Even If i Walk Alone

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

Faith

Persecuted

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I pray daily for our brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted for their faith. It is both devastating and humbling to read what they are going through because of their commitment to Jesus. In many countries, becoming a follower of Christ will lead to job loss, inability to rent or buy housing, harassment and beatings from friends and family, and often imprisonment or death. For many believers, this is the harsh reality of their lives.

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Some stories are unimaginable to those of us who sit safely ensconced in our comfortable homes, living in a freedom unmatched in history. The bravery and courage of our persecuted brothers and sisters should compel us all to lift their needs in prayer often. Those who are out of sight must never be out of mind.

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The Problem of Evil

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My heart broke this past week when the lead singer of a popular Christian band renounced his faith in Jesus in a very public way. What broke my heart was not the damage this might do to the faith of those over whom he has influence, although that is troublesome. It didn’t break my heart the way the media latched onto the story and the damage something like this inflicts on the Church, although this too is cause for prayer.

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The Church will survive. The gates of Hell will not prevail against us, no matter how unexpected the attack (Matthew 16:18). What broke my heart were the reasons this individual gave for no longer believing.  There are straightforward answers to his questions, and yet somehow, no one in this man’s life could counsel him with the truth.

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Fill My Hands

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There is significant pain in the world today. So many are in need. As followers of Jesus, we cannot ignore the plight of the sick, hurting, hungry, disabled, elderly, or dispossessed. We have so much. My prayer is for God to fill my hands so I can share what He gives me with others in need. I’m not particular about what God might put in my hands. He knows best what those around me need, so I’ll leave the details to Him.

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I know He blesses us all with a unique blend of skills, talents, and passions. What He fills your hands with may differ from that with which He fills mine. That’s the beauty of the Kingdom of God. We are all different and able in concert to be used in ways we could never accomplish on our own.

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One Day at a Time

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Following Jesus must be done one day at a time. Jesus told us we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow because today has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:31-34). In Proverbs, Agur prayed for just enough provision for today, not for a month, a year, or a lifetime (Proverbs 30:8). Agur was a wise man, so if his advice was to focus only on the day ahead of us, that should probably good enough for us. But when Jesus says it, then as His disciples, we must live as He says.

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As you study the life of Christ, you see a man who took each day as it came. He was never in a rush and never harried. He spent each day dealing with whatever situation was presenting itself. The only long-term agenda He seemed to have was obeying His Father. Everything else was dealt with as it came.

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What is Discipleship?

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I am becoming more and more bothered when I read prayer requests for discipleship movements. A popular refrain among churches today is they want to be creating disciples who create disciples who create disciples. This is a worthwhile goal. At the same time, if churches aren’t creating disciples, then what are they creating? What is it they were teaching before discipleship? I am convinced one who is not a disciple is not a follower of Jesus.

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To follow Jesus is to be His disciple. You cannot separate the two. To be blunt, to be saved is to be a disciple. You cannot be one without the other. For too long we have pedaled a cheap grace, allowing people to profess a belief in Christ without explaining the level of commitment a true confession requires.

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