Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply. (Judges 8:1)

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (Philippians 2:2)

Gideon

It is sad but true that many times persecution comes from within, from fellow-believers. That hurts the most.

After the great victory, Gideon is taken up roundly. Not by his enemies but by his own people. "Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?"

It is easy to say this when the battle is over. When Gideon needed them, his own people were nowhere to be seen. But now that the war is won, they surface, full of criticism.

It's an old trick of the devil - then and now. Satan delights in us fighting each other instead of him. He is a master at causing division and Christians are very willing subjects - at least in this area.

Be aware of this today. Don't listen to the devil and don't allow him to misuse you. Put on the whole armor of God. Then you will not only be able to withstand the attacks, but also be victorious.

[Judy Harder]

Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshipping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. (Judges 8:27)

Gideon

The story of Gideon does not have a happy ending.

Gideon put himself in a spiritual position which was impossible for God to bless.

The ephod was a precious tunic, worn by the priests when they were seeking God's will for the people. That robe Gideon acquired for himself. He installed his own worship service. Not in Shiloh, as God had ordained, but in Ophrah. Not performed by the Levites but by Gideon himself. In doing so, Gideon disobeyed God's order.

He had been called to be a leader, not a priest. God anoints whom He appoints. It is very dangerous to take upon ourselves all the different ministries that God has appointed in His Church. That can lead to pride and dictatorship. It became a snare to Gideon, however well-intentioned it may have been.

Work with whatever talents God has given you and do not covet other people's gifts. God will reward that attitude with His full blessing.

[Judy Harder]

This psalm can be divided into three parts. In all three, David prays for forgiveness. Only then can he have intimate fellowship with God. Real deliverance is the result of intimate fellowship with the Lord. To those people He will reveal His covenant.

David

The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.
Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.
(Psalm 25:14-21)

[Judy Harder]

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful ... This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:2,8)

Menes Abdul Noor

God works in the heart of the believers, not on their outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). He does not sew a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment (Mark 2:21). He makes you a new creation, so you joyfully shout, "the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a result of this new life you bear fruit. The Father prunes you so you produce much fruit. We all need pruning to lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us (Hebrews 12:1). We have bad habits, like weights burdening us.

We also have evil surroundings ensnaring us. Our abiding in Christ is the condition to bear fruit, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself (John 15:4).  Our fruit should increase as we grow in knowing Christ. The greatest fruit is to live victoriously, defeating Satan and having a successful witness for Christ (Acts 1:. It glorifies the Father, since it declares the kindness of His care, the goodness of His laws and the abundance of His grace.

Jesus has chosen you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain (John 15:16). He chose you for salvation, and for a service. What an honor!

Writer of the Month:  Menes Abdul-Noor from Egypt. A respected leader of the Christian Church in Cairo.

[Judy Harder]

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
(John 15:7)

Menes Abdul Noor

A bored father scolded his son saying, "When will you quit asking?" The smart son answered, "When you quit giving!" God is never a bored Father, and He gives to all liberally and without reproach (James 1:5).

When you abide in Christ He makes you pure-hearted. He tells you, "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).

God testifies to you that He has found you a person after His own heart, who will do all His will (Acts 13:22). If you do God's will as if it were your will, He does your will as if it were His will.

"What the righteous desire will be granted" (Proverbs 10:24).

When we abide in Christ we come to the Father in the merits of Christ. We hear Jesus saying, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13, 14).

God says to His repentant people, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile" (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

Let us abide in Him, and experience answered prayers!

Writer of the Month:  Menes Abdul-Noor from Egypt. A respected leader of the Christian Church in Cairo.

[Judy Harder]

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (John 15:9)

Menes Abdul Noor

What a privilege to abide in the love of Jesus, so we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and love our brothers and sisters in Christ because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

The love of God to us was giving, forgiving, accepting - continuous and sacrificial. The Bible says that God reconciles us to Himself, but it never says that we reconcile ourselves to God, because God was never in enmity with us. Jesus said, "I have called you friends" (John 15:15) because on His part He was full of love to us, though we were enemies of Him.

When we abide in Christ He teaches us His will. He does not call us "servants" for the servant does not know what his master is doing. He only knows the master's orders, but not the master's plan. "The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:14). God said to Abraham, 'shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (Genesis 18:17). Jesus said, "If any one chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own" (John 7:17).

Let us love Him with all our hearts; imitate Him and learn from Him.

Copyright [C] 1995 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[Judy Harder]

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love ... You are my friends if you do what I command.  (John 15:10,14)

Menes Abdul Noor

When we abide in Christ we receive blessings exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). We experience that Jesus has given us life to live more abundantly (John 10:10).

The Lord reminded the Israelites how He saved them from bondage, and this is why they should have no masters except Himself (Exodus 20:1, 2).

We feel the same obligation, and say, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

Whoever receives Jesus accepts His kingship on his life. He knows that he ought to obey Jesus rather than man (Acts 5:29). He asks Jesus, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Acts 9:6)  Sometimes we say, "Not so, Lord!" (Acts 10:14) If He is Lord of life He should not take a "no" for an answer.

What a blessing for us to receive from Him and obey Him!  "Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:.

[Judy Harder]

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

Menes Abdul Noor

The joy of the world is the result of what people get or achieve. When the getting and achievements end; this kind of joy ends. The joy stays as long as its source remains.

Not so with the joy of Christ. He abides in us and guarantees to us that He gives us not as the world gives us (John 14:27). What He gives is everlasting, guaranteed and full.

When we abide in Christ we find the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Of His fullness we all receive, and grace for grace (John 1:16). In Jesus the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and declare that Jesus is the eternal life who gives us fellowship with the Father and with Himself, that our joy may be full (1 John 1:1-4).

When we abide in Christ we love Him and keep His word. The Father loves us. The Father and the Son come to us and make their home with us (John 14:23). What a privilege and what a joy!

When we abide in Jesus He guarantees to us an eternal abode. He says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3).

We have all the right to be joyful, because we abide in Christ. All His privileges become ours.

[Judy Harder]

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

Menes Abdul Noor

The greatness of Jesus is seen in the clarity and openness of His teachings. He tells us that the world gives privileges to its followers. It loves its own. It hates the believers in Jesus because it hates their Master. The world hates the Father because it does not know the Father (John 15:21,23). The world has no excuse for its sin, because Jesus spoke clearly about the consequences, but they refused His testimony.

Those who abide in Christ should know who they are. They are not of the world. They are chosen by Jesus to go out of the world. The world hates their leader.

Jesus teaches us that if persecution comes to us, it should come because we are loyal to Him, and not because of our mistakes. When the apostles of Jesus were beaten they departed from the presence of the Jewish council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus" name (Acts 5:41).

Jesus warned us of coming persecutions (John 15:20). We should not be shocked. If we suffer for His name's sake, then persecution is normal. We should not think that the Lord had deserted or forgotten us (Isaiah 49:14-16). "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12).

Writer of the Month:  Menes Abdul-Noor from Egypt. A respected leader of the Christian Church in Cairo.

[Judy Harder]

This beautiful psalm consists of two parts. In the first part, the writer speaks about the Lord (27:1-5). In the second part he talks to the Lord (27:7-14, see July 21).

David trusts in the Lord his God, who draws near in every desperate situation. Safe under God's protection.

David

The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:1-5)