Nick’s Walk

The Ragin Cajun baseball team is playing with the Big Boys this week. Wednesday they played Number 1 LSU in Baton Rouge. This weekend Alabama comes to town for three games. Yes, Alabama, home of Nick Saban and national championships and all that. I don’t know how the locals got the Crimson Tide to come to Lafayette, but that it’s Mardi Gras weekend might have something to do with it. Needless to say the Tigue was sold out last night. That’s Star Power. There is a certain amount of Star Power thinking in the church as well. We flock to hear the Billy Grahams and the Dr. David Jeremiahs of the Christian world. If we have a tough question we go to the pastor, usually the Senior Pastor, just a member of staff won’t do. We feel we have to take people to church to hear the gospel. We aren’t good enough to tell them. Jesus didn’t plan a Star Power church. His Great Commission went out to everyone. Each of us can pray for someone and they can be healed. Jesus is the Star, not the ones he works through. By the way, the Cajuns beat LSU on […]

I read an article yesterday that announced that Christians have lost the culture war. This Christian hasn’t lost anything. In fact, I’m feeling mighty fine and pretty victorious.   If I’m completely honest, I know what the author of the article meant. This country is less “Christian” than it used to be. Our country doesn’t seem to be based on Christian values and, in fact, seems to work against them. It isn’t really comfortable to be a Christian in America any more. I still don’t think I’ve lost any war. When America began, our laws were loosely and imperfectly based on what God says is right and wrong as expressed in Scripture. That has changed. Our laws are now loosely and imperfectly based on what our representatives believe is most expedient regardless of right and wrong. I would say our culture is worse for that. Most of us still believe in “thou shall not kill” unless we are mothers and are talking about our unborn children, or we are talking about those convicted of capital crimes, or we are talking about those we view as enemies, or those who threaten our life or property. I would say our culture […]

It must have been very hard for Jesus when He was on the earth. He could see everything. He could see sin in each person. He knew the hurt in every heart he met. We are not in that situation. We don’t see past facades. We are fooled by smiling faces or blank looks. We can’t tell that the pretty girl struggles with thoughts that she’s ugly or too fat. We don’t know that the soccer mom believes her husband is unfaithful and doesn’t know why. We are unaware that the kid on the playground doesn’t see his father every day and is glad for it because the days dad is home are awful. We don’t know that the guy in the fancy car and suit lives in constant fear that his dishonesty will be revealed. We are blind to the pastor’s wife who pours her life into her husband’s ministry but wishes he had just a little time for her. We don’t know that the smiling face that sits next to us in church struggles daily with doubt and disbelief. It’s a good thing we don’t know or see all that Jesus saw. Perhaps, however, we ought to […]

Two of the top ten books on the New York Times bestseller list seek to answer the question: “Is Heaven Real?” None of the books address the question: “How do I get there?” It seems we are pretty good at asking the wrong questions. Asking the right question seems to be particularly important when it comes to eternal life, the things of eternal significance. We ask folks if they would rather spend eternity in heaven or hell. That one seems rather obvious doesn’t it? Even with a question as simple as that, some folks have the wrong answer. We ask if people have “accepted” Jesus. That doesn’t seem to be the right question. Have you “trusted” Jesus? That seems better. What about “following” Jesus? That doesn’t seem a path we are eager to take. Jesus was hated and suffered and died. We like to skim over the gospel parts that have language about taking up crosses. We like to forget that Jesus went into places of danger and need and persecution. Yesterday while reviewing some of my favorite recent reads I came upon this question: Do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following […]

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 We sometimes aren’t very clear about what it means to “make disciples.” I think the answer is in the words Christ used in the Great Commission. Go. Making disciples means going or a change of place. We can’t make disciples by sitting at home or huddling up in church. That’s not to say that disciplining activity can’t take place at home or at church. It means we have to get out of our  comfort zone and meet the loss where they are. “Go” is also an individual command. Making disciples isn’t for a chosen few. We are all charged with making disciples. This is because disciplining can’t take place in a mass meeting or on television. Disciplining  is a one-on-one activity. Baptizing. Baptizing is part of disciplining. It includes all three types of baptism: baptism of repentance, water baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. To become a disciple we need to turn from […]

I try to generally stay serious in this blog. Sometimes, however, I don’t have a serious thought. Sometimes the day is beautiful and I feel frivolous. Sometimes I find something that’s funny and true and I can’t help sharing it. I found an article entitled 21 Rules that Men Have. There were only 19 which made it even funnier. So blame the beautiful weather and have a nice laugh. 1. Men are not mind readers. 2. Learn to work the toilet seat, you are a big girl.  If it is up, put it down, we NEED it up, you need it down.  You don’t hear us complaining when you leave it down. 3. Crying is blackmail. 4. Ask for What you want.  Let me be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it! 4. Yes and NO are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question. 5. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it.  That is what we do.  Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for. 6. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.  In fact, all […]

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Last night we had a great connect group with the above verse as the theme. We have been dealing with Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World.  So far we have been advised to Stay Calm and Love Everyone. We seem more stressed than ever in nearly every part of our lives: physical, spiritual, financial, political. Chaos seems to reign. As Christians, we are moving from a majority to a minority position. We are no longer “loved” for who we are. We are marginalized and even hated. Don’t be shocked. Scripture predicts this time. That doesn’t make it any less stressful and chaotic. Stress and chaos, however, are matters of perspective. There is always someone worse off than  you no matter how bad things seem. Step one is not to panic. Stay calm. God is in control. Step two in reducing pressure and stress is to find someone worse off than yourself. This takes your focus from yourself and makes you realize that  you really have things pretty good. That helps. Step three is to love […]

The Ragin Cajun Baseball team is expected to be really good this year. They have several starters back from last year and some exciting new players. They are picked to win their conference almost unanimously. The season started on Friday night. They lost. They went on to win three of four games over the weekend. In baseball you play a lot of games. You better learn how to lose. Even a great hitter will get an out about every 7 out of ten times he steps up to bat. You better learn how to lose. Life is like that. Most days we don’t get home runs or even singles. We strike out or ground out or fly out. Sometime, however, we get a walk, or get a hit, maybe even a home run. That happens if we don’t quit the many times we “lose.” That happens if we learn from our losses. We lose a lot in life. There is a danger we will get use to it. We can become losers. Losing can be how we define ourselves. The secret is to take our losses in stride without becoming satisfied with them. Our losses should motivate us to […]