Who is Visible in Your Flesh?

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 10, 2024

Who is Visible in Your Flesh?

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

John 1:46a 

One of the many obstacles we face as we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life is overcoming the vast array of prejudices and pre-conceived notions that are deeply embedded in each of us. It is virtually impossible to meet another person and receive them simply as one, like you, knitted together by God in their mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13) Instead, our mind processes millions of bits of information, impressions, feelings, and experiences to form a picture of who we think this person is. We are so controlled by our prejudices, we would do well to join our voices with the Apostle Paul, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (Romans 7:24).

Paul found his help in Jesus, and so shall we.

I want all of my relationships to “arise out of my life in Christ” (Philippians 2:5 NEB); therefore, when I sense my flesh-life, my prejudices, trying to ascend in my life, I know it is time to be still before God and remember who I am, and whose I am! As I rest before the Lord, I recall that my mission is to live my life “so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in (my) mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11a NRSV).

The reality of our lives is that all too often it is not Jesus but our prejudices that are visible in our moral flesh. As we become aware of our prejudices pushing Jesus into the background, our first response is to remember Paul’s answer to his dilemma, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25a, 8:1). Our next response is to spend time quietly before the Lord and reaffirm the reality of our existence, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Next reaffirm that the world’s culture is telling you a pack of lies about who God is, who you are, and who your neighbors are. (John 8:44) Then reaffirm your belief that God in Christ Jesus is telling you the truth. (John 14:6).

My Takeaway: It has been my experience that the more I reaffirm the beautiful truth of who I am in Christ, the less my prejudices are able to elbow their way to the forefront of my life.

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 © 2024 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.

Prone to Wander

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 9, 2024

Prone to Wander

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:21 

Peter was quite serious when he wrote those words. He was also quite mindful that when he called out to Jesus during a storm and Jesus bid him to come, Peter stepped out onto the water and quickly sank like a stone. (Matthew 14:22-33) Even so, just a short while later, Jesus announced that faith, like that which was at work in Peter, was the rock on which he would build his church. Peter was also quite mindful that after boasting that he would fight for Jesus even unto his death, just a few hours later he denied knowing Jesus. Even so, Jesus reaffirmed his faith in Peter and told him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21)

Our reality is just as the hymn writer put it: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Robert Robinson). We know we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and we want to, but sometimes our steps falter. Sometimes our faith weakens, and we sink like a stone; sometimes we give into temptation and deny our calling. There are two passages of scripture I turn to when I’ve been prone to wander.

First, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

The second is, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20).

My Takeaway: When Peter sank, Jesus helped him back into the boat. When Peter denied him, Jesus forgave him and commissioned him to follow in his footsteps. So also, with us.

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 © 2024 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.

 

No Place Like Home

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 8, 2024

No Place Like Home

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

John 14:23 

Cheryl and I love our home. I could go on and on about the joy we’ve had in remodeling and decorating our home. Without even a smidgen of hyperbole, at least once per day, one of us will comment on how much we love our home. The mountain ambiance is stunning and contributes greatly to our love affair with our home. However, the core of our love affair with our home is not so much the bricks and mortar, or the setting. We have come to that glorious place where we are at peace with ourselves. We love who we are, and where we are in life. This place of tranquility is made possible because God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit first made their home within us.

The Apostle Paul said this was one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The very moment you give your life to God through faith in Christ, God moves into your heart. However, it has taken me years to grasp the reality of this truth, and to yield myself to being redecorated and remodeled from within by the Master Architect of the universe, Christ Jesus. More and more, I am realizing the almost incomprehensible magnitude of the psalmist’ simple statement, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10). Only by my being still in the presence of Abba can I begin to plumb the depths of what it means to have Christ within me, my hope of glory. The more I allow this reality to take hold of me, the less my soul is troubled by anything.

John 14 is so very rich in blessings from Jesus. For me, where I am now, perhaps the greatest of those blessings is, “and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

 My Takeaway: Abba Father at home with me. Christ in me, my hope of glory.

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 © 2024 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.

 

Shaking Off the Stunning Befuddlement

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 5, 2024

Shaking Off the Stunning Befuddlement

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

Isaiah 12:6

This debate has raged for over two thousand years: who gets saved? The responses are extreme. Some say everybody is already saved; some say everybody who simply repeats the right words; and still others say only the few who conform to certain doctrinal beliefs. The more I make the life in Christ my way of life, the more I believe the saved are those who, “When (they) discovered a pearl of great value, (they) sold everything (they) owned and bought it!” (Matthew 13:46 NLT).

I believe when Jesus gave that parable, the merchant represented two different identities. The first was a representation of God, who gave everything, even His only begotten son, for the redemption of humankind. Secondly, I believe the merchant represents those who, after shaking off the stunning befuddlement of the sheer grace that gave everything for their salvation, sell off all that they are and all that they have for the Kingdom of God.

I do not mean this in a literal way. While some saints may in fact have literally disposed of all their material possessions, those saints we know the best, the ones who wrote the New Testament, did not. However, they most assuredly surrendered their rights to their own life to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. These few are the ones who risked everything on this Gospel of Grace, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

My Takeaway: Said another way, I believe the saved are those who confess: My life does not belong to me; by creation and redemption my life belongs to God.

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 © 2024 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.

 

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 4, 2024

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

“Be still, and know that I am God!

Psalm 46:10a

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:”

Martin Luther was inspired by Psalm 46 to write “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, which has become one of the great hymns of the church. Drawing from the images of turmoil and conflict in Psalm 46, Luther affirmed with the psalmist, that “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (v. 7 & 11).

I believe the writer of Psalm 46 was inspired by the account of a vast army from Edom marching against King Jehoshaphat, as recorded in Second Chronicles 20. Several passages in that account could well have inspired the psalmist, such as verse 17, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

In that one passage alone is sufficient inspiration for the psalmist to write,

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

“‘Be still, and know that I am God!” and

“The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Psalm 46: 1, 10a, 11 

My Takeaway: No matter what personal crisis you may be facing; what national or international event is causing you anxiety, I believe those three verses are sufficient to get you singing,

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:” 

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 © 2024 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.

Lord, I Am Coming

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 3, 2024

Lord, I Am Coming

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming”

Psalm 27:8 (NLT)

One of the qualities I admire in the Apostle Paul is his single-minded purpose. He told the Athenians, “In Christ we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 NRSV), and he summarized his ministry in Corinth as, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). His devotion to Christ sustained him through very difficult times.

The psalmist David expresses a similar single-minded devotion to God in Psalm 27. His prose, as in verse 4, expresses his heart’s one desire: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,”

Some scholars have suggested this psalm may have originally been two psalms because of the shift in tense at verse seven. In the first six verses, the psalmist speaks about God and in verse seven he begins speaking to God. I think this shift is intentional and expresses an excellent pattern for prayer.  In the first portion of the prayer, the psalmist rehearses his personal convictions, his personal core values. Having thus established a firm foundation for his faith, he then makes his petitions to God.

My Takeaway: You may want to set aside some time to formulate your own prayer using this pattern. Begin by affirming your core values, and then be open to the Lord leading you to shape your petitions,

 “My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming”

Psalm 27:8 (NLT) 

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 © 2024 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.

Oh, My Joy

Meditations for Ragamuffins

April 2, 2024

Oh, My Joy

 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1: 1-2 (NKJV)

Jesus’ prayer life was grounded in scripture, especially the Book of Psalms. In his teaching, Jesus quotes from the Psalms more than twenty times.  If we want to go deeper into the heart of Christ and the mind of Christ, the Psalms will teach us much. We find Jesus described in the very first psalm!

While some newer Bibles translate verse one gender neutral as “happy are those” or “blessed are those”, the original text uses a word that is very gender specific and should be translated, “Blessed is the man.” Jesus is this perfect man who delights “in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” As followers of Jesus, yielding ourselves to be transformed to become like him, Psalm 1 gives us a clear example of how to order our lives.

Seriously? Is it really possible for a mortal human being to get excited about meditating on God’s law, day and night?

When the Psalmist refers to ‘the law’, they do not mean only the Ten Commandments or other rules and regulations aimed at ordering the lives of the people of God. They also mean law, as in God’s nature. God is love. God’s nature is to forgive. God’s law includes His love that cannot fail, His Word that does not return to Him void, and His mercies that never come to an end. The Psalmist has in mind the law of God that looked at a world that did not exist and spoke it into being by the power of His Word. The law of God is summed up in one verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

My Takeaway: The Psalmist pronounces God’s blessing on those who take time to reflect on all the ways they have experienced God’s law, His nature, in their life. Meditate on how you have experienced His mercies and forgiveness, His favor, and how you know God to be your Shepherd. Take time to remember that the LORD watches over your path, and I believe you will agree with the Psalmist and say, “Oh, my joy as I delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.”

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 © 2024 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.