Author Archives: Courage

I don’t want to give the wrong impression with these posts. Faith is not some great thing that we work up FOR God. Rather it is a gift FROM God. (Reread Ephesians 2:8-9.)

Where do we get faith? We ask. We just bring our doubts to God and say, “This is what You’re dealing with. Help!”

A good example of this is found in Mark 9. Jesus and His three closest disciples come down from the top of the Mount of Transfiguration to a chaotic scene. A boy has some kind of epilepsy or other condition that causes him to have seizures. Not only that, but the seizures were throwing him into fire to burn or water to drown. The boy’s desperate father brings him in to be healed, but Jesus’ followers are stumped. They can’t heal him.

The disciples strike out, so the man turns to Jesus and says, “If you can do anything, please have pity on us and help.”

“What do you mean by ‘if,’” Jesus replies, “anything is possible if you have faith.”

“I do have faith,” the man replies, “but I also have doubts. Please help me overcome my doubts.”

Now Jesus has a choice. He could say, “Not good enough. You need to do better than that.” But He doesn’t. Instead, He heals the man’s son.

Here’s the takeaway. You don’t need much. You just take what faith you have to God—no matter how small that faith might be. Take it to God, and watch what He does with it.

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: The four creatures surrounding God’s throne as described in Revelation looked like a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle respectively.
New question: My friend Nathan asked a question that I would like to share with you. In the NIV Bible, the word love is used in 1 Corinthians 13. But in the King James Bible, the word “charity” is used. Why?

“You can’t get right with God without faith. You gotta believe He’s there, and He rewards those who don’t give up following Him.” That’s my paraphrase of Hebrews 11:6 from the Bible.

Faith unlocks the door to a relationship with God.

Years ago I used to get into noisy debates with people who rejected the existence of God. I don’t do that anymore. Here’s one reason: I never see Jesus trying to prove that God exists.

Instead, I see Jesus being straight with people about what it costs to follow Him. “Count the cost,” He says. “You gotta decide whether this investment of time, energy, pain…love is worth it.” Faith tells us it is.

We followers of Jesus have endured slander, contempt, ridicule, persecution, discrimination, and in some cases imprisonment, torture and death. We don’t like any of those things. We don’t enjoy any of those things. But we weighed our options and decided it was worth it. We got the better deal by following Jesus.

Faith opens our eyes to the value of the gift we have been given.

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Abram (Abraham) rescued his nephew Lot.
New question: According to Revelation, God’s throne in heaven is surrounded by four creatures. What do they look like?

When I was a child, I collected insects. I went outside hunting for grasshoppers and beetles and ladybugs, and put them all in a glass jar. I fed them grass and let them breathe with holes nailed through the lid.

One day, after a particularly successful hunt, I had a huge jar just buzzing with all kinds bugs. I decided to climb to the top of my grandpa’s John Deere tractor with my glass jar in tow.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” my grandfather warned.

He didn’t understand. This was my moment of triumph.

“I wouldn’t,” he repeated.

I climbed up anyway.

I don’t know if you’ve ever climbed to the top of a John Deere tractor, but the top isn’t perfectly level. Each side slopes downward. I set my jar down, and before I could stop it, gravity did its work. My glass jar was on the ground, shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

Of course there were tears, and with those tears came a new realization: Maybe Grandpa knows what he’s talking about.

I want to take the next few posts and talk about faith. There are many ways we demonstrate our faith in God. Here’s one: We do what He says, even when it doesn’t make sense.

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: David’s best friend was King Saul’s son, Jonathan.
New question: Who did Abram (Abraham) rescue?

Last time we posed the question: How will we be totally transformed into perfect people in an instant?

Let me give you something from the Bible to ponder:

Here’s something new from God: Not every Christian will die, but every Christian will be transformed. This will happen in a split second when the trumpet of God sounds signaling the end of the age. The dead will come to life, and we will be transformed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Dear friends, we are already God’s children. What will we be like someday? That isn’t yet clear. But we know this: When Jesus shows up, we will be like Him. Why? Because we’ll see Him the way He really is. (1 John 3:2)

How does this work?

Consider this verse:

Connected to Christ? If so, you are a brand new person. The old is gone, and the new you has arrived. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

What is this saying? This is NOT a positive thinking verse, a hopeful fantasy, an ideal to work toward. This is present day reality. This is the real you. The real you is inside, waiting to come out.

Let me suggest this: The only things that prevent us from being those beautiful people who will love, respect, understand and trust one another for all eternity are deception and ignorance. And those two things will not stand in the presence of Jesus. We will see Him as He really is and we will become who we really are.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: In Matthew 18, Jesus tells Peter that we are to forgive our brother “seventy times seven.”
New question: Who was David’s best friend?

Do other people sometimes irritate you?

I would be lying if I said no to that question.

For most of us… there are some people we can hardly stand to be around. Their politics are all messed up, they have annoying habits, they’re rude, they’re inconsiderate, they did us wrong, whatever.

I’m not talking about unbelievers. I’m talking about fellow Christians—people with whom we will spend eternity.

They will be in heaven with us; we will be in heaven with them; and—guess what—we’ll all get along beautifully.

So what gives?

The Bible says we will be changed—in the twinkling of an eye—in a nanosecond. Instantly.

I ask you: How?

What will transform that unlovable person into a person we are delighted to call family? More to the point, what will transform us?

What do you think? How will that work?

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Abimelech murdered his brothers.
New question: According to Jesus, how many times are we to forgive our fellow believer?

5 ways to fight back when your world is falling apart

#1 Know that Jesus hurts with you
The shortest verse in the Bible is also one of the most important: “Jesus wept.” John 11:35. Why did He weep? Not because He can’t or won’t fix our problems, but rather because He is not aloof. He feels our pain. He cares. He hurts when we hurt.

#2 Let yourself be loved by God
God is love. Love needs someone to love. That someone is you. God wants to encourage you. He wants to comfort you. He wants to affirm you. He wants to help you. Bring your hurts and your problems to Him. He understands. He will listen. He will care. He will guide you to a better place.

#3 Live each day with eternity in view
Yes, Jesus is for the here and now. But there are bullies in this life that are bigger than you or me. Sooner or later, we tangle with them, and we get hurt. That’s reality. But no bully is bigger than the eternal life granted us by the Father through Jesus. I’ve said it before: The work of the enemy in your life is like sand castles on the shore of eternity…and the tide is coming in.

#4 Focus on what you can control
Almost always you can make a choice that will move you forward toward your ultimate triumph as a son or daughter of God. Maybe the choice before you is to say yes to God. Maybe that is your only choice. If so, that is your power; use it! You may also have the power to cry out to God, to smile, to be pleasant to those who are unpleasant to you, to ask for wisdom, or to do some other good thing. Focus on what you can NOT on what you cannot do, and let God take care of the rest.

A similar principle: If you’re in a conflict that’s 99% the other person’s fault, focus on your one percent. You’ll be surprised, as a rule, how powerful this principle is in resolving most conflicts.

#5 Use what you gain to help others
In your hour of trial, you will receive comfort, strength, peace, wisdom and help from God. Share what you’ve received with others. Help them connect with the God of all comfort and the Father of mercies. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

NOTE: This post is an excerpt from the book, Spiritual Self Defense: How to use the Christian faith to overcome anxiety, anger, addiction and all kinds of bullies.

“…practical tactics and strategies for dealing with temptation and suffering…” Dr. Joseph Towles
“Jesus shows up on these pages.” David Schrank

More info here: http://ssdcourage.com/spiritual-self-defense/

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: In 2 Chronicles 21:12 we learn that Elijah sent a letter to Jehoram, king of Judah.
New question: What happened to Abimelech’s brothers?

A guide for Christians

Thousands of voices come at us every day with competing messages: Forget the law, you’re under grace. If you’re not following the law, you’re not following Jesus. Name it and claim it. Don’t trust the prosperity gospel. Vote Republican. Vote Democrat. Don’t vote at all. Yada yada.

Who’s telling the truth?

It’s easier than ever to be deceived, and to head off in a direction that God does not want us to take. Let me suggest four principles to guide us back to truth.

(1) Know your Bible
This is important, and it cannot be delegated to someone else. The Bible is God’s road map to truth. You need to know your Bible. That means reading it from cover to cover, not just once, but again and again throughout your life.

Here’s how I do it: I downloaded the Bible on audio to my phone. I play that audio all night. As I’m falling asleep, I’m listening to scripture. As I wake up and get ready for my day, I’m listening to the Bible. It’s not uncommon for me to listen to 10, 20, 30 or more chapters in a night. This gives me the big picture. When someone comes along claiming that a verse supports their crazy ideas, I’m better able to evaluate whether that passage in its context is really saying what that person claims it’s saying.

That’s one approach. There are many others. If you need help getting into the Bible, contact me. I have great resources for you.

(2) Ask God for wisdom
God is eager to give wisdom to His kids. All you need to do is ask. Hopefully, you’re developing a close relationship with Jesus where you’re able to discern His guidance in your life. How do you know if your wisdom is coming from God? Here’s a verse that might help: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 NIV

Keep in mind that wisdom comes from obedience. When we disobey what God has clearly revealed to us that He wants us to do, we block any further wisdom from Him. The house of wisdom cannot be built on a foundation of disobedience. This is one reason why some otherwise very intelligent people come up with outlandish ideas—they’re building on the wrong foundation.

(3) Pay attention to history
Biblical, church and secular history has much to teach us if we’re willing to pay attention. The new heresies are recycled versions of the old ones. There’s nothing new under the sun. Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

(4) Examine the fruit
Jesus said that we can tell a tree by its fruit. If someone is walking in the truth, then their lives should be producing more and more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Read Galatians 5 or the Sermon on Mount in Matthew 5-7. A person who walks in the truth should be living a righteous life. If they aren’t, then it’s time to look elsewhere for guidance.

Dwight

Note: This post is an excerpt from Spiritual Self Defense: How to use the Christian faith to defend yourself against anxiety, anger, addiction and all kinds of bullies.

“Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down.” Jennifer Thorn
“This book has been like “joints of supply” for me—truly a Godsend.” ~ Whitney Moore on Amazon
“…takes us into the heart of a seasoned spiritual leader and shares with us his secret to spiritual victory…a must read book…” Dr. Dwight A. Perry

Find out more here: http://ssdcourage.com/spiritual-self-defense/

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: 1 Corinthians 13 is called the “love chapter.”
New question: What action of Elijah is only mentioned in 2 Chronicles?

Sometimes God calls us into new territory. In fact, there is no growth without new territory. If we stay where we’ve been, back in our comfort zone, we don’t move forward.

Most people are waiting around for someone else to go first. But that’s not you. You are a son or daughter of the Most High God. You are a leader by definition. You open new territory with God. It’s built into your DNA.

Your bags are packed; you’re ready to deploy. Not literally necessarily, but spiritually. Like Isaiah, we say to the Lord, “Here I am. Send me.”

Where will God send you? “To a land I will show you,” God said to Abraham. The journey into discovering God will take you all kinds of places you don’t expect to go, but in the end you will find yourself safely home.

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: Hebrews 11 is called the faith chapter. (It’s a great chapter by the way—one of my favorites.)
New question: Which chapter of the Bible is called the “love chapter”?

Imagine if Jesus were living your life in your place. How stressed out would He be? How rattled would He get? How much power would those temptations have over Him?

The Jesus life is the birthright of every daughter and son of God. It’s not just “what would Jesus do,” but it’s “what would Jesus be?” God has for you His joy, His peace, His confidence, His empathy, His love. That’s the real you.

So much of life is just the real you coming out of hiding. The diamond that is you is already there. It’s just a matter of letting Jesus rinse off the mud so you and others can see.

Be blessed!

Dwight

Four things you need to know about God:
1. God likes you.
2. Jesus hurts when you hurt.
3. God is angry at the things that are trying to destroy you.
4. God fixes things; we get to help.

Three things God wants to do for you:
1. Heal all your hurts.
2. Renew your mind.
3. Transform your life.

Something new next time…

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: The way of love is the “more excellent way.”
New question: Which chapter of the Bible is called the “faith chapter”?

In short, God wants to give you His perspective.

One of the most powerful examples of this is found in the story of David and Goliath. Most people think that this story is about the slaying of a giant. Not really. Instead, it’s about the power of perspective.

For thirty days this super soldier (Goliath) walks out and challenges anyone from the Israeli army to take him on in single combat.

And every day the response is the same: terror. These Israeli soldiers were no dummies. They knew a losing deal when they saw one. No way could any of them prevail against this guy. Put their ten best soldiers against him, and they might have a chance. Maybe. One person against Goliath? Anybody dumb enough to take on Goliath would be squashed like a bug.

Along comes David. Is he stronger than the other Israeli soldiers? No. Is he bigger? No. Is he more experienced? No. Does he have better battle skills? No.

In fact, David only has one thing that the other Israeli soldiers lacked: God’s perspective.

David is like: “Who is this punk that he would defy the armies of the living God?”

I know there are Goliaths in your life. There are battles you can’t win, problems way too big for you to solve. From where you stand, it’s hopeless.

For you, God offers a priceless gift: His perspective. All you gotta do is ask.

Four things you need to know about God:
1. God likes you.
2. Jesus hurts when you hurt.
3. God is angry at the things that are trying to destroy you.
4. God fixes things; we get to help.

Three things God wants to do for you:
1. Heal all your hurts.
2. Renew your mind.
3.

More next time…

Bible trivia:
Answer from last time: The people of Jabesh Gilead risked their lives to recover the body of King Saul because Saul had previously rescued them from the Ammonites.
New question: What, according to Paul, is the “more excellent way”?