Your Kingdom Come

February 23, 2015

Your Kingdom Come

                   

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10 NIV

Maran Atha is an Aramaic phrase that is most often transliterated as Maranatha.  The Apostle Paul uses this phrase in 1 Corinthians 16:22 and it is also used in the Didache, which is a collection of some of the earliest Christian writings. The phrase is translated, “Our Lord, Come’ and was used in the earliest Christian worship services. It relates to the line in The Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom Come.” The phrase summed up the hope of the church, and by using the Aramaic it was a means to bind all of the churches together in unity, regardless of where they were or their native language.

For the followers of Jesus, there are two applications of Maranatha. First, Maranatha is an affirmation that the Kingdom of God has come into the life of the Christian. When we made our confession of faith, the Holy Spirit baptized us into the life of Christ. Now we are a new creation in Christ; “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new life is the Kingdom of God on earth. Therefore, part of this prayer is our affirmation that God’s will is reflected in His new creation: “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).

The second application of Maranatha applies to our understanding of God’s hope for the world and our role in bringing God’s hope into reality: “And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:18b-20).

The mission of every Christian is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. One of the most important ways we transform the world is building for societies that reflect the heart of God. What is the heart of God? God’s heart is for the poor and the orphan; the oppressed and the destitute; and the poor and helpless. We are commissioned by God as Christ’s ambassadors for such as these.

In the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed God’s Kingdom is for those who are poor and realize their need for him, those who mourn, those who are humble, those who hunger and thirst for justice, those who are merciful, those whose hearts are pure, those who work for peace, and those who are persecuted for doing right. The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3-10) Every time we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are affirming God’s Kingdom within us and our willingness to be Christ’s ambassadors for the building of God’s Kingdom on earth.

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ  is available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Our Father in Heaven

February 20, 2015

Our Father in Heaven

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name . . .”

Matthew 6:9 NIV

As we have entered the season of Lent, the next six meditations will be on the Lord’s Prayer. I suspect the vast majority of Christian congregations include the Lord’s Prayer in their worship services each week. This is a good thing, but we want to be careful that the frequent use of this prayer does not diminish its power. When the words of this prayer become so familiar we can say them without thinking, we miss an opportunity to draw close to the heart of God. Because the words of this prayer are some of the most radical words spoken by Jesus, in this and the following five meditations, I want us to plumb the depths of this amazing gift Jesus has given to us.

Jesus began with what must have seemed as contradictory statements to his first disciples. His first sentence affirmed the holiness of God’s name. This is something his disciples could appreciate because the Hebrews so revered God they would not speak or write God’s name. When writing God’s name, they used four consonants, YHWH, which is rendered LORD in English translations of the Old Testament. Over time other people inserted vowels so as to render the name of God, YAHWEH. This word was later transliterated into Jehovah. So the disciples would have expected Jesus to affirm the holiness of God’s name, even though they never wrote or spoke His name. But then Jesus astonishes the disciples by referring to God as “our Father.” Jesus personalized God, from being a distant power to a close, loving parent. It is one thing to believe in the God who created heaven and earth, it is another to believe that this God is your Heavenly Father who you trust with the care of your life. Jesus was calling his disciples to follow him into a close, personal, trusting relationship with their Heavenly Father, a relationship that would shape and transform every aspect of their lives.

The psalmist looked into the night sky and saw the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars that God set in place. The psalmist then asked, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4). Jesus answers the question for the psalmist and for you and me. Humans are loved and adored by the God who hung the moon and the stars. The desire of God’s heart is that we would know Him as our Father in heaven. The greatest affirmation of the holiness of God’s name is when His children call Him, Father.

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ  is available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

I Will Come and Get You

February 19, 2015

I Will Come and Get You

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

John 11:25

I am iced-in this morning. A few inches of snow yesterday was followed by hours of freezing rain resulting in a three-inch layer of solid ice on our driveway and the roads in our neighborhood. The upside is that it was crisp and refreshing this morning when we put ice cleats on our duck shoes to take the dogs for their morning walk. They did a fair amount of slipping and sliding, but we were OK. The downside is that we may be iced-in for a few more days; but that is OK because we have all we need.

As I look out at the beauty and serenity of snowed-covered streets and houses, I keep thinking back to the image of twenty-one brothers in Christ, clad in orange jump suits, kneeling in front of their executioners. Someone reported their last words were, “Help us, Jesus!” I suspect their murderers laughed as no help intervened and stopped the brutal martyrdom of those saints of God. The terrorists don’t grasp the truth of all truths. Jesus didn’t say we wouldn’t die. He said “Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

So far in my life I have never run out of options. No matter the crisis, I have always had resources, either mine, or of others willing to share, to enable me to deal with the crisis. Oh yes, I have been battered and bruised by life; my life certainly hasn’t been a bed of roses. But I have never been without hope. However, my help has always been in me, or in my family and friends. Be it a blessing or a curse, I have never been without an option. Both Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Teresa have been quoted as saying, “You will never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” Our brothers on a beach in Libya came to the place where Jesus was all they had, and they asked him for help.

What their murderers couldn’t see was the faith of these martyrs becoming sight as Jesus fulfilled his promise to “come and get (them), so that (they) will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3).

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ  is available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

The Wisdom of Accepted Tenderness

February 18, 2015

The Wisdom of Accepted Tenderness

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Brennan Manning paraphrased the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 and wrote, “Come on, all you who are wiped out, confused, bewildered, lost, beat up, scarred, scared, threatened, depressed and I’ll enlighten your mind with wisdom and fill your heart with tenderness that I have received from my Father.”   Forgiveness has already been granted to the sinner, and all the sinner needs is wisdom to accept their forgiveness and repent, and, God provides that wisdom through His prevenient grace. Then the sinner gets to live confidently in the wisdom of accepted tenderness.

This is the manifestation of the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness is living in the Kingdom of Heaven.

This is a truth that takes some time to process and internalize so that it takes root in your life. When it does, it becomes a part of the truth that sets you free.

At the heart of accepted tenderness is God’s unconditional pardon of sinners. Everything in our culture drives us to condition God’s pardon on our behavior. Some people believe God pardons us because we repent and seek forgiveness, as if our contrition justifies God’s pardon. Nope. Our pardon was secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus, which occurred while we were still sinners. Repentance is to change one's way of life and comes after the sinner accepts God’s pardon, God’s tenderness, which has already been extended.

The unconditional nature of God’s grace, love, forgiveness and pardon is unfathomable to our minds which are so entrenched in the Western Civilization culture of performance-based-acceptance. It may be helpful to spend time meditating on the woman in John 8, the return of the prodigal in Luke 15, and the last-to-arrive laborers in Matthew 20. After pondering these passages, ask yourself, “What did the woman do to justify Jesus’ words of, “Neither do I condemn you”; what did the son do to justify his father’s extravagant welcome home; and what did the last-to-arrive laborer do to justify receiving a full day’s wages?

One day I heard God’s Spirit speak to my spirit, “You are my beloved son, with whom I am delighted and upon whom my favor rests.” What did I do to justify the tenderness of the Father words to me? Not a thing. Even my wisdom to accept God’s tenderness was a response to God’s prevenient grace.

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. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ  is available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.