Even If i Walk Alone

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

Luke

All the Way

by

Early in the book of Judges, we see Israel falling into a pattern of sin that continues to plague each of us today. In Judges 1:28, we read that, in opposition to God’s command (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; Deuteronomy 20:15–16), Israel neglected to drive out the peoples of the promised land completely. They stopped short of what God commanded them to do. The Lord told Israel to eradicate the idolatrous people from the land. If they didn’t, the people might tempt them to follow other gods.

all the way,commitment,discipleship,devotion,all in,full out,stop short

Israel drove out most of the people, but they stopped short of going all the way. They became complacent and figured what they had done was good enough. But stopping short of complete obedience to God is never good enough. It shows a lack of faith, a lack of commitment, laziness, or perhaps all the above. What it does not reflect is a sold-out devotion to Jesus.

[Read more…] about All the Way

Do You Love Me More Than These?

by

Many of us know the story of Jesus restoring Peter to fellowship with Him. We find the story in John 21:15-19, and much has been written and taught about this passage. The first question Jesus asked Peter was, “Do you love me more than these?” He may have been asking whether Peter loved Him more than the other disciples did, or perhaps if Peter loved Jesus more than he did his fellow disciples.

do you love me more than these,commitment,discipleship,love,devotion,passion,surrender

Another option is Jesus may have been asking Peter if He loved the nourishment of God over bodily nourishment (they were eating breakfast after a night of hard fishing). While people teach the first two more often, I’d like to focus on the third option. I think “Do you love me more than these?” is a good question for us all to ask every day.

[Read more…] about Do You Love Me More Than These?

Jesus is Better

by

Jesus is better than anything for which you’d live. No amount of success, money, or fame compares to the richness of knowing Christ. Fame is fleeting, success dies with you, and money always winds up in the hands of someone else. Jesus is everlasting, life with Him is just getting started when we die, and He will never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:6). By every measure, Jesus is better. We spend our lives searching for some place to call home and for some experience to bring us happiness at last.

Jesus is better,passion,love,commitment,faith

A house, no matter how splendid, will not necessarily make you feel at home, and happiness is not the same thing as joy. For those who serve Jesus, to be away from here is to be at home with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). In His arms, we will find true joy, something exponentially better than momentary happiness. And we will find worth and purpose that transcends our circumstances and what anyone else might think or say about us.

[Read more…] about Jesus is Better

The Persecuted

by

For many in the West, it is uncomfortable to talk about the persecuted Church around the world. While we may face ridicule and discrimination to one degree or another, we have no reference point for the brutality inflicted against our brothers and sisters in far-off countries. Much like the television commercials depicting starving children or animal shelters, the images are hard to look at so we close our eyes, mute the sound, or change the channel.

persecuted,persecuted Church,persecuted Christians,pray,prayer,persecution

We know these things exist but we would rather not think about them. But our discomfort does not change the reality of what is happening to our brothers and sisters. Imagine if it was your flesh and blood sibling who was enduring such things. Would you not keep them in the front of your mind and do everything in your power to help and encourage them? Then why are we so reluctant to discuss and bring attention to the plight of our brothers and sisters in Christ?

[Read more…] about The Persecuted

A Wartime Mindset

by

Followers of Jesus should live with a wartime mindset, but most of us are strolling through life as if we are in the greatest peace-time in history. We take spiritual things lightly and give significant weight to the physical world. It’s the most short-sighted strategy we could adopt, and the devil continues to deceive us into believing we are being smart. One thing I know for certain is no matter what comes out of the mouth of Satan, it will be a lie (John 8:44). So whatever he puts in our mind, we should do the opposite. Immediately.

a wartime mindset,war,peace,discipleship,dilligence,priorities,commitment,mission

We are not at peace. We are at war. Your soul, the soul of your family, and the souls of your friends are under attack. Satan wants to distract you from the truth, so he distorts it. The longer we believe we’re not living in a war zone, the harder it becomes to break out of the stupor and see the battle raging around us.

[Read more…] about A Wartime Mindset