Be Strong & Courageous – Part 2

Good morning and welcome to a brand new week of Freedom Fighters. I just finished ready Dr. Robert J Morgan’s powerful book, Red Sea Rules, for the second time. Dr. Morgan was our Memorial Day weekend speaker and was a blessing to us all.

In his message, he shared that the Scriptures are filled with reminders for us to BE STRONG & COURAGEOUS. I have also added some verses that talk about us being strong in the Lord. Check out these references:

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

Pastor Morgan shared this powerful story about being strong and courageous in the midst of very frightening and challenging times:

When the Communists overran China following the end of World War II, a thousand missionaries with China Inland Mission (CIM) were trapped behind the Bamboo Curtain. CIM ordered a total evacuation in January 1951, but was it too late? Communists were not averse to killing.

Arthur and Wilda Mathews applied for exit visas on January 3. Their living conditions had deteriorated to a bare kitchen where, in the corner, Wilda had converted a footlocker into a prayer nook. Days passed with no action on their requests. Meanwhile citizens were executed on the town’s athletic field every day; from her kitchen Wilda heard the shots. The strain grew unbearable, and she was overwhelmed by fear. Sunday, March 21, 1951, was, as she later called it, Black Easter.

Wilda sneaked into an Easter church service, but when she opened her mouth to sing “He Lives!” no words came out. Returning home, she fell at the trunk, and her trembling fingers found 2 Chronicles 20: “The battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed” (vv. 15, 17).

Wilda clamped onto those words, and two weeks later she wrote, “The conflict has been terrible, but peace and quiet reign now.” Over the next two years, the Mathews family repeatedly faced dangerous situations, their baby in harm’s way, their pantry empty, their enemies surrounding them. But Arthur and Wilda committed each situation, one after another, into the Lord’s hands. Miraculously, in God’s timing, all the CIM missionaries got out without a single one being martyred, the last being Arthur Mathews. It was perhaps the greatest exodus since the one in Exodus 14.6

Morgan, Robert J. . The Red Sea Rules (pp. 61-62). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Are you facing a challenging time in your life? Is fear racing through the very fiber of your being? Circumstances out of control?

Remember today: Be strong and courageous!!! The Lord is with you.

Have a blessed day.

Living in light of the gospel:

Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Write to Bill at bwelte@americaskeswick.org

Think about this: Trials and troubles are dumbbells and treadmills for the soul. They develop strength and stamina.

Morgan, Robert J. . The Red Sea Rules (p. 110). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his childhood sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 12 amazing grandkids. He loves music and is an avid reader.