Archive for the ‘Courage’ Category
Sunday, May 6th, 2012
Peace, May 6
Flee… youthful lusts… pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
2 Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 12:14, www.solascriptura.com
Father, some of us are far too old to still be pursuing youthful lusts. Will Satan ever stop tempting us? We know the answer. Not only will he persist and we also know that You permit the temptations to come. But, at the same time You promise to get us through the temptations of life, if we will but turn to You and trust You (Go to I Corinthians 10:13 and memorize it!).
There will come a day when Satan is restrained and Your joy will reign in the hearts of men (The Millennium) and there will be an even better day when Satan and his allies are destroyed forever. Then, in heaven, we will find out what is like to enjoy Your peace, happiness and joy eternal.
We seek Your Holiness here, today, knowing that if we are unholy, we will never stand in Your presence. Lord, bestow upon us Your gifts today that we may be like You, now and forever. We pray in Jesus’ Holy name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin, TN 37064
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Tags: Holiness, II Timothy 2:22, Lord, peace, Satan, temptation
Posted in Christianity, Courage, End Times, Perseverance, Religion, peace | 16 Comments »
Saturday, May 5th, 2012
Courage, May 5th
… let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Philippians 1:27-28, Romans 10:11, www.solascriptura.com
Jesus, as Paul toured the area and preached he appealed to his listeners to be diligent, whether he was present with them or not. We know many did faithfully follow his teaching concerning You and some lost hope.
Unlike Paul, who could only be in one city at a time, Your Spirit, Jesus, is everywhere. You are always present, always aware of our thoughts, actions and words. May we bravely proclaim You when we might be inclined to keep silent. Jesus, help us be Your good and faithful servants, constantly.
Empower, us this day, to access the depth of Your presence, Your support and Your love. You are, at the same moment, our Friend, our Lord and our Protector. Bless us as we seek to serve You this day. Amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin, TN 37064
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Posted in Christianity, Courage, Perseverance, Religion, salvation | 14 Comments »
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
Humility, April 23
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;
as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.
2 Corinthians 6:1-11, www.solascriptura.com
Father, Paul is an example to us of one who has been severely tested, yet faithful in every way. Father, we also know that he persecuted Christians before his life-changing encounter with Jesus. Now here he tells us that “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Father, the contrast between pride and humility is always before us. We have such an inclination to allow our ego to overcome us. Help us, today, to know that it is You we seek to please and that even when we do please You, it is due to the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not our fleshly spirit. We pray that we can turn our pride into joy as we acknowlege your gifts.
O’ God, we know that serving You requires the death of our “old nature”. Help us be what You desire us to be, this day. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: dishonor, dying, fasting, God, grace, Holy Spirit, honor, Humility, killed, kindness, live, love, ministers, ministry, offense, patience, purity, salvation, sleeplessness, stripes, tribulations, truth, tumults, vain, workers
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Fidelity, Humility, Perseverance, faith | 20 Comments »
Friday, April 20th, 2012
Conscience, April 20
“This is the covenant that I will make with them…says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
… brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and having a High Priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:16; 19-23, www.solascriptura.com
Father, we are so grateful that we are no longer judged by the Law. If we were to choose to remain under the Law, our sins would still be with us. For the New Covenant, we are grateful. You not only cleansed us of our sins but You then inscribed the truth on our hearts and minds, forever, and the miracle of being born again with a new purpose in life is ours if we would but love and obey.
We no longer stand outside the Holy of Holies, but we are invited behind the veil, right into Your presence and there You call us friends. Picturing that moment is both difficult and sublime. Such truth is too great for us to fully comprehend.
Let us draw near to You Jesus, our High Priest and more, for cleansing, strengthening, counseling, and comfort. No one on this earth can do for us what You have already done and what You are yet able to do if we but trust and obey.
The refreshment of Your cleansing water in our lives daily is like none other. You are the Living Water. Fill us afresh. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: blood, boldness, brethern, confession, Conscience, consecrated, covenant, evil, faith, flesh, hearts, Holiest, Jesus, laws, Lord, minds, Priest, veil, washed, write
Posted in Christianity, Conscience, Courage, Fidelity, faith | 11 Comments »
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
Joy, April 19
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies.
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
1Thessalonians 5:16-22, www.solascriptura.com
Father, in 5 sentences, Paul teaches us the basics of our faith. We are equipped by You to rejoice always, in good times and in bad times. It is Your Holy presence with us and in us that enables us to raise our eyes and hearts to you when everything around us seems to be a severe weight upon our shoulders.
We often fail to pray unceasingly but here we see it is Your will that we never stop acknowledging Your presence in every small and every large event of our lives. Not a hair falls from our head that You do not notice. Help us observe You with equal attention and ask You into every circumstance of our lives.
We do not always give thanks when we are being challenged but again, it is Your will we do so because You are allowing us to be tested. We do not enjoy the test but we do look forward to an eternal victory as You lead us through what sometimes feels like an unsolvable problem.
We know that to quench the Spirit is to remove You from the situations we encounter. Father, we acknowledge that absent the presence of the Spirit, we are depending upon ourselves. In such cases we are going it alone. We pray that is never the case.
Father, despising teaching is the path of a self centered, self directed person. Help us learn from the prophets and from You Jesus. Your word is truth and it abides forever.
Help us this day to abstain from evil, to flee from it, never to gaze upon that which is sinful. It feels so good to do the right thing and we feel so weak, so impotent when we allow sin to fill our mind and our eyes. We feel tricked by Satan, the great deceiver, when we entertain sin. We simply want to be as You Jesus. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: abstain, Christ, despise, evil, God, Jesus, pray, prophecies, quench, rejoice, Spirit, test, thanks
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Hope, Prayer, faith, joy, peace | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
Revenge, April 17
“ the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”…
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Luke 9:-56, 1Thessalonians 5:15, www.solascriptura.com
Jesus, Your purpose is to unite our spirit with Your Spirit enabling us to exist in eternity with You. It is Satan that is set on bringing us down and accusing us of sin. Satan wins unless we realize that we need a new heart and a new start. You “save” us when we accept, by God’s grace, Your sacrifice on the cross as one which cleanses each of us personally.
Equip us this day to not render evil for evil. Revenge is the province of the unforgiving where they presume to judge others instead of accepting and redistributing Your forgiveness and love.
Strengthen our resolve, this day, to be Your good and faithful servants. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: evil, Luke 9:-56, pursue, renders, Revenge, save, Son of Man
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Fidelity, Perseverance, Revenge, faith | 7 Comments »
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Courage, April 12
… though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:6-10, www.solascriptura.com
Father, Paul was a lot like us. He wanted to boast of his good works in Your name but he knew that was not Your will. You allowed him to experience many difficulties and You told him it was for his own good.
We too do not always have smooth sailing in our Christian walk. The difference between us and Paul is immense, in terms of outreach and effectiveness, but he too experienced physical weakness and pain. It is his Spiritual strength that captures our attention.
You, at the same time, gave him challenges and successes and taught him and now us, that his successes, even in a weakened physical condition, are proof that You can use anyone, no matter how weak they are as long as they trust in You.
Jesus, we are weak, in so many ways. Here we learn that it is in our recognition of our inadequacies, that You empower us to serve. It is in Your strength that we go forward. How else could it be without our pride becoming a burden? Take away any trace of arrogance in our lives, we pray in Your Holy name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: abundance, boast, buffet, Courage, exalted, flesh, fool, grace, infirmities, perfect, power, refrain, Satan, strength, thorn, truth, weakness
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Inspirtation, Perseverance, faith | 52 Comments »
Sunday, April 1st, 2012
Perseverance, April 1
…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
You … must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, he also will deny us.
If we are faithless, he remains faithful; he cannot deny Himself.
Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:1-15, www.solascriptura.com
Father, the words Paul wrote to Timothy ring true to each of us as modern day disciples. Our prayer Father is that we understand these verses and take them to heart. Help us to rightly divide the word of truth and to never tire of pursuing a relationship with You.
When Your word says that when we died with You, we shall live with You, we know Jesus that crucifying our heart of flesh that we might be born again with Your Spirit in us, is a vivid picture. We pray that You will sustain us, every day, even when we do not “feel” the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Help us today to run the race set before us in Your strength. Your friendship and cousel is a fact even when we don’t feel well. Help us notice all that is lovely and good in Your creation as evidence of the fact of Your love.
In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project P.O.Box 302 Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, competes, deny, elect, endure, faithful, God, Gospel, hardship, Jesus, rules, strong, warfare, witnesses
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Perseverance, faith, salvation | 28 Comments »
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Joy, March 27
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4, www.solascriptura.com
Father, it seems that the only way we could possibly feel joyful about experiencing trials, is to know that You permit the trial and that the trial will force our faith to be stronger.
Patience in the midst of a trial is the perfect work that You bestow upon us. It is the Spirit in us that permits our faith to remain strong even when the evidence all around us is making us feel persecuted, guilty or abandoned.
Enable us, we pray, to know, this minute and always, that trials will come but the trials will test and strengthen our faith and that we can, through You, endure and be patient. That is a miracle not available to someone who does not call on You.
We feel joyful Father, not about the trial but about Your grace to us that we might endure the test without falling apart. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project P.O.Box 302 Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: brethern, complete, faith, James 1:2-4, joy, patience, perfect, testing, trials, work
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Hope, Prayer, joy | 24 Comments »
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
Prayer, Part 2, March 22
I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2, www.solascriptura.com
Dear Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we do praise You from the depths of our soul. There is no one or nothing that deserves our praise and our attention like You.
We look to all that You have given us that we are able to use and enjoy. We rejoice in Your omniscience for no one but You could have conceived such a perfect circumstance for us to know You and experience Your presence, constantly.
Jesus, help us take nothing for granted in terms of the gifts You have given us. Help us use those gifts to bring glory to Your Holy name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: heart, Lord, praise, Prayer, rejoice, sing, works
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Fidelity, Hope, Inspirtation, Prayer, Worship, joy | 13 Comments »