Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Too Many Churches

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I recently learned from an article that the city in which I live has more churches per capita than any other city in America. While some might see this as great news, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Why do we need so many churches? Doesn’t that mean the vast majority of them are horribly ineffective?

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Perhaps even more troubling is the amount of money these churches are spending on rent, real estate, and building projects. When did those things become more important than feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and providing shelter for the homeless (Matthew 25:31-46)? The Church has become quite efficient spending Kingdom money on things that bear little resemblance to Christ.
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Celebrity Culture

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We live in an era where pastors have become celebrities. Several make more money on the speaking circuit and from writing books than any church could ever have afforded to pay them. I have nothing against these people earning more money, and certainly nothing against more people hearing the truth of Jesus. The problem I do have is our tendency to idolize these men and women.

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We’ve stolen the celebrity culture of Hollywood and applied it to ministry. I am guilty of feeding this machine. I love reading books and attending seminars, always looking for new insights by which I can draw nearer to God. Still, there’s a fine line between earnest student and borderline groupie.
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The Privilege of Serving Christ

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“If we belong to Jesus Christ, we should never compromise our spiritual decisions on the basis of ‘What is this going to cost me?’ We ought only to ask, ‘What is my spiritual duty and my spiritual privilege before God?’” This quote from A.W. Tozer cuts to the core of our resistance to follow Christ no matter the cost. Jesus didn’t ask if the price was worth it when He went to the cross.

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He simply did what was required to live a life that looked like that of His Father. He didn’t turn away from the most excruciating pain and humiliation a man could ever know. He knew what His duty was before God, and it was His privilege to serve God in a way that at once pleased His Father and saved all of those selfish, wretched souls He loved so much.
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Obsessed With Jesus

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Are you obsessed with Jesus? Francis Chan says that, “Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. Obsessed people care more about God’s kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.” Are those statements a fair summary of your life?

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If you’re like me, there are times when I can identify with that level of obsession, but far more times when I can’t. More than anything else, true followers of Christ are obsessed with Jesus. They can’t get close enough or learn too much about Him. While it can be uncomfortable to ask these questions of ourselves, we must evaluate whether or not we are obsessed with Jesus.
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This Day and That Day

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Every so often I run across a quote that resonates so deeply it feels as if it has rocked my very soul. The one I found most recently was from Martin Luther, who said, “There are two days in my calendar: This day and that Day.” The ‘that day” to which he referred was the day he would meet Jesus.

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Martin Luther thought only of what was going on right now in this present moment, and of things that would occur when he stood face to face with Jesus. What an amazing outlook on life, one that aligns perfectly with the teachings of Christ.

What a contrast to the way most of us go about our lives. We spend much of our time planning and dreaming about the future. Jesus had some strong language for those of us operating in that manner. In Luke 12:16-21, he said we who make plans for the future without first serving God are fools. We can make the most intricate plans for future vacations and our retirement, but our life could be demanded of us at any moment. For what then will all those plans count? Who will profit from all you have saved for the future? When we neglect the importance of this moment, sacrificing it for an unknown future, we are missing out on the real treasures of life. That makes us foolish indeed.

We fret about having food, shelter, and clothing, but Jesus instructed us not to give such things a second thought (Matthew 6:25-34). He pointed out how He takes care of the birds of the air and how He tends to the garden of our world without any help on our behalf. He is aware of every situation and will not abandon us. Yet at the first sign of trouble we turn away from Him and run towards the things of this world. We flee the warm embrace of Jesus and plunge head first into the razor sharp talons of the adversary. We abandon the only true safety for the empty promises of an illusory and temporary comfort.

What if we focused our lives only on this day and that day? How might our lives be different? Forget about the future. You can’t predict it and have no guarantee it will even come. First dedicate your entire existence to Jesus. Concentrate only on what you can do to serve Him on this day, in this hour, at this very moment.

When you think about the future, think only of the moment your hands will grasp the feet of Jesus. Play out the scene in your mind. What might that day look like to you? What will you say? What will you do? How will Jesus react to seeing you? The way ‘that day’ plays out is dependent on how you live ‘this day’. Nothing else matters beyond how you serve Jesus right now.  With every breath we are either building up or tearing down the Kingdom of God. Think only of this day. Dream only of that day. The rest will take care of itself.