Nick’s Walk

Ephesians 6:12 New Living Translation (NLT) 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Satan uses people like a chess player uses pawns to carry out his schemes. There is no doubt about it. He tried to use Jesus. He will try to use us.  This leaves us with two challenges: 1. To recognize it’s a spiritual fight and see the real enemy. 2. Not be pawns ourselves.  The key to this is to recognize that satan uses folks when they are tired or hurt or discouraged or frightened, when they feel trapped, AND when they are not in Christ. When we are in Christ, people will see Jesus in us. It just happens. It’s not something we do. Jesus acts as our shield and our fortress. When Satan is using someone, he tries hard not to be seen. We need to use our spiritual eyes and recognize the person causing havoc in our lives as a tired, hurt, discouraged, frightened, trapped and lost person. We need to see the manipulator and not the pawn. […]

Yesterday someone sent me a great story about Mama and burnt biscuits. I passed it on because it was a great story. I did so in a hurry and didn’t mention I was passing on what someone else had sent me. The story was not original with me. My mama was not a great cook,  but I don’t remember her burning biscuits. In fact, I’m not sure I remember her making biscuits. My apologies to my mom up in heaven and to anyone who thought the story was from my childhood. Now I could tell you some stories, but that’s for another day. Be blessed and remember only Pastor T burns the biscuits and they only at Men’s Group on Wednesday mornings. Men, see what your missing. By the way men, we have a meeting Friday night at Amana. No biscuits, I promise. Nick

Burned Biscuits When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinnerevery now and then.  And I remember one night in particular when shehad made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.  On that eveningso long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremelyburned biscuits in front of my dad.  I remember waiting to see ifanyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and askme how my day was at school.  I don’t remember what I told him thatnight, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on thatugly burned biscuit.  He ate every bite of that thing… never made aface nor uttered a word about it! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Momapologize to my dad for burning the biscuits.  And I’ll never forgetwhat he said: “Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then.” Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him ifhe really liked his biscuits burned.  He wrapped me in his arms andsaid, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s realtired.  And […]

Psalm 30:11-12 English Standard Version (ESV) 11  You have turned for me my mourning into glory may sing your praise and not be silent.     O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! When I turned on my computer this morning a reminder popped up which read “Thank You Jesus.” I really needed to see that this morning. There is a little app called “Reminders” on all Apple devices. I am an all Apple guy now. I use it to remind me to pick up stuff at the store. To get my blood work done and to do numerous things that help me earn a living. A few weeks ago I told it to remind me every once in a while to “Thank You Jesus.” I’m so glad I did.  Sometimes I feel like I’m swimming in a sea of negativity. Part of the problem is that it’s the political season and the ocean is full of negative advertising. Part of the problem is that there really are lots of problems out there. Part of the problem is that problems are squeaky wheels. They make themselves known. Bills show up in the mail and if you don’t pay them […]

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 27 Now members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 We are social creatures. Generally we function better in a group. We are happier in a group. I am convinced of that although I enjoy my solitude as much as anyone and I recognize that getting together as a group is hard, even painful, for some. But after a real group experience, talking, interacting, agreeing or disagreeing, just doing something with someone else, I feel more alive.  It seems to me we settle for less than the full social experience. We Facebook. We tweet. We pack 100,000 strong into stadiums; but that doesn’t always satisfy our God-given desire to socialize. It takes more than simply being in the presence of others to be social. There needs to be interaction. The cold text of a Facebook post just doesn’t do it. It’s great to have dozens of your “friends” remember your birthday, but it’s not the same as an hour spent with one friend at a birthday lunch.  Have we given up […]

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 25: 19-25 I heard a teaching recently that essentially said we should expect to be afraid. It’s what we do in spite of our fear that matters. That sounds good as far as it goes, but it’s not what Jesus said. He repeatedly said “Do not be afraid.” and “Fear not.” That seems […]

Yesterday Apple announced the new iphone and a new operating system. The new phone is bigger and lighter and faster and, yes, cooler than the old iphone. Normally such an event would be front page news. However, Apple had the misfortune of making its big announcement the same day that America is attacked. The events in the Middle East pushed Apple’s big announcement as well as the presidential campaign and lots of other stuff off the front pages. Life is so much a matter of perspective. While these events were happening in the world, I was honored to be taking Bill McKee’s place at a nursing home. There I asked the residents if they had any prayer requests. One lady wanted us to pray for her sister who had just found out that her cancer was back. Another gentleman was concerned that his family was having trouble just putting food on the table. Neither gave much thought to the new iphone or the attack on an American embassy. It’s all a matter of perspective.  This morning my sister is sitting at Women and Children’s hospital waiting for a new grand child who doesn’t seem that eager to come into […]

Remember when you would go back to school after your summer vacation. It seems each new teacher had nothing more creative to do than to have each kid talk about (or maybe write about) what they did during the summer. It always seemed that some nerdy kid had a fabulous summer. They did something so cool that it made whatever you did during the summer seem trivial. I always felt like my summer had been wasted.  I kind of feel like that when I visit http://reauxfamilymissions.wordpress.com and read how Jonathan and Megan and the kids spent their summer. I have always preached how important it is to send kids on a “real” mission trip when they are young so that they will get an appreciation of what they have and an understanding of what most of the world has to deal with. That doesn’t even come close to going with your kids and doing real mission stuff for half the summer. Jonathan and Megan you are my heros. I can’t wait to hear how  you spent your summer. What I thought was a significant summer for me pales when compared to what you guys have seen and done. It has motivated […]