My Daily Dose of Courage

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...