By Jake Kampe from www.d365.org

Followers of Christ live in constant tension. The world tells us to act a certain way, look a certain way, talk a certain way, think a certain way and overall live a certain way. When compared to God’s standards, it can be as if we are looking into a mirror, but seeing someone else. When we act in ways contrary to the gospel, we can represent the opposite of Christ. The world sees this and is confused. “He calls himself a Christian, and this is how he acts?” “She’s a Christian? Remember what she did?”

God calls us to “put to death” all the aspects of our lives that are in opposition to Christ. That means to wipe them out completely and with all cost. Then we must constantly analyze ourselves, making sure that our lives are radically different from the world. And the only way to do this is to ask – not asking culture if we measure up to its standards, but asking God if we measure up to God’s. Not comparing ourselves to the choices of culture, but what we know is right in comparison to the very Word of God.

Prayer for this challenge: God, I know that you have called me to live in a radically different way than the world around me. Help me each day to live a life that reveals your Son, Jesus Christ, to the watching world around me. Help me to live according to the standards by which you’ve called me to live, not the standards of my culture. Amen.

There’s a long black train,
Comin’ down the line,
Feedin’ off the souls that are lost and cryin’,
Rails of sin, only evil remains
Watch out brother for that Long Black Train

Look to the heavens
You can look to the skies
You can find redemption
Staring back into your eyes
There is protection and there’s
Peace the same, burnin’ your ticket for that
Long Black Train

‘Cause there’s vict’ry in the Lord I say,
Vict’ry in the lord,
Cling to the Father and His holy name,
And don’t go ridin’ on that Long Black Train

There’s an engineer on that Long Black Train,
Makin’ you wonder if the ride is worth the pain,
He’s just a waiting on your heart to say
Let me ride on that Long Black Train,

But you know there’s vict’ry in the Lord I say,
Vict’ry in the Lord,
Cling to the Father and His holy name,
And dont go ridin’ on that Long Black Train

Well, I can hear the whistle from a mile away,
It sounds so good
But I must stay away
That train is a beauty, makin’ everybody stare
But its only destination is the middle of nowhere,

But you know theres vict’ry in the Lord I say,
Vict’ry in the Lord,
Cling to the Father and His holy name,
And don’t go ridin’ on that Long Black Train

I said cling to the Father and His holy name
And dont go ridin’ on that long black train
Yeah, watch out brother for that long black train
The Devil’s a drivin’ that long black train.