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 “”But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 NLT This is one of those scriptures we tend to skip over. We know we’re not perfect. We know we’re not close to perfect. Yet, In today’s scripture, Jesus tells us to be perfect. How can we do that? One moment at a time.  We don’t have perfect lives or years or months or even days. But we can have perfect moments. And, after all, we live best when we live in the moment. When we choose to respond to any given person or circumstance in a godly way, we have a perfect moment. We have fulfilled Jesus’ command—in that moment. Every time we handle a situation in a godly, loving way, we have a perfect moment. We can be holy because God is holy. “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:2 NIV). Holiness is an outflow of God’s nature. By resting in God’s love and following His will, we can act in healthy and positive ways. But we can’t do it alone. Problems develop when we expect ourselves to accomplish perfection relying solely on our own efforts. […]

Do you feel wronged today? Is there something in your heart eating away with you because of a hurt or slight? I know what you’re thinking because it’s usually what I’m thinking. “So and So needs to come to me and apologize. He’s the one who is wrong.”  But Jesus said, “No, you go to him.” Whether you are in the right or whether you are in the wrong, as a child of God, you are to go to that individual. Isn’t that what God did in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve sinned against God and the Bible tells us that God came looking for them: “Adam, where art thou?” That was not the voice of a detective. That was the voice of a God Who pursues us to forgive us. Stop right now and ask God to show you if you have an unforgiving spirit toward someone. Then, in His power and strength, call that person and ask his/her forgiveness. It’s going to be impossible in your strength, but remember, God does the impossible. You’ll be even more blessed. Nick

I attended a one day retreat at Angola today. The topic was The Beatitudes and I was asked to give a talk on “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4. I discussed the  mourning process that accompanied the death of my son and went on to discuss some general principles about mourning. I believe we don’t mourn enough. We should mourn when we lose something and then move on. A failure to mourn leaves us in a limbo between our past and our future.  I further told the guys that are many things we should be leaving behind: our old lives after we come to Christ, habits that we enjoyed but which are sin and need to be left behind.  It is interesting that Jesus call the Holy Spirit the Comforter. One of His purposes is to lead us through mourning as we transition from the life of a sinner to the life of a saint. That transition, that period of mourning and comfort, explains why he is blessed who mourns. Upon returning home I found something new to mourn. I discovered that nearly a month of my postings have not been delivered to […]

I just realized that my daily devotionals have not been posting to the Amana Prayer Partners since mid December. It is of some concern that no one mentioned it until now. I am encouraged that my pastor is the one who mentioned it. I thought I did some pretty good posts. If you would like to review my posts for the last month, you can do so at http://nickswalk.blogspot.com/ I am not sure whether to apologize or expect appreciation for the vacation I have provided. I think I have fixed the problem. I hope that’s good news. What you have missed is the end of the Utmost for His Highest postings and the new more original postings since January 1. I know some people have problems when the year changes in things like writing checks, but this is ridiculous. Maybe we could add a class to Wednesday night, “Catching Up with Nick’s Walk”? Then again, maybe not. Be blessed. Nick

LUKE 15:1Now all the tax gathers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. We know that when the world looks at us, they should see Jesus. It’s important that those who need Him, the lost, see Jesus, not just our buddies in the church. Do you really want to attract sinners? Even if so, how? Should we be like them? Jesus attracted “the tax gathers and the the sinners.” How did He do it? What was there about Him that did it? Power. In Jesus, folks saw power. The world knows it’s in trouble and that trouble won’t be fixed by anything natural. We need supernatural power and Jesus showed it. Hope. Jesus had hope about Him. He made it clear that we we see now; the life we have now, is not all there is. Truth. It has been sad to observe politicians trying to take advantage of the tragedy in Arizona. But most are not fooled. There is no element of truth in what is heard. Just as folks don’t normally fall for television ads or folks who walk around with a mask. Jesus was honest and candid and open. The naked truth is […]

“And God said to the man, “I can’t use you. Consider your past and you will understand.” Notthere 4:1 God is not fond of rear view mirrors. Satan loves them. The above “verse” appears no place in scripture. In fact, nothing like it appears. God seems to relish taking folks with a questionable past and doing great things through them. He also likes to move those comfortable with where they are to places that will stretch them. Consider Abraham. God called him away from his home and his family, his entire history. He took Him to a strange land and made him the father of a nation. Consider Paul. God took a persecutor of Christians to become the apostle to the gentiles.  Consider Moses. God through him took His people out of slavery. Remember how they kept looking back. Even considering that being a slave wasn’t so bad back in Egypt. None of these men could risk looking back, they had to focus on looking forward. Have you ever considered how large the front windshield of a vehicle is compared to the rear view mirror? We should use the same approach. An occasional glance backward can be helpful, but […]

How to Know the Will of God“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7  Do you find yourself saying things like “God never talks to me.” “How am I suppose to know His will?” One of our problems is we read in scripture how God spoke to someone and we always assume that God spoke with an audible voice and we expect the same experience. Consider this: to hear from God we have to be listening. How do we listen? Sitting in a quiet place and meditating is fine, but if you want to listen to someone, go to where you find His words. Here’s a test: how much time do you spend reading the Bible? Do you think God really believes we want to know His will when we don’t take even 15 minutes a day to read the one book above all books that God has specifically written to show you His will, to reveal His will to you, to unfold His will to you? The word of God is like no other literature. When you’re seeking God and […]

All Our Anxiety 1 Peter 5:6-10  6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.   I had a nightmare last night. I awoke at 4 a.m. fearful and anxious. I have to admit I frequently feel anxious and not always after a nightmare. Peter, the bold and brash, equates a roaring lion with anxious thoughts? The roar of the lion tears us up on the inside by fears, frustration, and helplessness. Anxiety is a tormenting emotion, and the Devil wields it very well. We don’t […]