Dear Ones, this week Christophe Dewanou and I will be seeking to plant our first schools of ministry in Paris, Brussells and Lausanne, our first schools in Europe. Please pray for great favor and impact in advancing His kingdom on the dark continent of Europe. Thx! KRP

COURAGE

Be strong and of good courage…Josh 1:6 NKJV

“Men don’t follow titles…men follow courage!” – one of my favorite movie lines of all time. Can you guess which one?

What is courage? Courage is the intersection of moral outrage and righteous anger. Courage seeks to make right a wrong. Recently I heard a wonderful man preach on THE GRACE OF ANGER. He said there are two times when we get angry – when a wrong has been done, and when a wrong hasn’t been done. One is righteous, the other is selfish; one seeks to correct the wrong, the other seeks vindication for their own self-centered grievances. In war, it has been said, that righteous anger, from having been wronged, makes one side five times more effective than the other.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. Josh 1:5 NKJV

Whenever I have gotten discouraged – a loss or diminishing of courage – in ministry over the years, the Lord has shown me something that raises my moral outrage and righteous anger, and I’m back in the game. Arrrrrh! What outrages you? In that, you will have courage…

Abraham Kuyper wrote, “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle becomes your calling, and peace has become sin. We must, at the price of dearest peace, lay our convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of our faith.”

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go…Josh 1:7 NKJV

Where does courage come from? Each man and woman, even the unsaved, being made in the image of God, has a conscience, a moral compass that guides them to the understanding of right and wrong, which unfortunately can be corrupted. The born again ones have some One in them far greater than a mere conscience, the Holy Spirit, who is the final Arbiter of right and wrong. Righteousness in our hearts shows us right from wrong, and gives us the courage to make right the wrong. The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

My ideal that I have sought is to be kind, to be merciful, to be humble and unassuming in my full-throated drive to right wrongs. Mercy comes from a position of strength. We are seated in the heavenlies next to Christ, and are totally secure in that position. Thus we are positioned to minister mercy!

For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Josh 1:8 NKJV

How is courage manifested? Unguided courage has led to many tragedies. But courage that is knit together with the Spirit of God and flows from the heart of God has led to great triumphs. Courage is the decision, the conviction, to risk yourself, your comfort, your safety, your peace, in a fight, to make or to do what is right. The Holy Spirit can give the wisdom, the strategy and the favor necessary to prevail in the fight. This is one great reason why we seek Him in all things. It’s not enough to know something is God’s will, but rather to know how that will is to be fully manifested, which can be a step by step process.

Courage seeks to right a wrong. What wrong has been done? This goes back to Lucifer and his decision to rebel against God, and to Adam and Eve in the garden. The Lord’s righteous rule was challenged and almost overthrown, but that wrong was corrected at Calvary. Today we seek to enforce that victory and that righteous rule, and to reestablish that rule in the hearts of men, thus leading them to salvation and eternal life. “Who rules?” is the determining factor in all of life.

Can you prepare to be courageous? Certainly. In your daily walk with God, seeking Him early, you pray and envision yourself doing what is right. You seek correction for what you yourself have done wrong, and you are guided with strategy on how to do it right ‘next time.’ The Lord shows you things to come, and prepares you to be victorious in those situations. This time with the Lord is invaluable in preparing you to be courageous!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Josh 1:9 NKJV

Today we must seek the Lord for the courage and the wisdom to correct wrongs, and do what is right in His sight. Courage is the moral capacity to bring righteousness into a corrupt situation. It can be manifested as simply as cleaning up a messy room, or as dramatically as a life and death encounter on the streets. Through righteousness courage is woven into the moral fabric of the son or daughter of God. Don’t be discouraged. Have courage, dear one! Go get ‘em! Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…