Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Big Prayers

by

Our faith is so small. It’s as if we are children of a multi-billionaire but never ask for anything more than a pack of gum from our father. God has so much He desires to share with us, but we are too weak-minded to understand and too immature to grasp all that our position in life affords us. We are co-heirs with Jesus to all God has (Romans 8:16-17).

big prayers,prayer,faith,God's Kingdom,God's will,Kingdom of God

And yet, most of our prayers are for tiny trinkets and selfish comforts. Why don’t we pray big prayers? Are we afraid God won’t answer in the way we desire, so we shy away? I submit we don’t pray big prayers because our faith is far too small. The more we trust Christ, the bigger our prayers will become.

[Read more…] about Big Prayers

Books and Learning

by

I have always been surrounded by books. I am grateful to my mother for instilling a love of reading within me from a young age. She read to me regularly, and I watched my older brother devour thick books at a speed I have never come close to attaining. As a result, I was reading before entering kindergarten. Once there, I made quick work of plowing through the required reading for the year and had completed the first-grade readers as well before ever stepping foot inside an elementary school.

Bible,knowledge,discipline,books and learning

My love of books and passion for reading has never waned. More than half a century later, books line my walls and inhabit stacks throughout my house. And that’s before even getting to the hundreds more residing in my Kindle and Kobo e-readers. Yet, after all this, I have to agree with Solomon. There is no end to books and learning (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Unless we put into practice what we learn, it is all vanity, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

[Read more…] about Books and Learning

Be Thankful

by

While we should be thankful every day for the incredible blessings God has given to us, Americans set aside one day a year to express our gratitude as a nation. I recognize not everyone feels thankful today. Illness, job loss, personal tragedy, and general dissatisfaction with life can darken our minds and keep us from recognizing how much we have to be thankful for.

thankful,God's Kingdom,trust,faith,greed,love,be thankful,Kingdom of God

Wherever you are, simply looking around you reveals much for which you can be thankful. I don’t know your circumstances, but I’ve never met anyone who couldn’t point to someone worse off than they were. So, that’s a start. If it could be worse, then there is something for which you can praise God.

[Read more…] about Be Thankful

Die to Self

by

We don’t live surrendered lives because to do so is both inconvenient and difficult. Everything in our society and culture is designed to appeal to our worldly lusts and flesh. The culture calls us to surrender to its ways, enjoy the best of this life, and cast aside any restrictions on our pleasure and enjoyment.

commitment,discipleship,God's will,lordship,salvation,surrender,die to self

Every part of our flesh desires to chase after the things of this world. So, when we surrender to Jesus as our Lord, an immediate conflict ensues. Will we bow to the King or give our allegiance to the dark desires of our flesh?

[Read more…] about Die to Self

You Love the World

by

Over the past year, I’ve probably referenced (1 John 2:15) more than any other verse. I keep coming back to it because its message is so clear and sobering: “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.” Do you love the world? If so, then you don’t love God. It’s a harsh statement, but impossible to avoid.

discipleship,commitment,surrender,salvation,priorities,humility,you love the world

There isn’t any wiggle room in the verse to accommodate how much we love the world, so we can’t rationalize and say we love God more than the things of this world. God has never been one to accept partial love. We cannot serve two masters; we will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).

[Read more…] about You Love the World