Nick’s Walk

Train up a child in the way he should go;            even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 When Christian parents are young and their children are even younger, this proverb is shared with them. They pray with their children, take them to church, and tell them about Jesus. They read them bible stories, try to direct their television watching and friend selection and generally feel this wise proverb is working out. When these parents are a bit older and their children are teenagers, they begin to think of this proverb in terms of condemnation. “What did we do wrong? Where did we fail?” These are the common refrains of parents of the young ones who start to drift (or sometimes run) away. Some try to comfort them with advice about everyone having free will and “You did the best you could.”  Maybe the Amish have it right. When young ones get to a certain age, they let them loose. They spend some time in the world and, their parents hope and pray, that they will find the values of their parents have merit and that they will return […]

But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” —Mark 1:38 You would think with all the Christian media out there that American Christianity would be booming. But it isn’t. In most sections of the country there are many churches, but it seems the congregations are made up mostly of folks who have left other churches. What’s the problem? The problem is that we are not following Our Lord’s plan: to share the gospel one to one. Most people come to Jesus because someone shared with them, not because they heard about Him on television or from a screaming street preacher.  The pattern for evangelism has been summarized as: “Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Introduce a Friend to Jesus.” This pattern emphasizes a couple of important point. If we are to obey the great commission we need to be where the unsaved are… in the world. We are often too comfortable in our churches and families. Jesus went to where the lost were. He hung around with the outcasts and the lost. He spoke to the woman at the well in Samaria […]

“They [followers of Christ] were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42). What makes an assembly of Christians a good church. A recent article by Hank Hanegraaff asked “How do I Find a Good Church?” But since most new church members have recently left a church, a primary question ought to be “How do I evaluate my church?”  Obviously, a church should be a place of worship. Hanegraaff suggests that should include prayer, praise, and proclamation.  These days the focus seems to be on praise, specifically that portion of the service devoted to music. Clearly worship includes praise, but the balanced church places equal emphasis on prayer and proclamation. Praise takes a front seat because it can so easily be a spectator sport. One can stand and mouth the words and maybe even lift an occasional hand and seem to be praising. But prayer is more personal. That requires a personal connection with God and proclamation, the sharing of God’s word, really requires individual effort. Hanegraff also declares that a well-balanced church is evidenced through its oneness.  Oneness is manifested through community, confession, and contribution. We […]

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1  The term “faith” gets kicked around a lot. Many claim to be people of “faith.” Politicians, for example, are all people of faith during elections; not so much later. As Christians we know that it’s faith that enables us to live the Christian life. It’s helpful to consider what faith is not. Adrian Rogers has pointed out: Faith is not a hunch. Faith is not positive thinking. Faith is not responding to emotions, feelings, or icicles up and down your spine or miracles, signs and wonders. Faith is not believing that God can do something. Faith is knowing that God will. Faith is taking God at His word. Real faith dies to doubt. It is deaf to discouragement. It is blind to impossibilities. Faith is like a muscle; it becomes stronger with use. All things are possible to the person of faith; not because they are capable, but because they recognize their own incapacity and his great power. Faith is a gift from God and it’s growth is a gift as well. If you are His you have it. If it seems […]

This week our Pastor presented the above video from David Wilkerson “A Call to Anguish.” If you don’t see a video above you can catch it here. It’s a great video with a great message. In fact, I believe it deserves some further comment. Pastor Wilkerson distinguishes “anguish” from mere “concern.” True anguish is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It call us to action. For the Christian, the first real anguish is self-centered. It is anguish over our spiritual state. It is that deep abiding concern about our own spiritual state. It’s purpose is to lead to true repentance and to Christ. Christ inside should quench that anguish. It is not spiritual to continue to wallow in anguish once we have truly turned our lives over to Him. Folks who live a life-time in such a condition have either never really committed to Christ or have fallen victim to Satanic lies. The focus of anguish after salvation turns outward. It focuses us on our God-called mission.  Christians have much to be concerned about: the lost, the state of our country and world, the impoverished, widows, those in prison, the persecuted church throughout the world. Such concern should lead […]

This Saturday may be the most important part of the Kairos process. Last weekend at Camp D we shared with the residents the love of Jesus from Thursday through Sunday afternoon. The time is full of learning, sharing, food, and fun. We bond with the residents and help them to bond with each other. On the Saturday following the four day retreat, some of us go back in for an Instructional Reunion. We emphasize the importance of weekly prayer and share and give specific instruction as to how to participate in Prayer and Share. The residents, thereafter, meet weekly and once a month some of the outside team return to participate. Prayer and Share is the heart of Kairos. A requirement for participation as a team member is weekly participation in a prayer and share group. At Amana, we have taken to calling these Friendship Groups. I participate in a men’s group on Wednesday mornings. I don’t like to miss. My week is not the same when I do. Our pastor is a strong believer in the power of the small group. He attends the Wednesday 6 a.m. meeting and from there travels to meet with a similar group […]

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you..” Matthew 6:33Is your faith the center of your life or tacked on to your life? “No man can serve two masters…” (Matthew 6:24). Do you believe that? Compare Brother Lawrence’s life: “After having given myself wholly to God to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not God; and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world.” Doesn’t “seek first the kingdom” mean we are to have but one goal, and that is to know Jesus Christ personally, powerfully, passionately, and preeminently?  Doesn’t it mean that everything else will flow out of that? You say, “But wait a minute. Brother Lawrence was a monk in a much different time.  I’ve got other things to do! I’ve got a job. I’ve got to rest. I’ve got to have recreation. I’ve got to have friends. I can’t just narrow my interests to one.” Doesn’t it come down to one question? Who is the center of your life: Jesus or You? Disturbingly simple […]

Rose and I enjoy watching the cooking shows on television, like Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. From these we learn that things are typically hectic, if not pandemonium in an institutional kitchen. I was impressed, therefore, when I learned such was not the situation in Brother Lawrence’s Kitchen, where,  maintaining the presence of God allowed Lawrence tranquility. Practicing the presence of God is its own benefit, but Brother Lawrence learned that it had additional, often unexpected benefits. He wanted others to know the benefits of this way of life and told others about it, but more importantly, his example was a stronger inducement than his arguments. His face expressed such a sweet and calm state that it alone affected others. Moreover, his state affected his work. His co-workers noted, that even in the busiest times in the kitchen, Brother Lawrence still preserved his recollection and heavenly-mindedness. He was never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its turn with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit. “The time of work,” said he, “does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same […]