Power in Weakness

April 30, 2015

Power in Weakness

May God be gracious to us and bless us and

make his face to shine upon us,          Selah

Psalm 67:1 NRSV

Brennan Manning received international acclaim for his marvelous ability to communicate the incomprehensible grace of God. Near the end of his active ministry Manning was asked what he thought was his greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God. The questioner listed many of Manning’s best-selling books, his seminars and his work as a spiritual director, and asked which of these accomplished the most good? Manning replied, “Not long ago I encountered an old priest with a drinking problem. I confessed to him, “Just a few years ago, I was a hopeless alcoholic in the gutter in Ft. Lauderdale.” The old priest replied, “You? Oh thank God!”

Abba’s words to Saint Paul remind us that it is not our strength or accomplishments that do the most good, but our shared weakness: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have had the opportunity to speak on Fourth Day (Walk to Emmaus, Tres Dias, etc.) spiritual retreats many times. When preparing my talks I always struggle with how much personal information to share. I am a very private person and sharing personal information does not come easily for me. However, without fail, I am most connected with my audience and I am more effectively used by God as His vessel of grace when I allow His power to work through my weakness.

The Apostle Paul learned this lesson well. In his letter to the Philippians he shared his personal history and many accomplishments and concluded they were utterly worthless compared to knowing Christ. Everything Paul said about forgetting the past and pressing on to know Christ is grounded on Jesus’ promised blessing:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 NRSV). We experience God being gracious to us and blessing us and making his face to shine upon us when we share with one another how God’s power is working through our weakness.

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.

KISS

April 29, 2015

KISS

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

Living life in Christ is not rocket science. Jesus did not usher in God’s New Creation that is available only to a chosen few or to those who have advanced theological degrees. Jesus was the master of applying the KISS principal: Keep It Simple, Stupid; although Jesus was never so crass as to call his disciples stupid. Well, maybe he did. Anyway, the point is that Jesus’ instructions are not complicated. In John’s Gospel, he illustrated his Golden Rule with, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).

The fact that neither the world at large nor the followers of Jesus have mastered living by the Golden Rule, or Jesus’ ‘new commandment,’ is evidence of the total depravity of humankind. Against this total incapacity of humankind to fix ourselves, God stepped forward and fixed us through His imputed righteousness: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In accepting this grace from God, our responsibility is to take what He has imputed, or given to us, and allow God to transform our lives “so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11b NRSV).

Memorizing the Golden Rule as a child doesn’t necessarily weave it into the fabric of our daily life. As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, we need to take the road less traveled and often return to the simplicity of Jesus’ teaching. In my walk, I frequently turn to the words of Henri Nouwen for inspiration and meditation: “I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. . . . Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image." (The Return of The Prodigal Son)

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.

Here I Am

April 28, 2015

Here I Am

“Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me”

Isaiah 6:8

When I began an exercise program of running, I began by running laps at the local high school track. Off to the side of the track was the high jump pit. At the same time I began my training, a young student began training for the high jump. He was pretty pitiful as he began and unable to even clear a waist high bar. But he didn’t stop, he kept trying and on several occasions a coach helped him. At the end of my time running on the track, the young man was gracefully clearing six feet, a height taller than himself. Two lessons have stayed with me from those days at the high school track.

First, the six foot high jump was always within the young man; it was just waiting for an opportunity to come out. Secondly, that experience at the track proved the axiom: it is possible to do with training what is impossible to do by trying. One other principle for life was also very well illustrated by the young man; it is vitally important to set high the bar of our personal expectations.

We all may have various expectations of our achievements in our chosen professions, how accomplished we become at our avocations, and how well we manage our personal life. As the followers of Christ, we never want to forget that it is our Abba Father who sets the bar of expectation for our life in Christ: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).

As I ponder God’s expectation for my life, I pray I will have the courage to respond to my Abba’s call: “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

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.

Did You See A Lion Or A Lamb?

April 27, 2015

Did You See A Lion Or A Lamb?

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

    belong to the one sitting on the throne

    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

Revelation 5:13b

How do you describe the indescribable? The writers of scripture were masters of this art, and I marvel at how they were able to synthesize so many diverse images to help us open our minds and hearts and “lay hold of that for which also we were laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12 NASB). In the Apostle John’s description of Jesus in Revelation 1, he uses at least ten metaphors in five verses to describe Jesus! However, in Chapter five he dials back his rhetoric a bit and uses just two images of Jesus, which I believe are the most compelling in all of scripture. As I try to make my way on this journey of new life in Christ, these two images are my constant traveling companions.

John first sees the Lion: “Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5). But when John turns to look at the Lion, he sees a Lamb: “Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered.” (Revelation 5:6a). Ok John, in your vision of Jesus, did you see a Lion or a Lamb? “Yes,” John replies.

So it has been in my life. I have seen miracles, and I have seen God make a way where there had been no way. The One who spoke the universe into being by the power of His Word, the One who parted the sea has most certainly shown Himself strong in my life. I have also had times, many times, when I prayed desperately for the Lion to make a way, to bring justice and healing, and when I have looked for the Lion to come, I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered. This is the part of our faith that seems like utter foolishness to those who do not know God; but to those who love Jesus “it is the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The Lamb was slaughtered and laid in a grave. But he didn’t stay there. “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father.” Because this is true, when the Lamb is our traveling companion we are just as assured of victory as when we are trailing along behind the Lion, and thus with the whole company of heaven we sing,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—

    to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

    and honor and glory and blessing.”

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

    belong to the one sitting on the throne

    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

 Revelation 5:12-13

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.