Even If i Walk Alone

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

purpose

The Glory of Christmas

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What does Christmas mean to you? To some its presents, time off from school, or crazy shopping expeditions. To others it is a time of loving, giving, and forgiving; a time of demonstrating peace and goodwill to all. To be certain, Christmas has become a commercialized extravaganza spanning cultures and to the religious and non-religious.

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In this season when the world pauses to celebrate, how do we live in such a way as to point them to the one whose name we have placed at the very beginning of the word Christmas? What does Christmas mean to you? More specifically, what should Christmas mean to a disciple of Jesus Christ?
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The Unmaking

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Nichole Nordeman had written some amazing lyrics over the years, and one of her latest songs, “The Unmaking”, is no exception. While the entire song makes one do some serious soul searching, one simple line in the song sticks with me more than any other. It says, “Had to lose myself/To find out who You are”. It’s a recurring theme in my life these days.

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To truly know God, we have to empty ourselves of everything that is not God. This is both daunting and uncomfortable. It has caused me to confront things in my life I would rather have left undisturbed. But my ultimate goal remains to know God fully and to be utterly consumed by Him. This requires a bit of unmaking. It means I have to lose myself to find out who He is.
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Holiness over Happiness

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A vile disease has wormed its way into the hearts and minds of modern Christianity.  The teaching of “God wants you to be happy” is preached from pulpits across the nation regardless of the fact this principle is not found in Scripture. I don’t find anywhere where God said to “Be happy because I am happy”.  What I do find He says is to “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) There is a vast difference between holiness and what we equate with happiness.

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Before you get too depressed, know this: there is no joy like being obedient and faithful to Jesus Christ. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, counts for nothing, and fades as quickly as it came. Holiness lasts forever, counts for everything in the eyes of God, and is hard to shake once you’ve tasted its beauty.
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Know Your Why

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It’s difficult to live for Jesus. Everything in this world conspires against you. You want to serve well and follow in His footsteps, but the cares and circumstances of this life keep getting in the way. Nowhere is this more evident than when you attempt to put some spiritual disciplines into your life. It seems as soon as you set the alarm clock for an hour earlier in order to pray and study, some crisis hits that finds you getting to bed two hours later than planned.

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When the alarm clock goes off the next morning, you quickly rationalize your way through hitting the snooze button a few dozen times. You have lost your motivation as quickly as you had found it. I am convinced the problem is you don’t know your why; your “why” is the reason you do what you do.
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Focusing On Things That Matter

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I read an awesome prayer recently. It was simply, “Deliver me today from the trifling things and help me to spend every minute of the day on ‘the things that matter.’” I need to pray that every day. My life is often filled with “trifling things”. I am guilty of rejecting the beautiful, matchless gifts of God in lieu of the cheap and fading things of this world.

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It’s crazy when you step back and look at how much we’re giving up and how little we are actually getting. Everything we achieve or acquire in this life will pass away. It won’t last. In the end, it will all be useless; wasted time and wasted trinkets to litter the memories of a possibly wasted life.

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