Living In Harmony With God

October 31, 2016

Living In Harmony With God

God’s will is for you to be holy;

1 Thessalonians 4:3a

In the opening passage of chapter four (4:1-8), Paul uses the word holy, or holiness three times (verses 3, 4 & 7) in his appeal for us to live in a way that pleases God. Like the Apostle Paul, John Wesley loved the word holiness. He talked about scriptural holiness, holiness of the heart and holiness of life. Many people mistakenly think holiness has to do with rigid laws or rules, which through obedience, make a person holy. Not so; holiness is the state of being. As Christians, we know that our state of being, our acceptance by God, comes as a gift of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus. The best definition of Paul’s and John Wesley’s use of the word holiness is a state of being in harmony with God. Living in harmony with God is life in Christ.

Many years ago the owners of the Boston Celtics basketball team went public and sold stock in their company. My buddy Jimmy Bentley and I bought one share each in the storied basketball franchise. A short time later I was telling a friend about my purchase as we were riding in my car. From the backseat I heard the voice of my seven year old daughter, Tammy: “Dad do we own the Boston Celtics?” Her assumption, quite correctly, was that if I had bought the stock, then as my daughter she owned it also. Her statement revealed the essence of living in a state of harmony with God. When we are in harmony with God, what is true of Jesus is true of us.

The great mystery to living life in Christ is that we seem to be in a constant state of almost and not yet. When I have been in worship settings with my friend Robin Mark, I have noticed how often he needs to adjust the keys on the neck of his guitar. Keeping his guitar strings in proper tension is essential to the guitar making beautiful music. So it is with us. In this opening passage, Paul is showing us how to reach for the proper tension between grace and responsibility, between grace and self-discipline. Henry Ford supposedly said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Paul’s has removed any doubt from where we are going:

“we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God” (4:1)

          “God’s will is for you to be holy” (4:3)

          “live in holiness and honor” (4:4)

          “God has called us to live holy lives” (4:7)

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. 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, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Now All Glory To God

October 28, 2016

Now All Glory To God

May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3:13

Thank you Paul! Your words not only bring conviction to my spirit, your words also bring healing and direction. In his benediction that closes chapter three (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13), Paul shows us his foundation that allows him to pray even more exceedingly than we can imagine. His prayers are thoroughly grounded on the character of God and entirely focused on that which God can and will do through faith in Jesus. In this brief benediction, he affirms his own faith and trust in “God our Father and our Lord Jesus.” (Verse 11) In the concluding verse quoted above, Paul affirms his faith in Jesus coming again in final victory. In between these two verses, Paul confirms his allegiance to the command of Jesus: “This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:17).

Paul’s prayer life was thoroughly grounded in his vision of God’s character and of God’s purpose for the followers of Jesus. It is this vision that inspired Paul to share this benediction with his friends in Ephesus: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). I wonder how our prayers might change if we took Paul’s benediction to the Ephesians and made it the prologue to our prayers.

Let’s try this and begin our prayers, “Now all glory to God, who is able . . .”

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, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Even More Exceedingly Than You Can Imagine

October 27, 2016

Even More Exceedingly Than You Can Imagine

Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

1 Thessalonians 3:10

“We pray earnestly . . .” The literal translation of the Greek would render that phrase, “We pray even more exceedingly than you can imagine.” Reading that, I was immediately convicted. I can’t describe my prayer life that way. This deficiency begs the question, “What is it about my vision of God that is allowing me to be satisfied with something less?”

I know God has been working in me to deepen my life of prayer. (As Paul so often reminds me, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13) Last year I focused on contemplative prayer, and now I am taking a course in Celtic Spirituality. I am finding an awakening in my spirit to the prayers and music of the Celtic tradition. As I keep on seeking the life of Christ as my way of life, I trust God will give me the discernment to know what is it about my vision of God that is allowing me to be satisfied with something less than praying earnestly.

How about you? Are you satisfied with something less than praying even more exceedingly than can be imagined for those within your circle?

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, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I Have Changed

October 26, 2016

I Have Changed

That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

1 Thessalonians 3:5

I have often wondered what happened in Jesus in the short period of time between when he called out from the cross, “My God why have you forsaken me?” and he said, “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.” There are some mysteries that will never be solved until we get to see Jesus face to face.

There are other, seemingly contradicting, positions which are not as difficult to sort out. All of the anxiety Paul expressed in the text above is an example. Remember, this is the same Paul who wrote in Philippians 4, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”

The first step I take to sort out the difference between Philippians 4 and today’s reading is to acknowledge that Paul’s pastoral heart is much like the heart of a parent for their child. It doesn’t do any good to tell a parent not to worry about their children; worry is an essential part of the parent’s job description.

The second step is to remember that the issue with Jesus mentioned above was in a time frame of an hour at most. The issue with today’s reading and Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a time frame of ten years. That’s the length of time between the two letters. Acts 18-28 covers this period of time in Paul’s life and was packed with adventure, turmoil, imprisonment, persecution as well as awesome displays of God’s grace and power. Paul changed a great deal during this period. Older, wiser, and more spiritually mature, Paul was resting in God’s love as he wrote his prison letters, which includes Philippians.

In writing my daily meditations, this is my second trip through Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. I have found it interesting to go back and read my thoughts from July 2011 when I wrote meditations based on these letters. I have changed in these five years. Much has happened to deepen my faith and trust in the Lord’s provision for my life.

So, how are you growing in Christ? How is your life different today, from a few years ago? Are you aware of how God is working to form Christ in you? I think it is good to remember Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 3 and ask ourselves if we are seeking God to make this prayer a reality in our lives:

“I pray that from God’s glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

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, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.