Even If i Walk Alone

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

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Abide in Him

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The book of 1 John is replete with passages from the apostle admonishing us to abide in Christ. Some versions translate the word “abide” as “remain”. Both words convey what is at stake here. It’s not enough to believe in the gospel and accept Jesus as your Lord in a single moment in time. Those whose commitment to Christ is genuine will spend their lives seeking to be more like Jesus (1 John 2:6).

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They will desire to abide in Him because they feel out of place anywhere else (Philippians 3:19-20; John 15:4-5). To remain in Him is to avoid being swayed by every false teaching, tossed about by any new so-called revelation (Ephesians 4:14). The Lord doesn’t want us to chase after religious fads or whims, but only to abide in Him (Colossians 2:6-7).

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God Is in Control

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When times are uncertain, it’s not uncommon to hear a fellow believer remind you that God is in control. I’ve heard this so many times in my life that it borders on being trite and just something you say to comfort someone. We mustn’t let our brains cast this truth aside in such a trivial way. The fact God is in control is one of the most important things to remember in life.

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Most of the world is in chaos, and almost all our lives are chaotic as well. Some days, all the uncertainty makes it difficult to even get out of bed, much less accomplish something for the Kingdom of God. It is in times like these we must remember there is nothing happening in our world that surprises or perplexes God. He is not panicking or wondering what to do (Isaiah 46:9-10).

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Is It What You Expected?

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How long have you been a Christian? No matter your answer, I have a question for you: “Is it what you expected?” When you came to acknowledge Christ as your Lord and Savior, what did you imagine would be the result? Increasingly, I see Christians encouraging someone down on their luck by pulling random verses out of context and assuring those people that God has big plans for them if they will only trust in Jesus.

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In one sense, those well-wishers are correct. God has big plans for everyone who calls on His name. He plans to give them eternal life and bring them into His presence forever. There couldn’t be a bigger plan. But I know this isn’t what these people have in mind. Too many so-called Christians today have believed the lie that believing in Jesus is the way to success, health, and wealth in this life now.

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Never Alone

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Much of persecution aims to make us feel isolated and alone. God designed us to live in community with Him and one another, so being ostracized can cause great stress for most people. That is why going with the crowd rarely leads to any persecution. So long as you are in the flow, the world will readily accept you and you’ll be relatively safe.

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As soon as you swim against the tide, however, you can easily feel like you are the only person fighting the battle. Isolation is mentally wearing on us, and those who would persecute you will do everything to exploit this. The good news is that in Christ, we are never alone. That’s not some spiritual triteness, it is a Biblical certainty in which we can find comfort, rest, peace, and hope.

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Eternal Sabbath

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At the end of His work, God rested (Genesis 2:2-3). From the beginning of time, God instituted the Sabbath. God not only commands this rhythm of rest (Exodus 20:8-11), but it foreshadows the rest He will give to those who love and honor Him once their work for Him on earth is done (Hebrews 4:1-13). The eternal Sabbath is the goal of all who proclaim Christ as Lord.

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I cannot stress the importance of the Sabbath enough. God first ordained it by modeling the behavior for us, then enshrined it as the fourth commandment so it would be a practice for all generations to come. We ignore the practice of the Sabbath at the risk of disobeying God and to our peril.

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