Nick’s Walk

He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief —Isaiah 53:3 Most of us have “experienced” grief. We have lost a loved one or a job. We have been hurt by a word or a shun. However, we are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it.  Real grief is associated with sin. We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms […]

With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you —Matthew 7:2 We tend to treat this statement of the Lord as hyperbole., an exaggeration. Surely, He did not mean this literally. According to OC, He very much means it. “This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God.  We need to stop and think about this because we are, oh so quick to judge others. The sad thing is the things we judge others for are generally the things of which we ourselves are guilty. It is, after all, the reason we are so good at recognizing the fault in others: it’s all too familar. Our course is to be as humble as possible. To recognize that even the vilest thing we observe in others lurks in our hearts. If such vileness has not arisen in our lives is not thanks to us, but to the enduring grace of God.The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in […]

You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . —1 Peter 2:9 I am essentially a selfish creature. Selfishness is the basis of the sin which required my salvation in the first placed. But even after salvation, selfishness keeps arising. It is a continuing struggle to get my eyes off myself and onto my Lord and my brothers and sisters He loves. We become “a royal priesthood” by the atonement of the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. If we can move from our self focus we can launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. The work of the priesthood is intercession.  Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.” We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we finally realize who we are in Christ; we can begin the work […]

The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends —Job 42:10 We keep slipping back to a belief that we can purify ourselves. Even after coming to the Lord and accepting his forgiveness and the benefit of His atoning death, we can still slip back to a self-improvement program.  I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift.  Satan wants to keep us focused on self, on improving and sanctifying ourselves. When we do so we are distracted for our real work and concern: others. If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29 ), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been […]

. . . do you love Me? . . . Tend My sheep —John 21:16 There is much confusion about love in today’s society. We kick the word around and use it to mean a variety of things. We associate it with feelings, emotions and passions; seldom with efforts on behalf of others. To care for another, is not just to be concerned about that person, but to do what it takes to ensure the well-being of another. One of my favorite things about Kairos is that it is operated by Christians from a variety of denominations.  We make no attempt to “convert” anyone to a particular way of thinking. We just show love by visiting, feeding and listening to persons who have lost all hope that anyone cares for them, loves them. Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be […]

. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . —Matthew 14:29-30 Walking with Christ, like walking on water, is a matter of focus. If we can keep our focus on Jesus, everything is fine. When we start to notice the winds and the circumstances, we start to think. The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went.    We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you […]

Judge not, that you be not judged —Matthew 7:1 A weekend spent with inmates at Angola can’t help but raise many issues. One, of course, is the issue of judging others. For most, the hardest part in bringing one to a life committed to Christ is to achieve recognition that we are all sinners. Most folks think they are “pretty good” relatively speaking. We need to learn that God doesn’t grade on the curve. For the inmate at a high security prison, sentenced often to life without benefit of probation or parole, their sinful state and guilt is not an issue, in fact, it is a mattr of public record.  What they need to to learn of Jesus’ forgiveness and His commitment to love them unconditionally. That’s the message we try to bring. We go, listen and love them without condition or judgment; Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. One of the great inhibitors to church growth is the “judgmental attitude” of Christians.  Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by […]

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . —John 15:13, 15 Laying down our lives, is not dying. Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. He wants us to live for Him. It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways.  We hold our lives in our hands. We “control” them or believe that we do. It is God’s gift of free will.  Jesus calls us to give it up and put Him in the driver’s seat. Put Him in control of our lives. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29 ). For […]