Courage

Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

It's incredible to hear the stories of faith contained in the Bible and down through history.  If you have a chance to read Fox's Book of Martyrs you will be amazed at the courage exhibited by persecuted Christians down through the ages.  There are Christians around the world that are bravely standing for their beliefs in societies where they know they will face persecution for their faith.  What is the incredible source of their boldness and courage?  Here in Hebrews 13:6 we see the true source of courage.  Courage for the Christian comes from knowing that the Lord is our helper.  We don't have to fear what man can do unto us.  We are safe and secure that when we leave this life we'll spend an eternity in the presence of our Lord in Heaven.  What do we really have to fear?  Matthew 10:28  "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  The only fear that should exist in our lives as believers is the fear of the Lord.  Don't let fear control your life.  Be a fearless Christian understanding whom the source of your courage is! 

The Pledge of Allegiance

On the national news today there was a spot about a school principal requiring parents to sign a permission slip in order for their children to be able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school.  What is happening to our country?  Is patriotism dying in this wonderfully blessed nation that we live in.  The United States of America was founded upon Christian principles.  All one has to do is to read the writings of our founding fathers and you will see mention of God in almost all of their works.  Our founding fathers understood that for our nation to prosper we had to give God his proper place.  Our children need to learn to have a love and devotion for our country.  This country has given so much to all of us.  Patriotism must survive.  We must love our country, but most importantly we must love our God.  Let us proudly proclaim that we are "One nation, under God."

1Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 

Contentment for Today

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

The word "Conversation" literally means our way of life.  There is a very real danger in the life of every believer.  When we allow ourselves to covet what others have we are on a bitter path that will lead us away from our Lord.  When we covet what others have it is essentially saying to God that we're not satisfied with what He has provided for us in our lives.  If we're not careful we will even find ourselves envying those that do not love God and are the "Children of wrath" according to the Scriptures.  That is a sad condition for the believer, to envy those that are destined to an eternity apart from God.  We must learn to be content with what our Heavenly Father has provided.  He knows exactly what we need.  We may not have everything we want, but God knows us better than we know ourselves.  If God is withholding anything from us we can rest assured that it is for our own good according to Romans 8:28.  The reason that we can find contentment in our day to day lives is that God has given us a wonderful promise to never leave us or forsake us.  If I always have God's presence with me every moment of every day how can I possibly be discontent.