Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:15)

Joseph Ton

Fear is an invention of the devil and a consequence of sin. The devil has countless kinds of fears - fear of failure, fear of disease and death, fear of unemployment, fear of the future, fear of suffering, fear of...

Through all these fears man is doomed to slavery. Through fear, Satan makes us passive, not only in countries where Christians are persecuted, but also in the so-called "free countries."  Remarkably, there is often much fear in these free countries. It is the devil's instrument to enslave people. But the Lord sets us free from fear. There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18). The Lord sets us free, so that we no longer fear our enemies, but even love them.

This freedom is not related to living in a free country, for there are millions of slaves in the "free" world. It is a deep spiritual freedom which turns fear into courage, unrest into peace, uncertainty into certainty, doubt into hope and death into life.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds ... in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

[Judy Harder]

Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25)

Joseph Ton

The Lord Jesus Christ delivers us from fear. Apparently, He does so in different ways. Hebrews 2:14 says, "Through His death." The Son of God loves me. He saw me with my sins, my failures, and my treason and even so He still loved me. He came to earth to take my sins upon Him. He died my death, went to hell - my hell - and He rose again. That is why Christ can say, "I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (Revelation 1:18). Christ died my death and now He says, "Death is My messenger" to invite you to heavenly glory.

A friend of Joseph Ton was once arrested by the police in Bucharest. One of the officers threatened to kill him, but Joseph smiled and said, "If you shoot me, I will enter eternal life. You cannot frighten me with that prospect!" He was not afraid to die, for a Christian will never die.

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55).

"For I am convinced, that neither death, nor life ... will be able to separate us from the love of God..." (Romans 8:38,39).

Joseph Ton from Romania. Joseph Ton describes a number of spiritual principles of God's faithfulness despite suffering. Edited with permission from the Dutch booklet entitled Lessen in Lijden.

[Judy Harder]

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. (Matthew 6:22)

Joseph Ton

The second way in which Christ delivers us from fear, Joseph Ton likes to call "the mending or renewal of our eyes." In Matthew 6, the Lord speaks about worrying (which is the same as fear of the future). Again and again He says, "Do not worry." Before this, He spoke about two kinds of eyes, good and bad ones. He says that if our eyes are bad, our whole body will be full of darkness. But if our eyes are good, our whole body will be full of light.

The bad eye sees enemies, problems, threats and dangers. Those were the eyes of ten out of twelve spies who returned from a mission to Canaan (Numbers 13). They saw the giants and said, "We are grasshoppers compared to them. It's hopeless."

The good eye also sees the danger and the enemies, for they are part of reality. But the good eye sees more than that - it sees the Almighty God. And this Almighty God is our Father through Jesus Christ.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus," Hebrews 12:2 says. The frightened heart cries, "O, my Lord, what shall we do?" Victorious Elisha answers, "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so that he may see" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

"O our God ... we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chronicles 20:12).

Lord, our God, please give us these spiritual eyes!

Joseph Ton from Romania. Joseph Ton describes a number of spiritual principles of God's faithfulness despite suffering. Edited with permission from the Dutch booklet entitled Lessen in Lijden.

[Judy Harder]

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18)

Joseph Ton

Years ago on a Sunday morning, Joseph Ton was arrested. The following day, the interrogations began. Around midday, a general came in who ordered the other two officers to leave the room. When they were gone, he started to hit Joseph. On the face, on the head - until he was exhausted.

A few days later, the same thing happened again. The officers had to leave the room and Joseph expected another beating. But the general sat down and said he wanted to talk to him. Joseph said, "I would like to offer my apologies first." The general looked at him in amazement. After all, he had hit Joseph and not the other way round. Joseph said he had done some thinking about the beating. "I realized that this week, we commemorate the Passion," he said, "I am sorry I cried out when you hit me, for there is nothing more wonderful for a Christian than to suffer like his Lord suffered. Actually, you gave me the most precious gift I have ever received. Thank you very much!" Joseph also told the general that he had started praying for him and his family.

The general was so impressed that he promptly apologized. Later he would play an important role in Joseph's release. He had seen what he had never seen before - someone who told him he prayed for him and his family. There is no fear in love. The Lord sets us free and gives us love in our hearts for our enemies. We ourselves are blessed by it - and others are as well. And God is given the glory.

[Judy Harder]

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.
(Philippians 1:29)

Joseph Ton

Suffering is not something strange. Actually, it is not even a tragedy, but a favor. "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

According to Peter, suffering is our calling. It is even a favor. Peter and John were flogged, which is a terrible punishment. But when they were sent away with bloody backs, they rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41).

Peter and John considered it a special honor to be flogged, as if they realized that they had received something which was not granted to everyone.

A Christian must be found worthy to suffer for the Lord. Such suffering is a calling, a favor and an honor.

[Judy Harder]

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)

Joseph Ton

Suffering is not without a purpose. Peter writes that we are living stones which are joined together to build up a spiritual temple.

Peter must have had King Solomon's temple in mind when he wrote this. Solomon had stone-cutters working for him who hacked out the stones one by one from the mountains and polished them. Then, all the stones were transported to the building site, where they only needed to be put together. The Bible says that there was no sound of a hammer or a chisel on the construction-site; the polishing had already been done in the quarry (1 Kings 6:7).

Peter writes that we are living stones used to build up a spiritual temple. One day, the last stone will complete the building and what a wonderful temple it will be! God will reside there. But it also implies that we are now in God's quarry, a place of cutting and polishing, and that hurts.

Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ (the pain) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. He persevered because he saw him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:26,27).

That way God can use us - a living stone to build a spiritual house.

[Judy Harder]

The righteous suffer at the hands of the wicked. The wicked do not shrink back from anything. They do not fear God nor His commandments. The righteous clash with these wicked men. Their faith is tested. Will they join the wicked or will they continue to trust in the Lord and follow Him?

They have made their choice.

David

Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence,
who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.
Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path.
O Lord, I say to you, 'You are my God.' Hear, O Lord, my cry for mercy.
O Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle...
(Psalm 140:1-7)

[Judy Harder]

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:6)

Joseph Ton

What Paul wants to say is that I am suffering for your salvation.

To illustrate this, we must go back to the time when Romania was still suffering under Communism. In Joseph Ton's church, one Christian was a manager in a big factory. As a consequence of his conversion, all employees of the factory were called together by the Communist Party to witness his degradation from manager to the lowest job in the factory. "How should I defend myself?" he asked Joseph. "Don't defend yourself at all," Joseph advised him, "you'd use the time they give you to defend yourself better, by telling them who Jesus is and what He means to you."

It was really impressive how he bore witness of his Savior in front of all those people. Afterwards, he was degraded and his salary lowered accordingly. But his faith was rewarded. His suffering brought salvation to other people, for later on, he told Joseph, "Everywhere in the factory, people take my hand and ask me to tell them about Jesus. Many of them ask me to get them a Bible."

Because this brother was prepared to suffer for his Lord, other people were saved. Those who are prepared to pay the price (status, salary, defamation) will be a blessing to others and will also receive God's prize: eternal life.

[Judy Harder]

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation. (2 Corinthians 1:6)

Joseph Ton

What Paul wants to say is that I am suffering for your salvation.

To illustrate this, we must go back to the time when Romania was still suffering under Communism. In Joseph Ton's church, one Christian was a manager in a big factory. As a consequence of his conversion, all employees of the factory were called together by the Communist Party to witness his degradation from manager to the lowest job in the factory. "How should I defend myself?" he asked Joseph. "Don't defend yourself at all," Joseph advised him, "you'd use the time they give you to defend yourself better, by telling them who Jesus is and what He means to you."

It was really impressive how he bore witness of his Savior in front of all those people. Afterwards, he was degraded and his salary lowered accordingly. But his faith was rewarded. His suffering brought salvation to other people, for later on, he told Joseph, "Everywhere in the factory, people take my hand and ask me to tell them about Jesus. Many of them ask me to get them a Bible."

Because this brother was prepared to suffer for his Lord, other people were saved. Those who are prepared to pay the price (status, salary, defamation) will be a blessing to others and will also receive God's prize: eternal life.

[Judy Harder]

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourself were suffering. (Hebrews 13:3)

Joseph Ton

Suffering is a favor that is to be shared with the whole of Christ's Church.

If my hand hurts, I say, "I don't feel well."

If one part of the Body suffers, the Bible says (1 Corinthians 12) the whole Body suffers.

Millions of Christians in other countries are suffering. Do you feel the pain too? If they suffer, I, who am part of the same Body, should also feel pain. If we do something for persecuted Christians, we suffer with them.

For example, persecuted Christians always pray for a Bible of their own. Printing Bibles in the free world is very expensive. Those who are prepared to make a financial sacrifice for the printing of these Bibles suffer with those who have none. They work hard to send spiritual food to the people who suffer. When they receive their long-awaited Bible, they shed tears of joy.

Jesus said, "Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

If a Christian is beaten, Christ suffers.

If a Christian is helped, Christ is helped.

If we pray for those who suffer, they will be comforted.

That is the way God works, and we are God's fellow-workers.