Even If i Walk Alone

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

God’s Presence

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We are always in the presence of God. We may not always be aware of it, but He is there. God’s presence is all around us. We wouldn’t last a moment without Him. While I understand the intent behind the statement, it always irks me when people say things like, “God showed up and was with us in that moment.”

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I’m sure you’ve heard similar things, and odds are better than not you’ve probably even said something similar. I know I have. But there is no “God was with us there”. He is always there, and we are always with Him. Nothing can separate us from the love of the Father (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can snatch us out of His presence (John 10:28).

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Self-Confidence

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For those around my age and older, I think we’ve always equated being American to being self-confident. Perhaps it is arrogance, and it is undoubtedly sinful pride, but the fact remains. I’ve heard it expressed by those I know from other countries and if you watch people at all, I think you’ll agree with me. This may be true on a superficial level and I admit it is an over-generalization, but on the flip side, there can be no doubt that in the confines of their minds, many desperately struggle with their self-confidence.

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Search Amazon for books on self-confidence, and you’ll find over 20,000 selections to choose from. Plug the term “self-confidence” into a search engine and it will return over 50 million results. Regardless of how we feel about ourselves, it seems clear we are a nation obsessed with being self-confident.

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Surrender to Jesus

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We are sadly mistaken if we believe we can live however we want in this life and still spend eternity with Christ. Saying a scripted prayer or responding to an invitation given at the end of a church service may signify your first steps to living a life solely devoted to Christ, but they are not your ticket to eternity in Heaven.

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Only those who truly repent of their sins–and that means you turn away from them in sorrowful contrition and acknowledge you have trespassed against the standards of the Holy King–and surrender to Jesus as the Lord of your life, only those will find their life in Him. No one who claims to love Jesus but lives in allegiance to this world will be saved (1 John 2:15).

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Ache for the Knowledge of God

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I spend a lot of time reading the works of dead guys because I find so much more wisdom in their voices than in most of the celebrity theologians of our day. There was a hunger and passion in their words that resonates with my soul and compels me to action. Here’s a recent example from J. C. Ryle (1816-1900): “Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, follow Him more fully.”

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Is that the goal of our lives, indeed our every moment? Does it not quicken your pulse and stir your heart? If not, why not? Why do our hearts not ache for the knowledge of God like those who came before us?

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A Deeper Dive into Personal Holiness

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Anyone who is paying attention will know our churches are becoming increasingly weak and ineffective. Leadership that is lacking in theological depth and understanding is certainly rampant, but perhaps the bigger problem is the lack of personal holiness among the congregation. Although it is the pastor’s job to exposit and explain the Word each time he steps behind the pulpit, pursuing Christ on a day-to-day basis is the responsibility of every attendee.

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Without such a commitment, the finest preacher or most gifted shepherd will not be able to lead a group of believers into a deeply committed relationship with Christ. Each of us bears the responsibility of seeking to know and obey our savior better. For this reason, I want to do a brief but deeper dive into personal holiness.

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