Even If i Walk Alone

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

commitment

Indulging in Entertainment

by

In the last post, “The Relevance of the Church”, we discussed how entertainment has crept into our churches and dramatically changed what a service looks like. While most churches start with the goal of submitting to the Lordship of Christ and being a living demonstration of His life, over time, it is common for churches to become the sum of the people attending. They begin to reflect the whims and preferences of those who come through the doors rather than maintaining a rigorous adherence to Biblical teaching and structure.

discipleship,discipliine,commitment,prayer,peace,purpose,priorities,mission,Bible study,indulging in entertainment,the church

This means if we want to have more Christ-like churches, each of us must become more Christ-like in our lives. Don’t wish your church was better. Focus on becoming more Christ-like yourself. Our churches are obsessed with entertaining the masses because of our penchant for indulging in entertainment in our personal lives. If enough of us would take the call of Christ seriously by consuming our thoughts with Him instead of earthly pleasures and desires, our churches would once again be the light and refuge that our world needs.

[Read more…] about Indulging in Entertainment

The Relevance of the Church

by

Have we let entertainment cripple our lives and, by extension, the relevance of the Church? Speaking on this topic, A. W. Tozer said, “For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was—a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability… She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers”.

relevance of the church,sin,commitment,discipleship,mission,priorities,great commission,the church

When I was younger, I would have scoffed at such a statement, chalking it up to being old-fashioned, legalistic, and out of step with the times. I know I’m not alone in this because I believe it is precisely because of such attitudes we find ourselves with the Church we have today: weak, lacking in courage, and saturated with the ways and teachings of the world.

[Read more…] about The Relevance of the Church

Full of Purpose

by

Steven J. Lawson said, “The greatest knowledge is to know Christ. The greatest adventure is to follow Him. The greatest privilege is to serve Him.” What a fantastic backdrop against which to live our lives! If we ingest this and use it as a guide, our lives will be full of purpose, full of meaning, and devoid of regrets. Read the first line again. Doesn’t that excite you? We have the privilege of knowing the Son of God on a personal level.

discipleship,purpose,mission,commitment,full of purpose

Incredibly, He invites us to follow Him and to partner with Him in His mission of declaring the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Somehow, someway, He deems us worthy to be His disciples. He regards us worthy to be His servants, His hands and feet in this world. We’re talking about the Creator of everything and the King of the Universe. That’s astonishing!

[Read more…] about Full of Purpose

Surrender to Jesus

by

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.

surrender to Jesus,heaven,eternity,commitment,discipleship,surrender

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).

[Read more…] about Surrender to Jesus

Ache for the Knowledge of God

by

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.”

discipleship,commitment,surrender,salvation,passion,ache for the knowledge of God

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?

[Read more…] about Ache for the Knowledge of God