Seeking the Life in Christ: September 2021

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Unanswered Prayers

Meditations on Romans

September 30, 2021

Unanswered Prayers

Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem.

Romans 15:31

Read: Romans 15:25-33

Libraries are filled with books about what the authors think they know. It would take an infinite space to house an index of what we are sure we do not know. Conspicuous in that index is all they we do not know or understand about prayer. In Paul’s brief prayer request in today’s reading, one request appears to have been answered; the other was not answered in the way we would have hoped.

Paul’s tender heart for people is revealed in the way he sought and collected offerings for the church in Jerusalem which was so beleaguered in the decades following Pentecost. The offering, which was one subject of Paul’s prayer request, was graciously accepted.

In this closing passage to chapter fifteen, Paul reveals his heart’s desire to come to Rome and enjoy fellowship with the church before he continued to Spain in his mission to “preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard” (Romans 15:20). Paul did go to Rome, but not as rest stop on his way to Spain. He went as a prisoner.

My Takeaway: Paul’s time in jail is an illustration of God working all things together for good. (Romans 8:28-29) During Paul’s various imprisonments, he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. These letters are pure gold; I can’t imagine the New Testament without them. On September 14^th, in my meditation on Romans 11:33-36 on cooperating with God in His processes, Paul modeled this spirit of cooperation, which gave us his prison letters, in this passage from Colossians:

“Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.”

Colossians 4:3-4

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.

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.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Where The Name Of Christ Has Never Been Heard

Meditations on Romans

September 29, 2021

Where The Name Of Christ Has Never Been Heard

My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.

Romans 15:20

Read: Romans 15:14-24

It has been my experience that pastoral and lay leadership of churches can be divided into three broad categories. The first is a caretaker ministry. The goal is to keep the church doors open, to continue in the form and substance that the church has practiced for generations. The second is an entrepreneurial ministry. The pastor and staff attend many seminars and conferences to discern the latest trends and techniques in ministry and bring them home to try out on their congregation. The third ministry is Christ-centered, and Christ-empowered, all for Jesus. In this ministry, the pastor casts a vision based on what Christ has revealed to the pastor when they had a holy encounter.

The Apostle Paul had a holy encounter with Christ when he was on the road to Damascus. Christ gave Paul a vision and a heart for the Gentiles, and Paul never deviated from the course Christ set for him.

My Takeaway: During my pastoral ministry, and in my ministry today, it was and now is my heart’s desire to be Christ-centered, and Christ-empowered, all for Jesus. As I read today of Paul’s passion, I am convinced now, more than ever, authentic Christian ministry is Christ-centered, and Christ-empowered, all for Jesus.

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.)

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Speaking Directly From His Heart

Meditations on Romans

September 28, 2021

Speaking Directly From His Heart

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Read: Romans 15:7-13

I believe God used the Apostle Paul to build the three foundational pillars of the New Testament church: Jesus is God’s Messiah, Jesus is the hope of all the world, and Jesus, the immeasurable gift of God’s grace, gives to his followers all that the Father has given to him.

To establish these foundations, Paul brings forward the essential teachings of the Old Testament interpreted through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Much of Paul’s writing can be quite dense, each verse as heavy as the preceding. There are, however, places where Paul seems to relax a bit and speak directly from his heart. Most often these places are his prayers for the church. Paul’s prayers are so important to me in understanding Paul’s theology that I have a separate file where I keep the prayers of St. Paul. One of those prayers was included in yesterday’s meditation and another is in today’s reading.

“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (15: 5-6)

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (15:13)

My Takeaway: Dare to imagine the quality of life in our churches if we prayed for each other the way Paul prayed for his friends in Rome.

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.)

Monday, September 27, 2021

One Voice

Meditations on Romans

September 27, 2021

One Voice

Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:6

Read Romans 15:1-6

I treasured the opportunity to provide a benediction, a blessing, for my congregation as we closed our Sunday morning worship service. One of my favorite benedictions was inspired by today’s reading:

I bless you with the promises of God.

As followers of Christ Jesus

may you live in complete harmony with each other.

May you join together with one voice,

giving praise and glory to God,

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God fill you completely with joy and peace

because you trust in him.

May you overflow with confident hope

through the power of the Holy Spirit.

AMEN

One voice! What does that mean? Paul expanded on this thought in his letter to the Ephesians:

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all,

who is over all, in all, and living through all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

My Takeaway: In our communities of faith, we all don’t look the same. We have different tastes in music, food, clothes, vocations and avocations. But when we come together for worship, with one voice we sing and praise one God and Father of all who gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

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.)

Friday, September 24, 2021

Peace And Joy In The Holy Spirit

Meditations on Romans

September 24, 2021

Peace And Joy In The Holy Spirit

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

Read Romans 14:13-23

Paul’s concludes chapter fourteen emphasizing again the importance of really loving one another and pointing us to the truth that we are called to a willingness to sacrifice our own self-interest to help maintain unity within the church. Paul was able to present his teaching, not as another set of rules or laws to be obeyed, but by reminding the church of our higher purpose. I love how Eugene Peterson phrases verse seventeen (above) in The Message:

“God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy.”

Think of that last phrase in two ways. First, as we give ourselves to God, we experience peace and joy as we live in Christ. Secondly, Peterson also implies that it brings joy to God as he completes our life in Christ. I love that thought!

My Takeaway: When I think of our higher purpose in Christ, I am always drawn to this prayer of Adoration:

Adoration

O Lord, our Lord,

how excellent is Thy name in all the earth;

I worship Thee.

With all angels and saints I adore Thee.

I acknowledge Thee to be by Creator and my God.

I render Thee the homage of my being and my life.

I am not my own,

I am Thine.

By creation and redemption

I am Thine.

I will devote myself to Thy divine service

this day and forever.

O grant me grace for this, dear Lord.

Amen

Ralph Spaulding Cushman

A Pocket Prayer Book

The Upper Room, 1941

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.)

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Win/Win

Meditations on Romans

September 23, 2021

Win/Win

Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Romans 14:10b

Read Romans 14:7-12

In yesterday’s meditation, the differences between the approaches the Christians in Rome had to issues of diet and holy days was the subject of Paul’s teaching. I don’t want to minimize how significant these issues were to the congregation in Rome. For many, they ran to the very heart of their faith in God. A Christian who had come out of a pagan cult would genuinely be horrified at another member of their church buying meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to idols. For Paul, meat was meat, and he had no problems with someone sacrificing it to a false god. But if he wasn’t careful with his freedom, he could cause conflict within the congregation.

I believe if Paul were living today, he might be drawn to Stephen Covey and his classic work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to help the church grasp his point about unity. Covey’s habits four and five are having a win/win attitude and then listening to understand. At the heart of these two habits are beliefs that there is enough for all to fully participate and share, and that we can show love and respect for others by truly listening to them.

My Takeaway: Having a win/win attitude and listening to understand is much easier to say than to implement in our lives. In verse eight, Paul lays a foundation to help us make these habits realities in our lives: “So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Yes, we belong to the Lord, and we get to him by grace through faith. Every person in a right-standing relationship with God through faith in Jesus stands equally, one with another, before God. When I hold fast to this truth, I can then move toward the reality of being in equality in my relationships 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.)

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Search Me, O God, And Know My Heart

Meditations on Romans

September 22, 2021

Search Me, O God, And Know My Heart

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong

Romans 14:1

Read Romans 14:1-6

For Paul, the greatest witness for Christ was when the church experienced unity in their worship and fellowship. However, such unity in Paul’s world was scarce as there were many obstacles to overcome. In the church in Rome, many in the congregation were converted Jews, and they brought with them their observance of Jewish dietary laws and holy days. Many of the Gentile Christians came from pagan backgrounds and also had beliefs concerning special days and food preferences. Other Christians had matured in the faith and reached the place where they enjoyed freedom in diet and worship. Putting all these groups together resulted in some conflicts. Against this backdrop, Paul, in today’s passage, pleads for understanding and unity. For Paul, the one and only mark of a Christian is not in holy days or diet; it is justification by faith. Being made right in God’s sight through faith in Jesus binds all believers together into one body. But we don’t just arrive at this understanding all at once or all together at the same time. The church is always a work in progress.

My Takeaway: Two thousand years later, we have institutionalized the very divisions Paul struggles so hard to overcome. Denominationalism is the result of some groups thinking they have a better way or a better understanding than others. Even within the denominations, divisions exist as though we all have excised Romans 14 from our Bibles. Today is an invitation from the Holy Spirit for me to examine my own life.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24

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.)

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

How Am I Clothed?

Meditations on Romans

September 21, 2021

How Am I Clothed?

Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 13:14a

Read Romans 13:8-14

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another” (Romans 13:8). My parents lived in a culture where close attention was paid to social customs. If friends invited you to dinner or to a party, you had an obligation to return the favor. In this quid pro quo culture, a favor was expected for a favor. Paul envisioned a different way of living where you can accept a grace offered without incurring an obligation to return a grace in kind. This form of culture is possible when we are grounded in a belief of the great commandment to love one another as we love ourselves. Paul continued this teaching by rehearsing several of the Ten Commandments and then summarizes all ten with one commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. Because love does no wrong to others, love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Some people have interpreted the closing passage, verses 11-14, as a prediction that the end of the age was close at hand. I don’t think that was Paul’s intent. I think Paul sensed an impending crisis. The letter to the Romans was written in 57-58 AD. There was much restlessness in the Roman Empire at that time leading to the destruction of Jerusalem about ten years later. Paul had a sense of urgency for the witness for Christ. John Wesley shared that same urgency as he instructed his circuit riders traveling to America, “You have no other business than to save souls and spread scriptural holiness across the land.” Regrettably, this sense of urgency for the witness for Christ has been lost on the present age.

My Takeaway: Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (NIV). Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (NRSV). Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (NLT). Whichever translation you choose for verse 14a, take time to meditate on this question: How different would my life be if I began everyday with this conscious thought, “I am clothed in the presence of my Lord, Jesus 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.)

Monday, September 20, 2021

Determined To Govern, But Not To Be Governed

Meditations on Romans

Note: This morning, Cheryl and I are beginning our vacation. I have worked ahead on these mediations, and they are scheduled to be released each day for the next two weeks. However, I will not be able to respond to any emails until after we return home on October 1.

September 20, 2021

Determined To Govern, But Not To Be Governed

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

Romans 13:1

Read Romans 13:1-7

On a visit to the Museum of Westward Expansion, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, there is a plaque with a quote from the journal of Lansford W. Hastings, an Overlander who was venturing west from St. Louis.

“We had proceeded only a few days travel,

when the American character was fully exhibited.

All appeared to be determined to govern,

but not to be governed.”

The Apostle Paul would add a hardy “Yes and Amen” to Brother Hastings. A rebellious spirit is within the DNA of all humankind. We all have a suspicious nature for those in authority, and we are much more comfortable being in control than having others assert authority over us. Paul’s teaching for the church in Rome addressed both their human nature and served as practical advice for their current condition. For the most part, the church in Rome came from those on the lowest rungs of society. They were not well thought of by the mainstream of society, and Paul was urging them to be good citizens and stay under the radar so that they could freely go about their mission of making disciples for Christ.

My Takeaway: As I read today’s passage, I am thinking of the Taliban’s take-over of Afghanistan and the persecution of the Christians that will follow. I cannot comprehend what it would be like to gather in a house church and have the leader read this passage. Even in the US, we are living in an age when almost total respect has been lost for government institutions as well as those who serve in government positions. Perhaps our prayer today is to embrace the words of the blind beggar in Luke 18, “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” Lord, gives us wisdom and your perspective in these difficult times.

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.)

Friday, September 17, 2021

Conquer Evil By Doing Good

Meditations on Romans

September 17, 2021

Conquer Evil By Doing Good

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Where The Name Of Christ Has Never Been Heard

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Speaking Directly From His Heart

Monday, September 27, 2021

One Voice

Friday, September 24, 2021

Peace And Joy In The Holy Spirit

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Win/Win

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Search Me, O God, And Know My Heart

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

How Am I Clothed?

Monday, September 20, 2021

Determined To Govern, But Not To Be Governed

Friday, September 17, 2021

Conquer Evil By Doing Good

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Really Love Them

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

We All Belong To Each Other

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

To God Be The Glory

Monday, September 13, 2021

The Gifts And The Calling Of God Are Irrevocable

Friday, September 10, 2021

Just A Branch, Not The Root

Seeking the Life in Christ

About Me

Blog Archive

Followers

First Think - Then Pray

Books I Am Reading

Recent Books I Have Enjoyed