My Daily Dose of Courage

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The world and its mindset are under the sway of Satan, and they are fiercely hostile to the Person, message, and church of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus continually encourages His disciples to follow Him closely, lest the difficulties and cares of life draw us away from the victorious life He ordains for us — those who overcome.   The overcomer is full of "good cheer," because the love of God is the assurance of victory and good success. The present hardships draw us to God, and there we find peace that defeats our fears, and our faith grows with each victorious experience. Our lives are the proof that we can live for God in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation, and we can do so joyfully.    Where there is overcoming life and love, there is joy. We absolutely refuse to lose our joy, because the...

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-2) The Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of what goes on around us, but what God is doing within us. We often pray for that which is going on in the world, in our work, in our homes, in our relationships, for what we want God to do for us, with us, and through us. Perhaps we should pray even more earnestly to know what He is doing within us. That is where the real work is done, and that is what this passage reveals.   Jesus walked the earth with a heavenly mindset, and His heart was set on His Father’s will, so He humbled and submitted Himself to the experience ob...

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. Christian character is not something we are born with. It is acquired through time and experience with God in Christ, and no other way. Character is the reward added to us as we pursue our relationship with the Lord with determined focus and energy. It is the evidence of an ever-deepening dependence on Him and His grace. It is Christ living, speaking, and serving thr...

I  will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.  (Habakkuk 2:1-3)   If we allow, God will pepper our lives with blank spaces, times and seasons of stillness and quiet, times where you feel passed by and forgotten, overlooked and excluded, left out, left for dead. But for God’s man or woman, these are the most precious and opportune seasons where we learn to be small and humble in His sight, knowing He never leaves or forgets us or His promises to us.    What spirit will we harken to in those times? Will we serve Him, seek Him, wait on Him with patience and perseverance? Or will we take th...

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.  (1 John 4:17-19) John the Beloved teaches us that God  is  love. When we love as He loves, we are actually manifesting the true and living God in the world, so they are without excuse because of our witness. God’s love is undeniable and unmistakable, as it is of a higher order than the world’s love, and no other love can be compared to it. God’s love is without manipulation or agenda, it gives its all and expects nothing in return — it is not exhausted nor frustrated, because God is neither exhausted nor frustrated.    Therefore, when we abide in Him and He abides in us, we enjoy the perfect union that casts out all fears of failure, inadequacies, and...

Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.  (1 John 2:7-11)   The Christian life is the progressive life, and we are to grow from faith to faith. In other words, God intends that we never stop growing in grace and love as long as we are on this earth — and that is a good thing. John is not contradicting himself as he writes of the “old” and “new” commandments being both t...

“ And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."  (Luke 2:12) What a strange place to stash a priceless, extravagant Gift — a barn, an animal stall in the dark of night! I’m sure it wasn’t heated or air conditioned, it didn’t smell so good, and there   were no beds, linens, or even a bathroom. And how do you think Mary and Joseph felt when the promises of God led them on a long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the ninth month of her strange and inexplicable pregnancy? Yet the fulfillment of all God’s promises could not be found in the palaces, treasuries, or museums of the world -- but in a manger.  Look to the manger.      If God wanted the world to receive the Gift of Jesus Christ, why would He hide Him where most of us were sure not to find Him? And how do we find our way there? The manger can only be found by students of the Word following the ways of God, and when we seek Him with  all...

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."  (Matthew 1:20) Joseph and Mary were not "special" people; just righteous, simple, and willing to be obedient. We must be the same in our day. Simplicity of heart allows us to hear, obey, and finally see God in ways we never dreamed possible. Who knew that their simplicity would allow Joseph and Mary to see God face-to-face? Who knows what your obedience will allow you to see? The Spirit of God will "conceive" things in us that are beyond what we have ever expected, if we will simply believe. Things will occur in the life of faith that will astound our common-sense limitations, and we must be childlike enough to receive and rejoice in those things. That is what it means for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in hea...

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . . ( Philippians 2:5) If Christians are not mindful, we will be be stumbling block to those our Savior wants to reach. We become a hindrance and grief to the Holy Spirit with our agenda and proclamations, and we will make demands that sinners cannot possibly meet — that we ourselves can’t meet. Jesus never possessed this attitude. He never expected anyone to know or please God, but He prayed that men would see   God in Him and believe.  Once we see God in Christ and believe in Him, we are on the path to heaven; and as we continue to look to Jesus and trust Him, we are transformed into the image of the Christ we behold. We now worship God in spirit and in truth. That is the mindset that pleases God. That is the mindset we need.  Let’s Pray  —  Precious Lord, thank You for the Mind of Jesus Christ. May my reality be based on the knowledge of Christ and nothing else. Jesus is enough. Amen.

“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more,  just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”  (1 Thessalonians 4:1-3a) Every believer has a desire to know the will of God for his or her life. The Holy Spirit places the longing to know and be close to the Father deep within us, and as we grow in Christ, that longing only increases. God has made His will for us plain and simple; that we love and obey Him and receive His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then, the will of God becomes clearer to us as we walk in the simplicity of childlike faith. As we realize that God wants us to know Him as He knows us, we will find the clear path to understanding He offers us in Jesus. Things only become complicated as we lean to our own understanding; but the moment we turn...

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 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 8:37-39) God can trust a faithful saint with less, with little, or with nothing. He can trust him or her with disappointment, disillusionment, and failure. He can expose the overcomer to impossible situations and challenges, because nothing is impossible with God, and with God, impossible is nothing.    The only true enemy for the overcomer is that which would separate us from Christ. So we put on the full armor of God and do pitched battle against anyone or anything that might move us from the holy ground on which we stand — and Lord is able to make us stand. This is our confidence. We have all we need in Him, and we give Him...

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”  (Mark 12:41-44) God calculates, thinks, measures, and evaluates differently than we do. He weighs things on a different scale — a spiritual scale. He searches the heart, not external things. He is not impressed by many or much, and He is not limited by little or few. He is attracted to emptiness and humility more than success and riches. He is impressed and pleased by faith and disappointed and saddened by the lack of faith. Those of us who overcome recognize these things, and therein is our joy and our succes...

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  (Luke 10:21-23) Coming into the knowledge of God is not an intellectual achievement, nor is it a matter of merit, but one of privilege — the sovereign choice of God to reveal Himself as He sees fit and to whom He wills. No amount of effort or study can prepare you for this gift, no amount...

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”  (Matthew 26:6-13)   The Church is  not  a community organization, a cultural awareness club, a relief organization, or a group of activists doing good deeds. The true Church has no agenda but worship and obedience to God through...

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  (Luke 15:13)   But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." And he arose and came to his father . (Luke 15:17-20a)   The prodigal (wasteful) lifestyle is an unfortunate choice driven by many false notions about life. The son in Jesus’ story reminds us of many young lives we witness today — a false sense of immortality, entitlement, carelessness, and a disdain for any type of rule or authority. These traits are often passed off as youthful indiscretion or “sowing wild oats." But some fail to realize we reap what we sow!    Proverbs ...

“ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”  (Matthew 25:23) God loves nothing more than relationship. This is proven by the fact that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us all that we might become His children and have unbroken fellowship with Him. An essential earmark of that fellowship is trust. God is trustworthy, and we must become so.  Trust means the parties involved can depend on the other’s faithfulness, truthfulness, and loyalty. Trust allows us to expect righteous dealings from one another, and we share a mutual understanding of acceptable behavior and agreed upon standards. Trust means each party does its best to keep up its end of the bargain and to honor the other without fail. Marriages, families, churches, and governments function well with trust or they fail altogether without it. May we all become trustworthy in our Lord’s es...

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.  (Hebrews 13:17)    As ministers of the New Covenant, we work exclusively for the Lord and His interests in the lives of His sheep and His church. We do not work for men, or boards, or denominations, but for God. Wherever there is any battle for our allegiance, we must remove ourselves from the fray and re-establish the pre-eminence of Christ at once — and that without regard to the consequences. Therein is the difference between a son and a hireling.    The message we preach and the life we live will make men and women uncomfortable, but that is to be expected — it is simply the friction between the spirit and the flesh. It is a holy discomfort that drives some men to their knees to seek the Lord, while others run to and fro looking for a shepherd who will cater to...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.   (Hebrews 11:1)   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 trust 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 confidence in His love and power. That was and will always be the Father's will, that we trust...

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.  And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.  (1 John 3:3-9)    The Lord has a “zero-tolerance policy” for sin in the life of His children. The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is this — He has set us free from the dominating power of the sin and Satan. By continuing...

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, "Repent . . ."  (Acts 2:37-38a) Could it be that the Gospel is a great deal simpler than some preachers have made it? Peter spoke the indisputable truth — Jesus the Messiah came to the children of Israel, he loved them, taught them, healed them, fed them, raised their dead, gave many infallible proofs, was rejected by His people, crucified, rose on the third day, showed Himself to many, ascended to heaven, and He still wasn't done! He sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and those who were in the temple heard and saw it! Once Peter explained to them what they were witnessing, they asked the question that was begging to be asked —  "What now!"    Simply put, this is how things work in the Kingdom. God confronts us with truth and our response is determined by the condition of our hearts. Some ...

Be anxious for nothing . . .  (Philippians 4:6)   The level of anxiety we routinely carry about is the sign that we have not yet won the battle for our peace, the simple and imperturbable belief that our Lord is Who He says He is and will do what He promised to do. The prevalence of fear in our hearts is the sure sign that we do not have enough experience with God, and He is constantly working to bring us to a simple and childlike faith that seeks His face and obeys His voice all the time.    One sign that we still have far to come in this area is the desire for more, bigger, greater, and higher things here on earth. Contentment rooted in a heaven-ward focus is a lost virtue in a church that is obsessed with herself, her image, and her agenda. The church is to be completely pre-occupied with her Husband/Savior, Jesus Christ -- not His blessings, but His Person and character, His Word and His will, His Cross and His crown. We are not to be so concerned about principle...

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.  (1 John 2:6) Sin is the one and only thing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Therefore, the Father sent Jesus as the answer to our hellish dilemma, and all who believe in Him are instantly received into God’s blessed family with all the benefits of heaven placed within us, and victory is given to us over all the things around us! The sacrifice Jesus made is sufficient to wipe away every transgression ever committed, and only sinners who have been washed in His blood and baptized by His Spirit are chosen to receive this inheritance of everlasting life. That life does not begin when we die, but when Christ quickens us by His grace and His work on the Cross of Calvary. We are called to live this life  today , and that Spirit-filled life is the confirmation that we are saved.    This overcoming life leaves no doubt that we are saved. Our faith in the Word of the Lord gives us v...

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?"  (John 3:9-10)   For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)   Jesus Christ Himself is the ultimate correction of the Father for us all. He is the light of the world, and everything (and everyone) is lost in darkness without Him. That is the message Jesus was conveying to Nicodemus, and that is the message He is speaking to us. As long as we look for answers from God, we are missing the Answer He has already given, and there will be no other word than what has been spoken — Jesus Christ.    Efforts to solve men's problems, deal effectively with the issues and ailments all around us, to make a difference, or to make the world a better place are foolish and futile in the light of God's revelation in ...

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  (1 Corinthians 1:10) Behold, how good and how pleasant it isFor brethren to dwell together in unity ! (Psalm 133:1) Paul does not mean that saints should not be free to think for themselves, or that we should agree on each and every detail as it pertains to the faith. We are not all the same, and we do not all respond or feel the same about the world around us. When Paul speaks of divisions, he is not speaking of a problem with us as individuals, but individual ism . That spirit will always seek to set itself apart from and above other believers, and it wars against the unity and the accountability God desires for His church. We must wage a fierce fight against the temptation to strike out in a direction of our own choosing. When we are joined together,...

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  (Matthew 4:17)  . . . and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.  (Matthew 4:22)   I am convinced that the repentance is among the most awesome privileges any man or woman will ever have — it is a gift of God. Repentance is more than the determination to stop sinning, and it is more than feeling sorry for our sins, no matter how sincere we are. Repentance is the decision to turn from our ways and to follow Jesus. That is when He gives us a new life, and that new life takes divine energy to live.    Repentance is an unfathomably rich and gracious opportunity to position ourselves to see and receive the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? It is the life and perspective He gives us when we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and receive His Holy Spirit. No one will see the Kingdom of God without repentance.   Kingdom life bri...

. . . and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:3-6)  God’s economy is antithetical to that of the world. His values are higher, because they are spiritual, and His ways are superior, because He is holy. God’s standards are strange to the casual observer, the casual Christian, and to the unbeliever alike. For example, the requirement that we become like children is ludicrous to the world, but essential for eternal purposes. Humility is the door God has provided for His “little ones.” Yet, in our efforts to be something in...

And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.  (Exodus 4:24)   In this passage, the love of God and the anger of God collide in a baffling way. Moses was God’s man going forward with God’s plan, with His commission and permission – then the same God who sent Moses met him on the way with the purpose of killing him! This should cause us to ask what habit, action, mindset, or sins are we carrying that is an offense to God? Where has Satan hitched a ride on our heaven-bound expressway? What old issues and attitudes are a hindrance to your new season? What is there about you or within you that needs to be cut off? Where do you need to repent before moving forward? These are the questions we should ask ourselves before taking another step.   Let's Pray -  Father, open our eyes and show us the truth about ourselves. We desire to be righteous and blameless in Your sight, and that is only possible when the Holy Spirit shines...

“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”   (Luke 7:48-50) The singular truth of the New Testament is Jesus came to save sinners — not black sinners, white sinners, brown sinners, yellow sinners, or red sinners. There is no skin color in the kingdom. There are no good sinners and bad sinners — no cultured sinners and ...

Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  (2 Timothy 2:10) A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance . . .  (Proverbs 15:13)   Surely, as the Word says, we enter the Kingdom of God through many trials and much tribulation. That is because the forces of darkness are set against the children of light at every turn. As long as we are on earth and until Jesus returns, that will be so, and we must be prepared. Satan is relentless, but our God reigns supreme, and we are more than conquerors in Him. Therefore, we are given wisdom and strength to endure every trial and pass every test, and to do so joyfully. Truly, the battle is the Lord’s, and the victory is ours in Him. So, Jesus expects us to be of good cheer, for He has already overcome every obstacle we will ever face. Let's be found in Him, and in His presence is fullness of joy!   How far so many have fallen fro...

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.   (Psalm 133)   For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.   (Ephesians 5:30)   Unity   - as one (not one, but “as” one), existing and operating as a unit, united, in agreement, accountable and accounted for. (My definition)   Believers, collectively, comprise the church of Jesus Christ, and individually, we are members of His body. As such, we are the expression of our Lord on the earth, and our fellowship is to reflect the perfection and unity of the Holy Trinity — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They express oneness in all they are and all they do, and so must we, if we are ch...

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  (Matthew 7:6) When you speak of order to an undisciplined man, he will resent you, because he is immature in his ways and his thinking. It is foolish to discuss visions with a blind man or expect hard work from one who is lazy. A prideful man will disdain your good counsel, and an angry man is impossible to reason with. So, while we are to share God's Word and wisdom freely, we must also realize some do not have an ear to hear, eyes to see, or a heart to understand. It is important to be discerning, and we must know when and where to engage others or to be silent. Help us, Lord. We have all wasted our good words and resources, only to realize we were unwise to share them with those unwilling and unable to receive them. Even the right words spoken at the wrong time or place will be unprofitable for the hearer. Therein lies the dan...

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.  (Luke 18:1)   Our Lord is sharing something essential with His disciples — prayer is the only way to maintain a hopeful outlook through the bleak seasons we are sure to experience. The prayerful saint is the hopeful saint, and Jesus wants our hope to flourish, so we must pray!    Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”  (Luke 22:46)   Jesus told us we will suffer tribulation in this world; yet we are to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world, and we are found in Him. There are people and circumstances for which we would lose all hope apart from the assurance we receive from prayer and intercession. The Lord has ordained that life as His formula for spiritual sustenance and success.    A praying saint may travail and suffer, he may struggle and wonder when God will answer, she may grapple with feelings of...