Seeking the Life in Christ: December 2019

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

A Light in the Window

December 31, 2019

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

Cheryl and I started a new tradition four years ago. Every Sunday morning at breakfast, we pick a special blessing from the previous week and make a note of it on a slip of paper. We put the paper in a quart mason jar. On New Year’s Eve, we will gather around our Christmas tree and put all those slips of paper in a basket. Then, one by one, we will review all of our many blessings from 2019. (And, on Sunday, January 5, 2020 we will start filling the jar once again!)

At the end-of-the-year, it is also good to take time to evaluate this last year and set our sails for the coming New Year. Cheryl and I have found it helpful to look at the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how this fruit is developing in our life, and to guide us where we need to focus our attention in the coming year.

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 2019 and set your sails for 2020:

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.

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.

Monday, December 30, 2019

I Trust Him With All My Heart

December 30, 2019

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.”

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.” 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.)

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.

Friday, December 27, 2019

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

December 27, 2019

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people.

But I am sending you to say to them,

‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’

Ezekiel 2:4

Ezekiel recorded the words of God to Israel many thousands of years ago, but they can just as easily be His words to me today. I am very much in need of the Holy Spirit coming to me, over and over again, and reporting to me, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’

I am in need of this remedial training because it is so difficult to completely overcome the ways of my past that are so deeply ingrained within me. And I am not alone. I recall my wife, Cheryl, sharing with me an incident when she was driving her mother to the store. Her mother had been widowed for about a year. Cheryl’s father had been quite successful in life and had provided well for his family. Cheryl’s mother was completely debt-free, and had a substantial income in her retirement. As they drove toward the store, Cheryl’s mother turned to her and asked, “Do you think I can afford to buy a new pair of house slippers?” Given her financial standing, her question seemed absurd. Given that she had been raised in poverty during the Great Depression, her question made perfect sense. The experiences of our past deeply shape our perspective on today.

We live in a culture that emphasizes awareness of emotions and feelings. The experiences of our past deeply shape our feelings about today. This is why we so need the Holy Spirit reminding us of the truth of God. We can choose to turn from our past and its influential feelings and turn to God’s Word. When we choose God’s Word, we will see that the world’s culture has told us a pack of lies about who we are, and who God is, and we will learn that God, in Christ Jesus, is telling us the truth. We are the beloved children of God, with whom He is delighted and upon whom His favor rests.

Because the virgin conceived a child, this truth of our identity as the beloved children of God is our Christmas gift. She gave birth to a son, and we call him Immanuel, which means this Truth is always 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.)

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.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

December 26, 2019

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

As I study history, I have been struck by the huge difference for good just one person can make. History records the deeds of many individuals who at one time seemed like a lonely voice in the wilderness calling for change, and change came. Think of Wilberforce’s leadership to stop slavery in England, or John Wesley’s zeal to take the Gospel to the common man, or President Harry Truman taking a stand for the state of Israel. Of course, the corollary is just as true. Either for good, or for evil, one person can make a huge difference.

Some people are in places where their actions can influence hundreds, even thousands of others. Some people are in places where their range of influence may not stretch beyond their nuclear family. Even so, all people have influence. Too many people negate their potential for influence because they seem to have so little influence over their own life. For these people, it seems they are continually waging war, and not winning many victories against the same enemies: moodiness, laziness, grudges and resentments, self-centeredness and their feeble life of faith.

Do you, or someone you know, feel that personal failures cancel your potential to be an influence for good in the lives of others? If so, be reminded, and remind your friend, that the issue is not whether you are able;

the issue is whether Jesus is able!

Our Savior, Christ Jesus, transformed the world through his birth in Bethlehem. Take heart! He has overcome the world and is quite capable of transforming your life! Appropriate your Christmas gift of hope, and give your life to God as a force for good in His world!

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.)

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.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

L’ENCHANTÉ

December 25, 2019

L’ENCHANTÉ

To whom can you compare God?

What image can you find to resemble him?

Isaiah 40:18

Every Christmas I love sharing the story of L’Enchanté. This beautiful story comes from the forest of Provence in southern France. It’s about the four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the Christ child. One brought eggs, another brought bread and cheese, the third brought wine. And the fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L’Enchanté.

The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how well Mary looked, how cozy was the cave and how handsomely Joseph had appointed it, what a beautiful starlit night it was! They congratulated the proud parents, presented them with their gifts and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask.

Finally someone asked, “Where is L’Enchanté?” They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft, into the crèche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L’Enchanté. – the Enchanted one. Like a flag or a flame taking the direction of the wind, he had taken the direction of love. Through the entire night, he stayed in adoration, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

Find time on this Christmas Day to light a solitary candle. In quietness, gaze upon the simple candle and allow your heart to become enchanted with “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

(The story of L’ENCHANTÉ is from, Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Revell, 2004)

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.)

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.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

In Desperate Need of Hope

December 24, 2019

In Desperate Need of Hope

People came early one Christmas Eve for the 11pm service at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City. Among them was a recovering alcoholic, six months sober, who slipped into the eleventh row. This was his first Christmas since his alcoholism caused him to lose his family. Two rows in front of him, a family of four sat down. Seeing them together was crushing. He decided he couldn't handle it -- he had to have a drink.

As he moved from the sanctuary to the narthex, he ran into Pastor Thomas Tewell. "Jim, where are you going?" the pastor asked.

"Oh, I'm just going out for a drink," Jim replied.

"Jim, you can't do that," the pastor responded. He knew that Jim was a recovering alcoholic. "Is your sponsor available?"

Jim replied, "It's Christmas Eve. My sponsor is in Minnesota. There's nobody who can help me. I just came tonight for a word of hope, and I ended up sitting behind this family. If I had my life together, I'd be here with my wife and kids too."

Pastor Tewell took Jim into the vestry to talk with a couple of other pastors. Then he slipped into the auditorium, having no idea what to do. He whispered a prayer: "O God, could you give me a word of hope for Jim?" He welcomed everyone and told them about the church. Then he said, "I have one final announcement. If anyone here tonight is a friend of Bill Wilson -- and if you are, you'll know it -- could you step out for a moment and meet me in the vestry?" (Bill Wilson, better known as Bill W., is a cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous.)

From all over the sanctuary, women, men, and college students arose and made their way out. "And there while I was preaching in the sanctuary about incarnation," said Pastor Tewell, "the Word was becoming flesh in the vestry. Someone was experiencing hope."

I suspect if we ask God to help us to be sensitive to the needs of others, we will cross paths with someone in desperate need of experiencing hope. Perhaps even at the Christmas Eve service we will attend today.

May someone experience hope through our witness today.

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.)

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.

Monday, December 23, 2019

My Proper Position Before The Manger Of Christ

December 23, 2019

My Proper Position Before The Manger Of Christ

Every knee will bend to me,

and every tongue will declare allegiance to me

Isaiah 45:23b

The prophesy about Jesus from Isaiah is fulfilled by the words of the Apostle Paul: “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Christmas is known for glitter and bows, pageants and cantatas, and decorations that range from the sublime to the gaudy. For most of our life together, Cheryl and I were minimalists in our Christmas decorations, although she insisted that we hang outside Christmas lights. Before I retired, we were always on the go through the season, and after leading Christmas Eve worship services, we were traveling on Christmas Day to visit family. Things changed when we retired. We have enjoyed decorating every room in our house, even when it is just the two of us.

Next to our Christmas tree, we have a beautiful crèche carved from olive tree wood that we purchased in Bethlehem. I love it as a reminder of our visit to Israel, but I often find myself smiling as I gaze upon it and remember the archeological site we visited near Megiddo. The artifacts there included a manger hewn out of solid rock and the remnants of what a stable would have been like when Jesus was born. It was not the pretty, quaint, and warm snuggly environment depicted on Christmas cards.

The sentimental stuff of the holidays, and nostalgia about Christmas celebrations have their place, as long as they point me to my proper position before the manger of Christ as announced by Isaiah:

“Every knee will bend to me,

and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”

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.)

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.

Friday, December 20, 2019

“What do you want most for Christmas?”

December 20, 2019

“What do you want most for Christmas?”

They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee,

and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

John 12:21 (NRSV)

What do you want most for Christmas?

Several years ago, I conducted an experiment. In a small group I was leading, I gave each person a 3x5 card. I asked them to think of the young people in their lives, those less than twenty-one years old, and list on the card the two or three things they hoped for the most for their lives. The answers primarily centered on the ideas of health and happiness, described in varying terms. What was surprising to me was that no one listed anything to do with knowing Christ or living a life of Christian virtues. Not one hoped their young person would enter into full-time Christian service.

Jesus’ response to those people who wanted to see him included, “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am” (John 12:26). We call Jesus’ final command to his followers the Great Commission: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Even so, not one person in my little experiment listed on their 3x5 card anything remotely connected to Jesus’ command.

I suppose it is possible that people assume that you know the thing they hope most for, and want most for the people they love, is to know Jesus and to live in such a way that they will hear Jesus say, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ Possibly, maybe, but I don’t think it is too probable. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, “God is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance.” It is easy to get so caught up in life that we don’t see the forest for the trees. Whether your Christmas is surrounded by bows and glitter, or is more subdued in shades of blue to match your sadness, let us all reaffirm the source of our hope.

What do you want most for Christmas?

I Want to Know Christ!

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.)

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.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Source of All My Joy

December 19, 2019

The Source of All My Joy

“There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!”

Psalm 43:4

There are certain words we see and hear everywhere during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Joy and Hope are two of those words. In our cultural norms, we are taught that those words are grounded in our expected results for our life’s work. If we get our expected outcomes, we will be joyful. If we believe we have a reasonable expectancy of receiving those outcomes we will be hopeful.

Those seeking the life in Christ as our way of life have a different perspective on those words. We hope not in the things we can control; our hope is in the eternal love of God. Our joy is not grounded in the things we control; the source of our joy is God. The psalmist models this single-minded purpose: “There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!” The psalmist knew who alone could fill the God-shaped vacuum in his heart.

To help us maintain our single-minded purpose to ground our joy and hope in God, we often have scripture passages bookmarked, taped to walls or attached to our refrigerators. If you haven’t yet added Psalm 43:5 to your collection, today is a good day to include it in your personal bibliography.

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my 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.)

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.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

December 18, 2019

“What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

Is anything worth more than your soul?

Mark 8:37

Jesus is very clear that the decisions we make, the way we live our life, has eternal significance. He doesn’t want us to be afraid, and he wants us to know we can experience the assurance of our faith; but he does want us to know that we must ask him the question, “What must I do to be saved?” We don’t hear that question asked much anymore. The common cultural belief is that there is nothing beyond the grave; this life is all there is. There is a sentimental component in our culture that supposes almost everyone goes to heaven when they die, especially those who die unexpectedly or tragically.

In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus used three parables to give us the divine perspective on the issues of life and death. The parable of the Ten Bridesmaids affirms it is a tragic mistake not to prepare for meeting God at the end of our life. The parable of the Three Servants points to the danger of leaving undone the work the Lord has assigned to us. The parable of the Final Judgment affirms there will be surprises at the end of life, especially for those who don’t ask “What must I do to be saved?”

If “What must I do to be saved?” is the eternal question, where do we find the answer? I suggest we start at Romans 10:9-10,

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

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.)

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.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

A Light in the Window

Monday, December 30, 2019

I Trust Him With All My Heart

Friday, December 27, 2019

This Is What The Sovereign Lord Says!

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Jesus Overcame The World; He Can Overcome You!

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

L’ENCHANTÉ

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

In Desperate Need of Hope

Monday, December 23, 2019

My Proper Position Before The Manger Of Christ

Friday, December 20, 2019

“What do you want most for Christmas?”

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Source of All My Joy

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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