A Light in the Window

December 31, 2015

A Light in the Window

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Revelation 21:14

Our end-of-the-year ritual is to take stock of this last year, make necessary adjustments, and set our sails for the coming New Year. Wherever we find ourselves as the New Year begins to unfold in our life, one essential thing remains true. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness” (John 1:1, 14a).

Our circumstances differ, but there is one essential truth that is for all of the followers of Jesus Christ. When we reach our final destination, we will lift our heads and we all will see a light in the window of God’s Mansion, with a sign on the door,

“Welcome Home My Beloved.”

I pray this eternal truth will guide you as you take time to review your life of 2015 and set your sails for 2016:

Your Heavenly Father is head-over-heels,

passionately in love with you.

You are His beloved child,

with whom He is delighted

and upon whom His favor rests.

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 has been published and is now 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 has been released 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 Want to Know Christ

December 30, 2015

I Want to Know Christ

On his robe at his thigh was written this title:

King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Revelation 19:16

When the first century disciples of Jesus tell their story, two themes are very clear to me. First, Jesus was the One. From their perspective, it was impossible to believe anyone could be equal to Jesus. It was inconceivable to them that a prophet or messiah greater than Jesus would come after him. It was not necessary to wait for God to send someone else. Jesus was everything. Jesus fulfilled all of God’s promises, all of the messianic prophesies. If anyone is to judge the world it must be Jesus. If anyone is the Messiah, King, and Lord, how could it be anyone other than Jesus?

Secondly, their faith in Jesus was so profound, they willingly put at risk everything they held dear for the cause of Christ Jesus and his coming Kingdom.

It is an impossible leap of faith to bestow Messiah, King, and Lord on a casual acquaintance. It is a doubly impossible leap of faith to put yourself, and all you hold dear at risk for someone you have only heard bits and pieces about. My mission for 2016 is to go deeper in Christ. I want to know what the first century followers of Jesus knew. Honestly, on this eve of New Year’s Eve, I really don’t know exactly what that will look like, or how I will get there. I just I know that deeper in Christ is where I want to be.

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 has been published and is now 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 has been released 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.

Coming in Glory

December 29, 2015

Coming in Glory

And when Christ, who is your life,

is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Colossians 3:4

The purpose of the Christian season of Advent is to prepare us for the coming again of Jesus in glory. The foundation of our hope in his Second Coming was his birth in Bethlehem. During the Season of Christmas, twelve days from December 25 to January 6, we reflect on the truth that in Christ, God entered human history and identified fully with the human condition. We recall the Apostle John’s magnificent statement, "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son" (John 1:14).

Christmas arouses hope in Jesus’ coming again in glory to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. As we wait for the coming again of Jesus, we have been commissioned by Jesus to begin building for his Kingdom. What does this look like? The Apostle Paul answers this question in his letter to the church in Colossae. In his greeting to the church, Paul writes, “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people . . . the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you” (Colossians 1:4,8). Paul’s letter tells us that the old axiom, “People won't care how much you know until they know how much you care” has the ring of Gospel truth.

One of the best spiritual disciplines is to frequently ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Are people hearing of our faith in Christ Jesus and our love for all of God’s people? Can they see the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given 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. 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 has been published and is now 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 has been released 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 Trust Him With All My Heart

December 28, 2015

I Trust Him With All My Heart

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.”

Psalm 28:7

Jesus taught his disciples “with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26).  Sometimes our faith is tested because we do not see answers to our prayers. Can we still believe, even though we do not see? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews makes clear that faith is the unwavering determination to trust God, to believe God, even when we do not see the results we want. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Because God is the Lord of the impossible, bringing life out of death, bringing success out of apparent failure, we can look at seemingly impossible circumstances and choose the way of the psalmist: “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart” (v.7).

In the first portion of this psalm, David seems overwhelmed with the corruption of society. He steadfastly believes in the judgment of God and does not want to be caught up in God’s judgment of the wicked. As David prays to the Lord, his rock, he asks for mercy. Then, in the midst of his lament, his prayer for mercy turns into a prayer of praise, “Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy” (v.6). What caused his change?

I believe the Apostle Paul helps us understand this change. In Romans 8: 15-16 Paul writes, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

When we come to God in faith, God participates in our prayers. God’s Spirit bears witness to our spirit, and God’s Spirit thus helps us stand firm in our faith, even when our circumstances have not changed. With the Spirit’s help, we trust God with our lives. Thank God for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. He did not leave us alone. Hallelujah!

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 has been published and is now 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 has been released 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.