Author: Nick

We build our character through a succession of moral decisions, wise choices. Even if our “intentions” are the best, we can not accomplish what God intends for us unless we take every thought captive and place ourselves always in line with the will of God. Spend some time viewing various programs on the Christian networks. You won’t have to watch many programs before it becomes clear that many are failing to do this, but are performing  Christian mission by impulse.  In a world so full of need as our world today, it is easy to see a need and determine that we should be doing something to meet it. We do this without taking our thoughts captive and make sure, first, that the need is one we are called to address and, two, how we should be addressing it.   True determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature.    We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and […]

For me one of the most difficult things to grasp about the Christian life is the part we are to play. What is our responsibility? I know that Jesus did it all on the cross and I can add nothing to that; but I am also told that I am to “work out my salvation.” What does that mean?  When we are born again, our salvation is secured; but a struggle continues, our nature is transformed but our natural life continues. It is only when God has transformed our nature and we have entered into the experience of sanctification that the fight begins. We sometimes believe that the fight is against sin. But the fight for us is not against sin but against the human nature. As to sin, we are not to fight, but only to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord . . .” (see Exodus 14:13).  The warfare is not against sin; we can never fight against sin— Jesus Christ conquered that in His redemption of us. The conflict is waged over turning our natural life into a spiritual life. This is never done easily, nor does God intend that it be so. It […]

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life —John 4:14 Oswald Chambers devotes several days to the picture of living water and the flow that should come through us. The images deserve this attention because they show our very reason for existence. Consider the lessons to be learned from these descriptions by Christ. First: That He is the source of all that is good in us and of all good that comes into our lives.Second: That the good is not to stay within us; because for it to do so results in death and a loss of blessing.Third: That the function of the blessing is for it to flow to others. So that the blessings will multiply and so that they will be noticed by others and a proper credit given to the source. The ultimate purpose being to bring others to the fountain.Fourth: The health of the flow is dependent on the healthy status of our relationship to the source. This idea is also portrayed in the image of the vine and the branches, with Him as the vine and us as the branches. A connection […]

He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water —John 7:38 The source of a river isn’t very impressive. Here’s the source of the mighty Mississippi. It’s hard to imagine this is the same body of water that we cross on that huge bridge as we enter Baton Rouge. Mighty things can start very small. A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow— “This is the work of God, that you believe. . .” ( John 6:29 ). God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others. Water is a powerful force. It can be blocked for awhile but enough of it over enough time can overpower nearly any obstacle. A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an […]

Stay here and watch with Me —Matthew 26:38 For three years the disciples watched Jesus and were amazed. They were dazzled by miracles and challenged by His words. At the end of His walk on earth, the time for them to move from observation to participation was at hand.  We go through a similar process in our personal walks. We come to Christ through observation. We see Him working in the lives of others. We recognize the possibility that life through Him provides. We are like kids at Christmas filled with wonder; but at some point it’s time to participate, to step up to the plate. Watch with Me.” Jesus was saying, in effect, “Watch with no private point of view at all, but watch solely and entirely with Me.” In the early stages of our Christian life, we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. It is significant that Christ called for others to “watch with me” at Gethsemane. For there, He completely sold out to His Father’s will. That’s what we must do. We can move to that level of commitment only with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that infills us at salvation, must […]

They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6 Almost ever Christian at some time has thought about being a missionary.  Once we come to the Lord, something within us knows that we owe everything to Him and we want to pay back. Why don’t we act on this desire? Sometimes it’s because once we come to Christ we already have responsibilities and family and put off to “some day” our desire to respond. Other times, we simply are afraid of the kind of commitment that is required. All of this arises from a misconception of what a missionary is. A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ).  With this understanding, some of the “tough” scriptures come into a different focus. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” ( Luke 14:26 ). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one […]

He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord —2 Samuel 23:16 As we discussed yesterday, for there to be life tin us, there must be a flow of the living water through us. If it stays within us, it stagnates and, like the dead sea, can not support life. Further the flow from us must be “to the Lord.” Sometimes, we are willing to share the blessings we have been given, but we want to control the outflow. We want to determine to whom the blessings should go, when, and under what conditions. That is not the kind of flow Christ calls us to. We are to turn the hose over to the Lord. He is to determine the when, where and who of the outflow of our blessings. How can I pour out “to the Lord” natural love and spiritual blessings? It is an act of the will, a determination in my mind. As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worthy to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I must pour it out “to the Lord.” Then […]

He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow . . . —John 7:38 When Jesus spoke these words the disciples were well aware of the value of flowing versus non-flowing water. This is an image of the Dead Sea. The name ‘Dead Sea’ is actually a kinder, gentler translation from the Hebrew name ‘Yam ha Maved’, which means, ‘Killer Sea’.   The surface of the Dead Sea is over 1,300 feet below sea level. The very bottom of the sea, in the deepest part, is over 2,300 feet below sea level. The Dead Sea has some of the most saline water on earth; as much as 35% of the water is dissolved salts! That’s almost six times as salty as the ocean! The Dead Sea is completely landlocked and it gets saltier with increasing depth.  When Jesus spoke of “living waters” he was speaking of waters that flow. Waters that don’t flow contain no life. So it is with us, the significance of our lives is measured not by what we are given, or by what we retain, but by what flows through us.  “He who believes in Me . . . out […]