My Daily Dose of Courage

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...

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  (John 6:27-29)   With God, success is not about reaching our goals, but what our goals are. If we reach goals that are not the Lord’s perfect will for us, then we are not truly successful. Success in God’s eyes depends entirely on what and who we are working for.    “Don’t labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…”     In other words, do not spend your life chasing things that will not matter in the end. Spend your life knowing and obeying Jesus Christ, who is the Bread of Life.   "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” ...

Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”  (John 21:21-22)   " What is that to you?"   Comparison and envy are the root of all insecurity. What the Lord chooses to do for others is none of our concern. He distributes opportunities, goods, and attributes according to His wisdom, and He is not accountable to us for an explanation. We are, on the other hand, strictly accountable to Him for that which He gives us. There is a great deal of wisdom in this.   "You follow Me."   Our walk with God is a very personal one, and while we are members of one another, there is a beautifully unique work He is doing in each one individually. We are to come alongside and strengthen one another, being sure not to interfere in God's sovereign work in others. This takes a great deal of self-control, but that is what God expects.   Draw close to Jesus...

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.  (1 Kings 19:1-3)   Elijah was fresh off the greatest spiritual victory of his life. Yet, at the voice of the evil Queen Jezebel, he cowered, ran, and isolated himself from men and from God. This episode in Elijah’s life is a warning to us. Even after our greatest victories, we can be more vulnerable than we know – and Satan will look to take advantage of us when we least expect it.   A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment.  (Proverbs 18:1)   Where was the faith Elijah displayed on Mount Carmel where he trium...

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:65) This word, "NO," is where the freedom of a saint is found. "NO" is restrictive and limiting at first glance. Yet, it is the narrow road that leads to liberty, and a precious few find it — but bondage is found in the multitude of distractions and traps that await the Christian who wanders from the way God prescribes.  Remember, Jesus said He is the only way. So, while there are many ways, there is NO other Way. The saint who walks in the way Jesus speaks of is free from the fears and faults that accompany every other way.  Our freedom manifests in the boldness to come to the throne of God where we will receive love, grace, and understanding in our times of need. It is the freedom of one who is NO longer held by the contro...

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 and wisdom necessitate that we believe God far beyond what we see, and that we believe Him at His Word — that He is in control, He is good, and all things work together for the good of those who love and serve Him acceptably.    We must get beyond the childishness of thinking that all is well when circumstances are well, and all is not well when life is hard. It may very well be the opposite, so we must be wise in good times and bad, and we must remember that God is always  faithful.  That kind of faith and wisdom will help us rise above the limitations of earthly knowledge and the worldly wisdom in which so many walk.    The wise and faithful saint diligently seeks HIM, not simply His blessings or His power, but His Person and His presence. In His presence is ...

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (Romans 12:4-5) The word “member” takes on its true meaning through Paul’s explanation. Our membership makes us a living and necessary part of the larger body of believers, and it is essential to the well-being of the body that we function properly and harmoniously. God formed us so that we work best in partnership, and in a way that reflects the Trinity – as distinct individuals in distinct roles, oneness, unity, and perfect love for each other. The same should be true of the local church and its members. Satan is sure to oppose every healthy body of believers, and we must be aware of his wiles. The opposition is fierce, but victory is ours if we stand our ground and love each other and walk by faith. God does not call believers to common ground, but to HOLY ground. That is what distinguishes the church — me...