Nick’s Walk

I love the Mississippi Gulf Coast. From the 1950s and 1960s, I remember the pool under the oak trees at the Alamo Plaza Motel or staying with family friends just a few blocks off the beach in Biloxi. In those days, the coast sported antebellum homes and fishing piers fingered out into the gulf. The coast was a jewel of the old south. I was there on the day that blacks first “dared” to use the “white” beach around the lighthouse in Biloxi. I recall the police, and the traffic and the tension, but no violence. In those days, the coast was “dry.” Nevertheless, you could buy beer at certain businesses. The salesman would take a six pack quietly out of a cooler “in the back” and pack it separately in a plain paper bag. I started my military career and my marriage on the coast. In 1969, I was stationed at Keesler AFB. Camille had taken the stately old homes, the fishing piers and much of the coast highway. Before checking into the base at Keesler I spent Christmas at home and met a pretty red head who I would eventually marry. In the months ahead I would […]

Ever wonder why Jesus had to die such a horrible death? I mean I get that a perfect sacrifice was needed to satisfy a perfectly just God. But come on, crucifixion? Not just crucifixion, but a horrible scourging before that? Why the betrayal? Why the spineless disciples? Why? Why? Why? I have a surgery coming up in a couple of weeks with several weeks of tough rehab to follow. To put it mildly and to save some self-respect, I will call my current state “nervous” and not “fearful” or “petrified.”  I know that Jesus will be with me through the experience and that in the long run all will be well. Even in the days before, it’s hard to get what’s coming out of your mind. It helps to know that Jesus knows what I am going through and what I will go through. No matter how bad things get, Jesus had it worse.  I can’t imagine what it was like that night before in the garden. Jesus, with his divine knowledge of all the horrors that would happen in the day ahead. When we have “waiting room syndrome,” Jesus has been there in a way we can’t imagine. When something hurts, […]

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 In real Christianity in which there is no demarcation between “professionals” and “amateurs” the church is more important than ever. Notice that every noun that Peter uses to describe the church is plural: race, priesthood, and nation. The cry is not “I am the church.” but “We are the church.”  The refrain is not “No more priests” but “We are all priests.” In the church as Jesus established it, there is more individual responsibility than we see in the church buildings today and and more corporate action.  When the church gathers then how should it look? The gathered church is often described as a hospital and that is apt. When we gather most of us need some healing, refreshment and renewal. I like to think of the gathered church as a teaching hospital. Those institutions have healing and the teaching of the healing arts as their purposes. When we gather as the church some of us are sometimes patients. Sometimes […]

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9At times I have really messed things up. I have gotten way into a project and realized I should have called a professional. At other times, I called a professional and realized I could have done the job, better, cheaper and quicker. What to do?Centuries after Jesus joined His Father in heaven, after Christians went from a persecuted sect to the “in” church, we divided our people into professionals and amateurs. It wasn’t in the manual and was, I think, a huge mistake. We called some clergy and some “non.” We came up with “full time ministry” and “paid staff” and “ordination.”  Most of us became part-time, uncalled, unpaid, bench warmers. We sent some off for special schooling. We dressed them differently. We let the pros sit up front where they could be seen and admired. We trusted them with the manual and the mission. Church became a building where the professionals lived and worked, and the rest of us visited once […]

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). The truth—and it is painful to admit—is that no matter how good we are, we will never be good enough to satisfy God’s holiness. And that doesn’t change even after becoming a Christian.Packiam, Glenn (2010-01-01). Secondhand Jesus (p. 128). David C Cook. Kindle Edition. If a parent told his children that they would never be good enough, he would be scorned and probably end up in court, but he would be truthful. I have know so many who, although they could accept they were not perfect, they believed that they were “good enough.” God doesn’t grade on the curve. He requires perfection, 100 %. We can’t make that grade. Coming to grips with not being “good enough” should bring us to our knees. Thank God, He has provided an answer to this problem. The essence of sin is we human beings substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us. We … put ourselves where only God deserves to be; God … puts himself where […]

You may protest, but the question we may never have bothered to ask ourselves is if our desire to serve Christ and our drive to succeed in life are mutually agreeable goals. Packiam, Glenn (2010-01-01). Secondhand Jesus (p. 88). David C Cook. Kindle Edition. Some of us grew up in a very legalistic Christianity. It seemed that anything fun was not appropriate for the Christian. If it made you smile, it must be sinful. We were told that those happy in this life were forfeiting eternal bliss. It’s no surprise that many of us ran from Christianity as soon as we could. The modern church has tried to call us back. There is a new message, “Christianity can be fun.” I believe in that message, but like most of man’s endeavors it has gone too far. In not getting the word of God directly, we have fallen victim to rumors about what the Christian life is. We have “learned” that Jesus can get us what we really want: wealth, popularity, good health, success. The prosperity gospel has become very popular. In some forms, it’s ridiculous: Send me $1000 and God will make you rich. But other forms are less […]

Have you heard fellow Christians complain that they are not “getting fed” or that the teachings at their church are too shallow or basic, that they want more “depth?”  What do they really mean? What can a pastor, preacher, teacher or even a blogger, do to address these concerns. Sometimes what they really mean is “I have heard that before.” In response, let me say that the gospel is really simple to state, but apparently difficult to absorb, and a continuing struggle to apply. If you want each new sermon or teaching to reveal biblical facts you didn’t know before, you don’t understand scripture. The whole of scripture could be named the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It’s all about Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. Every time we look at scripture we should come away fixed on Jesus. If that seems like the same old stuff, sorry about that. We don’t need more facts, we need more application of the facts we already have. The solution to every great murder mystery doesn’t come with the revelation of new facts, but with an understanding of the facts we had all along.  If you hunger to learn more from the less preached […]

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV) Somehow we get the idea that as Christians we should live a life free of trouble. So when we have trouble, we doubt our position with Christ. Our “Christian Friends” may counsel us to “have faith.” They may ask like the disciples, “Who has sinned?” Christ promised us peace, not a trouble free life. Recently I was told I had a urology problem. It could be stones, or a tumor, but it must be something. I was troubled, but peaceful. I think as a Christian that’s where I should have been. Turned out there was really nothing significant wrong. But that’s not because I’m a Christian or because of my work with Kairos or because I do a daily blog. It’s because God is good. He doesn’t owe me good health. God is not a coke machine, dumping out goodies in exchange for something we do. A couple of years ago, I had a knee condition removed by prayer, when some great Christian friends ended […]