Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

We Will All Face Persecution

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How can I be certain we will all face persecution? First and foremost, I know because Jesus told us we would face it (John 16:33). We need no other proof. Jesus speaks only the truth. He cannot lie and is never wrong. What you may have never considered, though, is the “why” behind Jesus’s proclamation. Jesus established the foundation here. He said the world would hate us because it first hated Him (John 15:18).

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They didn’t just hate Jesus for who He said He was, they hated everything He did. The fact many were following Him incensed them even further. So whether it is Jesus or a follower of His, the hatred of the world will burn hot. But there is still a deeper “why” behind such hatred that if we understand, I think it will help us deal more effectively with the persecution that is sure to come.

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Making People Uncomfortable

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Are You making people uncomfortable with the way you live? That may seem like an odd question until you realize Jesus made a habit of making those around Him uncomfortable. If we want to live like Jesus, shouldn’t we be less concerned with having everyone like us and more concerned with making people uncomfortable when we interact with them? I’m not certain where the goal of getting along with everyone came from, but it’s ridiculous if you think about it.

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We are called to stand out and be different (1 Peter 2:9). We are also called to be bold and proclaim the name of Jesus (Matthew 10:32; 1 Corinthians 16:13). By obeying those two commands alone, there is no way we are going to be the “go along to get along” kind of people. When we choose Jesus, we choose to ruffle more than a few feathers by the way we live.

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Deception

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Deception is perhaps the greatest weapon in Satan’s arsenal. It comes in many varieties and strengths. The devil doesn’t need to get you to believe a big lie because a series of small ones will have the same effect. Our recent history shows us the results of generations of deception. Surveys show our trust in the government, media, and even medical doctors has never been lower. The world has deceived us for so long that it becomes nearly impossible to believe anything or anyone anymore!

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When deception is the new standard, where can we go for truth? Thankfully, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). He does not change, and there is no deception in Him. We became too accustomed to trusting in the rulers and authorities of this world, turned away from Jesus, and are now bearing the consequences of our misplaced trust.

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The Wrath of God

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There is no shortage of books, articles, songs, and sermons extolling the love of God. The love of God is beyond measure and worthy of all our wonder and praise. But what about the wrath of God? The wrath of God is every bit as representative of His character as love is. They are two sides of the same coin of holiness.

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His holiness manifests in His love for us, while that same holiness demands His wrath against all that is not holy and standing in the way of Him expressing His love. The wrath of God is terrifying, and yet we all seem more than ready to provoke it. God’s holiness necessitates His wrath. How else could a holy God respond to the evil and filth of sin when it encroaches on His perfection?

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All We Have is Now

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I’ve gotten (and I’m sure given) some terrible advice in my life, but perhaps none so damning as what I recently overheard someone give to another. They said, “Relax. Breathe. All we have is now.” While focusing on and maximizing each moment is something I can get behind, telling someone “all we have is now” does a horrible disservice to their eternal soul.

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This brief life is not all there is. What comes next matters infinitely more than anything you or I will ever do in this life. To live as if all we have is now is to deceive ourselves and to reject God’s Word. This life is not all there is. What comes next is the reward or the consequence of how we live right now.

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