Even If i Walk Alone

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

Galatians

Give a Defense

by

Peter instructed all followers of Jesus to be ready to give a defense for what they believe. (1 Peter 3:15) We all know that verse, but if someone asked us to, could we give a defense for our faith? It’s not a trivial question. If you can’t explain why you believe what you do, then why do you believe what you do? The modern landscape is littered with churches that never preach the gospel, much less instruct their people in it. The results are more than tragic.

At best, these churches produce generations of illiterate Christians, and at worst, they are hastening their path to Hell. (2 Timothy 4:3; Hosea 4:6) The fault does not stop at the door of the church, however. The Lord will hold you responsible for your spiritual decisions and growth, so we need to nail this down before we face Him. (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)

[Read more…] about Give a Defense

Who Are We

by

Who are we to demand anything of Jesus? When He was on trial, the authorities of both the Jewish and Roman empires demanded that Jesus answer their questions and accusations against him. But He kept silent. (Isaiah 53:7) He owed nothing to these men. He was their Creator, possessing knowledge so far greater than theirs that they could never imagine. (John 1:3; Colossians 2:3)

And yet they demanded answers from Him. The creatures were questioning their Creator. (Romans 9:20) Don’t we do the same? In our prayers, we demand Jesus answer them and answer in the way we want Him to. (James 4:3) Who are we to think we can demand anything of Christ? We proclaim Him to be our Lord and then act as if He is subservient to us. (Luke 6:46)

[Read more…] about Who Are We

4,000 Weeks

by

I came across a book called “4,000 Weeks” and read a brief sample of the introduction. The premise of the book is that the average human has 4,000 weeks of life from birth to death. While I have not read the book, it was obvious the content would be about maximizing that time and understanding how short a time 4,000 weeks is in the grand scheme of things. It was also clear that the book was coming from an evolutionary starting point, which meant it was flawed from the outset, so it isn’t something I would recommend.

But the idea stuck with me. Given health and family history – and knowing only God knows and controls how long I will live – at 58 years old, I figure I have somewhere between 1,040 and 2,080 weeks left. That’s how much time I have remaining to serve the Lord in this body. (Psalm 139:16; James 4:14–15)

[Read more…] about 4,000 Weeks

Unpopular

by

From the earliest days of adolescence, almost everyone aspires to be popular. I never met anyone when I was younger who told me they wanted to be unpopular. As beings created in the image of God, we all desire relationship and communion with others. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:18) Some personality types desire this more than others, but we all need it. In our formative years, popularity is something we crave. We all want to fit in, to be liked, and to have others respect our opinions.

Such desires don’t vanish when we finish school. It continues to resonate with us as we enter the workforce, move into neighborhoods, and develop social relationships. Even in our church communities, no one wants to be unpopular. When everyone desires something, it should set off warning bells in our minds. (Romans 12:2)

[Read more…] about Unpopular

Are You Exhausted?

by

Are you exhausted? Everything about our modern culture seems to drive us to unattainable goals at unsustainable speeds. The 24/7 news cycle, social media, job and familial expectations, all keep us hurtling through time with little chance of stopping to figure out where it is we’re going. Today, exhaustion is both normal and a badge of honor. If you aren’t exhausted, you must be doing something wrong or missing out.

Of course, exhaustion is nothing new. Jesus was so worn out from doing the work of His Father that He was sleeping through a terrifying storm while reclining in a boat. (Mark 4:37–38) The disciples were so tired they couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus just hours before His execution. (Matthew 26:40–43) There are legitimate reasons for exhaustion, and then there is the inexcusable cause of indifference.

[Read more…] about Are You Exhausted?