Even If i Walk Alone

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

Exodus

Make No Plans

by

Studying the second half of the book of Romans this month, one verse keeps poking me when I read it. Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.” It’s convicting because how often do we make plans to satisfy those very desires of the flesh the Lord admonishes us not to?

make no plans,discipleship,fear,God's will,priorities,purpose

We are always making plans to do something, go somewhere, or become someone. How many of those plans center on bringing or giving glory to God? If you’re like me, not many. We design almost all our plans to fulfill the desires of our flesh rather than to further the Kingdom of God. There are exceptions, of course, but that they are the exceptions should tell us we have a problem.

[Read more…] about Make No Plans

Getting More

by

In all my years, I have never gone a day without food unless it was by choice. I have seen lean days and days of plenty, but not once have I wondered if I would have something to eat. There are still areas of our world where this is not the case. Throughout history, this has not been the norm. Food security has always been an issue, but it has never been an issue for me, and I doubt it has been for most of those reading this.

getting more,commitment,priorities,mission,devotion

My point is, when all else is going against us, we have so much for which to be thankful. Never let your present circumstances blind you from the realities of the abundant blessings you receive every day (Psalm 103:2). Contrary to how we might think or feel, every day we are getting more than we ever deserve (Romans 6:23; Lamentations 3:22-23).

[Read more…] about Getting More

Exchanging Truth for Lies

by

God’s Word never ceases to amaze in how relevant it remains. Anyone who thinks the Bible is an outdated collection of dusty writings isn’t paying attention. Almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul penned these words in his letter to the Church in Rome: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen” (Romans1:25).

commitment,devotion,God's Word,lies,prioritie,truth,selfishness,exchanging truth for lies,the CHurch

We see this verse continue to play out in Western countries all over the world. Societies and cultures founded on the principles of Scripture and their faith in God have abandoned the truth of God’s Word to follow their desires, lusts, and pleasures (2 Timothy 3:1-4; 1 John 2:16). They are exchanging truth for lies, convinced their wisdom is superior to God’s (1 Corinthians 1:18-21).

[Read more…] about Exchanging Truth for Lies

We Love Sin

by

Did you ever wonder why the world hates Christianity, and by extension, Christ so much? The world doesn’t care if you’re a Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu, but a Christian? That’s unacceptable. Years ago, Matthew Henry wrote, “Christ is hated because sin is loved.” Deep down, we all know that’s true. We love sin (John 3:19). Even those of us who follow Christ and reject sin know that our affection for it never goes away (Romans 7:15-20).

we love sin,commitment,discipleship,discipline,priorities,spiritual warfare

Our natural desire from birth is to sin, to follow the patterns of this world, and to resist anything that would restrict our freedom to pursue sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). I’m uncomfortable with even the thought that I might love sin, and it’s difficult to write it in such a public place. But if we didn’t love sin, we would not struggle to follow the commands of God (Romans 7:21-24).

[Read more…] about We Love Sin

Obey His Commands

by

It’s easy to read the Bible at such a surface level that we never grasp what it’s saying. Most of us are aware of a verse like John 14:15, which says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (see also 1 John 5:3a). We say we love Him, which means we obey His commands. But what are those commands? Do you know what it is you should do to confirm your love for Him?

commitment,discipleship,humility,love,surrender,obey,obedience

If we read this verse like we’re reading a novel, we’ll never grasp how the Word of God applies to the way we live. We must do the deeper work of studying God’s Word so we understand what it means. What are the commands we must keep so we might show our love for Him?

[Read more…] about Obey His Commands