Even If i Walk Alone

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

Colossians

Never Say Amen

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We should spend our lives in constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Some portions of the Bible can be confusing to understand without deeper study, but most of it is perfectly clear for anyone to understand. This command to “pray constantly” is one of those teachings. There is no way to interpret this command as making sure we have a ten-minute quiet time in the morning, or that we give thanks before a meal.

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Those are fine things to practice, but they are only part of what the Bible commands us to do. To pray constantly means we never say amen. All day and every day, we are to be in perpetual communication with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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We Must Obey

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As we continue to examine if we truly love God (see “Do We Love Him” and “We Must Keep His Commands”), let’s first lay a little theological groundwork. We know all scripture is God-breathed and inspired by His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). This means every word, and therefore every instruction, in the Bible, is a command of Christ. He is the Word of God in the flesh (John 1:1-3).

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Every time the scripture instructs us, we must obey. That is what it means to love Christ (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2-4). The book of James teaches us those who would live lives acceptable to God will keep themselves unstained by the world (James 1:27). Therefore, if we love Jesus, we will keep ourselves away from the temptations and habits of our culture. Let’s look at some practical implications this has for the way we live.

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Read Slowly

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The more I study the Bible, the more I recognize when it comes to God’s Word, we should read slowly. Scripture is replete with admonitions to meditate on the words of God. Meditating and delighting on God’s instruction is a regular theme throughout the book of Psalms (Psalm 1:1-2, Psalm 19:7-14, Psalm 77:12, Psalm 119:15, Psalm 119:23, Psalm 119:27, Psalm 119:48, Psalm 119:78, Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:99, Psalm 119:148, Psalm 143:5)

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and many other places throughout scripture (Joshua 1:8, Jeremiah 15:16, Nehemiah 8:1-3, Matthew 7:24-25, James 1:22-25, Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:16). The Bible is not a book meant to be read like other books. We don’t read God’s Word to get through it, but to let it marinade our souls. When we read too quickly, we often miss the details and subtle nuances. There is no part of scripture we can afford to miss or gloss over (2 Timothy 3:16).

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Why Do You Go to Church?

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Why do you go to church? I am assuming in this dark age that you still make every effort to gather with fellow believers each week. This is, after all, the Lord’s instruction given to us through the writer of Hebrews when he admonishes us to not forsake gathering together (Hebrews 10:24-25). God’s people are to meet regularly with one another to share praises, worship, and burdens.

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We are the family of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:25-26; Romans 8:16-17) and indeed the very body of Christ in this world (1 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:24). There is great strength and encouragement to be found when we gather among others of like mind and faith. Our brothers and sisters remind us we do not fight the good fight alone.

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What Have We Lost?

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As I survey the landscape of the modern church and Christianity at large, I find myself asking, “What have we lost?” I grew up in the church and in a Christian family with Christian parents who continue to love the Lord even in their later years today. My father is a pastor, and church attendance was never an option for me growing up.

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These days, I eagerly look forward to driving to my local church each week. Church has changed a lot from when I was a young boy, and I have eagerly embraced many of those changes. But as I survey where the church is today, it is obvious we have lost a great deal along the way.

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