Even If i Walk Alone

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

II Corinthians

Over the Line

by

It seems many Christians are always looking for that magical line in the sand that separates them from sin. They are careful about not going over the line. Their commitment to Christ means they will go so far, but no further. We put much effort into seeing how close to the line we can get without crossing it. Is that reflective of God’s glory?

over the line,commitment,discipline,fear,focus,priorities

Living in such a manner is nothing but a more palatable way of saying you want to look as much like the world as you can without being part of the world. It’s the opposite of being devoted to Christ. We need to focus on how separate we can be from the world (Romans 12:2) rather than trying to see how much we can look like the world without sinning.

[Read more…] about Over the Line

Marvelous Light

by

In a world of darkness, it is comforting to know Jesus calls us out of that darkness and into the marvelous light of His presence (1 Peter 2:9). The darkness of this world is heavy and oppressive. In contrast, Jesus tells us His burden is light and comes with an overwhelming sense of peace and joy (Matthew 11:28-30). This life has a way of wearing you down and making you tired all the time.

marvelous light,discipleship,fear,focus,God's Kingdom,mission,purpose,Crowder,David Crowder,Kingdom of God

It’s easy to wonder where we can find the joy Jesus promises. We know Jesus never lies (1 Peter 2:22; Titus 1:1-2; Numbers 23:19), so if we are missing out on something He promises, the reason is we’ve taken our focus off Him and are staring at our circumstances and problems. The fact we all do this doesn’t make it any less painful or wrong.

[Read more…] about Marvelous Light

Stamp Eternity on My Eyes

by

The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards, is credited with the quote, “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” Whether he said those exact words, his commitment to living with an eternal perspective is evident in his preaching and many of his famous resolutions. This describes how we should live every day of our lives. There is nothing on earth worthy of our attention.

stamp eternity on my eyes,Jonathan Edwards,commitment,discipline,priorities,God's Kingdom,Kingdom of God,stamp eternity on my eyeballs

Nothing here lasts, and we’ll take nothing from this place when we leave (1 Timothy 6:7). Our every thought, word, and deed should be with our eyes toward Heaven. Think of how your life might change if you decide to pray with Edwards, “Lord stamp eternity on my eyes.” I believe such a prayer is consistent with the teaching of the New Testament and worthy of our consideration.

[Read more…] about Stamp Eternity on My Eyes

Outsiders

by

If you follow Jesus with any consistency in this life, you’re going to find yourself as a cultural outsider. There’s no way around it. Our values are different. Our morals are different. Even our goals in life are different. We are not of this world, and we do not live like we are of this world (John 17:14-16). The very act of following Jesus Christ puts you on the outside, looking in on the rest of the world. You’ll be weird.

outsiders,God's Kingdom,commitment,discipleship,fear,persecution,persecuted,Kingdom of God

The people of this world will hate, despise, and maybe even kill you. For certain, they will never understand you. Jesus lived on the outside too and he promised we would face trouble (John 16:33). He told us in advance that the world would hate us because it hated him (John 15:18-19). Authentic followers of Jesus will never be on the inside of the coolest and most popular circles. They will always be outsiders.

[Read more…] about Outsiders

Right Now Counts Forever

by

As you go throughout your day, how often do you pause and recognize that right now counts forever? Every idle word, careless act, and mindless thought is part of your eternal record. Because God created us to give Him glory, every moment of our lives comes with a responsibility. Our lives are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), no matter how much we think otherwise.

right now counts forever,commitment,discipleship,purpose,mission,priorities,God's Kingdom,Kingdom of God

The only reason any of us is drawing breath today is so we might bring glory to Jesus Christ. Your comfort, success, and happiness are all secondary considerations. We’ve spent our entire lives getting this not just backward, but very wrong. The purpose of our lives is not to get as much as we can out of this life, but to give as much of ourselves as we can to the mission and work of Christ.

[Read more…] about Right Now Counts Forever