Even If i Walk Alone

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

Luke

Not Gonna Bow

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Years ago, Russ Taff wrote a song called, “Not Gonna Bow”, based on the well-known Bible story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  The theme of the song was how we as Christ-followers should refuse to bow to any idols, regardless of the consequences. There is nothing more important than to keep Jesus first in your life. It is the essence of surrendering our hearts to Christ. If He isn’t first, then we aren’t surrendered.

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Every day we are tempted to bow down to someone or something other than Jesus. When we put anything other than Christ first in our hearts, it is an idol and needs to be thrown out of our lives. Idolatry is subtle and creeps in constantly if we are not diligent to guard against it.

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Where is Your Treasure?

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Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke12:34). As I have written previously, a good test of where you are placing your treasure is to look at your bank and credit card statements. Where you are spending your money is where you are placing your treasure. While this is true, it recently occurred to me there is a much deeper meaning to Jesus’s words.

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It’s not just the specifics of where we are spending our money which reveals where we are placing our treasure, it’s much bigger than that. We will spend our money on things of this world or for God’s Kingdom. Our treasure is being amassed in earthen containers (banks, possessions, and brokerages) or in Heavenly realms. We are either building up things we cannot keep or investing in what we cannot lose (Luke 9:24).

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Radical Generosity

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Did you know if you have running water, a roof over your head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation, that you are among the wealthiest 15 percent of the world? My guess is this is going to include just about every single person reading this. So, congratulations, welcome to a very affluent community. Perhaps you never thought of yourself as being rich and are excited right about now.

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Would you maintain your excitement once I reminded you Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48)”? As you read through Scripture, you will find the unmistakable call for us to live with radical generosity. We have been made rich to serve the needs of others.

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Exclusive Devotion

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David Platt once wrote, “Plainly put, a relationship with Jesus requires total, superior, and exclusive devotion.” Is this how you would describe your relationship with Jesus? When I hear or read statements like this, I get excited. This is exactly the life I want to live. I want to be so committed to Jesus others cannot help but know. Such radical obedience and devotion stir something deep inside me.

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I know it is for this I was created. Knowing why you are here on this earth will motivate you like nothing else. But alas, I cannot claim my relationship with Jesus is characterized by total, superior, and exclusive devotion to Him. Despite knowing this is the deepest yearning of my heart, I fall short again and again.

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Time with Jesus

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In the familiar story of Mary and Martha, Martha is busy preparing a meal for Jesus and His disciples, while her sister Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and offers no help to her sister (Luke 10:38-42). Martha is upset by this and complains to Jesus. The reply of Christ speaks volumes about how we should live our lives. He tells Martha Mary has chosen what is more important (Luke 10:41-42).

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The story ends without telling us how Martha responded, but I am more interested in the choice of Mary. What was it about Jesus she found so fascinating, so compelling, she defied cultural customs and ignored family responsibilities to spend time at the feet of Jesus?

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