Blessed Are the Merciful

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount 

May 31, 2024

Blessed Are the Merciful

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Matthew 5:7

In the Beatitudes, Jesus is taking us to a much deeper understanding of the nature of forgiveness when we are in a right relationship with God. I believe there are three levels at which we can understand Christian forgiveness.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians: “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13b). We forgive because the Lord commanded it. This is the first level of forgiveness.

However, Jesus wants us to go deeper. As we mature in Christ, we will understand that it is in our best interest to forgive. We realize our Heavenly Father really does know best. We come to understand why mercy is an essential part of God’s triad of purpose for us: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NIV). We learn that in the absence of forgiveness, all that is left is bitterness, anger and revenge.  We learn that when we practice forgiveness, when we extend mercy, our lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually are enhanced. It is in our best interest to forgive, so we think of forgiveness not as something we must do, but as something we get to do. This is the second level of forgiveness.

The closer we get to Christ, the more we become aware that “God is working in (us), giving (us) the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). We find ourselves in the third level of forgiveness. We become like God and extend mercy because we want to. We are delighted with what God is doing in our life, and the desire of our heart is to share it with others.

My Takeaway: As we progress in our transformation to become like Christ, this promise of God becomes our reality.

“Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

The Message

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount

May 30, 2024

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6 

There are again echoes of Psalm 37 in this Beatitude, as well as David’s Psalms 4 & 17. In Psalm 4, David begins by calling out to God, “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!” (Psalm 4:1 NASB). David was in a right relationship with God because God called and anointed David to be King over Israel. God made David righteous, that is, in a right relationship with God.

It has been my experience that Christians fall into three basic groups regarding their understanding of righteousness. The first two groups constitute most Christians. One group hasn’t yet grasped the concept of a relationship with God and thus is more focused on trying to be ‘good enough’ to please God, rather than on resting in God’s acceptance of them. The second group just assumes righteousness comes with being saved, and they don’t spend much time thinking about righteousness, much less hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

The third group is those who Jesus blesses in this beatitude with the promise they will be satisfied.

When Jesus speaks of righteousness in this Beatitude, he is not talking about the righteousness of the world that can be earned through good works. He is saying his followers are called to a different kind of righteousness; the righteousness that comes through faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. In this righteousness, the life of Jesus becomes visible in our life as we live in a way that expresses the merciful, forgiving, reconciling will of God.

Jesus is blessing those who hunger, who long, and who thirst from the depths of their souls to be made right with the God of all creation. Because of the immeasurable love of Jesus, I am now and forever more in a right relationship with God: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

My Takeaway: Therefore, I can rejoice with the psalmist in saying:

“Because I am righteous, I will see you.

    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied” (Psalm 17:15).

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

Blessed are The Meek

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount 

May 29, 2024

Blessed are The Meek

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”

Matthew 5:5

We know from the Gospels that the Psalms had a great influence on Jesus as he quoted them often. While he does not quote a particular psalm in the Beatitudes, the influence is clear. His pronouncement, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” is an affirmation of the old and very wise teacher who crafted Psalm 37. The essential message of the psalm is in verses 5-6: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Jesus’ reference to the meek is for those who surrender control of their lives to God.  The meek are those who are willing to be an instrument of grace used by God. This is a very profound, yet simple, way to pattern your life.

First, you commit your life to God.

Second, you exercise faith in God by trusting Him with your life.

Third, God will act.

This pattern is simple in form, but very difficult to implement in our lives. We live in a culture that values strength, independence, and self-reliance. Meekness and humility? Not so much. The psalmist is not very specific about how God will act, but the description is rather breathtaking; “. . .  your vindication like the noonday sun.” The psalmist is trying to describe the wonder, beauty, and awe associated with being in the presence of God.

The reward for faithfulness to God is being in perfect peace as you rest in the presence of your Heavenly Father. Seven times the psalmist refers to the blessing of God as, “The godly will possess the land and will live there forever” (Psalm 37:29). This means the reward is eternal. This is what it means to “inherit the whole earth.”

My Takeaway: The Good News is that God’s blessings are His presence with us, now and forever.

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount

May 28, 2024

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4

“God blesses those who mourn” is often quoted at funerals or when someone is going through a time of personal suffering or grief. As I noted in the preceding Beatitude, while God certainly cares deeply for all people, including those who are suffering and grieving, Jesus has in mind here those who mourn over their sins and the sins of the world.

One way to think about the core values of the life in Christ is to remember the three essential H’s:

hunger for God,

heart for people, and

hatred of sin.

Those who are blessed as spiritual beggars in the first Beatitude are spiritually poor because they have a hunger for God. Those who mourn in this Beatitude grieve for the way their sins have hurt God and diminished their own life. As a Christian, my life belongs to God; by creation and redemption, I belong to God. My sins not only cause pain and suffering in my own life, but they are also an affront to God and to Christ Jesus, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20b). Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who are brokenhearted over the way they have allowed sin to diminish their humanity. Jesus is pronouncing a blessing on those who grieve over how their sins have insulted the character and integrity of their Abba.

In the spirit of this second Beatitude, there is a verse that is often used in the liturgy for Holy Communion which I believe should be a part of our daily devotions: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NRSV).

My Takeaway: Sin is trying to live our life apart from God. I invite you to join me to contemplate all the ways, overt and subtle, we try to work out the meaning of our life on our own terms, and thus miss life with 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.)

 

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount 

NOTE: Today I am beginning a series of meditations on the Sermon on the Mount. This series will take us through the third week in June, and then I will begin a series on the Gospel of John.

May 27, 2024

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 5:3

I recall hearing a speaker comment that the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution for the Christian church. I agree. It has been four years since I last wrote meditations on the Sermon on the Mount, and I am looking forward to spending the next three weeks with you in this Sermon Jesus preached on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The first portion of the sermon is the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are Jesus’ description of the life in Christ. These pronouncements by Jesus reveal the character traits of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the statement, “Blessed are” which can also be translated, “Happy are” or “Joyful are.” Six of the Beatitudes promise a future reward; while two, “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” (v. 3) and “Blessed are the Persecuted” (v.10) promise a present-tense blessing.

“God blesses those who are poor” is sometimes thought of as God’s concern for the economic poor. While God certainly cares deeply for all people, including the poor, the widows and orphans, Jesus has in mind here the poor in spirit. Tom Long calls Jesus’ intended audience, “spiritual beggars” and I think that is entirely appropriate (Matthew, Thomas G. Long, (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville 1997) page 48). When we are spiritual beggars, we recognize we need help; we recognize we can’t save ourselves, no matter what we do.  All we can do is plead for mercy. Jesus says this is the key to our right-standing relationship with God.

As we continue to reflect on the Beatitudes, we will see that Jesus’ people do not have some Pollyanna, head-in-the-clouds, blind faith. Jesus’ people are most assuredly aware of the state of this world. We see the same abuses, oppression, war, sickness, droughts, and famines as the rest of the world. But we also are convinced of the coming Kingdom of God where God will make all things right. For the followers of Jesus, the Final Judgement of God, the return of Jesus, is the ultimate Good News.

My Takeaway: This first Beatitude brings a present blessing. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is ours now, we can rejoice in “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” (2 Corinthians 1:3b-4).

Hallelujah and amen!

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

And He Was Healed!

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 24, 2024

And He Was Healed!

“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.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the account of Naaman’s healing in 2 Kings 5. Naaman, the mighty general of the king of Aram, suffered with leprosy and was sent to Elisha, the prophet of Israel for healing. Naaman followed Elisha’s instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan River and his “skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!” (2 Kings 5:14). The story is multifaceted with multiple treasures to be gleaned, but I want to focus on just one small detail. 

A young girl had been taken captive from Israel and given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. This servant girl triggered the events that led to Naaman’s healing when she told Naaman’s wife, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3). This simple statement is itself multifaceted as it models the life of a disciple. At its core, her statement is an affirmation that Naaman was included within the grace of the mighty God of Israel. For the possibility that he would be accepted by the LORD of Israel, Naaman risked crossing the border into Israel in pursuit of his healing.

This unnamed servant girl models for us the greatest gift of healing we can offer to our family, friends, and neighbors. God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth loves and accepts us, just as we are, not as we should be. Not just once, but every day of our lives, the Almighty seeks to be in union with us, just as we are, not as we should be. I believe when we are truly honest with ourselves, when we truly know ourselves, we will never stop rejoicing anew each day in celebration of our acceptance by God. How can we ever get over how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ for us? This is the gift, the healing we can offer others. Let that sink in. We get to participate with God in showing other people the marvelous grace and love of God that comes to us just as we are, not as we should be.

Yes, we are seeking to become the person we should be, the person living the life in Christ. But we begin each day just as we are, and that person is loved and accepted by God.

My Takeaway: Do you know of a person who from all outward appearances is not, according to conventional wisdom, the person they should be? Do you believe that God loves this person just as they are? Do you believe that God loves them with the very same love and tenderness He has for Christ Jesus our Savior? Will you share this glorious truth with them? 

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

What’s Your Worldview?

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 23, 2024

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, 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 this meditation 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.

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

 

I Have Remained with You

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 22, 2024

I Have Remained with You

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 

Catherine of Siena is a saint of God in the blessed unseen cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. (Hebrews 12:1) Like Mother Teresa, she too experienced the dark night of the soul. Catherine had been blessed with an unusually intimate and vivid awareness of the presence of God in her life. She would spend hours and hours in her small room relishing in the experience of God as she prayed. Then one day she felt terribly alone. The awareness of God’s glorious presence was replaced with troubling, impure, lustful thoughts; such an experience she had never before had in her entire life. Catherine fought against her loneliness and despair for quite some time until the troubling thoughts began to fade, and her awareness of God returned. When her sense of peace returned, she questioned God: “Where were you when these foul images filled my mind?” God’s answer stunned her: “Catherine, all during these temptations I have remained with you, right in your heart. Otherwise, you could not have overcome them.”

Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God why have you forsaken me?” and only a short time later he whispered, “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.” How could he make such a tender affirmation during such torment? Because his Abba Father remained with him, right in his heart.

The experience of Jesus, Catherine of Siena, and countless other saints in the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us affirms the great mystery of our faith. Because of the divine presence of Christ within us, we have been liberated from the tyranny of emotions. Our faith doesn’t depend on experiencing God in discernible ways, our faith rests only on Jesus. Because Christ is our life, God, our Father, declares that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He further attests that this righteousness, since it was given to us as a gift, is not based on our behavior. We are not his righteousness or new creation because of what we did, or what we are doing, or what we have refrained from doing. Rather our right-standing with God is based on what God has done in uniting us to Christ in death, burial, resurrection, and enthronement.

My Takeaway: When all our feelings, our emotions and even the opinions of others may rail against us, our life in Christ will liberate us, and safely carry us through the storms of 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.)

 

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

My Grace Is All You Need

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 21, 2024

My Grace Is All You Need

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.”

2 Corinthians 12:8-9a

When I first read Brennan Manning’s memoir, All is Grace, I was a bit put off. I had greatly admired Manning for his ability to live and communicate the awesome grace of God. He had surrendered his ordination as a priest because he found true love. He married, mastered his alcoholism and the last time I talked with him when he was living in New Orleans, he was very, very happy. Then his life came unglued, again. He divorced. He again stumbled over the temptation of alcohol. He was asked how it was possible that someone who has had such powerful encounters with God’s grace could relapse. When I first read his response, I thought it was trite, flippant: “These things happen.” Upon deeper reflection, I found it simple and eloquent.

At his end, Manning was dependent on the kindness of others for his sustenance. Certainly, this was not a Hollywood, storybook ending for a man who had helped countless thousands open their hearts to the tenderness of Abba’s embrace. Maybe it wasn’t a Hollywood ending, but it was biblical. Jesus said pretty much the same thing would happen to the Apostle Peter. (John 21:18-19)

We want external recognition for the sacrifices we make for the Kingdom of God, the life in Christ. We want to be better than before. We want others to see Jesus visible in our mortal flesh. The Apostle Paul waxed poetic to Timothy when thinking about the end of his life: “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day . . .” (2 Timothy 4:7b-8 NRSV). We tend to forget that at his end, Paul, alone and dismayed in a Roman jail, was beheaded.

After her death, Mother Teresa’s personal letters revealed she and Brennan Manning were two peas in a pod. "I am told God lives in me -- and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul," she wrote in one of the letters. She was both holy and human; and she and Brennan were not alone. The Apostles Peter and Paul are in the pod with them, as are countless souls who have dared to believe in the furious longing of God’s love for us, just as we are.

Manning, Teresa, and Peter stood with Paul and heard Abba say, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8). In our human experience, some days God’s grace is more than sufficient. Some days it’s not. Some days we want more. Some days we are sure we need more than just our Abba saying, “I love you.” It has been my experience that on those latter days, He does give more. In addition to saying, “I love you” Abba says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4 NRSV).

AND, Jesus also says, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

My Takeaway: Is that enough for you? So far, for me, it has been.

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

Learning to Wait in Silence

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 20, 2024

Learning to Wait in Silence

“People listened to me expectantly,

    waiting in silence for my counsel.”

Job 29:21 (NIV) 

I had to chuckle when I read today’s text from Job. The passage is so succinct, so simple, almost understated, and yet it contains three attributes that I find so difficult to master in my life: waiting, silence, and seeking advice. Not surprisingly, these attributes are so difficult because their fruit is so satisfying for our soul. Our adversary, the great enemy of God whose “purpose is to steal and kill and destroy,” will use all his power to deny us the fruit (John 10:10). But God is greater and is working in our lives to fulfill Jesus’ purpose to give us a rich and satisfying life.

My human nature may not like to seek advice, but the divine nature of Christ in me relishes in the promise of God: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8 NIV). 

My human nature wants to pour out all my cares and concerns to the Lord. The divine nature of Christ in me reminds me the writer of Ecclesiastes was right: there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7b NIV). Thus I am learning to heed the counsel of Habakkuk: “But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

My human nature thinks waiting is time wasted. The divine nature of Christ in me is teaching me the wisdom of God: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 KJV).

My Takeaway: I do have much to learn, and I am exceedingly blessed that my teacher, the divine nature of Christ in me, is equal to the task.

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

What Wondrous Love Is This?

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 17, 2024

What Wondrous Love Is This?

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

John 11:25a

We can know about someone: we can know of them; or we can know them, know them personally. I love the music of Robin Mark of Belfast, Northern Ireland. For several years I had listened to and enjoyed his music, but after spending a week with him in a setting where he led worship services for our group twice per day, I got to know him. After hosting him to twice lead worship at my church, corresponding with him, and reading his book, Warrior Poets Of The 21st Century, my personal knowledge of him grew, and my appreciation for his music and his ministry deepened.

John 11:17- 44 tells the story of Martha and Mary, and Jesus raising their brother Lazarus from the dead. Martha and Mary had been in various settings with Jesus on numerous occasions, and they had come to have great respect and appreciation for his ministry. Yet, they still did not know him. Martha and Mary’s ‘if only’ statements to Jesus reveal an underlying trust in his supernatural powers, but do not reveal an intimate knowledge of the person of Jesus. In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was able to help them understand that the resurrection was not some future event that will happen some day; the resurrection is a person. As God’s Messiah, Jesus has brought the future hope of God’s restored Kingdom to become a present reality.

Amid this hugely difficult theological and doctrinal point to grasp, Jesus reveals the very heart of God. Jesus wept. Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down” (Isaiah 53:4). The Palmist tells us that God cares deeply for us: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8).

My Takeaway: God keeps our tears in a bottle and Jesus weeps with us. Our standing invitation is to come and know God the Father Almighty as our dear Abba, and to intimately know Jesus as our friend and comforter. When we do, our hearts will sing . . . 

 

What wondrous love is this,

O my soul, O my soul,

what wondrous love is this,

O my soul!

 

What Wondrous Love Is This?

Dr. Alexander Means, 1835

(My ancestor and my name’s sake) 

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

 

Be Prepared in Season And Out Of Season

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 16, 2024

Be Prepared in Season And Out Of Season

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

2 Timothy 4:2 

In this retirement season of my life, I have a growing list of things I will no longer be doing. I no longer have responsibility for weekly planning of worship services and casting a vision for a local church. Even so, the commission of Jesus is to be prepared to be used by Christ as a vessel of grace, regardless of the circumstances or seasons of our life, and in some cases, especially because of the circumstances of our life.

If I catch myself thinking my usefulness to the Lord has diminished, I turn to one of my greatest heroes of the faith, Saint Patrick. Patrick was born into a Christian family, where his father was a deacon, and his grandfather was a priest. About 400 CE, as a teenager, Patrick was kidnapped by marauders and sold into slavery in Ireland. For six years, he tended his slave-master’s flocks on the slopes of Slemish Mountain. In remembering his time as a slave in his memoir entitled The Confession, Patrick said he prayed at least one hundred times per day and almost as many times at night. Eventually Patrick was able to escape and return to his home in Great Britain where he studied for the pastoral ministry. Patrick believed God was calling him to return to Ireland, and he convinced the church to commission his return to Ireland as a missionary. One historian described Patrick’s mission field as, "It was an Ireland of tribalism, an Ireland of war, an Ireland of suspicion, an Ireland of violence and death. Here (Patrick) came as a virtual stranger to this country of warring factions." Even so, Patrick's ministry lasted 29 years. He baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and planted 300 churches. In my trip to Ireland last year, we visited The Rock of Cashel. Originally the seat of the kings of Munster, according to legend, St. Patrick himself came here to convert King Aenghus to Christianity.

It was the person of Christ who comforted Patrick while he was a slave; it was the person of Christ who prepared Patrick to return to Ireland as a vessel of grace; and it was the person of Christ who inspired Patrick to pray,

"Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

My Takeaway: This same person of Christ will prepare us as well, in season and out of season, to be his vessels of grace.

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

I Press On

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 15, 2024

I Press On

“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”

Isaiah 49:15b-16a

People believe all manner of different things about God and His relationship with humankind. There are some who say that God only saves a chosen few, and those chosen are saved for all eternity. There are others who say that God wants all people to be saved, but people must choose to be saved by God. Once saved, these people must behave themselves, and if they don’t, they get unsaved. If they decide they want to be saved again, they must start the process all over again.

Then there’s me. I believe God wants all people to be restored to a right relationship with Him. I believe God stirs the sin-sick souls of people to awaken their spirit to become aware of His love for them. Once awakened, these people get to make a choice. Do they want to live their way, or God’s way? If they chose God’s way, the Holy Spirit baptizes them into the life of Christ. Then they hear Jesus say to them: “You are now my sheep; listen to my voice. I know you, and now you will follow me. I give you eternal life, and you will never perish. No one can snatch you away from me, for my Father has given you to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch you from the Father’s hand. Because the Father and I are one, you are safe and secure for all eternity.” (See John 10:27-30)

Then, as these new children of God gaze in total amazement at their Shepherd, Christ Jesus, they see God the Father Almighty standing behind Jesus, and He is inscribing their name on the palms of His hands.

My Takeaway: I know some people disagree with me. Some people have tried to convince me that it is possible to lose our right-standing with God. Maybe, but I don’t think so, because I am convinced Jesus has me in his hand and isn’t going to let me go. Therefore, I press on with the Apostle Paul to “lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12b NASB).

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.

Kingdom, Power, Glory. Forever!

Meditations for Ragamuffins

May 14, 2024

Kingdom, Power, Glory. Forever!

“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:13

The New Testament church took the words of Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and incorporated them into the liturgy of worship services. The phrase, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” was added to the liturgy and eventually those words were inserted in some later manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah truly waxed eloquent when he affirmed this same nature of God: “Surely Yahweh's mercies are not over, his deeds of faithful love not exhausted; every morning they are renewed; great is his faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NJB). I find much comfort in these affirmations of the eternal nature of God.

I was born into the Baby Boom era, and I have lived through the post WWII era, the Korean and Viet Nam war era, Camelot, Watergate, recessions and periods of inflation, post 9-11, and now this repugnant era of antisemitism. There have been periods of history when we sang “happy days are here again,” and hoped they would never end, but they did. There have been periods of history that seemed intolerable, but they too passed. The truest proverb of all time is “This too shall pass.” Everything has its season; everything will pass except the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension ushered in the eternal new era of God’s Kingdom. Just as God’s mercies are renewed every morning, so also His Kingdom is born anew with each new birth of a follower of Jesus. “For yours is the kingdom forever.” Hallelujah.

“For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). God’s power is eternal, therefore “I am certain that God, who began the good work within (me), will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6). “For yours is the power forever. Hallelujah!

The very essence of God is goodness, mercy, holiness, and love. The Glory of God is the revelation of God’s essence. This glory is revealed through the presence of God. God, as a burning bush to Moses, and as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for the Israelites during the exodus are examples of God’s Glory. The ultimate expression of God’s Glory is in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord, Christ Jesus, and his glory is everlasting. “For yours is the glory forever. Amen.” Hallelujah!

My Takeaway:

Now all glory to God,

who is able to keep you from falling away

and will bring you with great joy

into his glorious presence

without a single fault.

All glory to him who alone is God,

our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All glory, majesty, power, and authority

are his before all time,

and in the present,

and beyond all time!

Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 

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.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

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.