Author: Nick

Take a break with me. I mean really do it. Stop a moment. Close your eyes. Take a deep break. Hold it. Let it go. What a gift! Every breath is a gift from God. Consider all the years of breaths he has given, allowing us to experience all that we have. Every breath is an opportunity to experience His wonders and to play some small but important part in His plans. Today, Memorial Day, we remember those whose last breath was selfless, often happening alone in hot jungles or cold wastelands. We have not always honored or even appreciated their sacrifice. Such sacrifice seems less common or real in these days of me, me, me. In honoring, the all-important sacrifice of others, we need to recommit to important use of the breaths we have left. We need to take advantage of the opportunities they never had.  The continuance of this marvelous gift means that He still has things for us to experience and to do. We still have a purpose and a reason for living. As we get older this becomes harder to realize. We tire more easily. Everything we planned for has not happened and the truth that […]

     In the 21st century, Christianity amounts to Going to Church. Pollsters separate us as “churched” or “unchurched.” We are the “churchgoers.” Does “Going to Church” qualify one as a Follower of Christ?  Keith Green used to say, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to MacDonalds makes you a hamburger.” Are our churches retreats from the world? Jesus commanded us to “go” not retreat. A church can be comfortable. It’s always nice to be among others like ourselves. The world is cold, hostile and threatening, but that’s where the battle is and where we are called.  More than retreats, churches aren’t really efficient at growing followers of Christ. Going to Church falls short in several ways. Primarily Church in 2018 isn’t church as portrayed by Jesus or lived out in the first century. Consider: Delegation      Church members are divided into two classes. The Ordained/unordained, Clergy/Lay, Paid/Unpaid distinctions in the modern church are unbiblical. We are called to be a Kingdom of Priests. The Great Commission is personal. The temple curtain has been torn. All His children have access. With that personal privilege comes personal responsibility.      Nearly 80% of unchurched people […]

Mother’s Day isn’t a great day for many. There are kids who have lost or never knew their mothers. There are mothers who have lost or never knew their children. There are women who prayed for motherhood and never saw that prayer answered. There are mothers struggling to raise children alone. We are greatly insensitive to the demographics these days. I remember a few years ago attending a Mother’s Day church service. The pastor asked the mothers to stand and then asked their husbands to stand with them. What an idiot. Had he no idea what life is like these days? There are mothers and children whose relationships are strained or even broken who will go through today pretending or avoiding each other altogether. There are mothers who are convinced their kids never listen. There are kids too proud to admit what a difference their mother’s words have made. We should greatly honor all mothers today. We should also forgive those mothers who haven’t been perfect. If we are honest that maybe most of them. We should be sensitive to those for whom this day is bitter. I am blessed to have great mothers in my family. They know who […]

GQ Magazine published an article recently: 21 Books You Don’t Have To Read. The list included many classics. The editors said these books were racist, or sexist, or just boring and provided alternatives. The Bible made the list. Here’s the reason:  The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, (to folks like me who didn’t know what sententious means; it is “given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner), foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned.  If I wrote a book that made it to this list, I think I would be proud. It’s GQ.  The Bible’s place on the list is really more a slam at Christians and less a critique of the collection of books. (The Bible isn’t a book; it’s a book collection, but I wouldn’t expect the editors of GQ to know that.)  Right off the editors go after those who “supposedly live by it” that would be us Christians, but who […]

  I’m being profiled at Wal-Mart. I am sure of it. Should I contact the ACLU or AARP? Perhaps I can rely on my own legal expertise. See if you think I’m being paranoid. My bags are never checked when I leave Wal-Mart. No matter how many bags or who I am with, I leave the unlucky recipient of a smile and a polite, “Have a nice day.” What’s a guy have to do to get a thorough check out?  It’s embarrassing when the mom with five kids in front of me has every bag checked while the kids scream. I cringe when the old couple behind me is frisked. That one may be an exaggeration, but not by much. Why me? I have some theories: I am old. I am 69. Perhaps the Wal-Mart profile includes notices that older folks are more trustworthy. NOT TRUE. Ever play cards with an old person? Ever hear their stories about walking 5 miles to school in the snow, both ways uphill in South Louisiana. Old folks are not more trustworthy.  Besides they have motivation. Most are trying to live on social security. That will make you want to slip a little something […]

Tomorrow should be my best day ever. That should always be true. As a follower of Jesus, I am promised a life of peace and joy, (for the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17). With God, there is always more, so each day there should be more peace and more joy. It’s peace and joy that flows from the righteousness of  God and not my feeble attempts to do and be good. Something must be wrong because that’s not happening.  In fact, there seems, as each day goes by, less peace, less joy, less contentment and hope for the future. Obviously, the peace and joy is not automatic. What does it take on our part to secure it? Seek First.  I need to seek first the kingdom to enjoy peace and joy.  This is a literal thing. It’s not just priority, but timing.  We should do kingdom business each day before doing anything else. Doing this makes God a priority. I know we are busy. If it means getting up earlier, we need to do it. The days I do this, the days are better. […]

Rosemary and I had one of those rare nights out at the movies. We had heard so much about I Can Only Imagine that we had to see it. It lived up to every expectation. It did a beautiful job of tying together themes. I loved the memories of eras of Christian music that have been so meaningful in my life. The challenge and power of forgiveness was vividly portrayed. It’s important never to give up on anyone or any dreams. Perhaps most powerful of all is the image of the title song itself: that great mystery and expectation of what it will be like when we take our last breath here and have our first moment with Him. It’s a thought that should underlie and motivate our every action. Satan tries desperately to push it aside as he distracts us with so much of life that is of no eternal significance but can seem so monumental.  I think tonight when I crawl into bed I will stick in my ear buds, and log in to some of my favorite Christian music, old and not so old and drift off to dreamland and try to Imagine.  

I spent a couple of hours yesterday at The Monastery. Not the one pictured above. The monastery I visited is better known as “Death Row” at Angola. “Death” doesn’t seem an appropriate name based on the residents I have come to know there.  I have met only ten of the eighty plus Monastery residents. I have no idea if these ten are representative of the whole. Perhaps, they are not. It would be understandable if the administration put forth the ten most impressive inmates to take part in the first ever Kairos in the facility. I’m pretty sure there are some meaner and nastier customers inside who are in no way followers of Jesus.  I was recently asked if I thought “any” of the ten had really given their lives to Christ. I am as convinced that they all have as much as I am convinced about the spiritual state of those in my church. These men are incredibly impressive. They are students of scripture and display an authentic love of the Lord they follow. I wish my prayer and share meetings on the outside came close to the ones in The Monastery. In the groups I am familiar with […]