My Daily Dose of Courage

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:3-5)   Servanthood is something entirely different in the Kingdom than in the world. The world sees servants as less-than or inferior to those they serve, therefore servants are often mistreated and lightly esteemed. Not so in the Kingdom of God. A servant's heart is valued highly by the Lord, especially in His sons and daughters. That is why Jesus is the perfect example of sonship and servanthood, and His example reflects the heart of His Father.   Everything Jesus did for others was rooted in His identity as God's Son. He fully understood the privilege and meaning of His relationship to the Father, so He was not ashamed or embarr...

Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” (John 13:6-7)   Jesus is the perfect example of servanthood, and it is His deepest desire to present us to the Father faultless, perfect, and holy. He, therefore, became our Savior through His sacrifice — that is, the blood He shed for us that washed away our sins and the condemnation they brought. By washing His disciples' feet, He was giving them an example of the ministry they would receive. They, too, would lay down their lives to present every man faultless, perfected, and holy to the Father,  so we might come into the family of God with joy.   The disciples would learn to lay down their lives and their rights for others, just as Jesus had done for them; and that is the unmistakable Spirit of all true ministry. No servant of God serves himself at the expense of the church, ...

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)   The gift the disciples received by waiting is the same gift we receive when we wait — that is, the power to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. We alone have that power, for we alone have His Spirit, and if we do not have His Spirit, we are not His witnesses. The indwelling Spirit is the only difference between us and all other religious people, for He is the only proof that we have an authentic relationship with the True and Living God. Any other claim to spiritual legitimacy is counterfeit, for only the Holy Spirit is God alive in us. And if He lives in us, we will be His witnesses, and He will show Himself strong through us.   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ...

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)   Like the disciples, we often look for the Lord in the place we expect, but He has moved on. Yet, if we simply remember the things Jesus told us, we will understand He is being true to His word. He has gone to be with the Father, He is coming again to receive us to Himself, and now He dwells in us by His Spirit. That is our blessed assurance, and we know where to find the Lord.   Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)   When we look with ...

"But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished." (Matthew 17:12)   You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. (2 Corinthians 6:12)   Before we surrendered our lives to Christ, we used to go wherever we wanted and do whatever we pleased. We thought and acted according to our whims and desires, and we believed we had every right to live that way.   Then, the Lord introduced us to someone who lives a holy life and walks more closely with Him than we do — someone with a powerful witness — and He holds us accountable for our response to that saint. If we are not careful, that believer's discipline and attention to spiritual details will appear stodgy and unreasonable, and we will resent the standard he or she sets — "Who do they think they are?” But the Lord has placed them in our lives as a sign that points toward heaven — and if we are offended, it is not with them, ...

“Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between him and you alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)   Forgiving others does not require that we continue to place ourselves in precarious positions or engage in unsafe relationships. Our willingness to forgive is not a blank check for others to sin against us with impunity. We must be wise enough to remove ourselves from injurious, damaging entanglements, and we hold those we deal with accountable to acceptable standards of behavior – biblical standards. This takes a tremendous amount of wisdom and grace. Help us, Lord!   "Go and tell him his fault"  "Take with you one or t...

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  (Matthew 6:14-15) We are most like Christ when we respond to offenses like He did – by forgiving. Since the Lord’s willingness to forgive us is so great, and since we derive such wonderful benefits from that forgiveness, He will not let us get away with an unwillingness to forgive. In fact, the refusal to forgive may show a lack of understanding of our salvation! It is, at least, a sign that we do not yet understand how our Lord works and what He expects. Forgiveness is not an isolated event; it is a cycle. The Lord intends that we forgive, because we have been forgiven, and that is how the Kingdom works. We must release those who sinned against us from the prison of our hurt and anger, because He has released us and remembers our sins no more. When we do not forgive, we stop the flow of the c...

"You are the light of the world . . ." (Matthew 5:14)   No, this was not someone speaking to Jesus. This was Jesus speaking to us, the people of God. What a charge! We are called to light up the world with the testimony of Jesus Christ and illuminate the path to heaven for all men to see. Though we are not sufficient in ourselves for such a task, we have the pure light of the Holy Spirit to shine through us. God does not need us, but He chose us, and we should be eternally grateful for the unspeakable honor of being witnesses to our Lord.   With this light comes a sobering reality. We must live in a way that keeps us available to the Lord exclusively and allows Him to shine through us wherever we are. We must fight every thought or action that veils the light and make moment-by-moment decisions that glorify the Lord. When we do, the power of God beams from us into the mean circumstances around us, and men see the unmistakable hand of God at work. Then, even those who do...

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord . . . (Acts 3:19)   In this passage, Peter opens our eyes to the divine process the Lord employs to lead His children to a clean and free life. That process begins with conviction, which occurs when the Holy Spirit exposes us for the sinners we are. Conviction then leads us to confession, as the process moves to our speech, and we verbally agree with God about what He's shown us. Confession leads us to repentance, where we turn around and walk a new way, and we learn to work righteousness instead of mischief. Then comes restoration, where we redeem lost time and squandered resources, and we come into right standing with God and His people. Finally, we experience times of refreshing, and the Holy Spirit leads us into the sweetness of God’s pleasure and favor.   When Peter speaks of "conversion," it is more than the simple act of bein...

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (Daniel 1:8)   Daniel was in no position to bargain. He was a captive of Israel’s dreaded conquerors, the Babylonians. They were a cruel, severe people and God’s hammer of correction sent to bring the nation of Israel to repentance. Yet, this teenage boy saw a much bigger picture. Though his circumstances were dire, Daniel believed firmly in the power of the God of Israel. He understood that the Lord was still his God, still faithful, still merciful, still present, and still willing to answer his prayers — even in Babylon.   Daniel’s world was filled with limits because he was a slave. He had no rights, no influence, no earthly possessions, no money, no power, and seemingly no hope. He lived in a world of can’t . So, Daniel did the one thing he cou...

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23) God is love, and love is accurately defined by Him, and by Him alone. Love is not what we think or say it is, but what God says it is — and He says His love is conditional. That condition is Jesus Christ. Those who advance the concept of "unconditional” love are really saying, "It doesn't matter what I do, God will still love me, accept me, and receive me." But this is what Jesus says about those who practice sin and still claim to be Christians, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"   If you say God's love has conditions, some will ...

“For He {God} made Him {Jesus} who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)   The term “forgive” means to send away, dismiss, release, or cancel (as in a debt). Biblically, the concept of forgiveness rests on our need to be reconciled to God who created us for His own purpose. Without forgiveness, we are incapable of measuring up to God’s standard because of our sin. The righteous punishment due the sinner is death, or permanent estrangement from God.   Yet, because God loves us so, He designed a way for us to have a relationship with Him. That “Way” is Jesus Christ, who gave His life and died in our place, thereby, paying our sin-debt by taking our punishment on Himself. This is the most important and wonderful truth we will ever learn — and learn it, we must, if we are ever to see God.   This is the simple and complete Gospel, and nothing else. The Lord never sent men to teach any other message, but...

“You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you that you may live and it be well with you . . .” (Deuteronomy 5:32) The most powerful statement one can make about a believer's life is to say he walks with God. This means that every step, every decision, every word and deed is subject to the reality and the standard set by the Lord. When we think of those Bible characters who walked with God, they almost seem mythical in comparison to other men -- but truthfully, they were frail and imperfect like the rest of us. It was God who stood by their side and made them seem nobler, wiser, and better than the rest of us. The same is true of those who walk with God today; great is the Lord who lives within us and works through us!   We do not need to figure out what God wants from us, because He has expressed Himself clearly in Jesus Christ. The Father looks for a likeness to His Son in us; that is what He is drawn to, and that is what He approves. There is no ot...