New Blog  

Posted by Pastor Nick

Well my friends, I have finally done it.  I have gotten my own domain, PastorNick.com.  I am very happy that I have finally gotten it up and running.  So, from now on, all my blog posts will be there.  So head on over to www.pastornick.com and check it out.

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Blessed Are The Meek  

Posted by Pastor Nick

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." -- Matthew 5:5


What does it mean to be meek?

It's interesting to see in this political campaign how un-meek people have been.  It doesn't matter which side you are on, Democrats or Republicans, people have been hateful towards the other party.  Look in the news and we see Republicans filled with anger and dare I say it, hate, towards their fellow Americans who happen to have different ideals than them.  We also see Democrats filled with the same attitude towards those who choose a different side.  When did these "United" States of America become the "Divided" States of America?

What does it mean to be meek?  To be hateful, proud, or coarse?  To be filled with anger and malice towards our neighbors?  It's unfortunate that this is the way it is.  I have even seen fellow Christians filled with this un-meekness towards other people.  To be meek means to show humility and patience, especially under undue pressure.  

When was the last time you saw someone be meek?  When was the last time you saw a public figure when attacked be patient and not fight back in some way?  When was the last time you decided to be meek, to be patient, when your enemy, your nemesis was doing everything to provoke you?

It's hard to think of the last time I was meek.  And then I look at the life of Christ.  When did He ever give into provocation?  When did He ever fight back.  Christ was the epitome of meekness.  He was never angry at the priests when they tried to provoke Him, He responded patiently and humbly to their questions.  

So can we be meek?  Jesus said "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."  So it is possible for us to be meek.  As Christians we should love our neighbor, which means, being meek.  No more anger or hate towards your fellow church member who belongs to a different political party.  We are above that.  We are Christ's children, our home is heaven, we are on our way to the promised land.  Why get bogged down with all this anger and hate?

Why don't we try to become meek as Christ wants us to be.  That doesn't mean that we should let people run all over us, but it does mean loving them and treating them as Christ would.  I hope that I can live humbly so that Christ can work through me to bring others to Him.  I hope you are willing for that as well. 

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Blessed Are Those Who Mourn  

Posted by Pastor Nick

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."--Matthew 5:4

Mourning. How many of us have gone through mourning? Loss of a parent, aunt or uncle, grandparent, even a pet creates a mourning spirit in us. All of us have gone through a period of mourning in our lives, all of us have felt the sting of death or loss.

I recently went through a time of mourning. Compared to other people who have lost family members it seems somewhat silly, but I lost my cat. Now, many psychologists and psychiatrists will tell you that mourning after the loss of a pet is normal, is ok. However, I feel that a pet is not on the same level as a human being.

However, I mourned nonetheless. This cat was with me through a troubling time for me. I got him when I was about ten years old and he was a friend to me when it seemed as if I had none. I'm sure that I am not the only person to feel this way. Pets have a way of creating a friendship with their owners and comforting us in our time of need.

One thing that is great about God is that He is a comfort in our times of need. And believe me, there will be a lot of those times in your life. When you mourn, when you recognize your loss, when you see where you are spiritually and notice that you need help, God will comfort you. When you mourn He will be there for you.

Those who mourn over their spiritual lives and ask for God's help, and mean it, will notice a change in their lives. Those who mourn over the loss of a family member or pet, and ask for God's presence, will notice a comfort either from God, or from someone else who is letting God work through them. So don't worry, when you mourn, you will be comforted.

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Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit  

Posted by Pastor Nick

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."--Matthew 5:3

No, I have not died. No, I am not in another country (although it kind of feels like I am), and no, I haven't been banished. I am in Michigan attending Seminary. School is starting again and I have spent the last few months preparing and studying for entrance exams.

One of those exams requires memorizing various verses in the Bible. The ten commandments in Exodus 2o, Psalm 23, the three angels messages in Revelation, and the Beatitudes in Matthew. As I was memorizing the Beatitudes, I realized that there is a lot that could be saved and that has been said on each Beatitude. So I thought that I would give each Beatitude a shot and talk a little bit about each.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Many people may think that this means the poor. While I believe the poor are included in this statement, I don't believe that Jesus is just talking about the poor. So what does the phrase "poor in spirit" mean? How does one become poor in spirit?

I think that the phrase means people who realize their need for God, who realize that they can't do it without God's help. Now the word poor can at first be misleading. When we think of the definition of poor we think of someone who is lacking in something, whether it be money or something else. However, I do not believe that this is not the case. There is a definition of poor we are missing. Poor in spirit could mean humble.

To be humble means to realize that we cannot do it on our own. To be humble is to realize that we are sinful human beings and that the only way good can come of us is through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is what it means to be poor in spirit, we are humble.

I was humbled earlier this week. In one of my exams I did rather poorly. It has been a very humbling experience for me, and a learning experience. I realized that I can not do anything on my own, and that without the help of God, I am pretty much done for. That is humbling.

And what is our reward? The kingdom of heaven is our reward. We receive everlasting life. That is something to look forward to isn't it? I hope that God will continue to work in my life and yours, and teach us each to be humble.

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