Even If i Walk Alone

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

I John

Test the Spirits

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1 John 4 begins with a somewhat curious phrase. John encourages the hearers of his letter to “test the spirits”. First, this implies there are many spirits. In our churches today, it is common to hear about the Holy Spirit, but there is often little attention paid to the other spirits in our world. We ignore these other spirits at our peril. Behind every false teaching, you will find a demonic source.

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Yes, demons are real. They exist and flood the spiritual realm surrounding us. When we go along with false teaching, we are following demons. How’s that for a sobering thought? If we are not careful in examining the teaching we are listening to, there is a very good chance we aren’t being taught God’s truth at all. Instead of growing in our faith, we are opening our minds to demonic influences.

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Aliens and Strangers

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We’re aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). When we turned our lives over to Jesus, we became homeless in this world and began longing for our true home with Christ (1 Corinthians 5:1-3). The closer we draw to Jesus, the more we recognize how out of place we are in this world. Our desires do not match those of society. Our actions often fly in the face of earthly logic and common sensibilities.

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There is a constant sense of being different, of not fitting in here. We don’t feel at home because this world is not our home. We only find peace in the presence of Jesus because He is our home. Having our eyes awakened to spiritual reality, the physical and temporal world can never again captivate us. Indeed, we have become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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The New Command

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As Jesus was having His last conversation with His disciples before His crucifixion, He gave them a new command for living. We read this in John 13:34-35. The new command was to love each other, just as Christ loves us. It’s important to note Jesus said this command was a hallmark of being His disciple. People will recognize we follow Jesus by the love we display for others.

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Unless we love those around us, we will never be a disciple of Christ. God’s very nature is love, so if we want to look and live like Jesus, we must love people. Without love, we’re just making noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). Unless we love, we will never make a difference in this world.

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God Hates Sin

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It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a popular pastor preach about the dangers and horrors of sin. I’ve heard a lot about time management, goal setting, self-improvement, favor, blessing, and healing. The past couple of years have seen a shift to a lot of messages around social justice, tolerance, and welcoming people into the church who are living in proud defiance of the Word of God.

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What I don’t hear is preaching on the depravity and destruction of sin. We hear God is love and forgiveness without the context of why we need His love and forgiveness. Let us be clear in our understanding: God hates sin and so must we. If sin doesn’t repulse us and drive us to our knees in repentance, the odds are better than good you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

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I Follow Jesus

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I follow Jesus because I’d be lost without Him. When I look around at this world and see the evil pervading it, I know I need someone to guide me through. As I encounter difficulties in life, I’ve often asked, “How do people without Christ get through the tough times? Where do they find their comfort, peace, and strength? The answer is typically in temporary medications like alcohol, drugs, sex, entertainment, or other vices.

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The problem is the letdown on the other side is even worse because the problems don’t go away. Numbing the pain is not the same thing as having someone carry it for you. Jesus is my rock, and my refuge, my shelter from the storm (Psalm 18:1-2). He’s my deliverer, comforter, and Savior (Psalm 23:1-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Isaiah 12:2). I am nothing without Him.

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