Even If i Walk Alone

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

the church

Creeping Darkness

by

There is a creeping darkness invading the Church. Yes, evil is encroaching on cities and countries around the world, but of utmost concern is the way it is taking up residence within the Church. The worst part is this is happening on our watch. Less than five hundred years ago, brave men stood up and refused to bend to the perversion of the gospel. From these men, among other movements, came the reformation, the puritans, and the Great Awakening.

creeping darkness,salvation,commitment,discipleship,repentance,Hell,focus,the church

They turned and sought the Lord. Neither these men nor the movements in which they involved themselves were perfect. The result, however, was a return to the scripture and the King of kings, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Look at us now. Where is the conviction and power of the Church? We have squandered and shamed those who came before us by falling asleep at the wheel.

[Read more…] about Creeping Darkness

Why Do You Go to Church?

by

Why do you go to church? I am assuming in this dark age that you still make every effort to gather with fellow believers each week. This is, after all, the Lord’s instruction given to us through the writer of Hebrews when he admonishes us to not forsake gathering together (Hebrews 10:24-25). God’s people are to meet regularly with one another to share praises, worship, and burdens.

why do you go to church,purpose,the church,worship,music

We are the family of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:25-26; Romans 8:16-17) and indeed the very body of Christ in this world (1 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:24). There is great strength and encouragement to be found when we gather among others of like mind and faith. Our brothers and sisters remind us we do not fight the good fight alone.

[Read more…] about Why Do You Go to Church?

Nothing is Sacred

by

The lack of a sense of reverence and awe in our churches and our lives has been weighing heavily on me in recent days. I touched on this briefly in my last post (see “A Devoted Life”). There is something else troubling me about the way we “do” church in our modern culture. Believers today rarely see prayer as being a sacred approach to the throne of God.

nothing is sacred,fear,awe,reverance,prayer,church

Almost every church I have attended in the past thirty-five years uses prayer as a transition vehicle from one part of the service to the next. It’s the time when the worship team ascends or exits the platform or simply signals the end of the greeting and the beginning of the service. Prayer has become a vehicle instead of being understood as the great privilege and gift that it is. Even in our church gatherings, it appears nothing is sacred.

[Read more…] about Nothing is Sacred

A Devoted Life

by

There are times you encounter things in life you just can’t shake. As I exited the church I was attending recently, the pastor and a man who had identified himself as the head elder were standing at the door, ostensibly to say goodbye to people as they were leaving. As we approached, I heard them conversing somewhat passionately about… the NFL playoffs.

devotion,discipleship,mission,priorities,purpose,the church

That may seem innocent enough, but it has been gnawing at me ever since. I suppose it was their way of letting off steam after putting in their obligatory sixty-five minutes of church for the week. To me, it was a picture of everything wrong with Christianity in a five-second window. We are so enraptured by the world that we no longer understand what it means to live a sacred and devoted life.

[Read more…] about A Devoted Life

What Have We Lost?

by

As I survey the landscape of the modern church and Christianity at large, I find myself asking, “What have we lost?” I grew up in the church and in a Christian family with Christian parents who continue to love the Lord even in their later years today. My father is a pastor, and church attendance was never an option for me growing up.

what have we lost,sacred,integrity,priorities,purpose,megachurch,churches,sacredness,truth,adoration,worship,CCM,contemporary Christian music,Jesus music

These days, I eagerly look forward to driving to my local church each week. Church has changed a lot from when I was a young boy, and I have eagerly embraced many of those changes. But as I survey where the church is today, it is obvious we have lost a great deal along the way.

[Read more…] about What Have We Lost?