Author: Nick

  I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” (Psalm 16:2)Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25) Who are the most joyful people you know? I’ve been thinking about that. I guess it’s the ones who focus on good stuff. Their joy is sometimes temporary because what they thought was good turns out to be not so much. The nearly perpetually joyful acknowledge that every good thing comes from God. They look around and see the hand and generosity of God everywhere. They can discern what comes from God and cling to those things, avoiding the rest. The really good stuff is beneficial, lasting, readily available, maybe even free. I have enjoyed swimming the past few weeks. Water is good. It’s life-sustaining. If there’s enough of it you can cool off in it. It will hold  you up and allows  you to exercise with low impact. It’s beneficial, lasting, and unless you live in a desert or in California the past few years, available and free. It’s a pure gift from God. It’s connection to Him is direct. Man does nothing to […]

You don’t have to read the words in red, the words of Jesus, very long until you learn that it’s all about the Kingdom.  “Every thought and saying of Jesus was directed and subordinated to one single thing …, the realization of the Kingdom of God upon the earth,” and “this one phrase [Kingdom of God] sums up his whole ministry and his whole life’s work” ( Jesus: An Historian’s Review of the Gospels, 1995, pp. 10-11). Jesus said that the kingdom was at hand and, yet, taught us to pray for it “to come.” He began many parables with words such as “the kingdom of God is like…” He seemed often to describe a government with God in charge. At other times he said that the Kingdom of God is within you, or in some translations, “in your midst.” Then at His trial for blasphemy, he said his Kingdom wasn’t “of this world.” Is it possible to reconcile these diverse teachings about the Kingdom? I believe Jesus was talking about the Kingship or Lordship of God over each life. This is possible because of His sacrifice and is appropriated through faith. I think He was also talking about a world […]

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6 I have noted that I treat the words of Jesus differently. Some I don’t “interpret” or “filter.” These usually contain good news. Others I take with a “grain of salt” or put through a practicality filter. When he talks about sin, especially sin I’m not troubled by, but drives others crazy, I take him literally and seriously. I’m not so sure about this “treasure” and “heart” thing. I understand that I’m not suppose to store up treasures on earth, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have a bit of savings, a nice house, a retirement account, maybe a little vacation spot.  It’s no problem that I can’t store everything I own in my house. I have to put things in storage. My closets can be bulging with stuff. That’s not what Jesus is talking about. Is it? I need to have two vehicles. What […]

There sure is a lot of judging going on. Just spend some time on Facebook, watch the news, spend some time people watching.  Jesus makes it pretty clear that we are not to judge, but why? It certainly is intimidating to think about the standards by which we judge others being applied to us. That would seem to be enough to shut down all the judging, but it doesn’t. How about some other reasons we shouldn’t judge. We are so bad at it. We’re really bad judges. In court, the fact finder is cautioned to withhold judgment until all the evidence is in. We never have all the evidence. In fact, we jump to judgment with just a thimble full of evidence. We reach final judgment on evidence like: One news story. One sentence overheard or read. One outfit observed. One glance made. One opinion heard. One photo taken. One mistake made. I have said some stupid things. Ask anyone or just read my years of blogs. I go swimming every morning. I leave the house in a swimsuit, t-shirt and minimal foot ware. I hope no one who sees me is looking for legal counsel. When I need […]

Recently I’ve taken a lot of comfort from Steven Curtis Chapman’s Glorious Unfolding. Consider the lyrics: Lay your head down tonight Take a rest from the fight Don’t try to figure it out Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart ‘Cause I know this is not Anything like you thought The story of your life was gonna be And it feels like the end has started closing in on you But it’s just not true There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold And this is going to be a glorious unfolding Just you wait and see and you will be amazed You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over So hold on to every promise God has made to us And watch this glorious unfolding There is so much truth in the song. Life is a fight with often just the whisper of God to keep us going. Life rarely goes like we think it will. There is often a sense that the end is closing in. It’s also true that the story isn’t over and we have to hold on to the promises of God. However, it’s also important […]

Happy Birthday America. I am lucky to have been born an American. I  am proud to have devoted eleven years to your service in the Navy. You have provided haven for those fleeing persecution and poverty over your many years. My celebration is a bit restrained. You are being to show your age. You have passed several critical tipping points. You have gone from being reliant on God to thinking you are God. While you once supported the Kingdom, you now are lead by those who think they are kings.  Lot’s of folks do that in their own lives, but those tragedies are multiplied when it happens to an entire country. You have gone from honoring and supporting those who work hard to supporting those who don’t. That’s never  a good thing and the economic strain is starting to show. The hardest workers are those who have come with visions of how it used to be only to learn how it is. You have tipped from workforce to welfare. You have gone from being humble and grateful to prideful and arrogant. The world no longer looks with admiration but shakes its head with disgust. I say these things not like those who […]

Tonight is the last night of VBS at Amana, my home church. I really needed it, for lots of reasons. Some I anticipated. Some came as a surprise. I needed to serve. We talk a lot about service. Most of us don’t get the chance to spent every night for a week actually serving. There is no experience like it. I needed to bond. It has been great being with other Christians. I learned a bit more about a lot of people. almost all really good. I needed to be silly.  Wearing a hat that makes you look funny. Doing a little dance, only if it’s just a couple of steps. Cutting up with kids. These are all activities that none of us get enough of. I expected much of the above. The rest I got I didn’t expect. I needed to get away. As soon as the week started my calendar filled up with stuff. I have deadlines staring me in the face from many different directions. The stress started to mount. I considered dropping out. God said, “don’t.” I got more done this week than in weeks in which I don’t do any service at all. Getting away […]

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1: 15. These are the first words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Mark. John first records the question and the invitation, “What do you want?” and “Come and you will see.“ Mark begins with the message. The time is now. The Kingdom is here. Repent. Believe. It’s amazing how much more complicated than this we have made it. We love to wade in the whys and hows. We relish the apparently complex theology. Is it all to avoid the simplicity of the invitation and the message? No doubt. What do you want? We want something different, something meaningful. We want more than the world we can see and touch offers. We want to have eternal purpose. Come and you will see. “Follow me,” Jesus says and you will see. I will answer your questions. I will give your life meaning and purpose. I will do it all. You just come and follow. The time is now. Jesus doesn’t start with theology. There is no discussion of the great truths.We get no emotion evoking sermon or shame inducing lecture. […]