My Daily Dose of Courage

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 do not realize we reap what we sow!   There...

“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 e...

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 back and forth looking for a shepherd who will cater...

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 to be the center of our hope and joy, so we can put all our confidence in His love and power. That is true faith.   That was and will always be the Father's will, tha...

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 in...

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 seeing, 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. Som...

Be anxious for nothing . . . (Philippians 4:6)   Our anxieties are 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 fear in our hearts is the sure sign that we do not have enough experience with a faithful God, so He is always bringing us to a simple and childlike faith that seeks and trusts Him all the time.    It is a snare for saints to want more, bigger, greater, and higher things on earth. God calls us to be content and focused on heaven. The church is to be completely pre-occupied with her Husband and Savior, Jesus Christ — not His blessings, but His Person, His character, His Word, His will, His Cross, and His crown.   So, my friend, be anxious for nothing and know Jesus is present. In His presence is fullness of joy!   Let's Pray -  Dear Father, I trust You, and I'm learning to trust You more each day. I understand You...

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. The sacrifice He made is sufficient to wipe away all our transgressions, and sinners cleansed by His blood receive an inheritance of everlasting life. That life does not begin when we die, but it is ours today according to God’s grace.   Nothing less than a life built on God’s liberating power is acceptable to Him, and the child of God is determined to hold fast to the liberty given to us in Christ.   So, simply put, there need be no doubt we are saved. We have received the power to love and to walk as Christ walked. May our faith and obedience put every fear and doubt to death as we boldly live for the Lord for all to see!   Let's Pray -  Dear Father, thank You for the cleansing power of the Blood of Jesus...

“ 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)   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. If 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 Christ. The reason so many, even in the church, are fearful, confused, and frustrated is the failure to understand that our complete and obsessive focus must be on Jesus...

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 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 individualism. That spirit will always look to set itself apart from and above other believers, and it wars against the unity and the accountability God wants 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, willing to submit ...

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 anyone 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 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 brings us an eve...

. . . 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...

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 die? 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 want to be righteous and blameless in Your sight, and that is only possible when the Holy Spirit s...