Even If i Walk Alone

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

2 Timothy

Disciplined

by

When it comes to self-discipline, I see myself as more disciplined than many, but less disciplined than I should be. Reflecting on my life, I find I am now more disciplined than at other times in my life and less disciplined than at others. All this to say that self-discipline is a challenge we must constantly address and perhaps never fully master.

disciplined,discipleship,commitment,Bible study,prayer,purpose,salvation,surrender

And yet it is key not only to a productive life but to living life in a manner that glorifies and pleases our Lord. To be disciplined in ways that do not promote our spiritual growth may be noble pursuits, but in the end, they won’t count for anything. The only discipline worth pursuing is that which brings us closer to Christ and molds us into His image.

[Read more…] about Disciplined

Stay Ready

by

If we want to be ready for the Lord’s return, we must be diligent to stay ready every day of our lives. To be caught unaware when Jesus comes back should terrify us all. It’s easy for us to shake our heads at the disciples who fell asleep while keeping watch as the Lord went off by Himself to pray in the garden (Matthew 26:36-46), but are we any better?

stay ready,commitment,discipleship,focus,God's Kingdom,God's will,mission,priorities,Kingdom of God

Are we not even more guilty of falling asleep as we await the Lord’s return? If we are not focusing our lives on serving Christ and doing the things He commands us to do, we are not staying ready. We are simply going through the motions and living as if His return is not imminent. Jesus could return before you finish reading this post. He could come before I finish writing it! If He does, will He find us ready?

[Read more…] about Stay Ready

Have We Abandoned God?

by

The book of Jeremiah is sobering. It’s not one that we hear a lot of sermons from, and I haven’t met too many people who claim it to be their favorite book in the Bible. Since we know all of God’s Word is “profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is to our detriment to neglect any part of God’s Word.

abandoned God,surrender,repent,pride,church,sin, consequences

For those who think the Bible has nothing to say to our modern culture, try taking a spin through the first couple of chapters of this book. First, a small disclaimer. God directed the words of this prophet to the nation of Israel. He did not write them to the United States or any other modern country. However, God’s principles and consequences are timeless and applicable to all people at all times. We would do well to heed the warnings of God in the book of Jeremiah.

[Read more…] about Have We Abandoned God?

Prepare for Persecution

by

What is certain, but not being preached from many pulpits today, is that persecution is coming. Why pastors are not preparing their flocks for the coming trouble is beyond me. I listen to sermons from various churches constantly as I seek to learn and understand more about God and His Word. What I’m not hearing from most pulpits (thankfully, there are a few exceptions) is an urgency to repent and prepare for what is coming.

prepare for persecution,commitment,faithfulness,persecution,fear,steadfast,hold fast

There is no talk of how to prepare for persecution, and resources on the topic seem scarce. But Jesus told us the world will persecute us because of His name (John 15:20-21; Matthew 24:9). Because most of us live in places where persecution has not been a reality in our lives, we’ve become lazy, blind to the signs of this age (Matthew 24:3-31), and so comfortable in this world that we are ill-prepared for the coming persecution.

[Read more…] about Prepare for Persecution

Running the Race

by

Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth contains the familiar passage where he compares living life for Christ with running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). It’s a great analogy not only because the road we travel is long but also because of the discipline it requires to stay on the path. Any form of athletics is by its nature a competitive process.

running the race,fight the good fight,discipline,commitment,mission,focus,perseverance

Everyone who competes wants to finish first, but only one can. In some events, like a marathon, participants are content to only finish, regardless of winning or losing. Both hold lessons for us. No one runs a race without a goal, and no one achieves their goal without putting in a lot of hard work before the race ever begins.

[Read more…] about Running the Race