Seeking the Life in Christ: December 2021

Friday, December 31, 2021

What’s Your Worldview?

December 31, 2021

Amazing Grace:

Meditations on God’s Smile of Affection for You

What’s Your Worldview?

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2

All our thoughts, words, actions, and emotions have their origin in our unique and individual worldview. Whether we are an introvert or extravert, are analytical or more intuitive, whether we are prone to fight or flight, prefer to read, or listen, to see or to do is a matter of our worldview.

Our worldview is the basis of all our interactions with other people and our culture, as well as the basis of our own self-awareness. If we were a computer, our worldview would be our operating system. Our OS is constructed in part by genetics and in part by our cultural experiences. While genetics form the foundation for the way we interact with our world, our cultural experiences can significantly enhance or diminish our natural tendencies.

As followers of Christ, we live between two realities. One reality is our natural life, our worldview which has been fractured by sin. The other reality is our new life in Christ: “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our human nature drives us to meet our needs for love, acceptance and self-worth through our own strength and abilities. Against this exercise of self-effort, Jesus calls out to us, “Friends, let me show you a better way to live.” Life betwixt and between these two realities can be exhausting, which is one reason the Apostle Paul challenged us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12b NRSV).

Over and against the truth of who I am in Christ, which for me is characterized by a great optimistic hope for life together in the Kingdom of God, my fractured human reality causes me to suffer with cascading negative thoughts about my own life within the Kingdom. Together with the Apostle Paul, I call out to God, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” (Romans 7:24b). And, together with Paul, I celebrate the answer to my question, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25a).

It is true that we are transformed by renewing our minds, by learning to know ourselves the way God knows us. Learning to live this new way of life in Christ (Romans 7:6) can be a struggle, but we are reminded by Jesus that “he will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle” (Matthew 12:20). However, neither will he lower the bar. He is determined that we will learn to live just like he did, as the beloved child of God, with whom God is delighted and upon whom His favor rests.

My Takeaway: The affirmations in the four previous meditations are expressions of the truth of God’s love and acceptance of each of us. Fixing your mind on these great truths of God will lead you to a very wonderful place, that place where you rest in God’s smile of affection for you. I feel spiritually prepared to face the New Year tomorrow; how about you?

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.

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.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

What Is True Of Jesus Is True For His People

December 30, 2021

Amazing Grace:

Meditations on God’s Smile of Affection for You

What Is True Of Jesus Is True For His People

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.”

2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

In the Apostle Paul’s prayer in 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7, he uses the word comfort, in one form or another, ten times. Ten times in five verses. In using this word, Paul does not mean comfort like someone giving you a hug and assuring you that they care for you. He means so much more. He means a comfort that meets you where you are and then raises you up to where you can see new hope, new possibilities, and a new way to move forward. This is the comfort of God for us when we are suffering. This comfort from God is so real that once you have experienced it, you can share God’s comfort with other people. In this brief passage, Paul reveals the essence of our Life in Christ: What is true of Jesus is true for His people. What was true for Jesus is that he was comforted by God. Jesus’ people can also experience the comfort of God. What was true for Jesus is that he comforted and healed others. Jesus’ people can share the comfort and healing of God with others.

Noted theologian and scholar Bishop N.T. Wright says that at the heart of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle Paul is the fact that “what is true for the Messiah is true of his people.” For Paul this was not just a powerful thought or belief, but a fact of experience. Wright explains this truth this way: “the Messiah died, so his people die in him, sharing his suffering; the Messiah rose again, so his people rise again in him, knowing the power of the resurrection to comfort and heal, already in present time, and cherishing the hope that one day they will be given new, resurrection bodies like the one the Messiah himself has now” (Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone 2 Corinthians (London, SPCK) p.4).

My Takeaway: Once again, I’ll paraphrase Brennan Manning: Do you honestly believe that what is true of Jesus is true for his people? If you could answer, "Yes and Amen," there would come a relaxedness, a serenity, and a compassionate attitude toward yourself that reflects God’s own tenderness.

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.)

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Two Diamond Tales

December 29, 2021

Amazing Grace:

Meditations on God’s Smile of Affection for You

Two Diamond Tales

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

Matthew 13: 45-46

Anthony DeMello tells of a sojourner who, upon reaching the outskirts of a village, settled down under a tree for the night. Suddenly a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!”

“What stone?” asked the sojourner. “Last night the Lord appeared to me in a dream,” said the villager, “and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk, I should find a sojourner who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.” The sojourner rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. “He probably meant this one,” he said, as he handed the stone over to the villager. “I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it.”

The villager gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond; probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person’s head. He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. The next day at the crack of dawn he returned to the sojourner and said, “Please kind sir, give me the wealth that makes it so easy for you to give this diamond away.” (Anthony De Mello, The Song of the Bird)

What was the sojourner’s wealth?

Imagine you wanted to determine the value of a precious stone, perhaps a diamond. You can take your stone to a jeweler, who will examine and weigh your diamond. The jeweler uses a scale with two trays suspended from a balance rod, so that when there is equal weight on each tray, the rod balances perfectly. He places the diamond on one tray and then adds weight to the other tray until they balance.

Imagine you are that diamond. How can your value be determined? You, the diamond, are on one tray. On the other tray place all your accomplishments. Add recommendations you receive from your family and friends, your education and business success, and your participation in the programs and ministries of your church. After you have placed all you can think of on the tray, you notice that the scale has not moved. The tray with all your fame and accomplishments has failed to move your tray at all.

So you ask God for a little help; after all, He knows everything. Because God knows that value can be determined by what you are willing to pay for something, He asks you to remove all the things you had placed in the tray representing your value. Then God places Jesus in that tray, and the scales balance perfectly. You are worth Jesus! Your value to God is the same value that God places on Jesus because God gave Jesus for you: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

My Takeaway: Again, paraphrasing Brennan Manning: Do you honestly believe that God loved you so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that you, by believing in him, will not perish but have eternal life? If you could answer, "Yes and Amen," there would come a relaxedness, a serenity, and a compassionate attitude toward yourself that reflects God’s own tenderness.

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.)

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

All Because Of You

December 28, 2021

Amazing Grace:

Meditations on God’s Smile of Affection for You

All Because Of You

“Yahweh your God is there with you, the warrior-Saviour. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you,”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NJB)

Worship leader and song writer Dennis Jernigan, in the Introduction to his CD “Break My Heart O God” (1995), included his interpretation of Zephaniah 3:17.

First, here is Zephaniah 3:17 from the King James Version of the Bible:

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Next, here is Jernigan’s paraphrase of Zephaniah 3:17:

"The eternal self-existent God, the God who is three in one, He who dwells in the center of your being is a powerful, valiant warrior. He has come to set you free, to keep you safe and to bring you victory. He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy and takes pleasure in your presence. He has engraved a place for himself in you and there He quietly rests in His love and affection for you.

He cannot contain Himself of the thought of you and with the greatest of joy spins around wildly in anticipation over you and has placed you above all other creations and in the highest place in His priorities. In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph, joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing.

All because of you."

Now, I’ll paraphrase Brennan Manning from my meditation, The Father of Jesus is Very Fond of Me: Do you honestly believe that God shouts and sings in triumph, joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing, all because of you? If you could answer, "Yes and Amen," there would come a relaxedness, a serenity, and a compassionate attitude toward yourself that reflects God’s own tenderness.

My Takeaway: Today, learn to rest in the wonder of God’s affection for you: "He shouts and sings in triumph, joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing. All because of you."

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.)

Monday, December 27, 2021

"The Father Of Jesus Is Very Fond Of Me."

December 27, 2021

Amazing Grace:

Meditations on God’s Smile of Affection for You

"The Father Of Jesus Is Very Fond Of Me."

“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.”

Romans 8:15-16

Brennan Manning, who died April 12, 2013, had a profound influence on my understanding of grace. Perhaps more than any other contemporary writer, he led thousands of people into a personal experience of the Apostle Paul’s great proclamation, “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Through his own experience of life, Manning demonstrated that nothing we do on earth alters the great promise of scripture: “This I know: God is on my side!” (Psalm 56:9b). (If you haven’t read Manning’s book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, I highly recommend it.)

One of my favorite stories from Brennan tells us God is very fond of us:

“Several years ago, Edward Farrell, a priest from Detroit, went on a two-week summer vacation to Ireland to visit relatives. His one living uncle was about to celebrate his 80th birthday. On the great day, Ed and his uncle got up early. It was before dawn. They took a walk along the shores of Lake Killarney and stopped to watch the sunrise. They stood side by side for a full twenty minutes and then resumed walking. Ed glanced at his uncle and saw that his face had broken into a broad smile. Ed said, "Uncle Seamus, you look very happy."

"I am."

Ed asked, "How come?"

And his uncle replied,

"The Father of Jesus is very fond of me."

If the question were put to you, "Do you honestly believe that God likes you?" -- not loves you because theologically he must, but does He like you -- how would you answer?

If you could answer, "The Father is very fond of me," there would come a relaxedness, a serenity and a compassionate attitude toward yourself that is a reflection of God’s own tenderness.”

(I think I first read this story in Manning’s book, Ruthless Trust. It is also included in Reflections for Ragamuffins: Daily Devotions from the Writings of Brennan Manning)

Three times in John 15, Jesus calls us his friends. This word “friend” gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that I have more than head knowledge about Jesus. Do I live my life in the reality of a relationship with Jesus? If so, is that relationship more like boss and employee or servant; or do I hear him call me friend?

Our friendship with God is the heart of the Gospel of Grace so eloquently proclaimed by Paul, “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” (Romans 8:15-16)

My Takeaway: Today, learn to rest in the wonder of God’s affection for you:

"The Father of Jesus is very fond of 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.)

Friday, December 24, 2021

Zechariah’s Prophecy

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 24, 2021

Zechariah’s Prophecy

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Luke 1:78-79

Read Luke 1:66-79

Zachariah’s insight into the continuity of God working through his people can be an example and inspiration to all the followers of Jesus:

“He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:72-73).

Zachariah interpreted God’s action in his son John, and in Jesus, as God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise to Abraham. In Zachariah’s world, the people of Israel had been over-run by foreigners for hundreds of years. Oppression and brutality by invading forces had become their way of life. Most of Zachariah’s countrymen had hatred for both the foreigners and the leaders of their own country. John the Baptist was born into a culture of angry people. Even so, there were still sparks of an eternal hope within Elizabeth and Zachariah.

We too, in this present age, are living in a culture of angry people. The approval ratings of our national leaders reach new lows each week. In print and electronic mediums, we are bombarded with angry messages telling us what to think. In contrast to the present darkness of this age, Jesus calls his followers to also draw hope and strength from the faithfulness of God.

On this Christmas Eve, during the continuing darkness of a world-wide pandemic, let us draw inspiration from the sparks of hope displayed within Elizabeth and Zachariah.

My Takeaway: As we choose to trust God with our present and our future, we can become counter-cultural and embrace Zachariah’s faith in the ultimate victory of God. Praise the Lord, the God of Hope.

“And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 6:11-12

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.)

Thursday, December 23, 2021

The Birth of John the Baptist

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 23, 2021

The Birth of John the Baptist

He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

Luke 1:63-64

Read Luke 1:57-66

Zachariah makes a huge leap of faith in the naming of his son John. The cultural tradition called for him to extend his family name by giving his first-born child his own name. Nine months before this, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah in the Temple, he balked at believing the angel’s prophecy and was made mute. This time, Zachariah didn’t balk at the leading of the Lord, but followed the instructions of the angel of the Lord and named his child John.

As I reflect on Zachariah’s disobedience and obedience, I am grateful the Lord has not severely punished me for my many acts of disobedience, or failures to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The hymn writer nailed me perfectly when he wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” (Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson)

During the nine months Zachariah could not speak, he could hear. I believe it was during this time Zachariah was inspired by the Holy Spirt to formulate the prophecy which is the passage we will consider tomorrow. For today, let us reflect on how, in our silence, we can open our hearts and minds to the leading of God in our lives.

My Takeaway: For several months, I have been using a Centering Prayer application on my iPad. I begin my time with listening to one of my favorite devotional songs, I Love You Lord. Then I sit quietly for several minutes with a carved wooden cross in my hand, focused on the scripture, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) One result has been a keener sense of the prompts of the Holy Spirit and a more willing spirit to obey.

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.)

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Magnificat

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 22, 2021

The Magnificat

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Luke 1:46-47

Read Luke 1:46-56

Almost every word of Mary’s beautiful song is a quotation of scripture. Elizabeth’s child is John the Baptist, and his preaching will echo Mary’s song.

Mary and Elizabeth are far from naïve. There is yet to come much pain and sorrow in their lives. Why then could they speak with such excitement and joy about a child who then was still thirty weeks from birth? I believe they could celebrate with such uninhibited joy because they knew they were participating in God’s plan of salvation. In their Hebrew Scriptures, they met the God of Creation who is the Holy One, the Powerful One, the Faithful One, the Merciful One, and the One who is Love for all of His creation. When they realized God was literally moving within them to fulfill his promises, their spirits responded with words of reverence and joy, the words of scripture.

When I read Mary’s song, I think of that most beautiful of sonnets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet XLIII. It begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach . . .”

I believe an appropriate Advent practice for us is to write our own sonnet for Jesus. Our sonnet may begin with the words, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Then we can fill in the remaining lines with the many ways, grounded in scripture, we have experienced God our Savior.

My Takeaway: I’ve never written poetry, so this will be a poem that only Jesus could love. But it will be my expression of love for the One who set me free from sin and death.

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.)

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

He Remembered Us In Our Weakness

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 21, 2021

He Remembered Us In Our Weakness

This will be a sign for you:

you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth

and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:12 (NRSV)

In Colossians 1:15-20, the Apostle Paul affirms Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is supreme over all creation; through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. Jesus holds all creation together.

Jesus, who is Supreme over all creation, entered our world not through power or pomp and circumstance. Jesus came in the way of weakness, vulnerability, and dependency on others. On a dark night, in a cold and drafty cave, God in Christ, who always was and always will be supreme over all, was presented to humankind as a helpless God in Christ who calls us to come close to him.

I struggle throughout the year to draw close to God by exercising discipline, practicing discipleship, and by maturing into a strong-in-faith, fully devoted follower of Jesus. I so need Christmas to remind me, “He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 136:23 NLT).

My Takeaway: Like the Apostle Paul, each time I petition the Lord for strength, I hear Him reply, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” By His grace, may I also embrace my weakness as did Paul, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

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.)

Monday, December 20, 2021

In Desperate Need of Hope

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 20, 2021

In Desperate Need of Hope

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

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 had cost him his family. A family of four sat down two rows in front of him. 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 Scotch," Jim replied.

"Jim, you can't do that," the pastor responded. "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 sancutary, 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 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 while I was preaching in the sanctuary about incarnation," said Pastor Tewell, "the Word was becoming flesh in the vestry. Someone was experiencing hope."

My Takeaway: 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 in a few days. May someone experience hope through our witness this Advent and Christmas season.

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.)

Friday, December 17, 2021

My Proper Position Before The Manger Of Christ

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 17, 2021

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 (NLT)

The prophesy about Jesus from Isaiah is fulfilled by the words of the Apostle Paul:

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge 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 marriage, Cheryl and I shied away from many decorations in our house. Before I retired, we were always on the go through the season, and after working on Christmas Eve, we were traveling on Christmas Day to visit family. Things changed when we retired. For our first Christmas in our own home, we went all out with decorations, even though it was just the two of us, and our faithful Springer Spaniels. Our second Christmas was even more special. We both had experienced significant medical issues, and we were very happy to be alive. We thoroughly enjoyed the glitter!

Presently, our very special decoration is a beautiful crèche carved from olive 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.

My Takeaway: I’m OK with some of the sentimental stuff, and nostalgia about Christmas celebrations has its place, if 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

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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.)

Thursday, December 16, 2021

My Old Life Is Gone; A New Life Has Begun!

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 16, 2021

My Old Life Is Gone; A New Life Has Begun!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

As I recall, it was William Barclay who wrote of two friends walking home from a Christmas Eve Service. It was the custom of their church to hold a combined service on Christmas Eve with a small church they had founded out in the countryside. At the conclusion of the Service, members of both congregations would kneel together at the Altar to receive Holy Communion. As the two men walked along, one commented, “I noticed you took Communion next to old Tom. That’s quite a miracle to see Tom at Communion.” Old Tom was a convicted criminal, and the man’s friend, a judge, had sentenced Tom to prison. After his parole, Tom began attending the small country church. Certainly, it was a miracle that the criminal had come to faith in Christ, and now shares the sacrament, side-by-side, with the judge. The judge shocked his friend by replying, “Yes that is a miracle, but a greater miracle still is that I was at the Altar. “How can that be?” his friend asked.

The Judge replied, “Old Tom was raised in a broken home in a very rough neighborhood. There was little hope his life would avoid prison. However, in prison it is not that unusual for a man to turn his life around. On the other hand, I was born into a loving family and never lacked for anything. I was afforded a fine education and a good start in life that led to my legal career. For one such as me, to come to the place where I recognized that I desperately needed new life in Christ, every bit as much, if not more, than Old Tom; that to me is a greater miracle.”

At Christmas, the astonishing enormity of God’s love being birthed in a manger is proclaimed far and wide. As we bask in the light of such love, let us never lose sight of the truth that God became flesh in Christ Jesus because humankind was desperately in need of a Savior. Without Christ, regardless of our worldly acclaim, or lack thereof, we are destined to die. Our only hope is to affirm with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

My Takeaway: Will you join me in my Christmas prayer?

“My old life is gone; a new life has begun! Thanks be to God!”

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.)

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

All These Things Are Gone Forever

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 15, 2021

All These Things Are Gone Forever

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain,

for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

2021 has been a very violent year. Terrorists and gunman have inflicted pain, suffering and death on innocents. Hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes have brought death, devastation and unimaginable pain and suffering. The inconveniences, ailments and other matters in my life that seemed so urgent at one time have paled to insignificance. If it were not for Christmas, I could easily find myself weighed down with pessimism and a sense of hopelessness.

But Christmas is a reality that changed the world forever. Christmas doesn’t mean there will be no suffering, discouragement, disappointment, frustration or even death. Christmas means that the Kingdom of God will conquer all the forces that work against the fulfillment of God’s eternal promises. All these forces may impede me now, but they cannot separate me from the everlasting love of God in Christ Jesus. Nor can they follow me into the eternal Kingdom of God.

Christmas means I can experience the presence of my Abba Father in my life now and forever. Christmas means there is a time coming when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

My Takeaway: I know for many these two truths of God may not seem like much in the stark reality of terrible losses experienced through violence and natural disasters. Even so, I choose to fully embrace the Apostle Paul’s benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NRSV)

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.)

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

What Do You Want Most For Christmas?

Meditations for the Season of Advent

December 14, 2021

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)

How do you think people would respond if you were to stop them as they walked down the sidewalk and ask, “What do you want most for Christmas?” Or what if you were in your Sunday School class, or small group and asked that question, what kind of answers do you think you would receive?

Several years ago, I conducted a similar experiment during a worship service. Each person in the congregation was given 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. Not surprisingly, the answers primarily centered on the ideas of health and happiness, described in varying terms. What was surprising to me was what was not included on any of the cards. No one mentioned, ‘To know Christ,’ or something similar. Not one hoped their young person would choose to go to a Christian college, enter into full time Christian service as a minister or missionary or related field.

Jesus’ response to those people who wanted to see him included, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be” (John 12:26). And we all know Jesus final command to his followers: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19). Even so, not one person listed on their 3x5 card anything remotely connected to Jesus’ Great Commission.

I suppose that 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 their Master say, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ Possible, 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.” I think we can very well say the same for Jesus Christ.

My Takeaway: Jesus commands us to make disciples -- fully-devoted followers of Jesus. I believe as we fully embrace this mission, all the priorities in our life will align with God’s will.

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, December 31, 2021

What’s Your Worldview?

Thursday, December 30, 2021

What Is True Of Jesus Is True For His People

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Two Diamond Tales

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

All Because Of You

Monday, December 27, 2021

"The Father Of Jesus Is Very Fond Of Me."

Friday, December 24, 2021

Zechariah’s Prophecy

Thursday, December 23, 2021

The Birth of John the Baptist

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Magnificat

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

He Remembered Us In Our Weakness

Monday, December 20, 2021

In Desperate Need of Hope

Friday, December 17, 2021

My Proper Position Before The Manger Of Christ

Thursday, December 16, 2021

My Old Life Is Gone; A New Life Has Begun!

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

All These Things Are Gone Forever

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

What Do You Want Most For Christmas?

Seeking the Life in Christ

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