Even If i Walk Alone

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

Faith

Courage and Surrender

by

Beatrice Stockli was a Swiss missionary to Mali. She first visited the country in1998 as part of a mission’s team and ended up staying and ministering to the people there for many years.  In April 2012, she was kidnapped by Islamist insurgents. After ten days of captivity, she was released and returned home to Switzerland for a brief time. And then, against counsel and the wishes of her family, Beatrice returned to Mali to continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people who did not know Him.

courage and surrender,courage,surrender,mission,devotion,commitment,faith,fear,Matthew 28:18-20,great commission,Galatians 2:19-20crucified with Christ,John 16:33,you will have trouble

In June 2016, she was again kidnapped by a radical Muslim group called Jama’at Nasr al-Islam. At some point in her captivity, Beatrice was killed by her captors. She died living out the mission of Christ. Hers was a life of courage and surrender. As we complain about the state of our lives, I wonder who among us possesses the courage and devotion to live a life as committed to Christ as Beatrice and so many other Christian martyrs have?

[Read more…] about Courage and Surrender

Finding Hope

by

Where are you finding hope these days? Perhaps a first question should be, “Where are you looking for hope?” More and more people are rejecting the authority or even the existence of God, and then wondering why depression and suicide are on the rise. There can never be genuine hope outside of God. Once we deny Him, there is no hope remaining.

finding hope,faith,focus,love,discipline,spiritual disciplines,hope,commitment,Deuteronomy 31:6,never leave or forsake,Hebrews 13:8,Jesus same yesterday,John 14:15,obey my commands,

As apologist William Lane Craig has said, “This is the reality in a universe without God: there is no hope; there is no purpose.” So, if you are trying to find hope while leaving God out of the equation, you are fighting a losing battle. You will find your only hope—in fact, the only hope of the world—in Jesus.

[Read more…] about Finding Hope

Moral Decline

by

I was hesitant to write this article. Some will undoubtedly misconstrue what I have to say and label me as a conspiracy theorist or prophet of doom. I assure you I am neither. I am speaking primarily in the context of America, the country in which I live, and specifically to the Church in America. As I survey the moral decline of the past few decades, I am stunned to observe how far we have fallen.

moral decline,persecution,America,church,discipleship,mission,commitment

The vitriol, immorality, and evil that pervade society is alarming. While it seems like this has occurred in a short time, looking back over the years reveals a steady deterioration that has culminated into the state in which we find ourselves today.

[Read more…] about Moral Decline

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted (IDOP)

by

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted (IDOP)

This past Sunday, many churches across the world took part in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, or IDOP for short. Some American churches postponed for a week because of the election (I do not understand such reasoning, but the fact remains), and some churches across the globe are marking the day on November 15th.  This means for the first three Sundays of the month in which this post is first published, there will be focused and corporate prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters. I urge you to join in.

International Day of Prayer,IDOP,persecuted Chrsistians,persecuted Church,persecution,commitment,faith,mission,prayer,the Church

If you, like me, enjoy the freedom to express your beliefs where you live, it’s difficult to understand what our fellow Christians endure daily. We cannot make too much of this issue. While we worship in freedom, millions of Christians are enduring unimaginable persecution because they are steadfast in affirming Jesus as their Lord.

[Read more…] about International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted (IDOP)

Changeless

by

Once upon a time, we could go to bed with a modicum of certainty of what the world would look like tomorrow. One day was relatively the same as the next and the one before it. Change always came, but it came slowly, sometimes so slowly we did not even notice. This is no longer the case. In our hyper-connected and always-on world, change comes rapidly and constantly. We are seeing social and political changes that used to take decades now occur in a matter of weeks. It’s fascinating to observe, but unsettling for most and frightening for many.

changeless,change,upheaval,overwhelm,faith,focus,comfort,Hebrews 13:8,same yesterday today tomorrow

It has often been said that the only constant in the world is change itself.  In a sea of such change, we all need an anchor. We need an unchanging point of reference. The only safety in our changing world is our changeless God. For disciples of Jesus, God is our foundation. He never changes. Despite the ebb and flow of human response and activity throughout history, God has remained the same. He is changeless.

[Read more…] about Changeless