Nick’s Walk

I am a child of the 60s; I guess. But I wasn’t a hippie,  a flower child or a surfer. But OC caught my imagination with this; “The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super-joy of going clean through it.”  That which strikes terror in the hearts of the masses is a joy ride for others. I spent the early morning hours preparing for the “Fearless” Sunday night series which will begin on Sunday, April 18, after Extraordinary is completed.  The same concept rolls through the writings of both OC and Max Lucado, who authored “Fearless.” The situations which confound and terrorize the unbeliever are just new places to meet with Jesus for the Christian. “Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”Romans 8:37 “Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things – tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super-joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.” […]

This painting is called “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things” by Mark Lawrence. Mark’s obviously an artist. He has done a series of paintings inspired by OC and his devotional My Utmost for His Highest. It’s great to do creative things which inspire. I, on the other hand have spent the last three hours making fine adjustments to the Amana Christian Fellowship home page and a couple of more hours are needed. I do this in the hours of early morning with only the glow of the laptop screen lighting the room. Not very glamorous…it’s drudgery.  That places me squarely “Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things.”   “It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator – the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading, in your kitchen; the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel.”  I have had the privilege of preaching the gospel on occasion and OC is […]

Rose and I are not going to Guetemala. When we heard Mike Clark’s presentation at church a couple of weeks ago we put together our passport applications and almost started packing. A little thought and prayer thereafter revealed ours was an emotional response. It’s not our calling. But it may well be yours. The chance for a trip to the mountains at the end of June and the beginning of July when it will be a 100 degrees here and perfect weather there, sounds tempting. A week with 19 other folks from Amana will be a great bonding experience. Seeing how God is changing young lives (the young ones already there and the ones who will  go on the trip from Amana) will be awesome. But more than all that, if it’s what God is calling you to, you can expect unspeakable joy.. The joy I get from my called-to mission, I wouldn’t give up for anything. If you haven’t found your mission… your joy, maybe it’s at Casa on the Rock. It’s time to pray and decide because passports are needed and time is a wastin’, A word of warning. If God is calling you to this or […]

Don’t mistake these two words so nearly alike. Vocation is the employment, business or profession one follows for a living; avocation is some pursuit or occupation which diverts the person from such employment, business or profession. Thus an avocation is essentially a hobby. Is the Kingdom of God our vocation or our hobby? If I am honest I must admit that it is more an avocation.  I know the word says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:13 and a few verses later “”Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26 “It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of […]

During last year’s Christmas program, our kids sang about smelly, dirty sheep. That’s what they are smelly and dirty. Idealized pictures of sheep with snow white wool are works of fiction. Sheep are dirty and smelly. My grand kids sang that and so it must be true.  So when Jesus tells Peter to “Feed My Sheep” He is asking alot. Shepherds were on the lowest rung of society at the time and place those words were spoken. Shepherding was a dirty, smelly thankless job.  But Jesus loves His Sheep in that dirty, smelly condition. His arrival was first proclaimed to shepherds alone at night with their dirty, smelly charges. He  surrounded himself with dirty, smelly human sheep. OC describes them as “extraordinarily funny sheep, some bedraggled, dirty sheep, some awkward, butting sheep, some sheep that have gone astray!” The kids were right; dirty, smelly sheep.  But when the Holy Spirit comes He unites us with a God who loves those dirty, smelly sheep enough to die for them. He loves them with a love that is “impossible to weary.” And that love is inherited by us, when we become His.  Do you feel that “impossible to weary” love for […]

I disagree with Oswald Chambers. I do this in full recognition that I am flirting with heresy; but I feel I  am right deep down in my soul. Oswald says that after the Lord asked Peter for the third time “Do you love me?”, that Peter was pained because he knew that he loved the Lord. On this we disagree. I believe strongly I am right because I am so like Peter. Peter is performance driven. He believed, as I did, that we are loved for what we do. Further, that if we were truly known, we would not be loved because deep down we are unloveable. Peter had run a pretty good scam. He played the role of the strong and dependable and he played it well.  But his world was shattered on the night of his betrayal when he was shown to be the weak and frightened little boy he was. Jesus knew him and, therefore, Peter knew, he could not be loved. Yet on the third asking of the question, “Do you love me?” Peter realized in a life changing emotional moment that even knowing him completely Jesus, loved him. It changed Peter forever. I recall the moment, not […]

All love is a gift from God; whether it is phileo, or brotherly love, eros, sexual love, or agape love. Agape love is a special gift from God. It is love as God loves without condition. It is the most mysterious and rarest of love. After Peter had betrayed his Lord, he learned that it is truly something special. Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love (agape) me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love (phileo)you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love (agape) me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love (phileo) me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo)you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” The details of this exchange are  greatly debated; but one thing seems clear. By his betrayal Peter had shown he did not have that unconditional, self-sacrificing agape […]

On the Saturday following a Kairos weekend a group of the volunteers returns to Angola for a one day training session. During the session we teach the men the details of holding a prayer and share meeting. Since the establishment and success of the weekly prayer and share meetings is the purpose of Kairos, these Saturday meetings are important. Not all 40 plus members of the team go back for these Saturday sessions. Yesterday about 12 went. I normally try to go but did not this Saturday. My decision to return is usually based on a combination of sense of duty and emotion. A bond  is established with the men on the weekend and you know they look forward to seeing team members again; on the other hand the preceding week you have been away from family and there is an emotional tug to stay home. Similarly, a sense of duty tells you to go to the training; but an equally strong sense tells you to stay and take care of responsibilities at home. If we are operating “In Christ” we avoid these dilemmas. With confidence we hear Him tell us the path to take. “Now we believe. Jesus […]