Jesus’ Presence in Our Fragile Lives

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 23, 2024

Jesus’ Presence in Our Fragile Lives

“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began”

John 17:4-5

John has brought us into the inner sanctum, the holy of holies, the very heart of Jesus, where we can sit at the feet of Jesus while he prays for us. (John 17) I am in awe of Jesus’ prayer that brings his followers into a personal, intimate relationship with the Father. Jesus envisions his followers experiencing the very same unity that is glorified in the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is a good place to reflect on how Jesus’ intercession for his church has not been well received by the Christian church. The disharmony between denominations and disrespect and lack of unity within some denominations is not helpful for building the Kingdom of God here on earth. It is evidence of sin’s corruption of humanity, that some Christians sing praises to God while refusing to edify their brothers and sisters in Christ in other churches. Could John have been any clearer when he warned the church? “If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness” (1John 2:9).

Many Christians mistakenly look at the end of Jesus’ ministry as a disaster, with his arrest and crucifixion the lowest point of his life, redeemed only by God’s resurrection of the crucified Messiah. In the opening passage of Jesus’ prayer (John 17:1-8), Jesus takes an altogether different perspective: “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began” (John 17:4-5). Jesus saw the last day of his life on earth as the climax of his mission to birth God’s New Creation.

My Takeaway: We will do well to rethink how we interpret those parts of our lives we think of as failures or low points. The Apostle Paul’s wonderful affirmation of Jesus’ presence in our fragile lives can help us in this process. (See 2 Corinthians 4)

Sē’lah                                                                                         

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

A New Reality for the People of Christ

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 20, 2024

A New Reality for the People of Christ

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

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.

But take heart, because I have overcome the world”

John 16:33

Jesus tells his followers that when he is through birthing God’s New Creation, his followers will have the very same standing with God the Father as he does. When our prayers embody the life of Jesus, our prayers are unimpeded as they ascend to God. Think of what that means! When we pray in the Life of Christ, we receive the full and undivided attention of God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Jesus says that when we pray in his name, we are not going through him to God; we are speaking directly to God the Father. Jesus’ incredible promise is really hard to wrap our mind around, and that only becomes more difficult when you consider what he next told his disciples: “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone” (John 16:32a). Jesus made his promise in the full knowledge that his followers, in their human frailty, would falter and not always remain faithful. Our prayers will not always fully embody the life of Jesus. Jesus knows all of the pitfalls that are in the pathways of his disciples and responds by making yet another incredible promise: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

My Takeaway You are God’s beloved child with whom He is well pleased, and upon whom His favor rests.  What is true for Jesus is true for Christianoi, the people of Christ. As a disciple of Jesus, you have unfettered access to God the Father. Yes, these promises of Jesus seem impossible for us to fully grasp. Even so, I invite you to join me as I take a leap of faith and choose to dwell in God’s new reality for the people of Christ. 

            Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

 

No One Can Rob You of That Joy

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 19, 2024

No One Can Rob You of That Joy

So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again;

then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

John  16:22

In John 16: 12-22, Jesus is describing to his disciples the indescribable. God’s New Creation is about to be birthed into existence. How can you describe that? Jesus gave his disciples just a taste of what was coming, and then tells them to trust the Holy Spirit. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to teach us the significance of what happened on those three days, and how to live out of this new reality.

The two greatest aspects of God’s New Creation are the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of prayer. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ very presence with the believer. The Holy Spirit is our guide, our teacher, the One who empowers our souls to live as fully devoted followers of Jesus.

Jesus told his disciples, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy” (John 16:22 Emphasis mine). You are reading this today because of the truth of Jesus’ statement. The joy the disciples experienced at seeing the resurrected Jesus changed them forever. It was that joy that compelled them to follow Jesus’ command to go into the whole world and make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.

This joy wasn’t just for those eleven disciples with Jesus the night he was arrested. St. Stephen experienced that joy and so did St. Paul. Teresa of Avila experienced that joy, as did Saint Teresa of Calcutta. So did Martin Luther, John Wesley and Detrick Bonhoeffer.

My Takeaway: So have I, and so can you! 

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

A Daunting Challenge

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 18, 2024

A Daunting Challenge

And when (the Advocate) comes, he will convict the world of its sin,

and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

John  16:8

God’s people have always longed for the day when God’s justice will prevail throughout the world. Jesus promised that with the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, God is working to answer the longing of our heart.

Jesus has promised that our Advocate will guide and empower us. Jesus is not saying that the Holy Spirit will be working independently of us to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit, working in and through his followers, will bring justice to the world. When the followers of Jesus lead lives of honesty and integrity, they will stand apart from the ways of the world. Their lifestyle will contrast sharply with the ways of people who do not believe in Jesus. When the followers of Jesus speak out against injustice in the world, their beliefs will contrast sharply with the ways of the world. When the followers of Jesus work diligently in ministries of mercy and justice, their ideals will contrast sharply with the ideals of the world. When the followers of Jesus live with the hope of God’s future in their heart, their sense of inner peace will contrast sharply with people living without hope. It will be through the lives of fully devoted followers of Jesus that the Holy Spirit “will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8).

The challenge of Jesus to his followers is to open our hearts and our lives to the Holy Spirit so that Jesus can live his life through us. This challenge is daunting because the persecution that confronted Jesus awaits his followers as well. However, Jesus has promised us that he will always be with us; nothing can separate us from him. We can do everything through Christ, who gives us strength. (Matthew 28:20, Romans 8:39, Philippians 4:13)

My Takeaway: The Good News is that Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to us. Now the question confronting us is whether we are up to the challenge that comes with receiving the Spirit?

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

 

It’s All About Control

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 17, 2024

It’s All About Control

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

John  15: 18-19

In my meditation on September 12, 2024, I Am Leaving You with a Gift, I noted that John uses the word, world, to denote the opposition to the Kingdom of God. Within the world are those who choose not to believe and obey Jesus, and there are the forces of evil that oppose the reign of God. It is into this world that Jesus sends his disciples.

In today’s world culture, more than any other time in my life, I am seeing the manifestation of Jesus’ prophesy: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18-19). Why does the world hate Christians? At the risk of oversimplifying a complex issue, in a word the answer is control. It’s all about control.

Within our fallen human nature, we long to live life on our own terms, we want to sing as our own personal anthem, My Way:

And now, the end is near

And so I face the final curtain

My friend, I'll say it clear

I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full

I traveled each and every highway

And more, much more than this

I did it my way

I planned each charted course

Each careful step along the byway

And more, much more than this

I did it my way

 

My Way by Frank Sinatra

My Way lyrics © EMI Music Publishing,

The followers of Jesus willingly submit their lives to the will of God, and faithfully endeavor to do life God’s way. For a world bent on each person doing what seems right in their own eyes, a Christian becomes a threat and a target of hatred. On any given day, the issues discussed in newspapers and social media typically take positions opposed to the teaching of Scripture. Even so, the promise of Jesus is that while we are called to be in the world, but not of the world, we are not left alone.

My Takeaway: “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me” (John 15:26).

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

Three Words, One Command

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 16, 2024

Three Words, One Command

This is my command: Love each other.

John  15:17

This morning, as I read John 15: 9-17, three words caught my attention: love, friend and joy.

Repeatedly, Jesus affirms his love for his disciples. Over and over, he affirms his command for his disciples to love others in the very same way he loves them. I believe it is his love that makes it possible for us to produce fruit; it is his love that raises us up in friendship; it is his love that fills our lives with joy.  This word love gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that I live my life in the truth of Jesus’ love for me.

Jesus’ words, “Now you are my friends” (John 15:15) inspired the praise song, I Am A Friend of God, with its simple, yet profound, chorus: “I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God, he calls me friend.” 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? (Israel Houghton, I Am A Friend of God)

Jesus said he wants me to be filled with his joy. Six times in his Farewell Discourse Jesus speaks of joy. In Psalm 23, King David said that his cup overflowed with the goodness of God; in John 15:11b, Jesus says to his disciples, “Yes, your joy will overflow.”  This word joy gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that Jesus’ joy overflows in my life.

Often, I hear Christians express confusion over Jesus’ promise that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using his name. The last two verses in today’s passage provide the context for Jesus’ promise: “I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:16b-17).

My Takeaway: When our focus is on producing lasting fruit for God’s Kingdom and loving each other, when our asking is aligned with God’s will, Jesus’ promise becomes crystal clear. 

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.

Bringing Glory to God

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 13, 2024

Bringing Glory to God

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.

This brings great glory to my Father”

John  15:8

In John 15, Jesus says he is the true grapevine, and his Father is the gardener. What if your church announces the Gardener will be meeting with your congregation to cut off every branch that isn’t producing fruit. He will also prune the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. Ouch! I wonder how many people will show up to meet with the Gardener.

I believe our willingness to sit still for the Gardener is directly proportional to our ownership of Jesus’ expectation that we produce much fruit for him. Note that Jesus twice says that he expects much fruit from his disciples, not just some fruit. (John 15: 5 & 8) Our willingness to sit still for the Gardener is also directly related to our staying close to Jesus: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). Knowing I am in Christ, and he is in me emboldens me to allow the Gardener to cut and prune, even if I do cringe and cry ouch!

Our mission is to make disciples for Jesus for the transformation of the world. The fruit Jesus is expecting us to produce is fruit that helps people know and love him. We are also called to produce much fruit in ministries of peace and justice that transform the world into the Kingdom of God. This passage should give us pause to examine our life for evidence that our focus, our priorities are aimed at producing much fruit for Jesus’ Kingdom.

My Takeaway: I must never lose my personal expectation that I will produce much fruit for Jesus. When I am faithful, I will hear Jesus says to me, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:8).

And also you! 

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(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.