Nick Poindexter

My style's like a chemical spill

Author: Nick (Page 14 of 24)

On The Fence

July 13, 2010 / / 0 Comments

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
-1 Kings 18:21 (ESV)

In 1 Kings 18, we find the prophet Elijah greatly outnumbered: 450 prophets of Baal against 1 prophet of the Lord (himself). King Ahab had led the Israelites astray by worshiping multiple gods, and apparently the god du jour was Baal. Elijah decided enough is enough… He must speak out against this. Either follow God or follow Baal, he says. Sitting on the fence is not an option.

While this verse is obviously speaking of people who are following multiple gods, it really goes further than that nowadays. Specifically, it’s about the other “gods” that battle for the focus of Christians today. The things that we devote ourselves to instead of giving our all for God.

It’s almost as if Elijah is speaking to us today saying, “If gods like power/fortune/fame is what you desire, then fine. Go for it. But if it’s the true God who you claim you follow, then give those things up and follow him wholeheartedly.”

I really like the use of the world “limping” here as well. The imagery there is tremendous.

When you try to follow two things at the same time, the result isn’t pretty.You’ll trip. You’ll stumble. You’ll be confused. You’ll probably end up limping, not able to give either direction your best, and ultimately lose track who who you’re following in the first place.

Even though it was given thousands of years ago to a completely different type of people and culture, Elijah’s advice is just as applicable to us as it was to the Israelites.

Get off the fence. Stop limping. We must follow the real God and him alone.

Don’t Be A Saprophyte

June 28, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
-Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

A saprophyte is an organism that lives on dead or decaying matter. In general terms, it’s often used to describe fungi or bacteria. The name derives from the Greek word sapros which means “rotten” or “putrid”.

And that’s the same word Paul used here when talking about “corrupting talk”.

Interesting…

So it should be no surprise that Paul contrasts speech that breaks down and destroys with speech that builds up and strengthens. And that’s why this verse is about more than “cuss words”. It’s about any dialogue whose aim is to hurt rather than help. It’s about any language that is detrimental of those discussed. It’s about not respecting the innate, God-ordained value inside everyone, and speaking to and about them as such.

Paul tells us to be the type of people who understand the power of our words and choose to use them to build, revitalize, and encourage. To be a blessing, not a curse. To be givers of life, and not takers.

Something that lives off of the destruction and deterioration of others? That’s not behavior consistent with a Christian.

That’s called a saprophyte.

Made To Serve

June 24, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
-Genesis 1:28 (NLT)

In Day 6 of the Creation Story, God made the animals, followed by human beings. He then basically tells Adam and Eve to prosper and take charge of the earth. Or, in a single word, God tells them to serve.

I’ve never really thought about it before, but these are God’s first words to the humans, the most-special thing he’s ever created. Adam and Eve are different from everything else. They are unique because they have the ability to bear God’s image. He could have told them anything from the get-go, but he chose to tell them that service is the main function of human life.

In other words, we were made to serve.

As a minister, I can think of multiple times that I’ve been speaking to someone, asking them if they would consider serving in the church in some capacity. The funny thing is, whether it’s about our children, youth, worship services, or sports ministries, the #1 reason I get turned down is because the person is “too busy” or “doesn’t have time”.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone should say yes when asked to help. Some people serve way beyond what is expected of them and need to turn down offers from time to time for their sanity. Church burnout is way too prevalent because of that.

But what I am wondering is if everyone that says no makes that decision because they are already serving. Is service already their top priority, or is something else just in its place, giving them the illusion of not having enough time?

You see, service to others wasn’t meant to be an add-on or something we squeeze into our already-packed lives. It is supposed to be first and foremost in our lives, because God entrusted us with the responsibility first and foremost. And that means that what’s important to us just might need some rearranging.

Serve God by serving the earth. It’s what we’re made to do.

I Choose You

May 31, 2010 / / 0 Comments

You did not choose me, but I chose you…
-John 15:16 (NIV)

I’ll never forget the days of playing kickball in elementary school. The actual game was fun of course, but in a way the ultimate moment was when one of the team captains scans the crowd, points at you, and says, “I choose… You.” In that instant, it’s as if they’re saying, “I want you on my team. I believe we can do this together.”

There’s just something special about being chosen.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus reminds his disciples that despite what they may think, he actually chose them. To be clear, he’s not saying that we don’t play a role in following Christ. In the end, the final choice is ours to make. Jesus’ point though was that if he didn’t choose us first — choose to love us, choose to die for us, choose to invite us to live with him eternally — then we wouldn’t have a choice to make in the first place. His decision opens the door for our decision.

So Jesus has chosen us today too, calling us to follow his example, live for him, and show his love to the whole world. Well, that sounds good on paper, but living the Christian life is tough. There are temptations and distractions and annoying people. And what if he’s calling us to do the scary stuff? Quitting our job and going into ministry… Going on a mission trip to a country who doesn’t speak English… Sharing with our co-worker/family member/neighbor about the life-changing story of Christ. Honestly, is it really possible?

Jesus thinks so.

The fact of the matter is you don’t choose someone that you don’t believe in. Whether it’s kickball or discipleship, it just doesn’t make sense.

Jesus has hand-selected you. He wants you on his team. Jesus believes we can do this together.

Nothing Else To Do

May 10, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
-Hebrews 10:11-12 (NLT)

Being a priest back in the day was a tiresome job. It wasn’t because the work was physically demanding or anything. The only physical labor they had to do was performing the animal sacrifices as people came to the tabernacle/temple to atone for their sins. But here’s the kicker — priests were never allowed to sit down while on the job. Chairs weren’t even allowed inside. They were to always be standing.

But why was it a big deal to walk in and find the priest sitting down?

Sitting communicated that they had nothing else to do. By standing, the priest was showing that his work never ends, that there was unfinished business. The point was that despite the constant sacrifices, none of it can completely take away sins, so it must be repeated over and over and over.

In the book of Hebrews, the author references this old system and contrasts it with a new one. He says that our High Priest, Jesus himself, was the ultimate sacrifice, so the old way of doing things was out the window. Incredibly, full and final forgiveness has officially been achieved. Everything has been covered, and everyone has been cleansed, once and for all.

With this thought in mind, it makes me wonder why some Christians today struggle with the revelation that they don’t have to do anything else to earn God’s forgiveness. Just like the Jews that this book was written to, we often feel like we still have to earn God’s love and that we aren’t fully right with him because of our mistakes.

So how do we know that forgiveness has been 100% completely given? It’s simple — look at where our High Priest is now… Seated. Jesus wiped out all of our past, present and future sins, and then immediately took a seat. And you know what that means…

Business is finished. The Priest’s work is over. Jesus has nothing else to do.

« Older posts Newer posts »

About Nick

// Disciple of Jesus

// Husband of Twinkle

// Daddy of Blaise, Justice & Trinity

// Teaching Pastor of Collide Church (Yadkinville, NC)

// Lover of 90s music/television, useless trivia, Cheerwine, Krispy Kreme & Chick-fil-A

// Fan of the Tar Heels, Panthers, Hornets & Braves

Calendar

November 2024
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930

© 2024 Nick Poindexter

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑