My Daily Dose of Courage

Then Pilate said to Him, "So you are a King?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a King. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  (John 18:37, 38, ESV) Worldly people will always be callous and cynical about spiritual things. Pontius Pilate illustrates the insincerity of the worldly man, as he sarcastically scoffs at truth when it is standing right before him --  "What is truth?"  He had no real interest in truth, but in establishing and maintaining his own agenda, while denying and defying the authority of the Kingdom of God. Pilate was blind to the truth and blind to the Savior standing before him -- and that continues to be true of the worldly man, even today. Pilate was not simple enough to believe, and his worldly mindset missed the most profound expression of truth there will ever be --...

He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so, He guides them to their desired haven.  ( Psalm 107:29-30) God's mercy and faithfulness through difficult times is one of the Bible's major themes. Jesus makes it clear that the storms of life will beat down on each of us, and times of testing are as sure as the morning sun. Yet, we are instructed to have no fear, for the Lord will keep and deliver us from trouble, if we learn to call on Him, be still, and feed on His faithfulness.  Storms are meant to teach us to trust, obey, and endure, because our  Father is sure to be true to His Word and to never leave or forsake us. Remember,  " Blessed is the man who endures temptation (testing); for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."  (James 1:12) Beloved, be sure to root your soul in the soil of the scriptures, and place your hope in the Rock...

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  (Psalm 139:23, 24) Pride is the most dangerous of sins, because it is blind to itself.  It is a bold affront to God, and we're all guilty of it; yet it is so subtle that we rarely detect it or confess it.  Pride plans, acts, and thinks independently of the Lord, even in ministry. Pride distorts our self-concept, props us up, puffs us up, and makes us believe things of ourselves and others that are not true. It makes us consider ourselves first and last, it demands and takes more credit than it deserves, and it thinks about itself more than it should. The prideful man doesn't respond to correction very well. Now, I'm sure each of us can immediately point to at least one person who fits this description. The proof that we are prideful is we didn't point to ourselves. Pride can be most dangerous whe...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.   ( Hebrews 11:1, 2) Our faith is the shield that armors us against the storms of spiritual attacks. It steadies us when sorrows crush our emotions and when disappointments threaten to steal our hope. Faith assures us of God's care and presence when the winds and rain threaten to destroy our possessions, unsettle our minds, and steal our peace.  Faith keeps us walking righteously, and we trust in God when others fall into despair and sin. Thank God for faith! Every difficulty is an opportunity to believe God and exercising our faith in Him is the greatest work of all. Even a mustard seed of faith is greater than mighty works, and a small measure of faith is greater than a lifetime of labor. God sent His Son, that He might become the center of our hope and joy, and that we might put all our trust in His love and power. That w...

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  (Mark 11:25-26) To be sure, there will be many offenses, slights, hurts, and attacks that are sent our way by the enemy of our souls. These are meant to plant a seed of bitterness and mistrust in our hearts which causes us to withhold love, and we can become cold to others without even realizing it. But God trusts us with these trials to give us the opportunity to forgive and love others, just as He has done for us. When we pass the test of loving those who hurt us, we are perfected in His love, and we are the light of the world we're called to be. If I am honest, I have no desire or intention to forgive those who have hurt me; and even if I try, I simply do not find the power to do so. My resentment and distrust are real and justified ...

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.   (Hebrews 11:6) Faith simply believes God. It believes He cares even though we experience distressing times, it believes He heals even when we are sick, that He saves though people around us are lost in sin, and that He is with us even when we feel alone. Faith won't give up due to any of these circumstances, because it is rooted in our eternal God, not our temporary plight. Faith looks at Jesus and refuses to look for another answer, another Savior. That is why faith alone pleases God.  When God is pleased with us, we can ask, and it will be done for us. That is because faith is rooted in relationship, and that relationship brings us to a point of being one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and that is where we find complete agreement between all parties involved. The Lord is bringing us to the place wh...

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  (Luke 17:5)  Beware of a romanticized view of faith. Faith is not a tool to get what we want from God, but a means for God to get what He wants from us! Faith teaches us to wait, pray, and obey, while never imaging that God is anything but completely trustworthy, and that He will keep us and His promises to us. It is a partnership whereby we submit ourselves to God, believing and walking with Him toward things we can't yet see and what we don't yet have. But what we  do  have is most important, and that is a life hidden with God in Christ. To increase our faith is to exercise our belief in God, so that it becomes the useful and powerful tool He intended. God is faithful, and as our faith increases, we glorify Him for all to see. Everything He permits in our lives,  whether blessing or hardship,  is to make us more like Jesus. He was tested and tempted, yet He remained faithful. The sam...

B ut Sarai was barren; she had no child.  (Genesis 11:30) Our difficulties are not difficult at all to God, even though they can frustrate us greatly and make us wonder if He is even aware of what we are facing down here!   I believe the Lord tests us all at one point or another, just to teach us to believe in the power of His Word over the limits of our flesh.  Abram and Sarai could not conceive a child, yet God was going to call them to be the father and mother  of a holy nation, Israel. They would eventually become a man and woman of faith, and they would learn to walk with the Lord and wait on Him -- but it wasn't going to be easy; and it's not going to be easy for us, either. It is a snare to believe that faith leads to a smooth and trouble-free life -- quite the opposite is true. Overcoming  faith leads us to God, and it  will bring us to a deep and abiding dependence on Him. Faith is the beginning and the end of our relationship with Go...

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  Who may dwell in Your holy hill?  He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.  (Psalm 15:1-2) Honesty is an essential trait of God’s children, and God can only reveal Himself to those of us who recognize and speak the truth in our own hearts. When we entertain any deception or dishonesty, we may see Jesus, but not accurately, and not as Lord and King. The longer we refuse to accept the truth about ourselves or anything else, the longer it takes for us to recognize what Jesus Christ has come to do in our lives. We will never find our true identity in what others say about us, or even what we say about ourselves. But immediately when the Lord speaks the truth and we receive it, we are set free to see Him for who He is, and to see ourselves for who we truly are. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy;...

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  (John 1:47-49) How is it that Nathanael received the truth about Jesus so readily, when all Israel failed to recognize their Messiah? It was because Nathanael possessed integrity, which Jesus immediately recognized and acknowledged —  “. . . an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  This was a man who was honest with himself and others, a man who kept his word, a straight-shooter, one who meant what he said and said what he meant. Jesus commended him for his truthfulness, because it made the way for him to see the Messiah.  “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  "Blesse...

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  (2 Timothy 4:7) There are many fights in life, but only one  good  fight. The good fight is the battle we wage to be sure God is glorified in everything we do. One thing matters — is God honored in this? Peter says,  If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.  (1 Peter 4:14) Paul reminds and encourages us to show up every day and fight the spiritual battles the Lord sets before us, to finish the course, and to keep the faith delivered to us once and for all by our Savior, Jesus Christ. So, be encouraged today. Ignite the flame within you with the Word of God and stand with the saints like never before. Lift your hands through the clouds and darkness all around you and be the conqueror God says you are. Put on the full armor of God, get i...

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you a teacher of Israel and do not know these things? If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"  (John 3:9,10) Nicodemus was asking the right questions, but the answers were not what he expected. That's because Jesus' words are spirit and life, and Nicodemus did not yet have ears to hear them. He was expecting Jesus to speak in the aloof, legalistic way he'd become accustomed to -- yet, Jesus was speaking spirit and life, and that was new and unexpected. Nicodemus would never be the same after this conversation, and Jesus' words were going to draw him or repel him. How he received those words depended on the condition of his heart, and the same is true of us.  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  (Revelation 2:7) It is God's pleasure to gi...

Put on the whole armor of God . . .  (Ephesians 6:11) Spiritual life involves a tremendous amount of warfare, and the only uncertainty is whether those enlisted will actually show up for battle. Truly, there seems to be a multitude of legitimate reasons for dodging the draft. “My family needs me” . . . “I have important business to tend to” . . . “My hands are full already” . . . “Isn’t spiritual warfare for professional ministers anyway?” All too often, it’s all about us! How sad that we spend so much energy considering the price we pay to serve God, while forgetting the price Jesus paid to save us. The call to “go” will be answered by the chosen few willing to strap on the full armor of God and fight the good fight of faith, knowing the battle is the Lord’s and the victory is nigh. The armor is only for those who will fight; it is cumbersome and useless for saints who refuse to go to war. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the na...

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  (John 6:62-63) Jesus is not speaking to our common sense or human nature when He speaks, but to the new man and woman who walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in us teaches us to hear the words of Jesus as they really are — spirit and life! We who have come alive in the Spirit, who worship in the Spirit, who pray in the Spirit, and who walk in the Spirit hear the Word of God in the Spirit, and we hear Him clearly. We realize Jesus gives us the power to do what He commands every time, as we yield to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. God’s words make perfect spiritual sense to us now; and as we understand them, we will confidently embrace the commands of Jesus — even the impossible ones.  "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."  (Philippians 4:13) If our minds are made up on any subject, God cannot speak to ...

And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times.   (Acts10: 13-16a) God works in believers in ways we never imagined. If we are truly spirit-filled, we are responding to God’s call to go where we would not have gone, love those we once felt nothing for, forgive those who hurt us most, and give what we would otherwise keep. Those things are true when the Holy Spirit is having His way with us. God was sending Peter, a Jew, to a place he would never have gone, and to minister the Gospel to people he didn’t think God even cared about. Peter’s obedience would make a way for those lost in ignorance and sin to enter into the Kingdom of God, because he allowed the Spirit to fill him and direct him. I encourage you to trust God more than your feelings or experience...

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”  (Luke 5:36-39) When God's Kingdom comes, it brings a new way of seeing ourselves and everything around us. It's not that we did not see, but we did not  see God ! Our ability to perceive and understand spiritual things lies dormant until our spirits have been quickened by the Holy Spirit. Only then does the Word of the Lord begin to make sense and the Way becomes clear. This clarity is the birthright of the saint alone, while every other person walks in the darkness of the old; fo...

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things . (Corinthians 13:11) God requires that my innocence give way to the spiritual maturity that comes through the wisdom and holiness found only in Jesus. My spiritual growth is shown in putting away childish speech and thinking, so that I might come to God as a man, not a boy.  Putting away childish things means turning from my self-centered ways, so that I can look up and see Jesus.  I must step out of the crib, take off the diaper, puts away the toys, come out from under the apron-strings, forsake all, and follows Jesus. My manhood  is not found in what I possess or gain, but what I put away. That is the hard work I am called to do -- to put it away! Make room for God today. Present yourself a living sacrifice, one who is willing to lose what you have in order to gain what God has for you. He desires to fill you, but you mu...

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39) Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. So, it does not matter what others do or say, whether they respect or disrespect me, thank me or use me, include or exclude me, honor or disdain me, bless or curse me. As long as I offer my body a living sacrifice to God each day and walk in the Spirit He gives, the Lord will receive me. That is the wisdom, the attitude, and the spiritual truth Paul is teaching here. God's love completes us, and His grace is sufficient. It cannot be bested, out maneuvered, out worked, overwhelmed, or overcome -- therefore, the battles and temptations we face cannot and will not separate us from the love of God in Christ. The Lord Jesus has been g...

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  ( John 3:3) These are among the most stunning and consequential words ever spoken.  Only Jesus is able to speak like this, for in Him alone can the Kingdom be seen. He presents Himself as the context in which everything and anything about God is to be understood, and it requires a literal and spiritual re-birth to even begin comprehending those things. Up until the coming of the Messiah, men saw spiritual things through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12) — but in Christ, we are able to see the Lord "face-to-face," and we can see Him in no other way. Has God presented the risen Christ to you? Have you received Him on those terms? Are you truly “born again?” Christ cannot be packaged in any formal doctrine or presentation. Jesus did not come to establish a religion, a set of rules and requirements, a denomination, or a movement. He came to ann...

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  (Galatians 5:13) The liberty we walk in was bought and paid for by the Lamb of God, who took away our sin-debt and set us free from the bondage and wages of sin. Nails were driven through the hands and feet of our Lord, and the banner waving over our lives is stained with His Blood. Freedom in Christ has been given that we might testify of the Great Emancipator and show the world what it means to be loosed from the chains of self and sin, to overcome our fears by faith, and to serve the Lord without a trace of self-consciousness. Oh, that we would realize that Christ has liberated and set us apart for His own pleasure! Now we are free to be love-slaves of our Lord and King, and to belong to Jesus and no one else -- not even ourselves.  One of the great battles we will wage as saints is the fight to remain agenda-free and to ...

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  (1 John 4:7-11) Some mistake the strength of conviction and the fight for what is right for love, and that is a grievous error. Feelings and conviction alone, no matter how strong, never lead us to perfect love. The fact that we feel strongly about someone or something does not mean the Lord feels the same. Our flesh and self-interest are the snare, limitation, and weakness of passion-driven love. God's love is not hindered at all by emotions, because His love is bound to His holiness, and only  His  love is perfected in that holiness. True love is not passion, and passion is not true love — our passion must mature into love by submission to the Holy Spirit. The test of God's love in our hearts is how we treat those around us. If we do not love one another, we cannot rightly claim to love God. Our idea of love must be battered into shape by the mean world and people around us; and there will be t...

Jesus continued, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So, he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild (prodigal) living.    (Luke 15: 11-13) The blessings we seek from God will distance us from Him, unless we are first pursuing an intimate relationship with Him. In spite of so much preaching today about our breakthroughs, our destiny, and our shining moment, the Bible is more focused on our character. So, our Father prepares and presents His wisdom to us every day, and we must be careful to turn aside from all other concerns and fellowship with Him through worship, prayer, and the Word. Our schedules tell us we don't have time for this, but our souls long for the moments of sitting at the table with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- laughing, feasting, talkin...

And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.  (Genesis 15:6) Abraham's life is synonymous with the fundamental doctrine of grace and faith in God, by which every child of God is saved and secured into the Kingdom. His role and contribution to the Christian faith is invaluable, as he is the man the Lord chose to initiate the great Plan of Redemption, which is completed in our Savior, Jesus. Hundreds of years before the law was given to Moses on the mountain, Abraham demonstrated the righteousness according to faith that would supersede every effort to please God by works of the Mosaic law. He demonstrated that the law was written in his heart, long before it was ever written on tablets of stone. He believed the Lawgiver, and that belief was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore, we who believe God today have the right to be called the children of Abraham, because we believe like He did — and how blessed we are to do so! The term...

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  (James 3:8-10) James says,  "no man can tame the tongue,"  but every man can humble himself in the sight of the Lord and hide the Word in his heart —  “ For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  (Matthew 12:34). Each disciple will fight the battle to tame the tongue, and we will win that battle when Christ is perfected in our hearts through regeneration and spiritual discipline. The Lord's words are spirit and life, and ours should be, too. So, be encouraged, because Jesus will sanctify our speech as He purifies our hearts. If we speak our own words, they will be laced with self and sin, no matter how hard we try. Our hearts will betray us sooner or...

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.  (Genesis 12:7-8) Whether we are aware or not, we are building a life with words, thoughts, and deeds that reflect the God or god we see. If we see the living and true God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ, our faith will produce a life of love, worship, and service to Him, and we will give Him glory and satisfaction. If we see or focus on the fleeting pleasures of this life, our faith will remain small and unproductive, as it is with many today. Jesus speaks of this sort when He says,  "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."  (Mark 4:18-19)  Let us receive the privileges afforded to the children of Abraham who see the Lor...

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.  (Zechariah 4:6) We are made in the image of God, therefore, we are the most capable living creatures on earth. Even still, human ingenuity has no place in God's plans for His children, and this is a very difficult lesson to learn. The Lord has been so kind to bless us with the gifts of intelligence, creativity, physical strength, and free will. Along with this endowment comes grave responsibilities, and the child of God must learn to steward these gifts with a constant focus on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are never to exercise our gifts independent of the Lord. God's ways and thoughts are above ours, and we must believe His way is the only way. Our thoughts and ways are only pleasing to Him when we have asked for and received the Mind of Christ. Our greatest successes and failures depend strictly on the choices we make to exercise faith or walk in worldly wisdom and human coun...

Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.  (Genesis 13:9-11) The conflict over Abram's interests versus Lot's was one of those controversies engineered by God, because He was determined to separate Abram and Sarai to Himself. Abram, to his credit, chose not to take preeminence, stake a claim, pull rank, negotiate, or even flip a coin. He simply humbled himself before Lot (who, as the younger, should have humbled himself before Abram), and his gracious behavior resolved the conflict before it could do more damage. Abram was l...

And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore, it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, “This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” So, it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.  (Genesis 12:11-15) That which was promised to Abram was to come through Sarai. Yet, we see him operating like a man who had no relationship with (and no promises from) God. The Lord would produce a great nation through Abram and Sarai, and He would not change His mind and bring that nation about through any other vessels -- but they would first be tested. How ma...

Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”  (Genesis 15:3) We will all experience difficult moments when it seems God forgot His promise or the time of fulfillment has expired; but He is simply developing patience in us and purifying our faith. He is also preparing us to be a greater blessing than we can imagine, as others are being prepared to receive the blessings that will come through us. Even today, believers are walking in the faith and blessings of Abraham, because he believed God. In the same way, many generations that follow us will walk in the blessings of our faith -- if we believe! God's ways are not our ways, and neither is His timing. He has the leisure and knowledge of past, present, and future, and He is the Master of the divine moment. Not even Jesus knows the precise hour of His return, and even He has chosen to wait on His Father, that the Father alone might be our All in All. Abraham's faith w...

"Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’"  ( John 3:7) Never dispute with a man or woman who says they cannot help the condition they are in because they were born that way. They  were  born that way, and so were you. When Adam fell, sin rushed in and infected us to the core, right down to our very DNA; and we became transgressors, rebels, and enemies of God by nature — human nature defiled by sin. All of us are natural-born sinners. We are liars, cheaters, selfish, hateful, prideful, and the list goes on and on. This is not easy to hear, but it is true. Only after acknowledging the awful truth about ourselves and others can we begin to understand the Lord's words,   "You must be born again." Jesus gave His life to tear down the partition sin erected between us and God. If any man or woman desires to know and be known by God, he or she must come to Him on the terms of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. No service we render o...

"And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.  (Genesis 13:14,15) There are things the Lord cannot and will not show you until He gets you alone. The Bible is filled with stories of men and women God sets apart to Himself -- in fact, those men and women are the only ones He can truly and fully use. If we will not leave the comforts of home, riches, pedigree, human wisdom, or popularity we cannot be fully used of God, and our spiritual world-view remains limited, at best. Come away with God, then, lift your eyes. It is rare that God will use a man who is accepted and highly thought of by the world. It is also rare that He will use an exceptional man or one who is sufficient in himself. Rather, He looks for one who is simple and humble enough to believe. The world (and many in t...