Even If i Walk Alone

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

James

Violating God’s Will

by

A couple of different thoughts have been fighting for attention in my mind for the past several days. One was sparked by reading Job 28:28, where God said, “The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” We’ve talked about what it means to fear the Lord before (see “The Fear of The Lord”), but this verse is so clear.

violating God's will,fear,wisdom,discipleship,purpose,God's will

We could take it to mean that it is wise to fear God, which is true, and we can also understand it to be a succinct definition of what fear of God looks like: to be wise. Wisdom will keep us from violating God’s will. Which brings me to the other topic that’s been on my mind: finding God’s will for your life. I’ve also written on that topic before, and if you want a deeper dive, see, “Explaining God’s Will for Your Life.” I submit you will never understand God’s will until you develop a proper fear of His holiness.

[Read more…] about Violating God’s Will

Exchanging Truth for Lies

by

God’s Word never ceases to amaze in how relevant it remains. Anyone who thinks the Bible is an outdated collection of dusty writings isn’t paying attention. Almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul penned these words in his letter to the Church in Rome: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen” (Romans1:25).

commitment,devotion,God's Word,lies,prioritie,truth,selfishness,exchanging truth for lies,the CHurch

We see this verse continue to play out in Western countries all over the world. Societies and cultures founded on the principles of Scripture and their faith in God have abandoned the truth of God’s Word to follow their desires, lusts, and pleasures (2 Timothy 3:1-4; 1 John 2:16). They are exchanging truth for lies, convinced their wisdom is superior to God’s (1 Corinthians 1:18-21).

[Read more…] about Exchanging Truth for Lies

Holy Things

by

As believers in Jesus, it is our responsibility to steward holy things. We have the written Word of God to preserve and honor (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must be diligent and zealous in not profaning the Holy Spirit within us because He is holiness personified (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our greatest stewardship lies in what we do with the gifts God gives to us (1 Peter 4:10-11). In “God Tells the Man Who Cares”, A. W. Tozer wrote, “We should and must learn that we cannot handle holy things carelessly without suffering serious consequences.”

holy things,commitment,discipleship,Bible study,prayer,holiness

The consequence of being flippant about our faith, and the exercise of that faith, may very well be a faith that is not real (James 2:17). Without a genuine faith, there is no salvation (Hebrews 11:6). It’s hard to imagine any consequence more dire than that.

[Read more…] about Holy Things

The Direction of Your Life

by

One of the wonderful things about human beings is we can change the direction of our lives any time we desire. Sometimes this involves major life changes, like switching jobs, going back to school, or retiring. At other times, the change in direction is based in its entirety on adjusting our attitude or the habits we nurture. While wrapping any of these changes in New Year’s resolutions is a popular practice, no one needs to wait until then to change the trajectory of their lives.

commitment,discipleship,gifts,Gof's Kingdom,discipline,mission,New Year,resolutions,priorities,purpose,Kingdom of God

No matter how near or far away the next New Year is, you can decide to change your life today. There is no greater change you can make than deciding to follow Jesus with everything you have in every area of your life (Luke 9:23-24). No decision will have a greater impact on the direction of your life (2 Corinthians 5:17).

[Read more…] about The Direction of Your Life

We Love Sin

by

Did you ever wonder why the world hates Christianity, and by extension, Christ so much? The world doesn’t care if you’re a Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu, but a Christian? That’s unacceptable. Years ago, Matthew Henry wrote, “Christ is hated because sin is loved.” Deep down, we all know that’s true. We love sin (John 3:19). Even those of us who follow Christ and reject sin know that our affection for it never goes away (Romans 7:15-20).

we love sin,commitment,discipleship,discipline,priorities,spiritual warfare

Our natural desire from birth is to sin, to follow the patterns of this world, and to resist anything that would restrict our freedom to pursue sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). I’m uncomfortable with even the thought that I might love sin, and it’s difficult to write it in such a public place. But if we didn’t love sin, we would not struggle to follow the commands of God (Romans 7:21-24).

[Read more…] about We Love Sin