Even If i Walk Alone

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

sacrifice

Sacrifice

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I recently heard Pastor David Platt pose the question, “Will we sacrifice our lives so others will come to know Christ?” This is a cutting and important question. Are we willing to give up some or all of our freedom, financial security, social standing, and comfort for the sake of seeing others come to know Jesus? It’s easy to say we want the world to be saved, but when it comes down to how much it will cost us personally, we tend to balk.

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I know this is true about you because it is true of me and the evidence would say it is true of the Church at large. We who claim to be disciples of Jesus are often coming up short when it comes to fulfilling the great commission and making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

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Forsake Everything

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To be a true disciple of Jesus requires us to forsake everything. Nothing can be left on the table. Nothing can remain in our hands. I don’t think most so-called Christians get this. They’ve no doubt heard it, but living it is another matter entirely. And let’s be honest here, we probably don’t do this so well ourselves. I am thankful God looks at the attitude of our hearts over the actions of our hands. He knows we will never attain perfection until we join Him in the next life.

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What He looks for, what He longs for in us, is a relentless pursuit of learning to look like Jesus. While never an excuse to fail, as long as we are following God with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul, He will be pleased. Now back to this idea of forsaking everything…

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Memorial Day

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In the United States, on the day this is being published, it is Memorial Day. It’s a day to remember the brave soldiers who have given their lives so those in this Country can live in freedom. Thanks to their sacrifice, we are free to worship as we choose, free to speak our minds, and free to do with our lives what we will. We can debate the travesty of violence and the suspect definition of a “just war” another time.

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image © Don via Fotolia

For today, all those living in freedom would be well-served to thank a veteran and remember those who have passed away. With that said, none of this means anything if not for the ultimate sacrifice paid by one man over two thousand years ago.

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The Cross or Comfort

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Sometimes I wish things weren’t so black and white. Take the title of this blog for instance. Will you choose the cross or comfort? Surely there’s an option ‘C’, right? We want the cross but we’d really rather have our share of comfort in this world as well. After all, what good is God if He can’t cut us a break every now and then? Of course we’d never say something like that out loud, but most of us aren’t shy about living as if that’s how we feel. But the way I read the Bible, there is no option ‘C’.

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image © mosasaur via Fotolia

There is no gray area in which we can revel. Jesus was pretty clear in His statements. We must choose the cross or comfort. We can’t have it both ways, and living in the middle is the same as rejecting Him (Revelation 3:16).

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Hero Worship

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Most of us grew up having heroes; many of us still have them even as adults. Jesus Christ is often named as the hero of politicians and religious leaders, but have you ever given thought to what that really means? What qualifies someone to be a hero?

Superhero

Image courtesy of Ben Smith

I think if we look at the classic definition of a hero we will see that Jesus is indeed the ultimate hero, and the only one worthy of our praise and adulation.

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