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 14, 2022

Divided Loyalty

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

James 4:8

Read: James 4:1-10

Last Thursday, reflecting on James’ discussion of the evil within our tongue, I noted James wanted the church to recognize the dichotomy that is the reality of our life. Today’s passage expounds on that dichotomy.

·         The quarrels and fights among you come from the evil desires at war within you.

·         You want what you don’t have

·         You are jealous of what others have

·         You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it

·         When you do ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

But James doesn’t leave us hanging, he reminds us our hope is in God’s faithfulness: “God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously.” (v.5-6) Because of God’s generous grace, we can humble ourselves before God, resist the devil, and he will flee from us. We can come close to God, and God will come close to us! (v.7-8)

Today’s passage ends with a truly Lenten theme: “Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.” (v.9)

My Takeaway: There is also a hopeful, Easter resurrection ending today: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” (v.10) Yes, God gives grace generously!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

True Wisdom

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 11, 2022

True Wisdom

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:13

Read: James 3:13-18 

They say great minds think alike. That was certainly true of Paul and James. I made a list of the attributes of Godly wisdom James identifies in verses 17-18. Then I compared it to Paul’s list of the attributes of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Because of this, I find it helpful to sometimes substitute the word love for wisdom. There are times when I am not sure how to respond to someone and I pray for wisdom. I believe knowing that God’s wisdom and love are interwoven helps me be more discerning of God’s leading.

As I read these verses, I remember hearing that when people are trained how to identify counterfeit currency, instead of learning about all the different ways the currency can be copied or altered, the student spends their time learning about the genuine currency. The student becomes so familiar with the genuine article they can easily identify a counterfeit.

Both Paul and James have identified things Christians are not supposed to do. But both Paul and James emphasize even more the characteristics of the life in Christ. Can it be that when we are completely immersed in Christ’ life we can easily identify the counterfeit life offered by the evil one?

My Takeaway: Counting calories is the best way to achieve an appropriate body weight. Just as we should have an awareness of what foods we are taking in, and their calories, it is also essential for us to be aware of the ways of the world (see v.15-16). How many calories of the world’s culture we are ingesting as compared to the Godly calories found in the means of grace? The Godly calories will lead us to be peacemakers who plant seeds of peace and who reap a harvest of righteousness. (v.18)

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.