My Daily Dose of Courage

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...

“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 sin...

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)   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. While we are on earth and until Jesus returns, things will be difficult, and we must be prepared. Satan is relentless, but our God reigns supreme, and we are more than conquerors in Him.   God gives us wisdom, joy, and strength to pass every test. The battle is the Lord’s, and the victory is ours in Him. So, be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome every obstacle we will ever face.   We are known by our love and our joy, so let us face every day with a heavenly outlook. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, He transforms us into men and women of faith a...

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 working as a unit, in step, in agreement, accountable and accounted for. (My definition)   Believers, collectively, make up 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 should 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, i...

“ 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 vigorous work from a lazy man. 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 lie...

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 keep 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 overcome through 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 our prayer life as His formula for spiritual sustenance and success.    A praying saint may travail and suffer, may struggle and wonder when God will answer, may grapple with feelings of def...

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  So, when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  (Luke 5:8-11) No man understands who he is until he meets a man of God. Only when he is confronted by God’s righteousness in another man can he compare himself to God’s standard — “I am a sinful man, O Lord!”  Immediately, he must make the decision. “Do I shrink back in fear, or do I answer the call and follow Jesus?” No one stays the same once they have met Jesus. Peter would have turned back, "Depart from me…" But the call of God on his life would not let him. His fear would have caused him to run from the One he should run to;...

“These things I command you, that you love one another.”  (John 15:17) Many believe love to be a voluntary emotion, and that we should love according to what we feel in our hearts. If so, does God honestly expect us to love unlovable people, or those who hurt us and mean us harm? Does God expect us to love those we do not like, who are nothing like us, or whose behavior we disdain? These are tough questions to wrestle with as we learn to love as Christ commands, and this is where we must surrender our understanding and receive the love poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, it is impossible to get beyond ourselves and our fears into the realm of holy love. It may seem odd that Jesus commands us to love, but it makes a remarkable difference to see love as a commandment and not an emotion. Jesus can command and empower us to love, because He has taken it out of the natural realm and placed it in the framework of the spirit. He did that when He bore all our sins and sick...

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36) What a marvelous blessing it is to be a wise steward of the tongue! Jesus tells us His words are spirit and life — much more than syllables and sounds, but they are alive, living, and able to carry out the purpose for which they are spoken. The same is true of our words. There are no idle words from the mouth of God, and as we mature in Him, there will be fewer from us. Our words are pregnant with meaning and effect, and the Lord will hold us accountable for them. We should give longer and wiser consideration before we speak. The Lord is pleased when we speak words of blessing and truth, and when our speech reflects His express viewpoint. The lips of the child of God should release the sweetness of the heart of ...

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give you.”  (John 15:16) This is divine order in the life of God's servants. The Lord calls and chooses us out of the world, appoints and commissions us into His service, places us where He wishes, we come to Him for everything we need, and we bear the fruit of the Spirit. That is God's plan for us, and God’s plan always succeeds.   "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls."  (Luke 21:17-19)   It is an awesome honor to be set apart from the world into the confidence of God. Friendship with God only comes through Jesus, and He offers it to whomever He wills. He appoints us to this, and if we are faithful, He will produce godliness in us that will feed a world hungry for Jesus, the Bread of Lif...

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.  (Acts 12:1)   The church of Jesus Christ is never at home in this world, and the more contrast there is between the children of light and the children of darkness, the more uncomfortable our lives here will be. That is why it is such a sad thing to see Christians trying to be friends with the world.   Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  (Act 12:2)   James  was not killed  because he was doing good things, but he  was killed  because he preached the Good News. The peace and prosperity of the Jerusalem church was challenged by the brutal tactics of a tyrant king, whose ultimate aim was to be seen as God; therefore, the church of the living God was threat to him, and Satan incited him to violence. Even today, the true church is faced with the demand to bow before the political and cultural gods of this world, or to face persecution at...

" No longer do I (Jesus) call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all the things I heard from My Father I have made known to you."   (John 15:15)   The Lord has many followers, but few friends. Friends are those who come to Jesus on His terms, and His terms are spiritual, not soulish, emotional, or religious. Friendship with Jesus draws us into the realm of spiritual intimacy where the love, knowledge, and counsel of God are available to us. Close friends are free to share themselves with one another, and they enjoy that freedom because of a bond of trust developed over time and experiences.   “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”  (John 15:14)   Most human friendships are based on affinities, shared interests and desires, or emotional ties; but it is not so in the Kingdom. The Lord is holy, and He will only have friendships with holy men and women. He will never be relate...

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.  (1 Samuel 30:6)   David's response to the catastrophic events he faced was not natural, but a supernatural outgrowth of a life devoted to God. He could have resorted to self-defense, depression, despondency, deflecting, accusing, and sulking, but he teaches us to go to the secret place and seek the mind of Christ. When others were demanding immediate action, David waited and prayed. When he could have sought man’s advice, David inquired of the Lord. The relationship with God he had cultivated in his daily life became his salvation in the crisis, and so must it be with you and me.   That which is inside us comes out when we are pressed. If we are filled with the Spirit of God, we will respond with prayer, intercession, and wisdom in challenging times. If we ...

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us . . .  (1 John 4:10) The Bible is a love letter, though we may not realize it. From Genesis to the Revelation, the Word is all about love. From the fall of man to the Cross of Christ — from Egypt through the desert to the Promised Land — from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to Peter, James, and John – from the snake to the dove – from the glory leaving the temple to the Holy Spirit falling at Pentecost.   Yes, from Alpha to Omega it’s all about love. This love finds its perfection in God Himself, and is offered to us in Jesus, who is God Himself — and poured out on us in the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself. Yes, the Bible is all about love and all about God, who  is  love.   . . .  not that we loved God . . .   It is a wonderful thing to come to God on spiritual terms, and according to His holy love. God is love, and we are most like Him when we love others the way He loves us.   ...

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) This is, perhaps, the most quoted verse in the Bible, and rightly so. It is the best news ever proclaimed, and the simplest and most direct answer to life’s most important question. It is the revelation of God’s love manifest in His Son, Jesus, whose life on the earth, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead is the central reality of all time and eternity.    Everything done or said will be measured by this verse. There is no truth beyond it or outside its reach, no one above it, and every human thought and deed will be judged by it. God’s love in Jesus Christ is all we need to know about living well, and it is the key to being at peace with God and men.    What an honor to come to God, and to come on His terms — to come through Jesus Christ. Everything that matters depends on Him!   Let's P...