Nick’s Walk

Do you believe this? —John 11:26 Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ . . .” (John 11:27). Our faith must become intimate, personal. It usually happens as it happened to Martha, through some personal tragedy, some personal loss. It is only in that raw emotional situation that our theology becomes intimate. Our believe in a God in heaven and even in our eventual residence there becomes the personal belief that He is with us now, loving and walking with us on this earth and through these circumstances. It’s the personal relationship that raises the Christian above every believer in every other god.  Is the Lord dealing with you in the same […]

. . . but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings . . . —1 Peter 4:13 The question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” or the broader “Why does God allow suffering?” has plagued man from the beginning. There are many reasons for suffering, today we look at only one.  Sometimes, the suffering is not correction or chastisement it is not inflicted to improve us or even to teach us. If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Sometimes we just need to know what it’s like to go through certain trials so that we can better relate to others who suffer similarly.  When suffering comes, it does not good to try to determine which of God’s many possible purposes are at work. Much of our Lord’s life consisted of experiences which led Him to understand what we go through. He was hot, cold, hungry, and tempted. He suffered like none of us […]

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you —James 4:8 After a night of watching election returns on television, it seems strange to be confronted with the subject, “the Authority of Truth.” It seems in the natural world truth is relative; that there is my truth and your truth. As Christians we know that there is A truth and it is Christ. As we draw near to God, His truth becomes undeniable. It blots out all of the pretenders to truth.  Truth becomes reality when it is acted upon. It is essential that you give people the opportunity to act on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual— you cannot act for him. It must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message should always lead him to action. Refusing to act leaves a person paralyzed, exactly where he was previously. But once he acts, he is never the same. As we draw near to God and His truth becomes undeniable; we are compelled to action. As Jesus described Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Truth requires action. Truth acted upon becomes Life. The only Life we […]

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . . —Galatians 2:20 A bondservant is different from a slave. A bondservant, by his own consent, binds himself to His master, to serve and obey him.  It is a fair picture of the breaking and collapse of my independence brought about by my own hands, and the surrendering of my life to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to this point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot push me through it. The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint. Be faithful and bound and be blessed. Nick Sigur

If you love Me, keep My commandments —John 14:15 First comes love, then obedience. Our obedience flows from our relationship with Him. Self denial and following of Him, also flow from relationship: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .” (Luke 9:23).  Ours is not a set of rules. It is a standard provided by Our Lord along with the power to meet that standard. . If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone else, myself. Jesus Christ will not force me to obey Him, but I must. And as soon as I obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. If I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed.  Nick

Do you not know that . . . you are not your own? —1 Corinthians 6:19 We like to think that we are own man (or woman) in this world. In fact, it is a taught goal for most of our lives. It expresses an independence that we cherish. But once we are His, we are no longer our own. There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is  in  Christ.  We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block. When we become His, we slowly become aware of, and a part of, a new reality. We have new concerns and priorities. We lose ours and become united with His. This occurs through His power made possible by our Faith. Be Faithful and lose yourself. Nick

If you have faith as a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you —Matthew 17:20 Faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Perhaps I should change my devotional closing from “Be Blessed” to “Be Faithful.” Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. We have to learn through experience that God really is who He says He is. Life is full of trials; but the trial of Faith, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). Be Faithful, Nick

Without faith it is impossible to please Him . . . —Hebrews 11:6 The world is divided into those who operate by “common sense” and those who operate on “faith.” Faith can be mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense is often a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of true Faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense operates in the natural.  When one moves from common sense in the natural he is being impulsive. In the spiritual, where faith operates, actions are not based on “common sense” and what is “inspiration” may appear as impulsiveness.  The teachings of Jesus Christ turn common sense on it’s head, but it is revelation truth.  Faith, which can appear silly and unreal to the natural man, when applied and put to the test becomes real in your life.  The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Step out in Faith […]