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Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3   We do an awful job of conveying the essence of Christianity. The world has the idea that Christianity is about forgiveness and being good and maybe love. It is viewed as a system of great, but unattainable, standards of behavior. Most see it as great, but mystical, teaching. And much of this is part of it. BUT Jesus Christ did not come only to teach— He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The redemption means that Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives us are based on that nature. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces a sense of despair in the natural man— exactly what Jesus means for it to do. As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way. Only then are we willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the poor in […]

Those who wait on the Lord . . . shall walk and not faint —Isaiah 40:31   I call this blog “Nick’s Walk” because it really is all about walking.  Once we have come to Jesus, once we have decided to follow Him, it’s all about walking. Walking is the tough part. The daily putting of one foot in front of the other, not just in front of the other, but in the direction He leads, is Christianity. It’s not what we do on Sunday or what we put in a blank on a form. It’s every step we take.  Sometimes we think we have to take the next step because it’s time to move on. This verse reminds us that the key is waiting on the Lord, not making a move, not taking a step until He says to do so. Our walk is a demonstration of our character. There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, “Be spiritual,” but He says, “Walk before Me. . .” ( Genesis 17:1  ). In order to walk successfully, we need to keep the Lord before us continually. We learn to know […]

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am —John 13:13 Obedience is only possible between people who are equals in their relationship to each other; like the relationship between father and son, not that between master and servant. Jesus showed this relationship by saying, “I and My Father are one” ( John 10:30 ). The Son was obedient as our Redeemer, because He was the Son, not in order to become God’s Son.   He came that we might have the same relationship. 26 He told the religious leadership: But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”   We are like sheep. We follow the shepherd because of our relationship with Him. We know Him. We know His […]

. . . unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven —Matthew 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees stand for the proposition that a Christian is more than a person who does good things; he has been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. No one can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations. The great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. Even when we find ourselves “doing good” we must consider why we do what what do. Do we adore the adoration? Do we thrive on being considered “good” by others? Or are we compelled to what our new nature demands and what Our Lord directs, no matter […]

. . . how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11 I must never lose touch with the character of God. If I can remember His love for me, I will never feel alone or without worth. If I remember the universality  of His love, I will respect the worth of all men and try to love as He loves. If I can remember His power, I will never feel incapable or overwhelmed. If I can remember His control over all,  I will do fearlessly the things I should do. This is easier to say than to do. I have learned that those I have placed faith and trust in before can disappoint.  In fact, they will always, at some time, disappoint. Humans are inconsistent. So I must remember that my God never changes. He is the great I am. I can rely on His unchanging love, power and control.    The more I trust in His character, the more I learn that He deserves that trust. The more I recognize the good things He has given me, the more I realize what is really good and […]

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians . . . —Romans 1:14   There is no doubt that I am indebted to Jesus. Not only is He my savior; but my Lord. Every good thing I have, I owe to Him. I could never repay Him for all He has done or is doing.  Paul had a keen sense of that indebtedness. You are not your own . . . you were bought at a price . . .” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.   Is it time to turn from our “needs” and recognize them as “wants?” Is it time to open our eyes […]

I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also —Matthew 5:39 In this verse, Christ is not telling us to be cowards. In fact, He is telling us as Christians we are to take courage to a whole new level. We are to put our natural tendencies aside and exhibit Christ in our lives. To be a Christian is always to be more, not of ourselves, but of Christ in us.  A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor. We know that we are to live so that Christ is seen in our lives. For in seeing Him, others will be drawn to Him and the salvation He offers. We sometimes interpret this to mean that we are to be as good as we can be: being nice, giving  to the poor, going to church. That’s evidence of a “good” person. But such is not evidence of Christ inside. We evidence Him when we act as only He could do. Such as turning the other check. Being not all that we can be, […]

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord . . . —Isaiah 6:1 Many years ago Rosemary and I had friends who were deeply devoted Christians. They were however, enamored of a TV “Christian” personality. When the personality fell, these good people were nearly destroyed. Thankfully their spirituality was deep enough to refocus and restore them.  Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. It is crucial that our focus is always on God not some person. It is equally important that we don’t allow ourselves to be the focus of someone’s spirituality. Years ago we belong to a church. It seemed to be a wonderful thing; it was only later clear that for many the church was the focus of many of the members and not the Lord. When the church turned out to be imperfect, many fell away. My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be […]