Nick’s Walk

“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 […]

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? —Romans 10:14 15-25% of the population of the world is yet to hear a clear presentation of the gospel so that they can personally place saving faith in Christ for salvation. This is no mystery when you consider that most Christians are not sharing their faith, usually about 2% do on a regular basis. You have a story. Have you ever told it? If not, why not? Maybe you think that God can never use you in this way, that you’re just not gifted in that regard, and it is only for a privileged few share how Jesus changed their lives. But if this were the case, why was the Great Commission given to every Christian? Every believer is called to “go and make disciples of all the nations . . . ” (Matthew 28:19). That means we are all called to evangelism. We all have a part to play. I must admit that I often think this plan of […]

Brother Lawrence is best know for his practice of the continual presence of God, praying at all times. How did he do this? It’s really just a matter of focus. When he was alone, in prayer, he filled his mind with God. When it was time for work,  having first considered the things his job required, and when and how each thing was to be done; he spent all the intervals of his time, both before and after his work, in prayer. He knew he needed God’s help even to be in His presence so he would pray:  “O my God, since Thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to Thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, grant me the grace to continue in Thy Presence; and prosper me with Thy assistance. Receive all my works, and possess all my affections.” As he proceeded in his work, he continued his familiar conversation with his Maker, imploring His grace, and offering Him all his actions. In other words, he prayed he would be able to focus on his work and His God simultaneously. When he was finished, he examined how he had performed his duty. […]

The “Wedding Weekend” turned out to be very enjoyable. It was great seeing family. Rose and I had a good time together. One very special part was the homily provided at the wedding. It was very instructive. The talk included some statistics that strongly support the old adage that the family that prays together, stays together. A few years ago these statistics were compiled: Of all marriages, 50 percent ended in divorce. Of those marriages performed in church, 35 percent ended in divorce. Of those marriages in which both parties were still attending church, 2 percent ended in divorce. Of those marriages in which the couple had regular family devotionals, only 1 in 1105 ended in divorce. That’s an incredible difference between the general statistics and those of church going and particularly home praying families. Isn’t it time to put that into practice? We were also provided with some excellent practical advice about what married folks can do, in addition to praying together, to keep their marriage a good one. 1. Pleasure – Making time for things which your partner enjoys. We all have things we enjoy doing. Often after marriage, one or both partners forsakes the things he […]

Rose and I will be in Texas on Saturday at “The Wedding.” Rose’s godchild, Paul Elliott, is marrying Katie Godfrey. The couple has shown much maturity in the process. They are both now college graduates. Paul has an advanced degree in Math and has a job teaching at LSU-E. It will be good seeing the family and getting to spend some time away over the weekend.Just as funerals remind the family of our own mortality, weddings remind us of our own blessings. I was born as the oldest of nine children. Our parents didn’t have much. We didn’t have a car until I was in high school and we lived in housing project for years. But the children all did well. We lost one sister years ago, and we miss her. I enjoy being with all that remain and their beloveds, and offspring. Of course, I will be with my bride of 42 years. Our own wedding seems like it was just yesterday… okay, maybe the day before. Marriage is under fire these days with many not seeing the need for it. I can attest to its value in my life. The marriage of my parents, my siblings, and […]

One of the first goals of a Kairos weekend is to get the participants to get to know themselves. Before we can recognize our need for Christ, we need to know ourselves. This seems simplistic but how often do we really take a good look at ourselves. A significant spiritual exercise from the early days of the Church was called “Examination of Conscience.” When is the last time such an exercise were recommended to you. It has gone out of style. One of the barriers to self-knowledge in the modern world is the minimum amount of time most of us spend alone without ourselves. When we have a spare moment we turn on the tv, or check Facebook or pick up a magazine. Perhaps the reluctance to look at ourselves is based on the knowledge that such an examination may be a bit disturbing. But we might surprise ourselves. Most of us have some good qualities, maybe more than we realize.  A starting point is to consider how others see us. We can’t really trust most others to be honest about how they see us. We have to do it ourselves and try to be objective. But ultimately, we […]

These are 234 dozen cookies baked by members and friends of Amana Christian Fellowship in Maurice, Louisiana.  Tomorrow they will head to Angola, once the bloodiest prison in America, no longer so.  They were baked in kitchens throughout the area by boys and girls and men and women. They will join many other cookies baked by Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Episcopalians, and many others. They will be mixed with cookies baked by blacks and whites and some in between.  Over this weekend they will be consumed by convicted murders, rapists, drug dealers and some guys who did some bad stuff and never got caught. They will be munched on by men hearing about Jesus for the first time and by some hearing about Jesus for the first time in a new and exciting way. They will be consumed by men from the outside sitting along side men on the inside. They will convey love and prayers and concerns. They will help make memories and change lives.  Some will be taken back deep into the prison and given by men as an offering of forgiveness to men with whom they have fought and struggled. They will be shared with correctional officers, […]