Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Wake Up

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Ephesians 5:14 says, “Get up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.” In a similar vein, Keith Green penned the lyrics, “The world is sleeping in the dark / That the church just can’t fight ‘cause it’s asleep in the light / How can you be so dead when you’ve been so well fed? / Jesus rose from the grave / And you, you can’t even get out of bed.”

Steve Camp would later write, “Hell is burning while the church is asleep.” The Bible and the preachers of it have been exhorting us to wake up for a long time. From what I can see from my life and the world around me, we are yet to comprehend the gravity of this message.

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The Christian Life Is Not Passive

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The Christian life is not passive. We aren’t called to sit back and assume God will handle everything for us. From the beginning, our purpose has been to do the work He gives us to do. (Genesis 2:15; Ephesians 2:10) He never promises to do the work for us, but He does promise to give us the strength to accomplish all He asks. (Philippians 4:13; 2 Peter 1:3-8)

None of us are innocent bystanders. We are all guilty slaves and, as such, should live and work in obedience to our Master and King. (Romans 6:16-18; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) To sit back and expect victory is not just lazy; it’s naïve. Jesus never takes a moment off from serving you. (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34) Isn’t He worth your best effort at all times?

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The Persecuted Church

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Every November, congregations around the world take a Sunday to remember the persecuted Church. Perhaps yours did or will. Maybe you could even spearhead such a campaign with your local body of believers. Regardless of whether your church spent time remembering our brothers and sisters in chains, these brave and hurting souls should never be far from our prayers. (Hebrews 13:3; Colossians 4:2-4)

For many of those enduring persecution today, they could once worship without fear of consequence, just like most of us. It’s why we can never take our freedom to worship the one true God for granted. We can lose those freedoms quicker than most of us would ever imagine. As you pray for the persecuted, thank God for the enormous privilege of having the freedom to pray to Him and for them. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

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How Much Are You Willing to Sacrifice?

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How much are you willing to sacrifice in doing the Lord’s work? Are you more concerned with success and a comfortable life or willing to forsake everything for the sake of Christ? (Luke 14:25-33; Philippians 3:7-8) We often think of “forsaking everything” in terms of physical possessions. That’s true, but everything might also include our health, safety, comfort, dreams, and goals.

“Everything” is all-encompassing; it touches every area of our lives. Are you willing to do that? Is Christ worth surrendering everything you’ve ever wanted and everything you might have dreamed to achieve? Is He worth your comfort, safety, and even your life? (Luke 9:23-24; Revelation 12:11)

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Living in Sin

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Too many of us are living in sin. I’m not talking about sin happening in our lives, but sin being the pattern of our lives. We cannot love God and continue to live a life delighting in sin. (1 John 3:6-10; Romans 6:1-2) Sin is repulsive to God, and it should be repulsive to us. (Proverbs 6:16-19; Romans 12:9) It’s obvious that people indulge in sin because it is enjoyable, but how can we enjoy sin when we see what it did to Jesus?

His life was one of perfection. (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22) He knew no sin until He bore our sins on the cross. (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) By accepting our sin, Jesus allowed sin to do what it always does, and it killed Him. It wasn’t someone else’s sin that killed Jesus; it was ours. (Isaiah 53:4-6; Romans 4:25)

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