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From His Heart
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CHASING CHARIOTS


And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."  Acts 8:29


Have you ever been at your job. or at your desk at school. or doing chores at home, slugging through yet another day and found yourself thinking, "What real difference is my life making, anyway?" 

It is very easy to fall into the rut where you draw your breath. and draw your salary. and go through the motions of life but lose the meaning and purpose of your existence on this earth.  And what is that meaning and purpose?  To chase chariots.  Chasing chariots makes life EXCITING and brings GREAT JOY! 

PHILIP'S CHARIOT STORY

Philip, a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3), was called of God to go to a desert road and join himself to a chariot that was traveling from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.  Although it must have sounded like a strange request to Philip, he obeyed God and ended up leading a "big shot" (a court official and treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia), to faith in Jesus Christ.  What a great story and a great lesson for you and me!

Why are we left here on this earth after receiving Christ as Savior and Lord?  Why doesn't God just take us to heaven immediately and deliver us from the sin, sickness, and depravity that surround us?  We are left here to let our light shine for Christ and to tell others about Jesus, "the way, and the truth, and the life."  As the Bible says, "How shall they (lost people) hear without a preacher?"  God wants that preacher to be you!  It is amazing the difference you and I can make in the lives of hurting, hopeless people as we point them to Jesus through our life AND through our lips. 

MY CHARIOT STORY   

Just this week, I was eating at a restaurant.  When the food came, I asked my waitress, a young woman in her twenties, if I could pray for anything in her life when I prayed over my lunch.  Her answer floored me.  She said, "Yes.  Pray for me.  Last summer I lost two children.  My two year-old drowned, and a month later, my two month-old died of SIDS."  My heart broke as I saw the great hurt in her eyes. 

While it may not have been appropriate in a restaurant setting, I got up and gave her a big hug.  I prayed for her, gave her a 500% tip, and asked her to come by the church so we could talk with her.  She came by the next day, and our women's minister and I talked to her, cared for her, prayed for her and, best of all, led her to receive Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and Lord.  It brings tears to my eyes to think how God used one simple question - "Is there anything I can pray about for you" - to make an eternal difference in her life. 

Regardless of what challenges or difficulties I may have been facing this week, nothing could compare to the joy and excitement I felt knowing God used me to show His love and grace to a young lady who was really hurting and in need of Him. 

THE BIG QUESTION?

Will you start chasing chariots for Christ?  Will you let your light shine and your lips loose to share the good news of love, forgiveness and life in Jesus?  There are opportunities all around us if we will pray and obey. 

My friend, Dr. Paige Patterson of Southwestern Seminary, challenged our church to pray three things each day.  I would like to challenge you to the same:

1. God give me an opportunity today to tell someone about Jesus.
2. God help me be aware of it when that opportunity comes.
3. God give me courage to open my mouth when that opportunity is before me.   

My friend, I truly believe Jesus is coming very soon.  May we be found faithful to the main assignment He gave us to d "Go and make disciples of all the nations."

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 
 

     Friday, April 17, 2009
The Kisses Of An Enemy

Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?  Luke 22:48

It was late Thursday night.  Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples.  He was deeply grieved to the point of death, praying to His Father and sweating drops of blood as the weight of the sin of the whole world was pressing upon Him.  He knew the arresting soldiers were on their way.  To add to His agony, His disciples were asleep. all except Judas. 

Judas Iscariot was busily leading the charge against Him.  Judas was a thief and a lover of money (John 12:6).  He sold Jesus out for a mere thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave.  Stop and think about that: Judas sold out the holy, eternal, unfathomable God for the price of a lowly slave.  How tragically amazing! 

The Bible tells us that it was at the Last Supper, after Jesus had washed the disciples' feet (Judas included) and instituted the Lord's Supper (the new covenant in His blood), that Satan entered Judas.  How boldly arrogant and offensive for Satan to enter Judas right in the Lord's physical presence!  With Satan firmly in charge of him, Judas, a picture of the antichrist to come, went to lead the soldiers to Gethsemane.  He betrays Jesus with, of all things, a kiss.  Isn't that just like the devil?  It is not enough to merely stab Jesus in the back with betrayal. he has to twist the knife in the process.  Betrayed with a kiss. a kiss from hell.   

BETRAYAL

Can you identify with Jesus?  Have you ever been betrayed?  Have you ever had someone "kiss you" with deceitful kindness so that they could gut you down the road?  Many a wife or husband has experienced the kisses of a "best friend" who subversively steals away the marriage.  Many a friend has experienced the kisses of a "trusted" confidant who goes out and betrays that confidence to the gossipers.  Many a leader has experienced the kisses of so-called supporters who delightfully malign his character behind the scenes.  Can I get an "Amen!" somebody?   

What are we to do when we receive the kisses of betrayal from a trusted friend?  Get angry. resentful. and bitter?  Curse God and die?  NO!!  We are to do what Jesus did and pray, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  It is amazing how potential bitterness will evaporate in your heart when you pray for the well-being and blessing of those who have hurt you. 

What are we to do when we are the betrayer?  We are NOT to do what Judas did.  When he saw that Jesus was condemned to die, he was overcome with grief and remorse.  But instead of repenting before God, He returned the thirty pieces of silver and went out and hanged himself.  As Dr. Adrian Rogers has so poignantly explained, "Trying to escape the hell within him, he stepped into the hell before him."  What a tragic picture of wasted privileges and opportunities was this Judas Iscariot. 

When you are guilty of betrayal, you must get things right with God and the person you betrayed.  Peter was guilty of betrayal.  In the Lord's great time of need, Peter cursed and swore and said, "I don't even know the man!"  And what did Peter do?  He went out and wept bitterly. and repented of his sin and received forgiveness from God.  You can do the same! 

GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY

The lessons of Good Friday and Easter Sunday are numerous.  The overarching message is clear, however: No matter what terrible things you may have done, your sins can be forgiven in His name.  No matter how long you may have lived in sin and selfishness, no matter how low you may have sunk, no matter what hurt you may have endured, you can receive a fresh start and a new beginning from the King of Glory!   

The Lord really does love you, my friend.  He allowed Himself to be betrayed (He knew what Judas was doing every step of the way) and willingly went to the cross so He could pay for all your sins and mine.  He wants to have a relationship with you that is real. and personal. and life-changing.  It starts when you confess your sins and turn from those sins to Jesus. 

Will you do it?  Will you get things right with God and those you have hurt?  Will you let go of the bitterness you may be carrying over those who have betrayed you?  There is nothing as wonderful as knowing your heart is clean, pure and free because of the blood of Jesus.  And that can be yours today!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

April 20, 2009

Blessed are the Meek
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor


Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. Mt 11: 29 (Douay-Rhiems)

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Mt 5: 5 (NIV)


I used to have a strong dislike for the word "meek." It brings me back a decade to a defining moment during my sophomore year of high school.

I was a shy teenager who had stepped outside of her comfort zone by enrolling in several theater classes, including a class on "behind the scenes" theater productions. This should have been the easiest of all the courses for my sensitive nature. But my instructor, while delegating roles for the Spring production of Peter Pan, proved me wrong when she voiced her choice of stage manager like this:

"I've chosen Melissa. I chose her because I need someone with a strong personality -- someone who isn't meek, like Sarah." She emphasized the word "meek" with her best impression of a timid, scared mouse.

Ouch.

Of course, I only drove her point home when I didn't stick up for myself. I spent years after that scene developing assertiveness, determined to prove that Sarah Jennings was not meek. Like this teacher, I associated meekness with weakness and both were traits that needed to be eradicated if I was going to get anywhere in life.

At least that's what I thought until I found that dreaded word jumping off the pages of scripture at me in the Gospel of Matthew. There it was, one of the first things Jesus says in his famous Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (5: 4, D-R)

Last time I checked, aggressive conquerors possess land formerly owned by meek people so this verse, and the ones that precede and follow, definitely made me stop and wonder.

Our deacon offered some thoughts this weekend that helped put things in perspective. He shared that it's in the Sermon on the Mount where we see Jesus begin to expand on His true purpose -- and to the disappointment of many, He was not going to be an earthly king bestowing power and prestige on His people, not just yet. Instead, God's plan for mankind includes an interior transformation of souls for the sake of an eternal kingdom. To properly prepare us for this kingdom, God rejected earthly methods of acquiring power and winning wars in favor of the healing that comes with merciful love.

It is God's mercy that changes our hearts from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. It's Christ's humility, His lowliness, that beckons us into a relationship with Him. And ultimately, it was Christ's willingness to give up earthly glory that opened the door for us to share in His eternal glory.

Now, as much as I would like earthly power, He asks us to "learn from him." As our souls find rest in God, He can continue His redemptive work through us as we display these same "weaker" virtues to the world.

When faced with provocation, those who embrace a meek demeanor display true wisdom and diffuse anger -- allowing truth to shine through.

When faced with hurt, it's the humble heart seeking forgiveness that restores the broken relationship.

When faced with sin, those who show mercy in place of justice bring Christ to a world in need of the Cross.

This isn't to say God lacks power or that Christians should throw out virtues like courage and conviction. I think sometimes cultivating traits like meekness and humility are trickier than learning boldness because we can easily tip the scales too far and become passive in the face of wrongdoing or allow others to trample on our dignity. It's a difficult balance, but a necessary one if we want to reflect Christ to a hurting world.


Intersecting Faith & Life: Is there a situation in your life right now that would benefit from a little meekness, humility, or gentleness on your part? Ask God to show you how to have a meek and humble heart like His -- one that offers healing and restoration while maintaining your God-given dignity.


Further Reading:


Psalm 37: 11
Ephesians 4: 2
James 4: 10
The Grace and Greatness of True Humility

April 21, 2009

Tell it, Lord!
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office;
and He said to him, "Follow me!"
Matthew 9:9

In the margin of my Bible next to Matthew 7:11 is a notation dated 9/1/90. It says:

"I love verses with exclamation points!"

That particular verse, in case you were wondering, says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I wish I knew the inspiration or emotion that prompted me to make the notation. All I know is that it would have been made during the first or second week of my sophomore year of college, and at the time I was a Youth Ministry major. And that the sentiment has continued.

Coming across that notation again recently prompted me to look up more verses in which Jesus in particular is credited with having expressed some extra "oomph." Of course, the original manuscripts were not inscribed with punctuation marks. Those have been left up to various translators through the years. In my New American Standard version of Matthew's gospel, however, the emphasis has been added to several statements the Lord made, and some of those may be categorized as follows:

Rebuke of Temptation

Matthew 4:10-11: Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" Then the devil left Him...

Matthew 16:23: But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Rebuke of Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:23-39: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Matthew 11:18-19: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

Matthew 12:12: "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Stern Warning

Matthew 9:30: "And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See here, let no one know about this!"

Matthew 6:23: "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Regarding Spiritual Warfare

Matthew 8:32: And he said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine..."

Matthew 10:24-25: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of the house!"

Stirring to Faith in Action

Matthew 12:13: Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.

Matthew 14:16: But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

Matthew 14:29: And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 9:9: He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!"

Remembering the Father's Provision

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

Making a Radical Point

Matthew 12:49-50: "And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

Sadness

Matthew 26:24, 46: "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!... Arise, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!"

Matthew 18:7: "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

Regarding the End Times

Matthew 24:19: "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!"

The Father's Confirmation

Matthew 17:5: Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

Listen to Him indeed. What is He saying? How emphatically is he saying it? Don't mess around when temptation comes. Don't disgredard the spiritual realm and the forces that oppose you. Be stirred to action. Recognize once and for all that God has provided for you like the loving Father He is, so that you are free to do His will without worry. Following Christ is a radical road, but those that betray the Way and put stumbling blocks in the road will be left to God's judgment. Dangerous days are coming. But in the end, your belief is in the Son of Almighty God!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Pick another one of the Gospels and study the points of emphasis you find the Lord saying there.

WHO ME?!  JEALOUS?


Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands." 
1 Samuel 18:8


Have you ever noticed that there are certain sins people just don't like to admit are problems for them?  Jealousy seems to me to be one of those sins.  People will readily admit to having struggles with worry, lust, fear, unbelief, pride, or selfishness. but not with jealousy and envy.  As one envious man defensively told me in a meeting one day, "Well, I KNOW that I am not jealous!"  Oh really?  To quote William Shakespeare, "Me thinks thou dost protest too much."         

SAUL AND DAVID

Saul was green with envy over David.  He hated the women's song, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."  Big question: Do you think Saul would have admitted he was jealous of David?  NEVER!  Why is that?

Admitting jealousy reveals a great insecurity and a very rotten heart. and no one really wants to admit to having that kind of heart.  Our pride kicks in at the thought of being jealous and we say, "Who me?!!  No way!"  The truth is that many of us struggle with jealousy. and pastors can be the worst offenders.   

THE JEALOUSY TEST

1.  Is there someone in your life (a friend, a sibling, a co-worker, a classmate, a teammate, or a "competitor") whom you always seem to compare yourself to, resulting in pride (YES, I am doing better than you are) or depression (CRUD, you are doing better than I am)? 
 
2.  Is there someone in your life who always seems to get the breaks. and it just makes you sick because you never seem to get them? 

3.  Is there someone in your life whom you secretly desire to see fail and fall flat on his face?

4.  Is there someone in your life whom you have anger towards because people are singing louder and longer for him than they are for you? 

5.  Is there someone you have great trouble rejoicing with when something good happens for him?   

Could it be that you, like Saul, are (dare I say it?) jealous? 

OVERCOMING THE GREEN MONSTER

By nature, I am a very competitive person.  In everything I do, I want to win.  If the women of Israel are going to sing a song about slaying the Philistines, I want to be the one slaying ten thousand, not one thousand.  I want to be David, not Saul.  How about you?   

My competitiveness can easily lead to jealousy if I am not careful.  When I catch myself failing the jealousy test, I must quickly do the following to rid my heart of that poison:

1.  QUIT COMPARING!  I am not to be concerned with being THE BEST.  I am to make sure I always do MY BEST.  Do you see the difference between these two things? 

In Matthew 25, Jesus told a great parable of the talents.  The King was going on a long journey and entrusted his talents (a large sum of money) to his three servants.  One man got five, another got two, and another got one.  Obviously, the guy who started with one could NEVER outdo the guy who started with five.  He could not be the best and the biggest producer in that parable.  But he was not in competition with the other two guys.  The Lord was concerned about the one talent guy doing his best, not being the best. 

At the end of life, the big questions from the Lord will be simply this: What did you do with what I gave you?  Did you do your best and step out in faith?  Did you use that one talent to the full, to the glory of your God. or did you bury it in the ground, grumbling the whole time that you never get a break, that others always get more than you do, and that God is just not fair? 

My friend, quit comparing and start using what you have been given.  Do your best and leave the results with God.         

2.  START REALIZING!  Your job on this earth is to please God, not to be the undisputed champion in every field of competition.  When you focus on pleasing God, you keep your eyes where they should be: on God and off other people.  And when you really focus on pleasing God, you do your best and forget about being the best.   

KING SAUL, KING BUST

Saul's life was a tragedy of epic proportions because jealousy consumed him.  He could have had a great reign, utilizing a gifted champion like David to the full in his kingdom.  Instead, he spent the vast majority of his 40 year reign as a jealous despot, living a life full of misery, anger, bitterness, paranoia, and distance from God.  What a sad picture of the ravaging effects of jealousy.   

Don't let jealousy eat your lunch as it ate Saul's.  Quit comparing, start realizing, and enjoy a life lived for His glory and the fame of His name!

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

CONDITIONAL PROMISES


IF you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did,
THEN I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David,
and I will give Israel to you.  1 Kings 11:38


This great promise was given to a man named Jeroboam.  He was the first king of the divided kingdom of Israel.  Jeroboam could have lived a great life of blessing.  God had promised him so much.  But tragically, Jeroboam's life was a major bust.  He did not walk by faith in God's promise, but walked by sight and operated out of fear.  As a result, he sinned greatly and caused the people to sin as he set up golden calves for them to worship.  God pronounced judgment on him and his household.  Because of Jeroboam's sin, God said he would sweep him away as dung. and He did. 

THE CONDITIONS

If you want to live a life of blessing, you have to note the conditions.  God has unconditional love for us. but He does not have unconditional blessings.  The favor of God is an IF. THEN.   If you walk with Him and yield control to Him and obey Him, then you experience His power and presence.  If you don't, you won't.  It is that simple. 

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

Jeroboam had a great opportunity for tremendous blessing. and He blew it because He refused to "trust in the Lord with all His heart."  He refused to take God at His word and do what He said.  Instead of living like David, he was swept away like dung.     

You and I can learn much from his mistakes.  We can choose today to follow the Lord.  We can choose to get in on all the good things He wants to do in our lives.  We can choose to line our lives up with God and His word. 

IF you will bow your life before the King of Kings today and obey His voice and His commandments, THEN you will see Him manifest His love and peace and joy in your life.  The choice is yours.  Do you want to live like David or like Jeroboam?           

By the way, if these encouragement emails are helping you in you walk with the Lord, please share them with your friends and have them log on towww.fromhisheart.org and sign up also.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

FIRST THINGS FIRST

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things
shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33


Do you ever struggle with priorities?  Do you let the things in life that really aren't very important crowd out the things in life that really are very important? 

It is interesting to me that when people are on their death bed, they never talk about how they wished they had worked harder, made more sales calls, closed more business deals, climbed higher on the ladder of success.  No.  What they talk about is relationships.  They wish they had lived more for the Lord. they wished they had spent more time with their family and friends. 

A SUCCESS OR A FAILURE?   

Years ago, I ran across this true story of a "successful" father who lost sight of what was really important. 

A young man was to be sentenced to the penitentiary. The judge had known him from childhood, for he was well acquainted with his father--a famous legal scholar and the author of an exhaustive study entitled, "The Law of Trusts." "Do you remember your father?" asked the magistrate. "I remember him well, your honor," came the reply. Then trying to probe the offender's conscience, the judge said, "As you are about to be sentenced and as you think of your wonderful dad, what do you remember most clearly about him?"   There was a pause. Then the judge received an answer he had not expected. "I remember when I went to him for advice. He looked up at me from the book he was writing and said, 'Run along, boy; I'm busy!'  When I went to him for companionship, he turned me away, saying, 'Run along, son; this book must be finished!' Your honor, you remember him as a great lawyer. I remember him as a lost friend."  The magistrate muttered to himself, "Alas! Finished the book, but lost the boy!" 

REWRITING YOUR STORY

Be totally honest: are you falling into the same trap of that "successful" lawyer dad?  Are you trading the eternal things, the things that really matter, for the temporal things that are destined for the ash heap?  The time is now to take a sober inventory of the direction of your life.  What do you see?  Does the picture need some work?

It is not too late to turn things around!  Start first by seeking the Lord and His will for your life.  Then focus you thoughts and attention on family and friends.  Life is more than just deadlines, "to do" lists, work, work and more work.  Life is meant to be savored and enjoyed.  God wants to use your life today to bless others, starting with your own family.  Take time for God, time for worship, prayer, and Bible study. and time for those special people He has put into your life.  May it never be metaphorically said of you that you "finished the book but lost the boy."

Love,



Jeff Schreve

From His Heart

BUILDING STRONG FAITH

I do believe; help my unbelief!  Mark 9:24


What would you say about a workout that only took four minutes a day and produced great results?  Would you say, "Amazing!  Awesome!  Wow!"?  I wouldn't say that.  I would say, "Baloney!"  Yet, the ROM workout contraption (as advertised in all airline magazines) claims to do just that.  You can buy one and see for yourself . for only $14,615.00.   

In my opinion, there is no short cut to getting in good physical shape.  You have to work at it. both in diet and exercise.  While the extra weight goes on easily, it does not come off the same way.  It takes discipline, determination and follow-through to join the ranks of the physically fit.       

SPIRITUAL FITNESS

Just as it is with the physical, so it is with the spiritual.  They are no short cuts to spiritual growth and building strong faith.  As much as we would like to go from a spiritual baby to a mighty man/woman of faith, we cannot get there in one weekend retreat, or one sermon series, or one Beth Moore Bible study.  It takes consistency, discipline and time with the Lord to build spiritual muscle and maturity.

The good news is this: if you will put forth the effort to seek the Lord, you will find Him.  God promises, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13).  If you will come to His gym (prayer, Bible study, worship, church, and discipleship group) day after day with your weak faith, He will transform it over time to strong faith.  He wants you to grow.  He is for you, not against you.  He is looking for those who will get serious about being a true warrior for Christ and a person of God.  Are you willing?  Are you serious?

LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH

Let me encourage you to ask the Lord to increase your faith . to stretch you and grow you like never before.  It may hurt (just like lifting weights can hurt), but it is well worth it.  It may seem impossible (just like doing the stair master for 15 minutes on level 10 can seem impossible), but it will bring great results as you remain faithful and committed. 

Let me also encourage you in these days of economic uncertainty to "walk by faith and not by sight" in your finances.  So many people miss out on God's blessings because they refuse to believe His promise that if you will honor Him with your finances, He will honor you in return (see Malachi 3:8-12).  He says if you will give your tithe (10%) to His kingdom's work, He will pour out a blessing on you that will be so big you won't be unable to contain it all.  It will literally overflow in your lap!  Do you want a blessing like that?  Then take Him at His Word and step out in faith . and start today!

Love,

Jeff Schreve

REMEMBER THE LORD. AND FIGHT!

When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."  Nehemiah 4:14

Nehemiah was in a tough spot.  He was halfway through the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem when the enemy really stepped up the attack.  Sanballat, Tobiah and the rest of the devil's pawns were threatening to kill Nehemiah and his builders if they did not immediately cease the rebuilding project. 

The people began to recoil in fear. so Nehemiah encouraged them to "remember the Lord and fight!"  They responded to his challenge, stood up to their enemies, and saw God do a great work.  Sanballat, Tobiah and the rest of their foes never laid a hand on them, and the wall was finished in record time. 

OUR CHALLENGE

The need of the hour is for you and me to "remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and FIGHT!"  The devil would like nothing more than to get us discouraged . afraid . distrusting . critical . negative . and faithless.  He wants us to throw in the towel on all that God has promised us.  He barks at us, "It is hopeless!  You are a failure!  Just go ahead and quit!"  And we must remember that the devil is a liar and a defeated foe.  Just as Nehemiah and the people stood in the face of threats, ridicule and fear, so you and I can do that same . and come out victorious, just like they did! 

Remember, God has promised His children GREAT things, far beyond what we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20).  He wants to bless us and work through us to bless others.  He wants to answer our prayers and show Himself mighty and strong in our lives.  He will not do what we can do . and we cannot do what He can do.  He is waiting on us to take a stand against the enemy, in spite of the fear.     

THE WARFARE IS PRAYER

Would you start to fight?  The warfare truly is prayer.  Lift up you voice in prayer and fight for your marriage, for your family, and for the many good and wonderful promises God has made to you.  Quit letting the devil steal you blind and intimidate you into a corner.  Stand up to him in Jesus' name.  The Bible tells us, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Jas. 4:7). 

Nehemiah and the people won the victory simply because they would not be intimidated by the enemy.  They remembered that God was greater than any enemy. and "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31). 

REMEMBER . nothing God-sized is every accomplished without prayer.  And nothing God-sized is ever won without a fight.  So remember the Lord, get in the battle and see Him bring the victory! 

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

From His Heart


WHEN YOU FEEL SO ALONE

When I was growing up, I knew a lady who was going through a terrible time in her marriage.  She was feeling the incredibly painful sting of betrayal and separation.  Divorce seemed almost unavoidable.  With a hurting heart, she would sing to the Gilbert O'Sullivan song, "Alone Again (Naturally)." 


To think that only yesterday,
I was cheerful, bright and gay,
Looking forward to, but who wouldn't do,
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down,
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch,
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt,
All about God and His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me
In my hour of need?
I truly am indeed,
Alone again, naturally


That depressing song was a HUGE hit in the 70's. While it does express the heart and feelings of one who is really hurting, the lyrics are filled with faithlessness and error.   

THE TRUTH

First of all, God does exist.  Even though you cannot see Him, He is more real than the sun in the sky.  Secondly, HE NEVER DESERTS HIS CHILDREN!

One of the greatest promises in all the Bible is found in Hebrews 13:5, "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"  As powerfully straightforward as that verse is in English, it is even more emphatic in the Greek as the Amplified Bible points out - "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!"

WOW!  What a promise from the God who cannot lie and who always keeps His word. 

Listen, if you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, He will never leave your side.  He will be with you even when: 

1. You sin terribly and temporarily turn your back on Him.  Whenever we commit a sin that is very awful and shameful, we feel like God must hate us.  Not so.  He sticks with His children NO MATTER WHAT.  If you don't believe me, just ask Simon Peter who cursed and swore and denied Jesus saying, "I don't even know the Man!"       

2. You lose your job because of cutbacks . or because of something you did or failed to do. 

3. You get sick with cancer or some other disease.

4. Your spouse leaves you for another.

5. Your loved ones dies . even though you prayed for a different outcome. 

6. You fall into a deep depression because tragedy strikes.   

PRAISE IS THE ANSWER

When trouble comes into your life like a flood, don't sing the blues.  Don't sing those songs that drive you to new depths of depression and make you want to curse God and die.  Sing the truth.  Fill your heart with praise.  God is still with me!!  The God who can do anything and forgive any sin and calm any storm is still with me . and He is going to see me through! 

Remember, God is the One who is able to give beauty for ashes.  He can take the worst of situations and turn them around for good.  Regardless of the hurtful circumstances you may be facing today, in the midst of the pain, rise up and say with the Psalmist, "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence" (Ps. 42:5). 

By the way, that lady who was going through the terrible marriage problems, God did a miracle of reconciliation . and she and her husband are happily married to this day, celebrating 56 years together. 

Don't give up.  Don't ever give up!!  God has not forgotten you nor forsaken you.  Keep trusting in Him!!
Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

From His Heart
1
HOW FIRM IS YOUR FOUNDATION?

Some years ago, a good friend of mine bought a new house in the Dallas area.  He and his wife were so excited!  The house looked great... the price was right... nothing could be better!  Within nine months, however, their excitement turned to grief because the house had major foundation problems.  As everyone knows, when the firm foundation of your house starts to shift and fail, every other part of the house begins to suffer as a result... and the homeowner is left holding the bag. 

As important as it is have a firm foundation for your home, it is even more important to a have a firm foundation for your life, a foundation that can stand the storms.  What exactly does that foundation look like?

TWO THINGS YOU MUST HAVE   

I believe with all my heart that there are two foundational truths that you and I must have embedded in the core of our being in order for us to stand, no matter the storm.  These two key truths are simple and yet so profound.  They are found in 2 Chronicles 7:3:

"And all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, 'Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.'"

1. You must know and believe that GOD IS GOOD.  No matter what happens in your life, no matter what tragedy strikes, God is still good.  If you don't believe that, when the disaster of cancer... or job loss... or the death of a loved one... or betrayal and divorce strikes, you will get bitter at God and silently declare, "God is not good and not worthy to be trusted."  Nothing could be further from the truth.   

Remember, life is not always good, but God is.  Do not equate the circumstances of this life with God.  This life is marred and tainted by sin.  Bad things do happen to good people.  Terrible tragedy does touch down like a tornado even on those who love and fear God.  That is just a fact of life.  When the bad things come, don't believe the devil's lie that God is not good.  "Truly He is good", regardless of the devastating circumstances. 

2.  You must know and believe that GOD LOVES YOU.  It is very easy to look at the bad circumstances of your life and make the determination that God must not love you.  Job's wife lost all ten of her children, her wealth and her husband's health... all within a week.  As she looked at the circumstances she determined God did not love her or Job anymore, and she counseled Job to "curse God and die" (Job 2:9). 

Now before you throw her under the bus for her lack of faith, put yourself in her shoes.  She experienced pain and loss to a greater degree than any of us have ever experienced.   You and I often question God's love for us over things far less devastating than Mrs. Job faced. 

The truth remains the same, regardless of the circumstances: GOD DOES LOVE YOU.  The cross of Jesus Christ proves it.  God freely gave His only begotten Son to be whipped, beaten, spit upon and nailed to a tree not for friends, but for enemies.  You and I were enemies of God because of our sin and independence, yet God still gave His sinless, innocent Son for us... and Jesus willing gave His life for us.  Charles Wesley wrote, "Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"  Anytime the devil tells you God doesn't love you... and you are tempted to believe it, take a mental trip to a bloody hill called Calvary and see His love for yourself.     

A NEW FOCUS

Will you focus on your foundation today?  Will you praise God for His goodness and for His love?  Will you look at everything in your life through the rock-solid, never changing foundational perspective that says, "COME WHAT MAY, MY GOD IS GOOD!... AND MY GOD LOVES ME!!... AND MY GOD WILL ONE DAY WORK ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD AND HIS GLORY!!!

Love,

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE LEFT?

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  James 4:14


Have you ever noticed how we tend to bank on tomorrow?  Have you ever noticed how we tend to think we have LOTS of time to get things right with God and get things right with others because death is such a LONG way off?  Hmmm.     

A few years ago, I conducted the funeral of a friend of mine.  He was one of my basketball buddies, and we played together quite often.  One Sunday afternoon, David was playing ball at the playground.  After a made basket, he turned to run down court and fell down in a heap.  He suffered a massive heart attack and was dead before he hit the ground.  He was 42 years old and seemingly in good shape.     
   
Last Saturday, I conducted the funeral of another basketball friend of mine.  He also died of a massive heart attack.  He was 48 years old and full of life.       

NO GUARANTEES OF TOMORROW

God does not promise us tomorrow.  Our lives are a vapor, a puff of smoke.  They are here one minute and gone the next.  Like the morning fog that rolls in and rolls out, so is the brevity of life. 

Because life is so brief and tomorrow is not promised, it is critical to MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY.  Are you doing that? 

Joe's Crab Shack used to have a sign in front of the restaurant, "Free Crabs. Tomorrow." The only problem was "tomorrow" never came.  Don't put off for tomorrow. because tomorrow may never come. 

TODAY QUESTIONS

1. Do you know that you are right with God?  If YOU had a massive heart attack, would you go to heaven?  Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ and received His forgiveness and salvation?  Do you know for sure that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life?  If not, receive Him TODAY!
     
2. Do you have things right with family and friends?  Is there someone you need to forgive?  Is there someone you need to ask to forgive you?  Do it TODAY! 

3. Are there people who have made a great difference in your life and you have never told them.  Tell them TODAY!  Write them a letter TODAY!

4. Are your kids growing up before your eyes. and you are too busy with work and the cares of life to really notice them or spend quality time with them?  Spend time with them TODAY!

God has given us "today."  That is all we have. so make every day count.  As the poem says, "Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

Love,
.

From His Heart

GOING.GOING.GONE?

Have you ever been to an auction?  I haven't actually ever attended one, but I have seen many of them portrayed on television and in the movies.  When the bidding reaches its climax, the auctioneer often says, "Going.Going..Gone!  With that last "gone", he raps his gavel and that particular item is up for grabs no longer. 

AMERICA UP FOR GRABS

I believe our nation and the very fabric of what has made America great for these last 200+ years is "going.going.gon ."  I believe we are one vowel away, so to speak, from seeing our nation completely disintegrate before our eyes.  For untold decades, Bible students have wondered why America, the most powerful and affluent nation in the world (at least we used to be), would not be mentioned in Bible prophecy.  Hmmm. I think now we can begin to see the reason. 

While it is easy to lament the fall of morality, a strong work ethic, and basic common sense with regard to economics and national security, it is important to note that the answer to our problems will not come from the White House. it will come from the Church House.  God's people hold the key that can turn this nation around for God and for good. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA?

God tells us in 2 Chron. 7:13, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people..."  Would we not all agree that we are living in a day where the blessings of God are being withheld in America?  The news is filled with devastating reports of corporate cutbacks, job losses, unemployment, bankruptcies, bailouts, disease outbreaks, devastating natural disasters, and mind-boggling national indebtedness.  Truly, the land is being "devoured" as I type this paragraph. 

We like to sing "God Bless America" .but how can He?  We are kicking God out of every arena of American public life.  Ronald Reagan hit the nail on the head when he stated, "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."  How arrogant we are to ask for the blessings of God while refusing to submit to or acknowledge the God of the blessings.                             

THE GOOD NEWS

With all the bad news, there is some good news . actually, it is great news.  On the heels of the curses of 2 Chron. 7:13 comes the promise of 2 Chron.  7:14, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 

Without question, God responds to the repentance and prayers of His people.  If the Christians in America will get right with God and white hot with passion for the Lord Jesus Christ (lukewarm Christianity is a disgrace to grace and makes God vomit), THEN AND ONLY THEN will we see God forgive and heal our land. 

The auctioneer's gavel is coming down fast on America.  The last "GONE!" is about to be uttered.  Will you take a stand with me for Jesus Christ and for righteousness before it is too late? 

In October of 2008, I preached a sermon called LEFT.RIGHT.OR RIGHTEOUS?  Please click here to watch this four minute synopsis of that message and stand in the gap for America, the land of the free and home of the brave.

Love,
.

From His Heart

RIGHT BEFORE THE RAPTURE


For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. 
2 Timothy 4:3-4


I have a good friend of mine who works with churches to help them design and build new facilities.  He was lamenting about the fact that so many churches today seem more concerned with production, entertainment and style than they do with preaching, praying and heart-felt worship.  He told me that the new wave is for pastors to preach a 15 minute "feel good" sermonette.  Some very popular preachers on TV today rarely mention sin, or the cross, or the core message of the Bible.  YIKES!   

A MARK OF THE END TIMES

One of the tell-tale signs we are living in the last days is the abandonment of the preaching of the Bible, the very Word of the living God   

I believe we are seeing an increasing number of preachers who appear to be more concerned with popularity and political correctness than they are with faithfulness to preach the whole counsel of God.  Peter and John could have gotten along just fine with the Jewish Sanhedrin IF they had only stopped preaching in Jesus' name. but they would not do that!  They were called to be His witnesses, even if their witness meant prison and death.  As the viciously attacked beauty contestant, Carrie Prejean, so aptly said after she gave her "controversial" answer to the gay marriage question at the Miss USA pageant, "I would rather be biblically correct than politically correct."  Would to God that every preacher in America had the courage and conviction of Peter, John. and even Carrie Prejean!   

EVERY PASTOR'S CALL

Paul emphatically and clearly told young Pastor Timothy, "Preach the Word!"  We are not to preach pop psychology or "feel good" theology. we are to preach His Word.  Why?  Because the devil works hard to get us to turn away from the Word.  The devil knows that the Word of God is milk (1 Pet. 2:2), bread (Matt. 4:4) and meat (Heb. 5:14) for our souls.  He knows that there is nothing more important for us TO HEAR AND TO DO than God's Word.  It is the Word of God that produces faith (Rom. 10:17).  If the devil can get us to water down the Word, compromise the Word, lay aside the Word, or, God forbid, disbelieve the Word. he has us right where he wants us.   

OUR CHALLENGE FROM GOD

The Bible challenges us to be people who tremble at His Word (Is. 66:2).  May you and I ALWAYS hold to the clear teachings of the Bible, even if those clear teachings go against the grain of political correctness and the world's warped understanding of "love."  Make no mistake about it; real love kindly but firmly tells people the truth, even if it is unpopular and unpalatable. 

Remember, truth is not what you may think, or what you may feel, or what may seem right to you. truth is what God says (Jn. 17:17).  We would do well to cling to His Word.  God will always honor the person who honors Him (1 Sam. 2:30).         

COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON

Last week, we began airing the series COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON.  If you missed the first message, you can watch it on www.fromhisheart.org.  This coming Sunday, we will be looking at the state of the church and the world right before the rapture comes.  I trust you will find this message encouraging, sobering, and helpful as you walk with Christ and look forward to His soon return.  Invite a friend to tune in also.


Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203
.

From His Heart

BURNING THE WICK OR BURNING THE OIL

H"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the
LORD of hosts.  Zechariah 4:6
I heard something the other day from a very well-known and respected pastor.  He talked about ministry being "so incredibly hard."  He was doing great work for God, reaching lots of people for Christ, but he was SO WORN OUT in the process.  Can you relate?  Does it seem as if the things God calls you to do are SO INCREDIBLY HARD?

As I thought about that statement, I started to wonder if this pastor was unknowingly burning the wick instead of the oil.     

Everyone knows when you light a candle, the wax candle begins to melt and consume itself as it burns.  An oil powered lamp, however, does not consume itself.  It can burn and burn and burn with no ill-effects.  It can shine as long as there is oil in the lamp.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Isn't it interesting that one of the key symbols in the Bible for the Holy Spirit is oil.  Anointing was done with oil to symbolize the Spirit of God coming upon a person - "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" (1 Sam. 16:13).

God saved us to walk in the infinite power of the Holy Spirit, not in the puny power of our own human strength.  Jesus said, "Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My load is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).  When you feel worn out. when you feel as if this Christian life is just SO INCREDIBLY HARD. you are doing it in your own strength, and you need to come to Jesus. 

Quit burning the wick and start burning the oil.  Of course we will still get tired, but the work will NEVER feel like a heavy, exhausting chore.  It will be exhilarating. and you will feel the power from on high when the Holy Spirit is filling your life and providing the energy.

A SIMPLE PRAYER

Maybe you are heavy-laden today. Maybe you need to pray this simple prayer:

Lord, I am so worn out trying so hard to please You and do Your will.  It is obvious to me that I am burning the wick . and I need to start burning the oil.  Jesus, you have invited me to come to You.  You want to give me rest.  You want to live through me, not just live in me.  Right now, Jesus, I surrender my will to Your will.  Fill me with Your Spirit and Your power.  I yield control of every area of my life to You.  In Jesus' name. 

That prayer, prayed from a humble, believing heart makes all the difference in the world!  Remember, anytime you feel burdened, weighed down, and overwhelmed in your Christian life, you need to blow out the candle and light the lamp!

Love
`

THE KING IS ALIVE!


In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty
and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  Isaiah 6:1


Have you ever heard the familiar expression, "The King is dead.  Long live the King!"? That well-worn phrase originated in France in 1422 upon the coronation of Charles VII following the death of his father, Charles VI.

According to Wikipedia (I just love that website, don't you?), "The phrase arose from the law of le mort saisit le vif-that the transfer of sovereignty occurs instantaneously upon the moment of death of the previous monarch. 'The King is dead' is the announcement of a monarch who has just died. 'Long live the King!' refers to the heir who is immediately the successor to a throne upon the death of the preceding monarch."

THE KING OF POP

Every since the unexpected death of Michael Jackson on June 25th, the media coverage has been non-stop on the King of Pop.  Shock and mourning has been the order of the day because the King is dead. and there is no other King in the wings. or is there?

Uzziah was King in Israel.  For the most part, he was a good and godly king, and the people loved him.  He ruled for 52 years.  Can you imagine a good and godly President who would lead our country for 52 years?  If we had someone like that, you can imagine the great mourning and uncertainty that would accompany his death. 

As Isaiah was lamenting the King Uzziah's death, God let him see the real King. the One who is high and lifted up. the One who is over everything. the One who is holy and good and love and right concerning everything . the One who is alive forevermore.    Isaiah saw Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Jn 12:41). 

DO YOU SEE HIM?

When tragedy strikes - and it strikes us all - it is critical to see the real King.  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8).  He "is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1).  When your world comes crashing down because of disease, disaster or the death of a loved one, He is there for you. 

No matter what you may be facing today, put your eyes on King Jesus.  He loves you and wants to work miracles in your life today.  Talk to Him about your problems, your hurts and your cares.  He really does care for you. and He is ready, willing and able to make a difference and work all things together for good (Rom. 8:28).

Love,
`

Running The Race


Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the
life of faith, let us strip aside every weight that slows us down, especially the
sin which so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance
the race that God has set before us.  Hebrews 12:1 NLT


When I was a kid in school, I ran track.  I was the fastest kid in my 6th grade class and was the anchor man on our 440 relay team.  When I ran, I wore lightweight shorts, a lightweight tank top and track shoes.  Our coach made sure we were all dressed appropriately so that we could run as fast possible. with no added weight to slow us down and hinder our progress.   

The writer of Hebrews said we are in a race as Christians. and we need to make sure we are dressed appropriately.  We must make sure we have laid aside all that which would weigh us down.  You see, we cannot win the race if we are dressed in heavy clothes, carrying a load of baggage.

GET RID OF THE WEIGHTS

In my years as a pastor, I have found that many Christians are not doing well in the race that is set before them.  They are not winning.  They are discouraged and tired and ready to throw in the towel.  What is the problem?  They are trying to run the race with a 100 pound pack on their back.  Listen, the fastest man in the world (Usain Bolt) couldn't beat a 9th grade sprinter if he were hauling an extra 100 pounds on his back.   

What weight are you carrying?

1. Many carry around the weight of guilt and shame.  They have sinned greatly in the past, and they cannot seem to escape the torment of the guilt.  They do well in spurts, but then the thought of that terrible sexual sin. that divorce. that abortion. that horrible thing they did pulls them back down. 

What are we to do with our past sins?  Get them out in the open and under His blood.  When you openly confess your sins to God, believe Him for total and complete cleansing.  Quit elevating your sin over His blood.  If He says He forgives you (1 John 1:9), accept it and go on your way rejoicing!!!  Acts 10:15 says, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." 

2. Many carry around the weight of resentment and bitterness.  The world is full of angry, bitter people.  These folks have been hurt, mistreated, laughed at, and wronged. and as a result they are so angry and so bitter inside. 

Bitterness is a weight that MUST be laid aside.  If not, you will never, ever, ever win the race.  Jesus said, "If you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive you" (Matthew 6:15).  You cannot function in the Christian life if the Lord will not forgive you.  You must forgive those who have hurt you.  By faith, let that person go who caused you such pain.  Release them to Jesus and accept His healing for your heart and for your hurts.       

3. Many carry around the weight of sadness and loss.  Losing something or someone you love is very hard.  Your heart breaks and it is difficult to go on. but you must go on.  God still has a plan for you.  Life still holds meaning. 

You cannot live in the past . you must live in the present.  There is a time to mourn and a time to cry. and then there is a time to move on.  David lost a son when he was a baby.  His heart ached for that sick little boy.  He prayed and fasted for a week for his healing.  But healing never came, and the baby died.  What did David do?  He went on with life.  He said in effect, "My child is dead.  I cannot bring him back again.  God wants me to get up and get on with life" (2 Sam. 12:23).     

No matter how much you may have lost. your life is not over until the Lord calls you home.  Quit focusing on what you ONCE had, and focus on what you DO have.  Praise God for the little. because He does not owe you any.  If you have breath in your lungs today, it is a gift from God.  Praise Him for it!   

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO 

The time is now to lay aside the weights we so often carry around with us.  The time is now to get rid of the guilt and the bitterness and start living in the present.  If you will do it, you will run unhindered.  You will run victoriously.  And one day, you will meet the Lord at the finish line.  He will be there to greet you with a huge smile and a standing ovation saying with tremendous love and joy, "Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of your Master!" 

Love,
``

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE SUFFERING

[Paul and Barnabas were] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter
the kingdom of God."  Acts 14:22

Who can't relate to some form of suffering?  Whether it is:
    a broken heart from rejection.
    financial disaster from a job loss.
    physical problems from sickness, disease or injury.
    deep and lasting hurt from abuse or divorce or the death of a loved one.
we have all experienced suffering in our lives. 

Paul, the great man of God, had more than his fair share of suffering.  He was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked, lied to, lied about, and eventually beheaded for his faith in Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:24-30).  One day, after being stoned and left for dead, God raised him up to preach yet again.  He encouraged the disciples to keep walking with Jesus saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."  Acts 14:22

What do you do when suffering touches down like a tornado and rocks your world? 

1.  Recognize that suffering is part of life.  Suffering does not necessarily mean you have done something wrong and are being punished as a result.  Paul suffered for doing what was right, not what was wrong.  Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered greatly on earth.  Isaiah tells us that Jesus was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Is. 53:3).  If Jesus did not escape suffering, why should we believe we will? 

2.  Realize that God has a plan in suffering.  The Lord uses suffering to get us to depend upon Him more.  We all have a great tendency to forget God when times are good. but we cry out to Him when times are bad.  God allows the suffering to show us how much we really do need Him.  Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (Jn. 15:5).       

3.  Accept the suffering as an opportunity for Christ to shine through you!  In addition to all of Paul's external issues, he also had a physical issue. a thorn in the flesh that bothered him greatly.  He asked the Lord three times to take it away.  Hear what the Lord said to him about it:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). 

Paul went on to say, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). 

You and I need to remember that weakness and suffering bring humility and dependence, the precise conditions for Christ to really shine through our lives.

Are you suffering today?  His grace IS sufficient in your suffering. and He wants to use it for good.  You will never shine more brightly for Christ than when you experience hardships with a joy and a peace that passes understanding.  That gets people's attention faster than anything and helps them see the reality of Jesus Christ in your life! 

ONE LAST STORY

I heard about a young husband and wife who came to Christ.  They were asked how it happened.  "Well," they said, "our neighbors, Tim and Julie are Christians.  Tim lost his job a year ago due to cutbacks.  We knew things are very hard for them, yet they hadn't lost their joy, their peace, and their confidence that God would take care of them.  We saw through their hardship, a power that we did not have. and we asked them how we could have what they had."   

Allow God to use your suffering for good.  Paul's greatest river of God's power came through his suffering, his thorn in the flesh.  The same can be true of you.

Love,
`

TRUE CONFESSIONS

Have you ever done something terribly wrong and tried to cover it up?  Those who have done so find that living in the cover up mode is a miserable way to live. 

King David committed the sin of adultery and the sin of manslaughter to cover up his adultery.  He tried to sweep those big sins under the rug and cover them over, acting as if nothing was wrong.  All the while, he was dying inside with guilt and shame.   

Sandi Patty is a great singer.  She has experienced tremendous fame as a result of her wonderful talent.  A number of years ago, however, she committed some terrible sins and she tried to cover them over.  Like acid dripping through her intestines, the immorality and lies were eating her up inside.  She longed for relief.  She longed to escape the hell within her. 

CONFESSION BRINGS RELIEF

What do you do when you sin big time and are eaten up with guilt and shame as a result?  The devil will tell you, "COVER IT UP!  KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND NO ONE WILL KNOW!"  That program always brings great misery, pain and loneliness.  God's Word tells us what to d  When you mess up, you fess up.  It is that plain and simple. 

David said, "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer"(Ps. 32:3-4).  David was totally miserable in his cover up.  God was crushing the life out of him as a result of his unwillingness to repent. 

Sandi was right there with David.  She was nearing a total breakdown as a result of her cover up.  And this is what she said to her pastor as recorded in her book, Broken on the Back Row: 

"You know what?  I don't care anymore.  I've made so many mistakes - I've divorced my husband, and I've had an affair.  I've told lies and I hurt people.  I'm tied up in knots worrying about who knows this and who knows that, and am I going to lose this and am I going to lose that?  I'm sick of playing damage control, and I just can't do it anymore.  I want to be right and clean before the Lord.  I don't care if I lose my career.  I don't care if I never sing again.  Whatever it takes for me to be right and clean before the Lord, that's what I want to do."   

Sandi confessed all and made things right with God and the people to whom she lied.  She stood before her church and confessed her public sins publicly.  It surely was not easy, but it was right, and God blessed her for it. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you carrying around deep, dark sins like David and Sandi were?  Are you living a life of cover up?  YOU NEED TO CONFESS TO GOD AND TO ANOTHER PERSON (Jas. 5:16).  YOU DESPERATELY NEED TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.   

David was sick with unconfessed sin, but he found the answer.  He said, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'; and You forgave the guilt of my sin"(Ps. 32:5). 

God will forgive your sin and remove all the guilt IF you will uncover, confess and repent.  The ball is in your court.  What will you do?

Love,
`

JUST SAY NO!!!

In the early 1980's, First Lady Nancy Reagan was famous for her JUST SAY NO campaign regarding kids and drugs.  If a kid was offered drugs, Nancy told that kid, "JUST SAY NO!" 

That little phrase may sound overly simplistic, but if heeded, JUST SAY NO prevents so many potentially devastating problems from ever entering our lives. 

HOW SIN GROWS

Who is it that knocks so low?
A lonely little sin.
Slip through, I answered
And soon all hell was in.

Sin always starts out small, but it never stays small.  It grows from a single drink to a full blown alcohol addiction - from a simple bet to a full blown gambling addiction - from one joint to a crack and crystal meth addiction - from fooling around to premarital sex and an unwanted pregnancy.  God says, "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest -- and your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man"  (Prov. 6:10-11).     

The truth of the matter is this: People do not fall into terrible sin all at once, they fall little by little.  They crack open the door to this sin and that sin, and enter into a nightmare of   alcoholism, or drug addiction, or a gambling addiction, or sexual addiction.  These are devastating sins that wreck and ruin marriages, families and children.     

What is the answer to these potential destroyers?  When the early temptations come, JUST SAY NO!!!!  Don't go there.  Don't crack open that door and let that evil in.   

WHEN THE DEVIL IS INVITED IN

God warns us in Ephesians 4:26 to NOT "give the devil a place."  Anytime the devil is given a place in your life, he turns that place into a garbage dump.  Jesus said that the devil is a thief and comes only to steal and kill and destroy (Jn. 10:10).  When he comes knocking on your door, don't let him in!     

The Lord has come to give us an abundant life, a life overflowing with love, joy and peace.  It is definitely not easy to go against the tide of this world, but it is certainly right.  Remember: God sees, God knows, and God will reward those who honor Him and are faithful to Him.  Follow His Word, His will and His ways.  You will be SO GLAD you did!       

Love,
`

LOOKING UP TO THE GOD
WHO LOVES ME!


When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him?  And  the son of man, that you care for him?  Psalm 8:3-4

When I was in college at the University of Texas, I used to go to the library at night to study.  As I would walk home to my dorm at 11:00 p.m. or so, I would look up into the night sky and think about the greatness of God.  I felt so small compared to the vastness of the universe.  I would say with David, "Wow, Lord.  Who am I that you would care for me or even give me a thought?  You are so awesome, and I am so insignificant."

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

God is so much greater than our minds could ever comprehend.  He created all that we see, all that the highest powered telescopes can reveal, just by the power of His Word.  He simply spoke it all into existence.  Universes drip off His fingertips. 

The Bible says that God is so "off the charts" glorious and majestic that He even has to humble Himself to behold the things in heaven (Ps. 113:6).  Did you catch that?  Every time God looks around HEAVEN, it is a humbling experience for Him.  Now that is glory to the nth degree!  WOW!   

And here is the even more amazing part: this same, infinite God is crazy in love with you and me.  We matter to Him.  He thinks about us all the time.  His thoughts toward you and me outnumber the sand on the seashore (Ps. 139:18).  How cool is that?!!

WHY DOES GOD LOVE US?

Why does God love you and me so much?  Why did He send His Son to die such a horrible death for us on the cross?  It is not because you and I are so wonderful; it is because God is so wonderful (Deut. 7:6-9).  The Scripture clearly tells us "God is love" (1 John 4:8).  Love is a BIG part of His nature.     

God chose to love us regardless of who we are or what we do.  Because it was a choice of God, it is not dependent on you and me.  Talk about getting off the performance-based acceptance train!  Here is truth to put in your heart: There is nothing you can do to get God to love you any more than He already does, and there is nothing you can do to get God to love you any less than He already does.  HE JUST LOVES YOU!   

Our job is to receive His love and rejoice in His love.  Obedience to His commands comes when you realize that everything God tells us to do or not to do is for our greatest good.  The God who loves me tells me "yes" to some things and "no" to other things.  His commandments are not given to deprive me; they are given to bless me because every one of them is given in love.     

HOMEWORK

Tonight, go outside and look up into the starry sky.  Consider His heavens.  Consider how great He is.  Then remember that the awesome God who made all that you see knows your name.  He knows your circumstances.  He knows your victories and your struggles.  He knows everything there is to know about you, and He loves you still. 

Share you hopes, dreams, worries and fears with Him.  Tell Him that you love Him.  Cast all your cares upon Him because He really does cares for you!  He will work in the heart of those who will look to Him.

Love,

Friday, August 28, 2009   


WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE TO YOU?


Have you ever seen THE WIZARD OF OZ?  That movie was produced in 1939, and it still captivates viewers of all ages as they travel with Dorothy and company down the Yellow Brick Road to see the great and powerful Oz. 

When they finally get a meeting with the Wizard, they find him to be very ill-tempered, mean and cruel.  He is a being full of fire and rage.  He insults them, yells at them, bullies them and scares them half to death, especially the Cowardly Lion who literally faints from terror before Oz. 

Do you see it?  In that movie, Oz is a representation of God.  The negative way Oz is depicted in that initial encounter with Dorothy and the gang is the same way so many people understand God.  The picture they have hanging in their minds about God looks like this: 


God: He is mean, angry, and always upset with me.  He thinks I am a burden and a loser.  He is not someone I can get close to, share with, or really have a personal relationship with.  I must walk on eggshells whenever I am around God.  He is someone I need to be afraid of and stay away from.               


WHAT A LIE!!!

God is not the angry Wizard from Oz.  He is the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son.    When the foul-smelling, father-disgracing prodigal finally returns home in humility and brokenness, the true God does not berate him and heap guilt and condemnation on his head.  He does not spit on him and cast him out as the Wizard of Oz would surely do.   

The true God runs to him, embraces him, kisses him, forgives him, and receives him with great joy!  He puts a robe on his back, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  And if that were not enough, he then throws a party for his returning son!  He kills the fattened calf (not the scrawny chicken) because there is to be a BIG CELEBRATION as the Father rejoices in the return of His son. 
     
DO YOU NEED TO HANG A NEW PICTURE?

Who does God look more like to you: the angry Wizard of Oz or the loving Father of the Prodigal?  Could it be that one of the big reasons you find it so hard to share your heart and life with God is because of your negative, warped view of God?  Don't you think it is time to hang the real picture of God in the halls of your mind? 

Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn. 8:32).   Without a doubt, the greatest truth you could ever learn is the truth about the person of God.  As A. W. Tozer once said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." 

Remember God's own words to Moses concerning Himself:

Then the Lord passed by in front of him [Moses] and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.  And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 
Exodus 34:5-8

WOW!!  What a friend we have in Jesus!  Don't believe the devil's lies concerning God.  He is the best friend a person could ever have, and He wants to be your best friend and wrap His strong arms of love, forgiveness and grace around you today!

Love,
`

DO YOU HAVE PEACE?


Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7


One of my favorite jokes goes like this:  The boss walks into the staff meeting.  The company is losing money, and the employees are fearful of their jobs.  As a result, morale is at an all-time low.  The boss tells his managers that he is upset that the morale is so low, and he is determined to fix it. 

"What we need around this office is humor," he emphatically states.  "Humor will lift the morale!" 

He turns to the sales manager and says, "Humor: let's start with you.  Knock. Knock."

The sales manager answers sheepishly, "Who's there?"

"Not you anymore," the boss replies. 

Lots of people today are living in fear and anxiety.  Their hearts are not at peace.  They are living like the deep sea diver who got the message on his headset, "Come up quick, the ship is sinking!"  What do you do with that news?

ARE YOU LIVING TODAY WITHOUT PEACE?

Did you know that peace is the birthright of every believer in Jesus?  God wants you to have peace, His perfect peace, no matter how bleak, black and foreboding your circumstances may be. 

The Scripture in Philippians tells us that we are to take our needs, our fears, and our circumstances to the Lord in prayer.  We are to cast our burden on Him, and trust Him to sustain us.  You see, when we really trust Him, He brings His peace in our hearts, regardless of the raging storm. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE THE PEACE OF GOD?

It means that you know God is going to take care of you and see you through.  It means that you are not worried about an uncertain future because you know God is the One who holds your future, and He will not let you go or let you crash and burn.           

Let me illustrate: in January of 2006, my favorite team, The Texas Longhorns, played the USC Trojans for the 2005 National Championship of College Football.  The game was a nail-bitter deluxe.  The anxiety and trepidation I felt watching that game was off the charts as UT was behind nearly the entire game.  How awesome it was to see Vince Young and the Longhorns prevail in the closing seconds with a fourth down and five play that enabled them to walk off the field as National Champs! 

Last week, I watched that same game on DVD.  This time, there was no anxiety.  When it was fourth down with just a few seconds remaining and UT was down by five points, I was relaxed as I could be.  I knew how the game ended.  We won!!   

KNOWING THAT YOU WIN BRINGS PEACE

The peace of God comes when you truly believe the victory is already yours in Jesus Christ.  Of course you will face trials and problems, but you are not going under, you are going over in Jesus name!  He WILL see you through as you trust Him. 

According to Philippians 4:6-7, peace that surpasses comprehension is simply a prayer away.  Will you lift up that anxiety-filled problem to the Lord and trust Him with it?  Will you thank Him for the fourth down and five situation you are facing?  It is nothing more than an opportunity for God to work a great miracle in your life.

Love,
`

ARE YOU A SCARCITY THINKER?


My grandparents lived during The Great Depression.  Times were indeed tough, and paying jobs were hard to find.  Frugality was the word of the day and the need of the hour. 

My grandmother loved to tell the story about finding enough change in the cushions of her couch to buy some liver from the butcher shop so she could feed my grandfather, my mom and herself.  Since she only had a paltry amount of change, she could only purchase a very small amount of liver.  The butcher innocently asked her, "Is this for a cat?"  "Actually," she replied, "it's for three cats."           

No doubt, The Great Depression was a very hard time for lots and lots of people.  One of the distinguishing marks of that era was a scarcity mentality.  The people trying to make it in the 1930's were dealing with such poverty and lack that they were forced to hold onto their pennies with all their might.  They were conditioned to think "scarcity" because their circumstances indicated provision was scarce, spotty and uncertain. 

NO GREAT DEPRESSIONS IN HEAVEN!

Did you know that many Christians are scarcity thinkers?  They tend to dream small, plan small and pray small because they live in the land of little. and lack . and not enough.  They tend to hoard the resources and blessings God has given them because they think there may not be any more coming their way.  They tend to ask God for a little and not for a lot because, after all, WHO IN THE WORLD EVEN HAS A LOT?  Answer: GOD DOES!           

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..." This passage teaches me that God is a BIG God who can do not only more than I ask or think. but "exceeding abundantly" more! 

THINK ABUNDANCE

As children of God, we need to throw out the scarcity thinking and start to think abundance!  We need to pray BIG. and believe God for BIG things because He is able, more than able to do far more than we could ever even imagine!

Do you remember the story of the great crowd following Jesus who needed something to eat?  There were 5000 men, plus women and children.  When you add them all together, there were probably 15,000 or more mouths to feed.  The disciples wanted to send the hungry crowd away, but Jesus said, "You give them something to eat." 

They were flabbergasted at that request.  How could they possibly feed that many people?  When they did find some food, it was so small and meager it seemed laughable to even bring it to the Master's attention - five small biscuits and two sardine-type fish.  It was a bare-bones lunch for a small boy.  "What are these for so many," they asked? 

But Jesus took that little, skimpy lunch, and He blessed it, broke it, and fed the entire crowd until they were all sated and satisfied.  He then had the disciples gather up the leftovers. and they gathered 12 baskets full of fish and bread!  WOW, 12 baskets!!! 

Listen, my friend, God is NOT the God of adequacy, He is the God of abundance!!!  There is nothing too difficult for Him.  Quit believing Him for little, and start believing Him for much!  Scarcity thinkers receive enough liver for three cats. but abundance thinkers, people who really believe God for God-sized miracles, get filet mignon that hangs off the plate. 

Regardless of the enormity of your need today, God is more than able. and He delights in doing "exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think."  The choice is yours: Will you believe Him for little or for lots?

Love,
`

CAN YOU SAY "I'M SORRY"?

"If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."
Matthew 5:23-24

There was an article in the paper a few weeks ago about a former Dallas City Council member who was indicted for embezzling $20,000 in public funds.  He was caught red handed with ample evidence to prove his wrongdoing.  His own attorney told the jury in his closing arguments that the former city official "may be guilty of a state theft charge, but he's not guilty of a federal crime."  Amazingly, this convicted former city official when asked by the judge to publicly apologize and admit to the crime, he adamantly refused.  He chose a month in prison over an apology.  WOW!   

EATING HUMBLE PIE

What is this man's problem?  P-R-I-D-E... plan and simple.  Obviously, what this man did was wrong, yet his rotten pride keeps him from humbling himself and making things right.  He would rather spend a month in jail than eat a slice of humble pie.  How sad.

Did you know there are three things a prideful person has great difficulty in saying?

            1. I was wrong.
            2. I am sorry.
            3. I need your forgiveness. 

Can you say those things to others when you mess up with your friends, family, neighbors and work associates?  Can you say those things to God when you sin?  Being a good apologizer (confessing and repenting) is critical if you want to be a dynamic Christian.   

About three years ago, I had a disagreement with a friend.  The meeting got tense... and both of us were wrong in our responses.  A few hours after the meeting, the Lord convicted me of my part of the wrong.  I knew I needed to get things right.  I called this person and basically said, "I was wrong.  I am sorry.  I need your forgiveness."  Although this person never reciprocated (he did not think he did anything wrong), my heart and conscience were clear before God.  I had certainly blown it... but I chose to take responsibility for my sin and failure and make amends with the one I offended. 

YOUR LIFE?

Is there someone you have hurt by your attitude, actions, or words that you have never apologized to?  Have you been trying to justify your pride and stubbornness, even though, deep down, you know that God wants you to humble yourself and get things right?   

I would be lying if I said apologizing is not hard to do.  Eating humble pie is not our favorite thing.  But, like bad tasting medicine going down, it sure makes you feel better once it hits your system. 

Search your heart (Ps. 139:23-24).  Is there a person with whom you need to make amends?  Don't delay.  A close, satisfying walk with God depends upon you and me getting things right with people we have wronged.  Trust God.  Push through the fear and pride.  Open your mouth in apology... and watch God do a great work in and through you. 

Love,

Friday, September 25, 2009

What Is Playing In Your Head?

Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you can't seem to get out?  A while back, we sang a congregational song at church that was not my favorite.  Unfortunately, I had trouble getting that particular song out of my head.  Every time I turned around, I could hear it drone on inside my brain.  It was like eating something that disagrees with you. and tasting it all day long.  Yuk!  I had to make a concerted effort to change the station. 

Did you know we all have "songs" playing inside our head?  For many it is a negative song, a song that fills the heart with worry, despair, and discouragement.  It is a song that thinks the worst in every circumstance - "I just know this test report will show I have cancer. I just know I'm going to lose my job. I just know my car is going to break down on this road trip. I just know my marriage will never get better. I just know those people aren't going to like me. I just I'm going to fail and bad things are coming my way." 

Do you have a negative song playing in your head today?  God's word to you is simply this:  CHANGE THE STATION!!!!  Some of you have been on the devil's station far too long.  It is time to tune into God. 

YOUR NEW STATION

What plays on the God station?  Words of truth. words of faith. words of praise. words that build up and encourage, not tear down and destroy.  Philippians 4:8 tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." 

Let me encourage you to memorize a new "song" for your internal radio station.  Turn it on every morning and let it play throughout the day:

"God really does love me. And He has a wonderful plan for my life.  He is for me and not against me.  He even works all the bad things in my life together for good.  He is with me always and will never leave me nor forsake me.  My sins are all forgiven.  My eternal destiny is secure.  My day-to-day future is as bright as the promises of God for I am a super conqueror in Jesus Christ, and He has marvelous things He wants to accomplish in and through me this day!" 

My friend, if you will train your mind to practice Philippians 4:8, you will be amazed at how your grumbling will turn to gratitude, your complaining will turn to praise, and your worry will turn to excitement and expectation of a miracle.  Truly, you and I are what we think . so think on the truth of God and see His truth set you free!

Love,
`

Will The Real God Please Stand Up?


Years ago there was a show on television called TO TELL THE TRUTH.  It was a game show where three people would answers questions from the celebrity panel of judges.  One of the three had done something noteworthy.  The other two tried to deceive the panel into thinking they were "the one."  At the close of the program, the host would say, "Would the real __________ please stand up?"  Often the judges were shocked at who the real "one" was. 

ON MOUNT CARMEL

This same situation occurred on Mount Carmel thousands of years ago.  The prophet Elijah squared off with the 450 prophets of Baal.  They had a contest to show the people who the real God was and is.  The prophets of Baal, the imposter god, went first.  They called on their god for hours, but to no avail.  He did not answer by fire as the contest required.  Elijah began to mock them saying, "Perhaps your god is in the bathroom relieving himself!"  (I am not making that up.  Read it for yourself in 1 Kings 18.)

When it was Elijah's turn, God had him pour water all over the altar he had constructed.  The altar, the wood, the stones and the sacrifice were all drenched with water to the point that water was pooled all around the altar.  When Elijah called on the true God, the fire fell from heaven and licked up the water, the wood, the stones, the sacrifice and even the dust!  It was an incredible display of who the real God was and is.  The people replied in amazement, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God" (1 Kings 18:39).   

SEPTEMBER 25th

Today in Washington, many Muslims will gather to call on their god, Allah.  They are claiming America for Islam.  While abhorrent, it is a STRONG wake up call to Christians that we had better start calling on the true God, Yahweh, before it is too late. 

Make no mistake about it, Allah is not Yahweh.  Allah has no son, but the true God has a Son named Jesus who gave His life for us on the cross and rose again from the dead.  The true God is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  The true God is the One who has the whole universe in His hands.  He created everything, controls everything and sustains everything by His power. 

Don't get fooled by an imposter.  And don't think all is lost because we are in the minority as Christians.  One plus God makes a majority!!  Elijah was one lone prophet against 450, but the true God gave the victory.  Baal is NOT God, and neither is Allah.  There is but One God, and His name is the LORD (YHWH).  Call on His name today.  Stand in the gap for America.  God will answer as His children PRAY! 

PRAYER SIGNS

Let me encourage you to get a yard sign (PRAYER AMERICA'S ONLY HOPE) and let your witness be seen and heard in your neighborhood. The sign comes with a metal stake to anchor it to the ground. 

Love,
:angel:

THE FEAR OF THE FUTURE

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we
will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains
slip into the heart of the sea. 
Psalm 46:1-2

The current economic situation in America has many people fearing the future and playing the "what if" game: 

What if the stock market totally collapses? 
What if my company goes under?
What if I lose my job?
What if my retirement money vanishes away in the stock market?
What if I lose my house?
What if we plunge into a depression?
What if my worst fears come to reality? 

What are we to do when the fear of the future grips our heart and threatens to drown our soul in worry?  We are to "remember the LORD who is great and awesome!" (Nehemiah 4:14).

Remember that God is our refuge.  He is a mighty fortress in the midst of great storms.  He is the strong tower that we can run into and be safe.  While the economy changes... and presidents change... and governments change... and kingdoms come and go... HE NEVER CHANGES.  He is faithful and true.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  You can count on the Lord to ALWAYS be your refuge and strength. 
Remember that God is our help.  Have you noticed the great tendency people have to leave God out of their lives?  This tendency is clearly seen during times of prosperity.  So God uses trouble to bring us back to Him.  When we are in trouble, we see how woefully inadequate we are.  We see how desperately we need Him.  And God is gracious to hear our prayer in our time of need... and help us.  He is present right now to help you IF you will turn all your life and problems over to Him. 
Remember that God is in control.  Psalm 46:10 tells us, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth."  "Cease striving" literally means to let go and relax.  You and I are not in charge, God is.  The God who loves us and works all things together for our good and His glory is in control.  SO RELAX AND TRUST HIM.
Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."  Don't put your trust in your money... or in our military... our in some political party.  Put your trust in God!! 

As we get closer to the second coming of Christ, difficult times will come.  The Lord told us it would be so (see 2 Tim. 3).  I personally believe that the god of America is money... and the true God is going to show us how that false god (money) cannot deliver and is not able.  Of course we need money and material things in order to live... but make sure to keep your eyes and your trust on the giver, not the gift.   

God will take care of His children.  He will shelter those who take refuge in Him.  He will help those who look to Him.  He says to us today, "MY CHILD, DO NOT FEAR.  I AM WITH YOU.  I LOVE YOU.  I AM IN CHARGE.  AND I HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL.  SO YOUR JOB IS TO SIMPLY LET GO, RELAX AND TRUST ME." 

If you are struggling with the fear of the future... or know someone who is, click here and listen to a recent message I gave on this very subject.  I believe it will bless and encourage your heart in these frightening days.
Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
:angel:

October 16, 2009   

Unfinished Business

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.  Philippians 1:6

When I was a kid growing up, I would often go to the store with my mom.  While she was shopping, I was looking at the toys.  The model airplanes and cars always looked so cool.  On several occasions, I coaxed her into buying me one of these models. 

As soon as I would get home with a new model, I would start to work on it.  I was so excited and so gung ho.  However, I rarely finished any model I began.  I would get about halfway through, bog down in the details and lose interest.  During those growing up years, I threw away many half-finished model cars and planes.   

GOD NEVER GIVES UP

Isn't it great to know that God never loses interest in us?  He never gets tired or bored with us and puts us back in the box unfinished and undone.  Once He begins a good work in us, He sees it through to completion and perfection. 

When I was 17 years old, I received Christ as my Savior and Lord.  Jesus began a good work in me that day, and He will not stop the work until I am made perfect, just like Jesus.  The children's song says it best:

He's still working on me,
To make me what I ought to be. 
Took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. 
How loving and patient He must be. 
He's still working on me. 

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

Has He begun a good work in you?  Have you really opened your heart to Him?  Is He really living inside you?  Are you really under His construction?

If so, praise Him for His commitment to complete you, perfect you, and make you like Christ. 

If not, receive Him today and let Him the Lord of the universe be the Lord of you.

Love,
:angel:

From His Heart - Week of October 23

A Heart For God

The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people.  1 Samuel 13:14


When I was a freshman at U.T., I began to study my Bible.  As I did, I fell in love with the stories of David.  He was an amazing person - strong, handsome, courageous, wise, tough and tender.  While he possessed so many great attributes, the one thing that really set him apart was his heart.  He is the only one in the Bible described as "a man after God's own heart."     

GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

God sees past the outward appearance.  He sees down into the heart.  The reason He chose David to lead His people was because of David's heart.  What was his heart like? 

1. He had a passionate heart.  David loved God sincerely and supremely.  He did not play at his worship.  He really had a desire in his heart to walk with God and please God.  His heart was completely His.  (Psalm 103)   

2. He had a humble heart.  David never lost sight of the fact that he was nothing and God was everything.  He never started believing his own press clippings.  He knew all his success came from God.  (2 Samuel 7:18)     

3. He had a dependent heart.  David depended on God, not himself.  He sought God early and often throughout the day.  (Psalm 63)

4. He had a grateful heart.  David gave praise and thanks to God regardless of His circumstances.  He knew God was worthy of praise even if everything seemed to be falling apart around him.  (Psalm 34)

5. He had a repentant heart.  When He sinned, He came to God with genuine repentance and sought the Lord's forgiveness.  (Psalm 51)     

HOW ABOUT YOUR HEART?

How does your heart look to God?  What does He see when He looks into you?  Are you moving in the right direction in these all-important heart areas?  Do you need some spiritual surgery?

God wants YOU to be a person after His own heart.  In order for this to happen, you must confess any sins and ask Him to soften you and change you on the inside.  Spend time with the Lord each day.  Talk to Him openly and honestly from your heart.  Share your burdens with Him, seek His face and obey Him. 

Jesus wants to be your closest friend on the planet.  His hand is extended to you.  Will you take it?

Love,
:angel:

A Heart For God

The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people.  1 Samuel 13:14


When I was a freshman at U.T., I began to study my Bible.  As I did, I fell in love with the stories of David.  He was an amazing person - strong, handsome, courageous, wise, tough and tender.  While he possessed so many great attributes, the one thing that really set him apart was his heart.  He is the only one in the Bible described as "a man after God's own heart."     

GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

God sees past the outward appearance.  He sees down into the heart.  The reason He chose David to lead His people was because of David's heart.  What was his heart like? 

1. He had a passionate heart.  David loved God sincerely and supremely.  He did not play at his worship.  He really had a desire in his heart to walk with God and please God.  His heart was completely His.  (Psalm 103)   

2. He had a humble heart.  David never lost sight of the fact that he was nothing and God was everything.  He never started believing his own press clippings.  He knew all his success came from God.  (2 Samuel 7:18)     

3. He had a dependent heart.  David depended on God, not himself.  He sought God early and often throughout the day.  (Psalm 63)

4. He had a grateful heart.  David gave praise and thanks to God regardless of His circumstances.  He knew God was worthy of praise even if everything seemed to be falling apart around him.  (Psalm 34)

5. He had a repentant heart.  When He sinned, He came to God with genuine repentance and sought the Lord's forgiveness.  (Psalm 51)     

HOW ABOUT YOUR HEART?

How does your heart look to God?  What does He see when He looks into you?  Are you moving in the right direction in these all-important heart areas?  Do you need some spiritual surgery?

God wants YOU to be a person after His own heart.  In order for this to happen, you must confess any sins and ask Him to soften you and change you on the inside.  Spend time with the Lord each day.  Talk to Him openly and honestly from your heart.  Share your burdens with Him, seek His face and obey Him. 

Jesus wants to be your closest friend on the planet.  His hand is extended to you.  Will you take it?

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
For General Information - 1-888-811-8203
Ask For Prayer - 1-877-777-6171
:angel:

ARE YOU LOSING HOPE?

When I was in seminary, I took a class in Christian Counseling.  While I do not remember lots about it, I do remember this one thing my professor said, "When people come in to see you to talk about their problems, the main thing they need to leave with is H-O-P-E."  I have never forgotten that powerful bit of advice.

So many people I know are losing hope - losing hope that their marriage will ever get better, losing hope that they will ever feel better physically or emotionally, losing hope that they will ever conquer their addiction to drugs or alcohol or pornography or food, losing hope that they will ever find their soul mate, losing hope that their disastrous circumstances will ever get better, losing hope that their loved one will ever turn to Christ.  Losing hope, losing hope, losing hope. 

Are YOU losing hope somewhere today?  Have you thrown in the towel in an area of your life because the circumstances say NO WAY?

THE GOD OF HOPE

I love the fact that God describes Himself in the Bible as THE GOD OF HOPE - "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:13).  No matter how bad the marriage, the diagnosis, the sin, the circumstances, GOD IS ABLE! 

We can have hope because there is nothing too difficult for Him.  And the greater the problem is, the greater the miracle that can take place.

TAKE IT FROM THE STORY OF LAZARUS

Lazarus was very sick, and Jesus was not around to heal him.  That was a problem.
Lazarus then took a turn for the worse and died.  That was an even bigger problem.
They buried Lazarus and he was in the tomb for four days.  That was a HUGE problem, an unsolvable problem, an impossible problem.
If you know the story from John 11, you know that Jesus did the impossible.  He spoke a word and raised four-day-old dead Lazarus from the grave.  WOW!! 

What does that story teach us?  It teaches us that He is able!  No matter what the issue, He is able.  Is there anything in your life more hopeless than the situation with Lazarus?  I doubt it.  And if He can do a miracle for Lazarus, He can do a miracle for you.

WHAT TO DO TODAY

David said, "But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more" (Ps. 71:14).  Why don't you do the same? 

Take that hopeless situation to THE GOD OF HOPE.  Place that giant-sized problem you have next to the God who is SO GIANT He measures the universe by the span (the distance between the thumb and pinky).  Note: the universe is an estimated 14 billion light years, and one light year is 5.7 trillion miles (you do the math).  God measures it all with his outstretched hand.  He is ALMIGHTY GOD!!!

Start praising Him for the problem and keep praising Him.  He is the God of hope, and nothing is too difficult for Him (Jer. 32:27).

Love,
:angel:

GOT MANNA?

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.  Exodus 16:4

I love the Old Testament story of how God fed His people in the wilderness with bread that came down from heaven.  It was called manna, a Hebrew word that actually means "what is it?", because the people did not know what it was.  Manna was provided faithfully and lovingly by God for forty years.  It sustained God's people during their wilderness wanderings (note: the wilderness is the desert).     


Without a doubt, manna was a daily miracle.  It serves as a vivid picture of Jesus Christ who is "the bread that came down from heaven" (Jn. 6:41).  Notice the symbolism:

THE SWEETNESS - Manna was sweet to the taste.  It was described in Numbers as "wafers with honey" (Num. 16:31).  Jesus Christ is sweet.  The Bible says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8).  Don't ever get the idea that following Jesus is like taking bad medicine to get well.  It is not.  Walking with Jesus is sweet.  It is a blessing, not a burden.  It is a privilege, not a penalty.  Jesus is not a joy stealer but a joy giver.
THE LIFE - Manna was essential for life.  If the people did not eat it, they would die.  Jesus is essential to life.  There is no life apart from Him.  The Bible clearly tells us that "Christ is our life" (Col. 3:4).   Too often we try to compartmentalize Jesus and make Him a part of our life.  DON'T DO THAT!  He is not just a part of life; He is the hub of the wheel, the chief cornerstone of all.  Unless you and I build on Him, the rock of ages, we have no stability when the inevitable storms of life hit (Matt. 7:24-27).  If you want to really enjoy life to the full, surrender everything in your life to His lordship.
THE LONGING - Manna whetted the appetite for more.  It was designed to satisfy and sustain until the people arrived in the Promised Land, that long awaited land that flowed with milk and honey.  Jesus surely is sweet and wonderful, but knowing Christ in this life just whets the appetite for what lies ahead.  God has so much prepared for those who love Him.  Today, I know Jesus heart to heart.  But there is coming a day when I will meet Him face to face.  One day, faith will turn to sight, and I will enter into the joy of my Master.  What a day that will be!!  As John said, "Amen. Come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

WHAT ABOUT TODAY?

Are you feasting on your relationship with Jesus?  Are you seeking Him early, like the people gathered the manna early in the day?  He rewards those who seek Him, so take time TODAY to seek the Lord and call upon His name.  He is closer to you than the shirt on your back, and He is waiting for you to look to Him.

Love,
:angel:

PUTTING DOWN THE WHIP

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 
Romans 8:1

Have you ever heard the story of Martin Luther?  As a young monk, Luther wanted nothing more than to please God.  But, like the rest of us, he struggled with sin and fleshly lusts.  His way of dealing with this problem was to severely discipline his body.  He felt that if he mistreated his flesh, it would somehow make him more godly. 

One day he took a trip to Rome to walk the 28 steps of Pilate's Staircase, the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs).  He climbed those stairs ON HIS KNEES.  Surely this painful sacrifice would garner favor with God, right?  As the pain grew and the blood flowed, he heard the voice of God say to him, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."  That revelation changed his life. 

ARE YOU HURTING YOURSELF?

There are people today who still do hurtful things to their bodies thinking it will produce favor with God as they show Him they love Him.  Some whip their backs until the blood flows to prove their love and atone for their sins.  Others eat bland food, sleep on uncomfortable surfaces, and take a vow of silence. There are even some in The Philippines who endure an actual crucifixion every Good Friday to suffer for Jesus, show their commitment, and earn God's favor.  Can you image that?   

Now I don't suppose you are whipping your back over your sins, but are you beating yourself up nonetheless?  Do you whip yourself emotionally, mentally and spiritually over the failures from the past?  Lots of people say this to themselves, "I am such a bum and a scum and a loser.  I committed this terrible, horrible sin.  I am the worst!!  God must hate me.  I hate me too."  Whip, whip, whip. 

You know what? I have pulled out the emotional whip on MANY occasions and beat myself silly over past sins and past failures.  Have you?       

IT'S CALLED GRACE

Listen my friend, no matter what you have done, GOD DOES NOT HATE YOU.  HE LOVES YOU!!  Jesus took all the scourging, all the spittle, all the humiliation, and all the nails.  He died for you and me, and "by His stripes we are healed."  He paid for all your sins and mine when He died on the cross.  No matter how terrible the sin, we do not need to live under the whip of guilt and shame and condemnation because "there is therefore NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  All the wrath of God fell on Jesus.  The moment we receive Him, we receive a FULL PARDON.   It is truly amazing grace!!

If you are inclined to beat yourself up over past sins, STOP IT!  If you have committed terrible sexual sin, or had an abortion, or hurt your family with tremendous selfishness, or betrayed a friend, or whatever, confess it to God.  Get that sin out of your life and under Christ's blood.  Make necessary amends with those you have hurt, and put down the whip!  Receive His grace and know that He does not have any condemnation for you, just a heart of love.
   

PRAYER

Perhaps you need to pray a prayer like this one today:

Dear God, I have been beating myself over _____________________ (name the sin).  Lord, I have confessed it to you, but I still keep whipping myself over it.  Today, I choose to put down the whip and believe your Word.  Jesus, you died for that sin and shed YOUR blood, so I don't have to shed mine.  Thank you for forgiving me for ________________.  I choose to believe your Word over my feelings - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness"(1 Jn. 1:9).  Praise You, Lord!!  I am forgiven, clean and loved by You.  I believe it and receive it.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Love, :angel:

THE PASSION TEST

My father-in-law, Gerald Canon, was a Pastor in the greater Houston area for over 50 years.  He was a wonderful man with a wealth of Bible knowledge.  When I was just beginning to teach my first Sunday school class, I would call him to pick his brain. 

I remember asking him about David being called "a man after God's own heart."  I said, "Gerald, what do you think that means exactly, to be a man after God's own heart?"  He answered, "David had a great passion and love for God and the things of God.  The things that were important to God were important to David.  That's at the core of what it means."  Well put!

GREAT PASSION?

In Revelation 2:4, the Lord rebukes the church in Ephesus for leaving their first love. Remember, the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all you've got (Matt. 22:37-38).  If you leave your first love, you miss the most important thing of all.  If you leave you first love, your passion for Jesus starts to wane.

How is YOUR passion and love for the Lord Jesus these days?  Are you "on fire." "lukewarm," or "getting cold"?  Do you want to take the Passion Test? (Let me warn you, it is convicting).

You know you have left your first love when:

You delight more in someone else than in God.
Your soul does not long for one-on-one time with God.
Your thoughts during leisure moments are rarely on God.
You view the commands of God as restrictions on your life. 
You inwardly strive for the approval of man rather than the approval of God.
You refuse to give up questionable activities.
You fail to make Christ known for fear of rejection.
You are unwilling to forgive another.
You become complacent of sin around you.
THE REMEDY

What do you do if you flunk the passion test? What do you do if you are guilty, as the church in Ephesus was, of leaving your first love?  You heed the words of Jesus:

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place - unless you repent" (Rev. 2:5).

PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

Perhaps you need to pray this prayer of repentance. "Lord, when I honestly evaluate my heart for You, I see that I am guilty of leaving my first love.  I don't want to be a lukewarm Christian who is half-heartedly in love with you.  Change my heart, God.  Set my soul on fire.  Help me to be so passionate about You. Thank You for the cross, Lord Jesus.  Let me never forget how much You love me and what You paid to save me. I surrender all over again to Your will and Your ways for me. Amen."

Remember, "We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:19). Passion problems require a fresh look at the cross of Jesus Christ. Why not re-read the crucifixion accounts in the Gospels and watch THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST this weekend? You will be powerfully reminded of His unfathomable love for you, and your heart will start beating passionately once again for Him.

Love,

:angel: :angel:

Friday, December 4, 2009

THE THANKSGIVING FACTOR

In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

In the classic autobiography, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of her sufferings at the hands of the Nazis during the evil reign of Adolph Hitler.  Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were incarcerated at the Nazi concentration camp, Ravensbruck, and experienced terrible atrocities there.  On one occasion, they were forced to disrobe before the German soldiers.  In that awful, humiliating moment, an amazing discovery came to Corrie's mind: "They took Jesus' clothes too.  He hung naked for me."  When she relayed that wondrous thought to Betsie, she gasped and said, "Oh, Corrie, and I never thanked Him for it."

One of the things that made Corrie and Betsie such dynamic Christians was the fact that the chose to see life from God's perspective.  In the worst of situations, they found new insights to praise and thank God.

The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in everything, the good things AND the bad things.  In Psalm 50:23, God says, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me."  In the hard times, thanksgiving is difficult.  It is definitely a sacrifice to thank God in a Nazi concentration camp, but it is so very necessary.  Thanksgiving honors God, and when you and I honor God, He honors us (1 Sam. 2:30).

How is your thanksgiving factor?  Are you facing tough times?  Have you been griping and complaining about the things in your life that are hard, lonely and frustrating?  Why not try praising and thanking God for your difficulty.  He knows about it, He is over it, and He cares for you.  Without question, He has a purpose in every trial and tribulation.  Start today to live a life of thanksgiving.  If you will do it, I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, your attitude will change, the people around you will be blessed, and Jesus Christ will be glorified and honored.

Hoping you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
:angel: :D :angel:

JESUS LOVES EVEN ME!

Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in my love.
John 15:8

Have you ever heard this wonderful song?

I am so glad that my Father in heaven,
Tells of His love in the book He has given.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
But this is the dearest that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me.
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me.
JESUS LOVES EVEN ME.

I talk to people quite often who have a hard time really believing that the Lord Jesus truly loves them.  I mean, they believe that He loves other people, but they are not so sure He loves them.  Deep down, they do not see themselves as deserving or worthy of His love. 

The truth of the matter is this: no one is worthy of His love.  No one deserves one ounce of His love and grace.  The Lord does not love you because you deserve it.  He loves you because He is gracious and loving.  To Him, you are extremely special and precious. 

WHAT DOES HIS LOVE MEAN TO ME?

Once you accept the fact that the Lord really does love you, you have to come to grips with what that means.  I have thought of two practical, easy to grasp insights that come from the undeniable truth that the Lord God loves me. 

1. Because the Lord really loves me, that means He wants to hang out with me.  Have you ever felt unwanted?  Have you ever sat alone on a Saturday night because no one called, and no one seemed to want you around?  Jesus says, "I want to be with you.  I not only love you, I really like you.  I want to spend time with you.  I think you are interesting, fun, and funny." 

It is pretty cool to consider that the God of the universe, the God who holds the whole world in His hands, wants to spend time with little, insignificant me.  How foolish I would be to not take Him up on His invitation to "hang out" together.               

2. Because the Lord really loves me, that means He wants what is best for me. So many people live in rebellion and disobedience to God's clear commands. They know what He says to do, but they don't do it.  Why is that? 

The big reason is that they don't understand that His love means that He only has what is best in mind for us.  He only tells us things to do that will help us and bless us.  His love means that He would NEVER tell us to do something that would be a bad thing for us in the long run.  Once you and I truly believe and receive this truth, we gain a different perspective on disobedience and have a compelling desire to trust and obey God.       

WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY

I want to encourage you today to spend time with the God who loves you and wants what is best for you.  Align your life with His Word and His ways.  The best life imaginable is yours for the taking if you will simply abide in His love.

Love,  

:D :D :angel: :angel:

ON BEING A GOOD PARENT

I have a very close friend who is a great Christian, a devoted husband, and a super dad.  He loves his kids and wants what is best for them.  But I remember sitting in his office one day as he tearfully recounted a sobering conversation he had with his high school son that went something like this:

"Dad, you're just not fair with me!  I get good grades, obey you and mom, and walk with God, yet you are so hard on me!  I have friends who lie to their parents and get in all kinds of trouble.  I don't do any of that, but you don't seem to take that into account.  You're just so unfair."

My friend was cut to the quick as God convicted him about being too hard of a parent.  In his efforts to make his son the best he could be, he saw how he had unwittingly hurt him in the process.  He apologized to his son from the heart with tears of repentance and brokenness.

THE PROBLEM WITH MANY PARENTS, ESPECIALLY DADS

The problem we have as parents is that we tend to nit-pick our kids to death over their flaws and failures.  We can easily point out the problems and totally miss the points to praise.  For example, do you kids hear things like this way too much of the time?   

You missed a spot vacuuming/mowing.
You did a poor job cleaning your room.
You call that doing your homework?
You didn't do this right, that right, and the other right.
In our efforts to do a good job raising our children, let's not forget God's Word in regard to parenting, "Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.]"  Colossians 3:21 AMP

Kids need two important things from mom and dad: love and discipline.  And of these two, love is paramount. ("The greatest of these is love.")  Studies have shown that the very worst parenting style a person can adopt is one ofhigh discipline and low love.  A mom or dad who parents with high discipline and low love produces discouraged, angry, resentful, rebellious children.  Are you high discipline and low love?   

WHAT TO DO?

I encourage you to sit down with your kids and honestly, humbly ask how you are doing as a parent.  Ask them if they feel like you are too hard on them and too negative.  Ask them if they feel like you ALWAYS point out the wrongs and rarely mention the rights.  Ask them if they feel knit-picked, if they feel as if you are impossible to please. 

And if you are guilty of violating Colossians 3:21, humble yourself and seek their forgiveness.  Ask God to help you be parent who is better at praising than picking.  Of course have discipline, but shower that discipline with lots and lots of love, encouragement and praise. 

ONE LAST THING

Remember how God the Father interacted with His Son, Jesus.  Before Jesus had done one miracle, the Father said at His baptism, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I'm well-pleased" (Matt. 3:17).  May you and I frequently say to our children, "I love you, and I am so proud of you."  It makes all the difference in the world!       

If it has been a while since you have said those words to your son or daughter, do it today (even if they are grown and gone).  You will be so glad you did, and they will be so blessed! 

Love,
:angel: ;) :angel:

Friday, December 25, 2009   

Enough is Enough

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a HUGE Rocky Balboa fan. I love Rocky's heart and never say die attitude. That character just inspires me to keep going, no matter the odds against me.

(A highlight of my life was getting to meet Stallone in December of 2006 before the premier of the last Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa. I conducted an interview with him and 100 pastors. I was privileged to get to pray for him at the close of the interview.)

I have many lines from the Rocky saga memorized and often quote them to my wife and girls as the situation warrants. One line I particularly love comes from Rocky II. It was early in the rematch fight with Apollo Creed. Rocky was initially very intimidated by Apollo because the champ was angry and had vowed to make quick work of this "one time, lucky bum."

Rocky seemed totally over-matched at the outset. He was knocked down two times in the first two rounds. It appeared that defeat was imminent. But then something happened. Rocky had had ENOUGH of being intimidated and manhandled. Before the start of round three, he told his trainer, Mickey, "I ain't going down no more."

ARE YOU GETTING KNOCKED DOWN?

Have you ever felt like circumstances and fleshly desires and the devil himself were beating you to a pulp? Have you ever felt just so intimidated, overwhelmed, and defeated? Have you ever had the urge to just stay down, throw in the towel, and quit? I mean what's the use of trying? After all, your past failures have proven that you just can't whip your problem with depression, or alcohol, or bitterness, or anger, or drugs, or sexual immorality, or lust, or laziness, or gluttony, or jealousy, or whatever sin is knocking you down. Why not just give up and give in?

My friend, no matter how many times you have been knocked down, you need to remember that in Christ, you were not saved to live a life of defeat, but a life of victory. Romans 8:37 tells us that we are super conquerors in Jesus Christ! Start living like it!!

TAKING A STAND

I love David's declaration in Psalm 101:3-4, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil."David was basically saying, "I ain't going down no more!"

Listen, as long as the devil can get you to think and feel DEFEAT, he can defeat you every time. But, when you stand up to him and tell him how it is going to be, how you are going to rise above and not let sin fasten its grip on you, then you will start to walk by faith and experience victory.

There really is overcoming power in the Word of God. "He has said . that we may confidently say ." (Hebrews 13:5-6). Start claiming the Word of God in your life. Start claiming your victory in Jesus. Stand up to the devil and his evil ways that are wrecking and ruining your life. Resist him in the power of the Holy Spirit, and he will flee from you! (James 4:7).

"I ain't going down no more" is not just a good movie line, it is good theology. Make it your declaration today!

Love,
:angel:

January 1, 2010   

THANKFUL FOR YOU

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering
to the saints.  Hebrews 6:10

As we close out 2009 and prepare for 2010, I want to express my thanks.  You have been great encouragers to me.  Many of you email me with encouraging words, lift me up in prayer, share the email encouragements with friends and family, and partner with us financially to support the work of From His Heart Ministries on television, radio, and the internet.  All of those things have made a difference.  THANK YOU! 

As you hopefully know by now, I do not take any salary from FHH.  Every dime you give is used to further the broadcast and reach more and more people with the good news of Jesus Christ.  Our mission is to share hope from the loving heart of God without apology or compromise of the Word of God.     

HURTING PEOPLE

Lots of people are hurting today.  It is great to know that we can make a difference in their lives as we point them to Jesus.  Sue in Australia writes:

Dear Jeff,
Your talks/sermons are really helping me.  I'm going through emotional/legal/financial?hell after separating from abusive husband due to domestic violence.  I'm trying to?replace my fear (that the courts won't protect my children from further abuse) with trust?that God will help me.  I've suffered a lifetime of abuse - and am believing God that He has a purpose and can use my past for His glory.  I'm watching your sermons online (thank you for making them available).  Please pray for me and the family.  Fear has (in the past) ruled my life.  I am trying to walk in faith.  Wishing you blessings on your mission to bring honor to God.

May God bless you with the best New Year ever as you look to Jesus and really walk by faith and not by sight!

Love,
:angel:

WHEN THE RESOLUTIONS FAIL

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked
stumble in time of calamity.  Proverbs 24:16

Many people I know make New Year's Resolutions.  They vow to exercise more. eat right. lose weight. quit that bad habit. get out of debt. put God first. stay pure. etc.  But what do you do if you fail and falter in your New Year's Resolution and it is only January 8th?  What then?

I know what lots of people do.  They beat themselves up with guilt and shame.  They tell themselves what a loser they are.  They heap condemnation on their heads and walk around in defeat mode.  That is not the thing God wants us to do when we fail. 

GOD'S PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO FAIL

Proverbs 24:16 is a great verse to help you and me when we falter in our well-intentioned resolutions or commitments to God.  Look at it again - For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity. 

Notice that God says "a righteous man falls seven times."  Even the righteous person, even the one who desires to do right and please God, that one falls. and fails. and blows it - not once or twice, but seven times (over and over and over again). 

Now the devil will tell you when you fall, "Give up, you bum!  Throw in the towel and quit!!  You will never walk in victory over this anger, this worry, this bitterness, this lust, this greed, this addiction, this whatever.  You are a loser and a failure and a major disappointment to God."  Have you ever heard those words play in your head?  Well, the good news is this: "The devil is a liar and the father of lies." 

When we fall, God never says, "Give up," He says, "GET UP!  RISE AGAIN!  Confess that sin. get it out of your heart and under My blood.  Take my hand and let's walk together.  Keep looking to Me, and we WILL slay this giant in your life."   

WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO

My friend, you and I do not have the power to change our hearts. but He does.  He can change your sinful desires.  He can give you a heart that beats for Him and His righteousness.  He can clean you up and set you on a path of joy and peace and victory.  The little poem says, "I can't. He never said I could.  He will. He always said He would."   

If you have fallen, will you quit beating yourself up and start looking up?  Will you open your eyes and see a Savior who loves you. who has a nail-scarred hand stretched out to you. who says to you, "Will you take My hand and walk with Me?"  What is your answer to Him?

If you have fallen and do not think you can get back up, click here to watch this inspirational video from Nick Vujicic, a man born with no arms or legs.  What a testimony of God's grace!

Love,
:angel:

Friday, January 15, 2010   

The Sweet Sting Of Conviction

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

Have you ever felt the sting of conviction in your heart?  Have you ever had God take a Scripture or a spiritual thought or point in a sermon and use it to cut you to the quick?  How do you respond to conviction? 

The writer of Hebrews tells us to be careful with conviction.  There are some who blow it off and "regard lightly the discipline of the Lord," and others who throw in the towel and "faint when they are reproved by Him" (Hebrews 12:5).  Neither extreme is right. 

The right response is to embrace the sweet sting of conviction.  When I get convicted it simply shows that I am still hearing God's voice, and that He is still working on me to lovingly change me.         

MY MOST RECENT CONVICTION

In my quiet time today, I was reading some devotional materials on marriage.  God spoke to my heart about an Old Testament character named Uriah the Hittite.  Uriah was married to Bathsheba (the same Bathsheba that King David took advantage of), and he loved her dearly.  His wife was a "little ewe lamb" to him.  She was "like a daughter to him" (2 Samuel 12:3). 

The author of the devotional materials basically asked this question, "Husband, do you treat your wife like a little ewe lamb?  Do you treat her like a precious, treasured daughter?" 

As the father of three girls, I know about loving and caring for daughters.  There is nothing I would not do to protect and care for one of my girls.  They are that special to me.  But do I have that same loving care and protection for my wife?  Does Debbie FEEL like my "little ewe lamb?" 

My honest answer was NO (she would "AMEN" my answer).  I tend to put some unrealistic expectations on her and get frustrated with her if she does not meet those expectations.  I tend to cut my daughters a lot of slack, but cut Debbie little slack. 

As I contemplated the Word of God regarding how I am to treat my wife (to love her, nourish her, and cherish her - Eph. 5:25-29), God showed me how much I need to change as a husband and how much room there is for me to grow in my marriage.  I was greatly convicted. 

It was a sweet sting.  It showed me anew and afresh that God knows and cares about me.  It showed that He is still working on me to make me what I ought to be.  It showed that my heart is still in tune to hear His voice - and I am SO THANKFUL!       

EMBRACE CONVICTION

Let me encourage you to embrace the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  Don't blow it off and don't let it beat you down.  Receive it as God's loving correction to help you be the person He wants you to be.  Ask Him to change you so that your life would align with His Word, His will, and His ways.       

There is MUCH God wants to change in you and me.  There are great and wonderful miracles in store as we listen and obey.  May we cultivate a heart of humility and tenderness so that we can correctly respond to His voice of loving reproof.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org

:angel:

January 22, 2010   

The Throne Of ???

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:15-16

It was second period at Bleyl Jr. High School in Houston, Texas.  I was talking to my friend, Mike, leaning back in my chair - a major "no-no" for the students.  I lost my balance at the wrong time and fell backward, right at the feet of the teacher.  She must have been having a BAD day because she freaked out and escorted me directly to the Principal, Mr. Brown.  (I did not even get to pass Go or collect my $200.)

At my school, when you got sent to the office, you typically saw one of the Assistant Principals, Mr. Sheridan or Mr. Rushing.  You NEVER saw THE Principal, Mr. Brown, unless the circumstances were severe. 

Mr. Brown was very tough and intimidating.  I think his physiological make up was about 50% iron.  The stories of him giving swats were legendary.  It was basically reported that getting swats from Mr. Brown was akin to getting caned in Singapore.  Needless to say, I was scared to death as I sat in his office waiting for the hammer to fall.  Was I about to be surprised!

Mr. Brown was so nice to me.  He knew who I was and had watched me play basketball.  He was impressed with the way I could jump.  He laughed and joked with me and asked me about our team.  He was not mad at me at all.  He was gracious and compassionate.  He did not even mention swats.  I was amazed and relieved all at the same time.  I thought his office was going to be a place of judgment, but what I found was a place of grace. 

GOD AND HIS THRONE

The Bible tells us that God sits on a throne of GRACE, not a throne of judgment and condemnation.  He wants to bless us, not curse us.  He is a merciful God who longs to pour out His lovingkindness on those who come to Him in humility, repentance and faith. 

You know what that means?  God is a God you and I can get close to.  He wants us to draw near to Him.  He wants to help us in our time of need.  He is truly "a friend that sticks closer than a brother" (Prov. 18:24). 

The big questions are these: Will you and I take Him up on His generous and amazing offer to come boldly before His throne?  Will we avail ourselves of the help and strength that He promises to give us?  Will we believe His Word, or the erroneous things we have heard about Him concerning his anger and disgust for us in our weaknesses and failures?  These are questions that NEED to be answered, and answered correctly.

In closing, do you know who is one of my dear friends today?  That's right, Mr. Brown.  He and I still keep in touch, and he never ceases to encourage me in my preaching and ministry.  He has been a blessing to me ever since the day I fearfully entered his office over 33 years ago.

You know what?  God is inviting you to meet Him today in His office.  He doesn't want to swat you for your failures, He wants to love on you and fill you with His strength.  The office door is open.  Will you come?

Love,

:angel:

January 29, 2010   

Are You Haunted By The Ghost of Guilt?

...for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown done, who accuses them
before our God day and night.  Revelation 12:10

Have you ever committed a terrible sin and asked God to forgive you?  Sure.  Every Christian has.  But have you still felt guilty and ashamed EVEN AFTER you confessed that sin to God and asked Him to forgive you?  What is up with that?  Is God convicting you again about that same sin?  Did He refuse to forgive you when you honestly, humbly and sincerely asked Him to do so?  Or could it be that the devil, the accuser of the brethren, is at work to heap false guilt and condemnation on your head?     

VICTORY AND JOY

In order to walk in victory and joy in the Lord, it is imperative to distinguish between the voice of the Spirit and the voice of the devil.  Notice the differences.

1. The Holy Spirit convicts us of unconfessed sin.  The Holy Spirit wants us to deal with that sin we are hiding and not bringing to the Lord for cleansing.  Once we confess it (1 Jn. 1:9) and forsake it (Prov. 28:13), He forgives us COMPLETELY (no matter how bad that particular sin may be) and IMMEDIATELY (notice 1 Jn. 1:9 does not tell us that "He is faithful and just to forgive us" after two weeks or so of us feeling terrible about it).             

Satan condemns us and accuses us of confessed sin.  He will keep bringing up what we did in the past. even though we confessed it to God.  He will say, "Remember that sexual sin you committed. remember that abortion you had. remember that lie you told. remember that hurtful thing you did to your parents, your spouse, your kids, your best friend?  And you have the audacity to come to church and PRETEND you are right with God?!?"  Have you ever heard that voice in your ear?  The devil "is a liar and the father of lies."  The moment you truly confess your sin to God (agree with Him that your sin was wrong and utterly sinful), He forgives it and forgets it (Heb. 10:17) and buries it in the deepest sea (Mic. 7:19).

2. The Holy Spirit convicts of specific sin.  He will point His finger of conviction exactly where you have sinned.  He does not convict generally.  He is specific and faithful in pointing out to us where we have disobeyed God.

Satan, on the other hand, will throw up specific sins to us in order to make us feel bad ALL OVER.  "You did this. and this. and this.  You are just a bad, evil, hopeless person." 

3. The Holy Spirit convicts in order to draw us back to fellowship with God.  The goal of God in convicting us of sin is to get us to return to Him.  He says in Mal. 3:7, "Return to Me, and I will return to you." 

The devil condemns and accuses to get us to quit. to throw in the towel on seeking and serving God. to say, "What's the use!  I have sinned too greatly for God to forgive me!"  What a lie from the pit!!!! 

ARE YOU CARRYING AROUND GUILT AND CONDEMNATION?

God's will for you today is to be free of all the guilt and condemnation of your sins and of the accusations of the devil (Rom. 8:1).  Bring all the guilt and shame of your past to Him.  Once and for all, confess it to Him. and claim His promise for complete and total cleansing. 

If and when you stumble again (and we all do. no one serves God perfectly all the time), confess your sins immediately to God and BELIEVE HIM for cleansing.  Do not let the devil steal your joy in walking with the King. 

When Satan brings up your past, be quick to bring up his future - the lake of fire.  When he condemns you over past sins you have already confessed to God, remember the cross.  That sin is paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Take off the garments of guilt and shame and wrap yourself in the robe of His righteousness (Is. 61:10).  Praise Him for forgiving and cleansing you!  It makes all the difference in the world!

If you are struggling with guilt and shame, click here to listen to the sermon NOT GUILTY!

I believe this message will help you conquer the enemy, silence the ghost of guilt and enjoy your walk with God more than ever before.  Click here to purchase a copy of this message.


Love,

February 5, 2010   

OF COURSE I'M A CHRISTIAN... I THINK

When I was in college, I got on a dorm elevator one Saturday night to go up to my room on the 19th floor. Two people were on the elevator. They were both wearing medium-sized cross necklaces. I looked at their necklaces and asked them if they were Christians. They looked at me with an incredulous expression and answered, "Of course!" I thought their response was a little strange. It was almost as if they were saying, "What else would we be? We are Americans, aren't we? We go to church, don't we? Of course we are Christians."

What does it really mean to be a Christian? Does it mean you have joined a church? Does it mean you have been baptized? Does it mean you have intellectually believed some facts about the life and person of Jesus? Does it mean you do some religious things? No, No, No, and No!

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

Sad but true, many people claim to be Christians and truly think they are Christians but do not understand what it means to be one. What does the Bible say regarding this all- important subject? The Bible tells us that a Christian is one who has received the very life and nature of God- "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). .

In 1 John 1:3, The Apostle John talks about the fact that he hasfellowship (koinonia - "sharing") with the Father and with His Son Jesus.What is fellowship? One preacher defined it as two fellows sharing the same ship. While that is certainly catchy, it does not go far enough. I think Adrian Rogers hit the nail on the head when he defined fellowship as two fellows sharing the same life. A Christian is someone whose life is now connected to God. He/she is someone was has a personal relationship with the Lord. someone who really knows the Lord, not in his/her head, but in his/her heart.

MY STORY

I grew up going to church and learning about God and His Son Jesus. I believed what the Bible said. I believed Jesus was God in the flesh who performed great miracles. I believed He died on the cross and rose again from the dead. In my head, I believed all that stuff. and yet I was lost, unconnected to God, with no hope of going to heaven.

Then one day, I heard the full truth: I was a sinner (I knew that). and I was lost (I did not know that). and if I died, I would not go to heaven (I really did not know that). and that Jesus died and rose again FOR ME (I never really realized that). and if I would turn from my sins and give my life to Jesus, He would give His life to me and save me.

On a Monday night in January, 1980, all alone in my bedroom, Jeff Schreve, a 17 year-old hell raising, skirt chasing, party animal got down on his knees and asked Jesus to save him. I gave my life, MY WHOLE LIFE, to Jesus Christ that night. and He gave His life to me. I was born again that night and became a "partaker (sharer) of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). And I knew it was real because my life began to change. You see, when the Lord moves into a life, He ALWAYS makes changes. I was under new management. and it quickly began to show.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

My friend, has there been a time in your life when you genuinely, humbly, and sincerely gave your heart to Jesus? Does He really and truly live inside of you? That what it means to be a Christian; it is Christ in you!

If you are not sure, pray right now and ask Jesus to forgive all your sins and take your life. Ask Him to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and Savior. He wants to save you, He died to save you. He will answer your prayer IF AND ONLY IF you mean it. You cannot snow job God. He does business with those who mean business.

If you do take that step today, email back and let me know. I would love to send you some free materials to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus.

Love,

:angel:

BUT I'M JUST SO ORDINARY

Last Wednesday night, I asked my congregation some questions:

1. How many of you played Division 1 college athletics?  No hands went up.

2. How many of you were valedictorian of your class?  Four hands went up. (I have a smart church!)

3. How many of you were voted most likely to succeed?  A couple of hands went up. 

4. How many were voted most beautiful or most handsome?  No hands went up, except mine.  (I was runner-up most handsome in 9th grade, but I was home schooled.) 

5. How many of you were in Who's Who?  A couple more hands went up. 

6. How many of you have not raised your hand yet?  A ton of hands went up. 

You know what that test proved?  It proved that the vast majority of God's people are just ordinary folks.  They are NOT extraordinary.  They are just ordinary. 

ORDINARY PEOPLE

Jesus chose 12 disciples - ordinary men.  His inner circle consisted of Peter, James, and John.  They were fishermen, not physicists.  They were "uneducated and untrained men" (Acts 4:13).  They were ordinary, not extraordinary.  And that is precisely the way the Lord likes it!         

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God" (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

Notice this verse says, "NOT MANY."  It does not say, "NOT ANY."  There are some in God's family that are extra special individuals in the areas of wisdom, might, and nobility.  Paul was the chief of sinners, but he had a keen mind unlike any of the other apostles.  He could run circles around Peter intellectually.  His pedigree was stellar.  But, when you stop to think about it, most of God's people are like Peter, not Paul.  They are just regular, ordinary folks.  (The elite of this world tend to be far too proud to humble themselves before Jesus of Nazareth and admit their desperate need.)

WHY CHOOSE THE ORDINARY? 

You know one of the BIG reasons why the Lord chooses the ordinary? Because He loves to do extraordinary things through ordinary people.  When you see extraordinary things take place through ordinary people, all the glory goes to God.  It just HAS to be God because an ordinary person can't pull off something that extraordinary! 

When young David whipped the Giant, Goliath, with a sling shot and a stick, all the glory went to God.  How else could he have won?  It MUST be God!  If the New Orleans Saints whip the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, it is one champion versus another champion -- one extraordinary team versus another.  But if my town's Pleasant Grove seventh grade B team whips the Colts, people would say in amazement, "WOW!  That MUST be from God." 

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED

If you are ordinary, you are in the majority.  If you are sometimes foolish, often weak, and deemed unimportant in the eyes of the world, REJOICE!!  God can do His greatest, most impressive work through you.  Yield to Him today.  Let Jesus sit on the throne of your life and live through you.  You will be amazed at the difference He will make. 

And remember in your weaknesses, He says, "My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9 AMP).     

Praise God for your weaknesses.  Praise God that you are ordinary.  He does His best work in ordinary people!  Let Him start in you today.

Love, :angel:

February 19, 2010   

WHEN CONFLICT COMES

About seven years ago, Debbie and I bought a house in Houston. We had all the inspections done, and the house got a clean bill of health. Roughly two months into the new home, we discovered termites. UGH!! They were well established and were eating the studs out in the master bedroom.

We called the termite inspector who had failed to find the little intruders. He denied he made a mistake and did not think he was responsible for any treatment expenses. Obviously, we were in conflict with him.

A PART OF LIFE

Conflict is a part of life. Someone has defined conflict this way-conflict: two people. No matter how closely you walk with God, you will still encounter times of conflict. The goal in life is not to avoid conflict at all costs, but to address conflict in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

Are you in conflict with another person at this moment? Is that person your spouse? Your son or daughter? Your mom or dad? Your boss or another co-worker? Your neighbor? Your estranged friend? What does God want you to do? The Book of Proverbs gives us God's wisdom with regard to dealing with conflict.

1.  Seek wise counsel.   "Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance" (Prov. 20:18).  Get a wise and unbiased third party to give you advice on the situation. You may be greatly in the wrong and not even know it. You may be so mad that you are unable to see the conflict from the other person's perspective. There are three sides to every argument: yours, theirs, and the unbiased truth.

2.  Watch for pride.  "Pride leads to conflict" (Prov. 13:10). Many conflicts are the result of wounded pride. If you at odds with someone and your wounded pride is the main reason, confess it and reconcile. "God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

3.  Watch for anger.  "A man with a bad temper starts fights, but he who is slow to anger quiets fighting" ( Prov. 15:18). Conflict and anger are often joined at the hip. When you start to get angry, you need to back off the discussion. Many hurtful words are spoken in anger- I hate you, I wish I never married you, You are no good, You are stupid, You will never amount to anything.  Once words like that leave your mouth, they cannot be retrieved. Better to bite your tongue and walk away from the argument than to start spewing words of anger that may indeed damage for a lifetime.

4.  Take the high road.  "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him" (Prov. 26:4).  It has well been said, "Never argue with an idiot. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." Always be kind, considerate and respectful even in conflict. Think of the other person as your boss (even if he or she is your child). If you were pleading your case with your boss, you probably would not resort to name calling, would not interrupt, would not be disrespectful and condescending, and would not threaten. Those are keys things to remember when involved in any argument.

5.  Be quick with forgiveness.  "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions" (Prov. 10:12).  If you have been wronged, do not harbor a grudge in your heart. It will only hurt you. Bitterness is like burning your house down to kill a rat. Forgive that person and give them over to the Lord. If you have wronged another, go to them with a broken and repentant heart and seek their forgiveness. Most people respond favorably (if not immediately, then eventually) to someone who is repentant and seeking forgiveness.

6.  Don't get discouraged!  No one has a track record of perfection when it comes to handling conflict. All of us have blown it with our family, our friends, our neighbors and people at work or school. What we need to do is get up and learn from our mistakes. Start putting God's wisdom from Proverbs into practice so that your conflicts can result in win-win outcomes and your behavior through it all can glorify Christ. Remember,"A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again" (Prov. 24:16).

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org

CHANGE MY HEART, O GOD!

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you." 
Hosea 10:12 NLT

When I was in college, I learned to play the guitar.  At first, I could only play for a short while because my fingers tips were sensitive; pressing on the strings was painful. After a couple of weeks, the tips of my fingers became calloused and insensitive to the pain, so calloused and insensitive in fact that I accidentally ran them across my razor one day and did not even feel it until it was too late.   

In the same way finger tips can get calloused and hardened, so too can our hearts.  Although we can see God do great and mighty things in our midst, if we are not careful, we can get hardened and deceived by sin and become insensitive to God's still small voice.  Has that happened to you?   

King David allowed his heart to get hardened.  He committed terrible sins, and then covered those sins over with deceit.  As a result, his life was drying up inside.  His vitality and zest for living was draining away.  But in Psalm 51, he repents and gets his heart right with God.  He says in verse 17, "The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit.  A broken and repentant heart, O God, You will not despise."  Spiritual renewal and fresh fire from heaven only come when the heart is first broken and repentant before a holy God.

YOUR HEART CONDITION?

Is your heart soft and tender and broken before the Lord, or is it like hard ground? 

There is only one thing that hardens your heart: sin.  And only one kind of sin: your sin.  My sin cannot harden your heart, and your sin cannot harden my heart.  Personal sin is what brings the callousness.  And the longer we continue in personal sin without getting honest, open and repentant before the Lord, the harder our heart becomes. 

If you want to see how hard your heart is, ask yourself this question: Do the things that break God's heart break my heart?  God's heart breaks over sin, does yours?  God's heart breaks over pride and selfishness, does yours?  God's heart breaks for those who are lost and on the highway to hell, does yours?  God's heart breaks over broken vows, does yours?  God's heart breaks over injustice, indifference, abuse, abortion and sexual immorality, does yours?       

Maybe like me, you need to heed the call of God through the prophet Hosea and ask the Lord to plow up the hard ground of your heart.  Ask Him to change you and open your eyes to any bitterness and pride and sin and selfishness that may be lurking within you.  Ask Him to make your heart like His. 

The time is now to seek the Lord - and to seek Him with a broken heart.  We will be amazed at the awesome things He will do when we get our hearts in line with His.

Love,
:angel:

Practical Atheism?

Have you ever met an atheist?  An atheist believes there is no God.  Do you know what God's response to that is?  "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Ps. 14:1).

While no Christian would ever be guilty of being an atheist, many Christians are guilty of being practical atheists.  Practical atheism does not believe there is no God; practical atheism lives as if there is no God.  Could you be a practical atheist?

THE PRACTICAL ATHEISM TEST

Notice the convicting similarities between atheism and practical atheism:

1.  An atheist does not pray. So many Christians do not really pray.  They may mumble something with a bowed head before dinner or before bed, but there is no real time to seek God in prayer.  The Lord says in the Book of James, "You do not have because you do not ask" (Jas. 4:2).

2.  An atheist does not read the Bible.  So many Christians do not read the Bible.  The average Christian is very susceptible to the devil's lies because he/she does not take time to read and study God's Word.

3.  An atheist walks by sight, not faith.  So many Christians do the same thing.  They fail to evaluate their situation in light of God's miraculous power, so they worry and fear and fail to simply trust God.  How quickly we forget, "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God" (Heb. 11:6).

4.  An atheist does not give to the Lord's work.  So many Christians do not either.  Many Christians spend more money on their pets than they do the Kingdom of God.  A recent statistic revealed that if all the members in an average-sized church were on welfare, and each one tithed, the giving to that church would double.  WOW!

5.  An atheist lives only for this life.  So many Christians are guilty of the same.  They store up their treasure on earth.  They live and plan as if this temporary, mortal life is all that matters.  They make decisions with only earth in mind, not heaven.  The Bible says, "The eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth" (Prov. 17:24).

CHANGE ME, LORD!

If some of those similarities are too close for comfort, don't sink down in guilt and shame.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  Confess it as sin, and ask God to change your heart.  Tell Him that you do not want to live another day as if He were not alive and able to work miracles.

The story is told of Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer of the 1500s.  There was a time in his Christian life when he was very depressed for days on end.  His wife, Kate, came into his study all dressed in black as if she were in mourning.   Luther asked her what exactly she was mourning:

    "Have you not heard?" she questioned.  "God is dead." 
    Luther responded, "Woman!  That is absurd!  God is not dead!" 
    "Well," she replied, "if God is not dead, then stop living like He is!" 

My friend, God is not dead, He is alive and well.  He still answers prayer, He still speaks through His Word, He still blesses when we honor Him with our wealth, He still moves mountains when we come to Him with a mustard seed of faith, and He still rewards those who diligently seek Him.

No matter what you are facing today, God is able.  Take Him at His Word and trust Him!!  Determine to live every day in the light of His presence.  Remember, His name is Jehovah Shammah, "the Lord ever-present."  He is ever-present for you this day and every day.  Live like it!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 

  :angel:

 
LUKEWARM?  WHO, ME?
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 
Revelation 3:15-16

Have you noticed how lukewarm drinks are just not appealing?  Have you ever inadvertently taken a sip of lukewarm coffee, or lukewarm tea, or lukewarm lemonade?  YUK!  We like hot coffee, iced tea, and ice cold lemonade.  Lukewarm things typically get spit out of our mouths.

SO IT IS WITH GOD

In Revelation 3, Jesus writes a letter to the church in Laodicea.  It was a church that was financially rich and living high on the hog.  They seemed to have it all together with no needs at all, but they had a BIG unseen problem - they were lukewarm in their relationship with Jesus.  Their lukewarm attitude toward the King of kings and Lord of lords literally made Jesus want to vomit ("spit" in Rev. 3:16 is the Greek word, emeõ, which means "to vomit"). 

Do you know what it means to be lukewarm?  It means you have a ho-hum attitude toward the Lord.  It means you are more excited about your job, or your golf game, or your favorite sports team, or your favorite TV show, or your children, or whatever than you are the Savior of the world.  It means that you are spiritually complacent and apathetic to your desperate, daily need of Christ. 

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the great preacher of yesteryear, called lukewarm worship "the worst form of blasphemy."  OUCH!

GROW OR DIE

At a meeting this past week, a friend introduced me to this statement: GROW OR DIE.   There is no middle ground.  No Christian ever stays the same spiritually.  He/she either grows in the Lord or starts backsliding in the Lord.  You are either moving closer to the Lord or falling away from the Lord.  You are either getting warmer or getting colder.  Which is true for you? 

As you honestly assess your life, if you are not growing more and more in love with Jesus, something is wrong.  If you have no burden to know Him better and walk more closely with Him, it is time to realize the harsh truth: you have gotten lukewarm. 

PRAYER FOR THE LUKEWARM

If you have fallen into the ditch of lukewarm devotion, the time is now to get out.  The Lord wants to deliver you from that nauseating state.  He wants you hot or even cold, but NOT lukewarm.  So what do you do with a lukewarm heart?  You pray a prayer like this one:

Dear Lord Jesus, as I honestly look at my heart, I can see that my love for You has cooled.  I am more excited about other things than I am about You.  This is a terrible sin, Lord, and I am so sorry.  Please forgive me, and cleanse me, and change me.  Do a fresh work in my heart, Jesus.  Help me see anew Your great love for me as displayed on the cross.  Set my soul on fire for You.  I reject all passivity and lukewarmness in my walk with You; and I choose to seek You as I would hidden treasure, for You alone are worthy.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

March 19, 2010   

THE HARDEST LESSON TO LEARN

"For God so loved the world..."  John 3:16

When our girls were little, we taught them this familiar little song: "Jesus Loves Me this I Know, for the Bible Tells Me So."  What a simple message, easy enough for a child to understand.  But the sad reality is this: SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING IT'S TRUE. 

In my counseling, and in my own personal life, I have found it is very easy to start thinking that God accepts and loves us on the basis of performance.  We are quick to adopt the Daisy Theology: "He loves me, He loves me not."  We tend to think, "God loves me if I am obeying Him, but He doesn't love me if I am failing Him."  Listen, your feelings may tell you that is a true statement, but I want you to know IT IS A LIE!  Regardless of your behavior or performance, GOD LOVES YOU! 

THE FATHER WITH THE SON

The day Jesus began His public ministry, the Father's voice thundered from heaven as soon as Jesus was baptized, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.  Listen to Him (Matt. 3:17)."  How amazing, how significant!  Before Jesus had performed one miracle, the Father publicly set His love and approval on Him.  Do you see the principle?  God does not love you based on your performance.  He loves you because He chose to love you, regardless of your performance.     

If you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are a child of God (1 Jn. 3:1).  And God loves His children, every one of them.  He has no favorites, only intimates.  And the intimates are those who have learned to believe and receive His love for them and act accordingly. 

THE SECRET TO PLEASING GOD

Do you want to know the secret to pleasing God and living a life of obedience to His commandments?  It all has to do with believing and receiving His great love for you.  When you understand how much He really loves you, you can't help but really love Him back - "We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:19).  And when you really love Him back, you obey Him - "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me" (Jn. 14:21). 

The key is love.  It is all about love, God's love for you and your response of love for Him.  That is why Jude earnestly pleads, "Keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 21).  The love of God is the cornerstone of a victorious and thrilling Christian life.         

Why not take some time today and meditate on His love for you?  Read Ephesians 3:14-21 and let God root you and ground you in His limitless love.  You will be amazed at the peace and joy that will flow in your heart as you believe and receive His love.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
:angel:

BUT NOTHING IS HAPPENING!

And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap
if we do not grow weary.  Galatians 6:9

Have you ever tried to lose weight?  It can be SO discouraging.  I mean you exercise, you cut out sweets, you eat more vegetables, more salads and less junk - and you don't seem to lose a pound.  UGH!!  What gives!?  When that happens to me the only conceivable answer is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet!

Seriously, it can be quite demoralizing to try hard to lose weight and see little to no results.  But the truth of the matter is this: if you keep up an exercise and diet program, you will eventually see the results you desire.  It just takes time and your commitment to keep going and not quit.

The same is true in the Christian life.  God says, "We shall reap if we do not grow weary."  That is a promise you and I can cling to with all our strength.  God cannot lie.   He is telling us to not give up until we see the harvest. 

UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON

In the late 1800's, Thomas Alva Edison was credited with inventing the incandescent light bulb.  Awesome!  Did he invent it on the first try?  No way!  How about the second try?  No!  The tenth try?  Not even close.  Edison tried thousands of times for two years, with no success.  But he did not give up and wallow in discouragement.  According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1993), Edison himself said, "I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work."  (You gotta love that kind of attitude.) 

Old Tom knew that every failure showed him how not to do it.  And his persistence paid off.  Because he did not grow weary in "doing good," he eventually reaped a great harvest, and the incandescent light bulb was born.   

What have you been working towards and praying for with no visible answer?  Is it your marriage to get better?  Or your business situation to turn around?  Or your wayward child to come back to God?  Or your future spouse to come into your life?  Or that ministry to get off the ground?  Or that sinful habit to be broken?

Whatever you have been praying for and believing God for and sowing seeds of faith for, DON'T QUIT ON IT!  Don't lose heart and throw in the towel.  A great harvest is coming IF you keep on keeping on.

"But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more."  Psalm 71:14

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

Friday, April 2, 2010 

WORD POWER

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Ephesians 4:29-30

Recently, I received a letter from a TV viewer in New York.  He is a retired police officer whose mother had just passed away.  He was really hurting and asked for prayer. 

I wrote him a handwritten note of encouragement.  This is what he wrote back:

"I cannot thank you enough for your kind letter and blessed words of encouragement and support.  Losing my mom to cancer has been devastating for me, but your comforting words that you took time to write out and personally sign means the world to me.  I framed it and it hangs in my living room wall.  Thank you so much."   Anthony 

Reading that note from Anthony reminded me anew and afresh regarding the power of our words.  Proverbs 18:21 tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."  How true that is! 

FOR DEATH OR FOR LIFE?

Now here are some sobering, thought-provoking questions:

1.    Do you use your tongue to speak life or to speak death?
2.    Do you use your tongue to build up (edify) or to tear down? 
3.    Do you use your tongue to bless the Lord or grieve His Spirit?
4.    Do you use your tongue to gripe and complain or praise and give thanks?
5.    Do you use your tongue to infuse with faith or poison with doubt? 

I think many of us are grossly unaware of what really comes out of our mouths.  Some of us have become so accustomed to speaking words of negativity, criticism, and faithlessness that we don't even realize what we are saying.  We don't realize the damage we are doing to our loved ones, our friends, and ourselves.  Surely we fail to realize how our rotten words grieve and hurt the Spirit of God. 

Oh, make no mistake about it.  He hears every word that comes out of our mouths.  Jesus said, "Every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).   

HOW TO FIX IT

If you desire to honor God with your words and speak life with your tongue, let me encourage you in two ways:

1. Focus on your heart.  Rotten words reveal a rotten heart because "the   mouth speaks from that which fills the heart" (Luke 6:45).  Spend quality  time in God's Word, and let His Word cleanse your heart.   

2. Find a trusted friend who can hold you accountable with your    speech.  Let that friend know they have the green light to call you on the  carpet anytime they hear you whine, gripe, complain, gossip, lie, tear down, and speak general words of death and negativity over your life, your spouse, your marriage, your kids, your parents, your church, your job, and your future. 

There is great power for good or for evil in that tongue of yours.  Let's make a conscious effort to use our tongues for good, for God, and for the building up of others.

Love,

:angel:

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Friday, April 9, 2010 

CHASING CHARIOTS


And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."  Acts 8:29


Have you ever been at your job. or at your desk at school. or doing chores at home, slugging through yet another day and found yourself thinking, "What real difference is my life making, anyway?" 

It is very easy to fall into the rut where you draw your breath. and draw your salary. and go through the motions of life but lose the meaning and purpose of your existence on this earth.  And what is that meaning and purpose?  To chase chariots.  Chasing chariots makes life EXCITING and brings GREAT JOY! 

PHILIP'S CHARIOT STORY

Philip, a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3), was called of God to go to a desert road and join himself to a chariot that was traveling from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.  Although it must have sounded like a strange request to Philip, he obeyed God and ended up leading a "big shot" (a court official and treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia), to faith in Jesus Christ.  What a great story and a great lesson for you and me!

Why are we left here on this earth after receiving Christ as Savior and Lord?  Why doesn't God just take us to heaven immediately and deliver us from the sin, sickness, and depravity that surround us?  We are left here to let our light shine for Christ and to tell others about Jesus, "the way, and the truth, and the life."  As the Bible says, "How shall they (lost people) hear without a preacher?"  God wants that preacher to be you!  It is amazing the difference you and I can make in the lives of hurting, hopeless people as we point them to Jesus through our life AND through our lips. 

MY CHARIOT STORY   

Just this week, I was eating at a restaurant.  When the food came, I asked my waitress, a young woman in her twenties, if I could pray for anything in her life when I prayed over my lunch.  Her answer floored me.  She said, "Yes.  Pray for me.  Last summer I lost two children.  My two year-old drowned, and a month later, my two month-old died of SIDS."  My heart broke as I saw the great hurt in her eyes. 

While it may not have been appropriate in a restaurant setting, I got up and gave her a big hug.  I prayed for her, gave her a 500% tip, and asked her to come by the church so we could talk with her.  She came by the next day, and our women's minister and I talked to her, cared for her, prayed for her and, best of all, led her to receive Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and Lord.  It brings tears to my eyes to think how God used one simple question - "Is there anything I can pray about for you" - to make an eternal difference in her life. 

Regardless of what challenges or difficulties I may have been facing this week, nothing could compare to the joy and excitement I felt knowing God used me to show His love and grace to a young lady who was really hurting and in need of Him. 

THE BIG QUESTION?

Will you start chasing chariots for Christ?  Will you let your light shine and your lips loose to share the good news of love, forgiveness and life in Jesus?  There are opportunities all around us if we will pray and obey. 

My friend, Dr. Paige Patterson of Southwestern Seminary, challenged our church to pray three things each day.  I would like to challenge you to the same:

1. God give me an opportunity today to tell someone about Jesus.
2. God help me be aware of it when that opportunity comes.
3. God give me courage to open my mouth when that opportunity is before me.   

My friend, I truly believe Jesus is coming very soon.  May we be found faithful to the main assignment He gave us to d "Go and make disciples of all the nations."

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-888-811-8203

:angel:

 
ENDLESS LOVE?


You are all together beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you. 
Song of Solomon 4:7


When Debbie and I got married on March 15, 1986, we were so excited about starting our lives together as husband and wife.  The first order of business after the wedding was the honeymoon.  YES!!  I was so excited about the honeymoon.  I think most brides dream about the wedding - and most grooms dream about the wedding night.  It is just the way God made men and women.   


Debbie and I got to go on two honeymoons.  The first one was a short, two night stay in Galveston, TX.  Debbie got sick the second night and threw up for hours.  It was so romantic!  The second one, a week later (Debbie taught school and her spring break was a week after our wedding), was in Monterrey, CA.  We had so much fun.  We walked on the beach, ate seafood while looking out at the Pacific, shopped (my least favorite thing), and talked and shared over a romantic fire each night.  We did not want the week to end, and we definitely did not want the honeymoon to be over. 


Now while it is true that no one can actually live on a perpetual honeymoon vacation, it is also true that the marital honeymoon does not have to end just because you come back home.  God has designed marriage to be a wonderful experience of love and joy and fulfillment.  Of course there are ups and downs.  Of course there are adjustment times and hard times and sad times and mad times and AARRGGHH times!!!  But if you go God's way, those times can be overshadowed by the love and laughter.     


It is sad to see so many marriages fail.  It is tragic that many marriages within the church are distant and cold.  The husband and wife co-exist as roommates, living separate lives with no closeness and little, if any, love.  Typically, these couples stay together until they cannot stand it anymore.  When they divorce, they create a whole new set of problems and hurts.  It is sad.  It is all too common, and it is totally avoidable IF YOU WILL START GOING GOD'S WAY.

GET HELP


Let me encourage you.  If you are growing miserable in your marriage, the time is NOW to do something about it.  The time is NOW to get some outside help. Reject the hellish idea that marriage counseling is only for wimps and losers.  Marriage counseling is for people who are honest enough to say, "I need some help." No one would think twice about going to the doctor because of a broken arm.  Why would we think it degrading or distasteful to get help for a broken marriage? 


Family Life Ministries is a great resource for marriages in need of encouragement and assistance.  Go to www.familylife.com and find a Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference near you.  Trust me; you won't be disappointed.  The conference helps good marriages get better, and bad marriages get good.  Note, Debbie and I will be speaking at the Family Life Weekend to Remember Conference in Montgomery, Alabama on April 23-25.  If you live anywhere close to Montgomery, we would love to see you there.  God really works when we as couples get away to focus on our marriage.     


Debbie and I have a marriage booklet that we wrote together titled I STILL DO.  I believe it will be of help to you in your relationship. Click here to get a copy for you or a friend.


There is a reason God had you read this e-mail.  He wants to turn things around in your marriage.  Will you trust Him to do so?  Will you take that needed step of faith so that He can start a great work in you?  Remember, Peter never would have walked on the water had he not gotten out of the boat!

Love,
Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

THE POWER OF THE WORD

So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to

Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding

in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

When God called me into the ministry in 1995, I told my agnostic brother, Larry, about it. He was intrigued and promised me that he would come hear me preach my first sermon. I was so excited. I prayed that he would really hear the Gospel and respond to Christ's invitation. Well, he came, but there was no Damascus Road experience. He left the church the same way as he entered the church, without Christ.

I was discouraged. I prayed and believed God for a miracle of salvation, but it did not come that night. Bummer!

Can you relate to that feeling? Have you ever brought a friend or a loved one to church who needs Christ? You are so hopeful that person will hear the message of God's great love and give his life to Christ, but, alas, nothing seems to happen. Your friend/loved one leaves the service with very little to say about what they just heard. UGH! What gives, Lord?

BEHIND THE SCENES

I have learned that just because you and I don't see God working, that doesn't mean He is not. He promises in Isaiah 55:11 that His Word doesn't return to Him empty and void. His Word is living and active. It has power that we don't fully fathom.

Maybe this past Easter Sunday, you took someone to church who doesn't know Christ. You were praying for that one to receive Christ - but there was no response. What do you do? Throw in the towel and say, "Well, that didn't work." NO! Water the Word of God that was sown with your prayers. God's Word will continue to work on that person long after the service is over.

Pastor Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Woodstock says that you can never really tell from the surface how God is working on a heart. Even though we may get discouraged, thinking that our lost friend or loved one is not interested, God is doing things in them that we can't see.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Although my brother Larry didn't give His life to Christ that night I preached my first sermon, he graciously agreed to listen to my sermons on tape and provide me with helpful critique. As he continued to listen (month after month, year after year), God continued to work. In 2001, my agnostic brother received Christ as Lord and Savior. I had the awesome privilege of baptizing him in June of 2002. WOW! I prayed for Larry's salvation for 20 years - and God faithfully answered those prayers. Just as He promises, His Word did not return void.

As you pray and witness to friends and loved ones, be encouraged! God is working even when you don't see it. It takes time for God to soften a hard heart. Remember, prayer is what God uses to water in the Word. Keep praying and keep letting your light shine before men - "for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary" (Gal. 6:9).

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

 April 30, 2010   

IN GOD WE TRUST?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

When my daughter was in the fourth grade, she went to school without her lunch. She immediately called me to let me know she had forgotten her lunch and needed me to bring it to her. I knew her lunch period did not start until noon. So, at 11:55 a.m., I arrived at her school with lunch in hand.

When she entered the cafeteria, she was a little upset with me. She said, "Dad, why didn't you bring my lunch earlier? I was worrying all morning that you had forgotten." I said, "When is your lunch period?" She said "12:00." I said, "What time is it?" She said, "12:00." I said, "Great, here is your lunch, right on time."

YOU AND I DO THE SAME

What my daughter did to me is just what we do to God. We call on Him in prayer with our needs, and then we worry all day long because He has not yet delivered. We need to remember that God is an on-time God. He gives us what we need when we need it.

To me, it made no sense to bring the lunch early. My daughter had no use for it early. It made perfect sense to bring it to her precisely at the time she needed it. She needed to just trust the fact that her Dad was faithful and had promised to deliver her lunch to her on time.

God has promised to meet all of our needs IF we will simply trust Him. When we worry and fret about tomorrow's needs, we tell God by our actions that we do not believe He is going to keep His promises. Listen, if God is true to His Word (and He is!), we can rest in the fact that "what He has promised, He is also able to perform" (Rom. 4:21).

WORRIED?

What are you worried about today? Something you don't even need just yet? Is it 10:00 a.m. in your life, and you are worried and bothered that the lunch you need at noon has not been delivered yet? Trust God!! Keep looking to Him. As Solomon said, "Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised" (1 Kings 8:56). You can count on the Lord. He will deliver on time to those who simply believe Him and rest in His Word.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

 
GOING UP?


Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you sit still? Do not delay to go, to enter, to possess the land.  Judges 18:9
Last year, Debbie and I were in Augusta, Georgia, for a marriage conference. It was a great weekend as the couples were very receptive and appreciative of the truths we presented. On the flight home, our plane seemed to have a little trouble getting off the ground. We sped down the runway quite a long while. I began to wonder, "Are we ever going up?" Thankfully, we did get off the ground, and we eventually rose to 30,000 feet, high above the clouds.

Have you ever noticed how the Christian life can be like that plane ride? It can seem like you are working hard and doing all the right things, but you never seem to be getting off the ground. Sometimes it is easy to think, "What's the use? This isn't working. God isn't answering my prayers. Nothing is getting better. I might as well quit."

Listen, regardless of how long you have been speeding down the runway of life with no lift-off, IT IS ALWAYS TOO EARLY TO QUIT. Keep doing what is right in God's sight. Keep praying and seeking Him. Keep reading His Word. Keep singing His praises. Keep loving your wife. Keep respecting your husband. Keep training your kids in the way they should go. KEEP TRUSTING JESUS, no matter what!

As you continue to walk humbly with the King, you WILL begin to soar. It just takes time, patience, faithfulness and persistence. Remember, it was persistence that got the snail on the Ark. Your day to rise above is coming, so keep pressing on down the runway of life!

A REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE

Last week, I received this e-mail from a sweet lady who kept speeding down the runway, even though there was no lift-off. Listen to what she experienced.

This year has been an extremely difficult one, and its only April.  My husband and I were all but divorced, having tried "everything" to work things out.  As a last resort we attended your Marriage Retreat in February.  Wonderful!  Although I didn't understand or agree with everything that was said there, something clicked and things made sense to the both of us.

My family and I have attended your services regularly since that weekend.  Recently we were faced with another difficult challenge.  By nature I am a worrier and was consumed with this situation not working out.  As I sat at work one day in tears (again) it dawned on me, "I need to turn this over to God."  So that's what I did.  I prayed about it, and prayed about it, and prayed about it.  Every time I began to worry I told myself "you've already given this to God, let it go."  And it WORKED!  A week later, everything worked out and the situation was resolved.

NOW I'm beginning to understand.  NOW I'm beginning to understand what you were talking about at the retreat, and in our Sunday school, and in your sermons.  NOW I'm beginning to understand what you mean by "Walk with God".  I know I still have a long way to go, but it makes sense now.  And it's WONDERFUL! From the bottom of my heart and my family's, "Thank you!"

That same testimony can be yours. Your lift-off is right around the corner IF, IF, IF you will "keep on keeping on" in Jesus' mighty name.

Love,
:angel:

 
THE NEED OF THE DAY!


But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 


A few years ago, I was going through a rough patch in life. It seemed as if everyone was against me. My main job at that time was trying to keep the 50% of the people who didn't like me away from the 50% who were not sure. (I'm joking of course, but it felt that way.) During those dark days, I would sit down to read my mail and often find anonymous letters full of discouragement. Have you ever been there? Have you ever experienced a host of discouraging voices?

As I was sinking into the pit of despair, a dear friend of mine spoke into my life. He said, "Jeff, quit focusing on those people who are upset at you, and start focusing on the people who love you. So what if you had three people gripe and complain about you this morning. You have over a thousand who are pleased with you and the job you are doing. Focus on them!"

That was GREAT advice. That was an encouraging word. That was a message I needed to hear.

ENCOURAGEMENT

God makes it clear in His Word that we are to encourage one another each and every day. We are to speak wholesome words that edify and build up, not rotten words that discourage and tear down (Ephesians 4:29). Encouragement can make all the difference in the world to someone who is struggling. Mark Twain once said, "One compliment can keep me going for a whole month." WOW! There is power in an encouraging word!

Perhaps you are not much of an encourager. Perhaps you tend to see the negatives and not the positives. Perhaps you are a perfectionist who is never really pleased enough with anything or anyone to voice a word of encouragement. Well, perhaps you need to change! God wants you to start encouraging people. He wants you to start TODAY!

NOTES, CALLS, MEETINGS

How can you obey Hebrews 3:13 today? Why not start with an encouraging note, or e-mail, or text, or phone call to a friend or loved one? Why not go into a work associate's and brag on him/her for a job well done? Why not sit down with your child and brag on his/her good qualities. Why not sit down with your wife and let her know how much you appreciate her for all she does? (Why not say it with flowers?) Why not sit down with your husband and brag on his sacrifice in providing for the family? (Why not say it with lingerie? Man, I hope my wife reads this!)

And while you are at it, start encouraging yourself! Fill your mind with words of faith and victory. Practice Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." You are someone who is special and precious to God. He has great and wonderful plans for you. Believe it and receive it this day! BE ENCOURAGED, in Jesus' name!

Love,

From His Heart

Friday, May 21, 2010   

THE CURE FOR THE BLUES

Do you ever get the blues? Do you ever just feel BLAH, down and a little frustrated with your life? Do you fall into the trap where everything seems so bland, tasteless, monotonous and unexciting?

I think most of us can relate to the blues. Maybe you are in a blue mood right now. Maybe you have gotten knocked down by life and find yourself on the brink of depression (a blue mood gone amuck). What can be done? Is there a cure? YES!

Psalm 104:33-34 gives us the key:

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the Lord.

God doesn't want you to "sing the blues," He wants you to sing the blues AWAY. He wants you to open your mouth in praise to Him. He wants you to get your eyes OFF your depressing problems and ON His matchless presence. No matter how "blue" your situation, God is still the awesome God who loves you and can work miracles on your behalf.

WHY SING PRAISES?

Why is there such great power in singing praise to God? The answer is found in Psalm 22:3 - "But You are holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel."God's wonderful, awesome, life-changing presence begins to fill our "blue" mood when we make the choice to lift our voice in praise.

Perhaps you remember this popular song from a few decades ago.

"When you're up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams,
And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan's manifested schemes,
When you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fear,
Don't let the faith you're standing in seem to disappear.

Praise the Lord, God can work through those who praise Him,
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you,
serve only to remind you,
that they drop powerless behind you when you praise Him."

Will you take some time today to get alone with God and sing to Him? Find a great praise CD, one that gets your focus on the Lord and His greatness and power, and sing those praise songs back to Him. It will do wonders in curing your blues. Remember, your outlook will miraculously change IF, IF, IF, you will direct your uplook to the Lord of glory who conquered death, hell and the grave for you. His name is Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him and sing His praises!!!

Love,

:angel:

Friday, May 28, 2010 

PUTTING ON YOUR SHADES

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

In 1986, a little known musical group called Timbuk3 recorded a hit song titled"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades." It was a "one-hit wonder" that became a favorite of many, especially high school and college graduates. Although originally intended as sarcasm, the catchy lyrics actually gave listeners a sense of hope and great expectation for the future.

Be honest: do you have hope and great expectation for the future? Do you live with a sense that great things are on the horizon for you? Do you keep your shades close by? God wants that for you!

You see, God reveals Himself in the Bible as "the God of hope" (Rom. 15:13). He is the God of good news, new beginnings, and great expectations. He told his ancient people, exiled in Babylon, that their best days were yet to come. Although they had been through rough times because of their sin and rebellion, God still had BIG and wonderful plans for them. He wanted them to get excited about their future.

GETTING EXCITED

As you and I think about our life, our family, our career, and our future, I am convinced that we need to believe God and, by faith, put on our shades. God has promised a bright and glorious future for those who love Him and keep their eyes on Jesus.

Don't let yourself get gloomy, negative, and cynical. Remember, we are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). A negative outlook on life reveals a faithless belief that Jeremiah 29:11 is nothing more than an empty promise from God. It reveals that we foolishly believe the future is black, bleak, and blah. Nothing could be further from the truth. When God gives a promise, you can take it to the bank! It is impossible for Him to lie (Heb. 6:18).

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we should be so EXCITED about today and the days ahead. God has promised good things, not calamity. He has promised a great future, not a grim one - "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).

PUTTING FAITH IN ACTION

No matter what you are facing today - money problems, job problems, marital problems, school problems, health problems, heartache problems, failure problems - will you simply believe God that the best is truly yet to be? If you have sinned and blown it big time, repent and confess your sins to God and let Him bring forgiveness and restoration (1 John 1:9). If you have fallen into the doldrums of despair, let God know that you are going to start believing His promises, regardless of the present circumstances.

The choice is yours: a bright future or a bleak future? Walking by faith or walking by sight? Believing God or believing the devil? I trust you will make the right choice, and you will join me in putting on the shades!

Love,

:angel:

DO YOU SEE WHAT GOD SEES?

"For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Looks can be deceiving"? That statement is so true. You know who "looked" really good, genuine, and godly? Judas Iscariot, the man who eventually betrayed Jesus Christ. He was the most trusted one of the twelve disciples. How do I know that? I know because the other eleven made him the treasurer.

Judas was the poster child for hypocrisy. He was a play actor deluxe. He was a thief and a fraud and a money-grubbing opportunist; but no one could see it. Even when Jesus told the disciples that Judas was the betrayer, they didn't understand (John 13:25-30). Surely Judas, trusted Judas, would NOT betray Jesus. He looked SO GOOD on the outside. Judas fooled everyone, except Jesus.

GOD SEES AND KNOWS

There are lots of people who live like Judas. They look good on the outside, but they are rotten on the inside. They fool everyone into thinking they are godly and altruistic, but their true motives are evil. They "serve God" for gain, recognition, and selfish interests. They fool everyone they meet, everyone except God.

Let me ask you a sobering question: Why do you do the things you do? Do you "serve God" for you or for Him? Is your heart pure? Are your motives right? Is it really all about Jesus and His glory, or is it about you and your glory?

1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us that when Jesus comes back, He "will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God." What will be disclosed on that day in you?

STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT

Let me encourage you as I encourage myself: search your heart. Make sure your motives are pure and right before God. Don't live a lie, thinking nobody really sees your selfishness and pride. God sees it all, and He is the only One who really matters.

One day, you and I will have to stand before Him and give an account of our lives. One day, all that is hidden will come to light. Trust me, it is much better to get things out in the open TODAY so that the Lord can bring healing, purity, and the reality of Christ to your heart before it is too late.

Had Judas heeded this encouragement, his tragic story would have been so different. How about you? How will your story end, in tragedy or triumph? Will you heed the call to deal honestly and soberly with your heart, or will you continue to live a lie? The choice is yours. How will you choose?
Love,

:angel:

ENTHUSIASM ANYONE?

When I was a kid growing up, there was one fitness guru on television. His name was Jack LaLanne. He was amazingly strong for a guy who did all his exercises without weights. He was excited, energetic and fun to watch.

Although Jack's fitness show has long been canceled, Jack is still on TV. Perhaps you have seen his infomercial for The Power Juicer. He argues that his long, healthy life (he is 95 and still going strong) is due in great part to his wonderful diet of fruits and vegetables, conveniently prepared via The Power Juicer.

One statement he made really struck me. The interviewer said, "Jack, you seem so excited about The Power Juicer." Jack's response, "If you found something that changed your life, wouldn't you be enthusiastic about it?" What a great question.

HOW'S YOUR ENTHUSIASM?

Enthusiasm is an interesting word. It comes from two Greek words, en Theos meaning in God.  Enthusiasm is literally "in-God-iasm." So, are you in God?  Is He in you?  Have you been forever touched by His power and grace? Are you going to heaven when you die? If so, does it not stand to reason that you be EXCITED about all that!?

If Jack LaLanne can get jazzed about a juicer, how much more excited and enthusiastic should God's people be who have been saved by His grace and have the Holy Spirit living inside? We ought to be the most enthusiastic people on the planet.

HOW TO GET IT GOING

Norman Vincent Peale said, "Years wrinkle the skin, but a lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." Have you lost your enthusiasm? Is your soul wrinkled today? The time is now to get it back! And how do you do that? By seeking Jesus and focusing on what you have in Him!

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 40:16, "Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'The Lord be magnified!'" God wants you and me to seek Him and to be excited and enthusiastic in the search! He wants us to rejoice in Him, to rejoice in His goodness and His grace.

Take time today to do just that. Tell someone about how good God has been to you. Boast and brag on your Savior who died for you. Let Jesus know how grateful and thankful you are for all He has done for you. Ask Him to change your life each day, to help you act and react like Jesus. He will answer that prayer because He wants you to be like Him.

Love,

:angel:

Friday, June 18, 2010   

LOOKING UP?

When I was a kid, my older brother let me ride his mini-bike. He gave me a quick course on how to operate the bike: how to let out the clutch and give it gas at the same time, how to break and how to steer. He strapped on my helmet, and told me to give it a shot. Fearful and nervous, I mistakenly had my eyes fixed on the front tire, and, as a result, I proceeded to crash into the wall. UGH! In all my brother's instructions, he did not mention where to focus. He took it for granted I would be looking up, not down.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FOCUS

In the Christian life, focus is everything. Hebrews 12:1-2 exhorts us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." The only way to run the race successfully is to FIX your eyes on the Lord and keep them there.

Peter was the only disciple who walked on water. By faith he got out of the boat and took a few steps on the stormy Sea of Galilee. No doubt, it was exhilarating and wonderful. He would have been able to take quite a stroll except for this one problem: "But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and started to sink" (Matthew 14:30). Question: Why the sinking spell? Answer: He took his eyes off Jesus.

Where are your eyes today? Are they focused on your problems, or are they focused on the problem solver, the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you see the strong winds and tumultuous waves of your stormy sea OR do you see Jesus, the loving, all-powerful God who is King over every wave of problem and wind of difficulty.

PRAYING THE RIGHT PRAYER

I love the story in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah are facing a fierce and ruthless army. Judah is grossly outnumbered. Death and destruction seem unavoidable. The situation seems hopeless. In the midst of this stormy sea of enemy invaders, Jehoshaphat prays a great pray of faith in 2 Chronicles 20:12:

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

What do you do when you don't know what to do? What do you do when it looks like your goose is cooked? What do you do when the winds blow and the waves threaten to take you under? YOU FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS AND LEAVE THEM THERE!!!

Jesus is able in any situation. He is the God in whom nothing is impossible. He is the One who miraculously defeated that great army of enemies and turned Jehoshaphat's seemingly hopeless situation into the Hallelujah Chorus. And He can do the same for you!!

Where are you looking today? Look to Jesus!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
:angel:

 
ARE YOU DOING A GREAT WORK?


So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" Nehemiah 6:3


Nehemiah was called by God to go to Jerusalem and lead the people to rebuild the broken down walls of the city. It was an important, God-directed, God-sized task. As such, it incurred the wrath and opposition of the devil as he tried every possible way to derail the project, discourage the builders, and defeat the Lord's plans.

On one occasion, the enemies of God tried to lure Nehemiah away from the rebuilding of the wall by asking for a conference to discuss their differences. They wanted him to take a break from the building and meet them at the plains of Ono. Nehemiah could see through their deception and said, "Oh no," to Ono. He told them he was doing a great work and could not come down to meet them. I love that. He saw that what he was doing - an unglamorous, dirty, backbreaking, sweat-filled, manual labor-type of job - was in reality a great work for God.

IT'S A GREAT WORK

Whatever work God has truly directed you to do, that work, no matter what it may be, is a great work. Maybe it is taking care of babies, or working with students, or teaching children, or leading a Bible study, or helping behind the scenes, or singing in the choir, or playing in the orchestra, or serving as a prayer warrior, or visiting shut-ins, or helping the under-privileged, or just letting your light shine in your daily routine. Any God-directed work is a great work.

Don't let the devil discourage you into thinking what you are doing does not matter. For all you moms who spend countless hours changing diapers, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and receiving little "thanks" for all your hard work, hear this: YOU ARE DOING A GREAT WORK! The devil wants to make you think you are wasting your life by staying home with your kids. NO YOU ARE NOT!! You are doing a great work for God. Jesus said, "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward" (Matt. 10:42).

Be encouraged this day as you seek the Lord on what He wants you to do, and do it with all your might. Building walls around the city of Jerusalem may not sound too spiritual, but it surely was to God. It is what He wanted His people to do for Him. Make it your goal to serve the King each day and do everything for His glory. That kind of heart attitude makes the most mundane of tasks a spiritual experience that honors the Lord Jesus and earns reward in heaven.

PRAYER

Lord, I have been thinking that what I do does not matter. I have been guilty of dividing my life into the secular and the sacred. I realize now that it is all sacred to You. Everything I do can be a spiritual experience if I do it for Your glory - "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). I choose to do all to the glory of God. What a privilege to serve You, Jesus. I am reporting for duty.


Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

Friday, July 2, 2010   

THE SILVER BULLET TO SEXUAL PURITY

Years ago, I was playing racquetball with a college friend in Gregory Gym at UT Austin. An attractive girl in shorts was watching us from above. My friend and I couldn't help but notice her. About halfway through the game, he said to me, "I am not so sure that keeping my mind on things above is a good course of action right now." We had a big laugh together.

That true story illustrates the struggle so many of us (guys especially) have with the pull of lust, impure thoughts and impure actions. I talk to people every week who seem to be able to walk in victory in other sin areas, but victory over lust and sexual temptation is a much tougher battle. Is there a silver bullet out there that can help us overcome this great temptation?

THE RETURN OF THE LORD

Did you know that the Lord wants us to live EVERY DAY as if this is the day Jesus returns for His bride? Adrian Rogers used to say, "We ought to live as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tonight." If you and I keep the death, burial, resurrection and return of Christ close to your heart, it causes us to live life differently, and it gives extra power in saying no to the strongest of temptations.

In 1 John 3:2-3, we read these words: "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Surely if you and I really believed that Jesus would return at any moment, we would have the fear of the Lord in spades and would be able to follow Joseph's example. When that man of God was tempted with sexual sin, he got himself out of there. He just saturated the place with his absence (see Genesis 39:12). He remained pure and true to God.

Will you fix your hope on Christ's imminent return? The Bible promises that this will help keep you pure. John says, "And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming" (1 John 2:28). May you and I have great confidence when the Lord returns, knowing that we have been abiding in Him and obeying His commands.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
:angel:

HOW MUCH MORE!

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

One day I was recently flipping channels on the TV and came across the movie titled, Radio. It is a heartwarming, true story of a head football coach who befriends a man with special needs and makes him part of the football team. In one scene, Radio is eating at a diner with Coach Jones. At the end of the meal, Coach Jones asks about dessert. The waitress says, "We have peach cobbler and blackberry cobbler." Coach Jones says, "What will it be, Radio, peach or blackberry?" Radio answered boldly, "Both!" Coach Jones smiled and bought him both!

I think that far too many Christians fail to see that God is a God who likes to load us down with blessings. He is not the God of barely enough; He is the God of more than enough. He is the God of "both" and "how much more." He is the God who delights "to do exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). What an awesome, wonderful God we serve.

DON'T LEAVE BLESSINGS ON THE TABLE

I had someone e-mail me some time ago. In the e-mail, this person was lamenting her lot in life. I remember her forlornly saying, "I don't ask God for much, so I would think he would answer my little prayer." I wrote her back and said, "That is your problem. Your prayers lack faith. You need to start asking God for MUCH!"

One of my favorite poems says this:

You are coming to a King,
Large petitions with you bring,
For His grace and power are such,
No one can ever ask too much.

Remember this: God likes it when we believe Him for BIG things. He likes it when we pray God-sized prayers and trust Him for God-sized miracles. That shows God we think He is able. That shows God we believe He is indeed a good God who delights to give even more than what we ask, just like His Word tells us.

What do you need today from the King of all kings? What miracle do you need from the God in whom nothing is impossible? Ask Him for the full amount of the need, and then some. The King wants to give you diamonds, not dimes. He wants you to abound in miracles as you trust Him for big things each day. Do you believe that? If not, reread Mathew 7:11, "How much more shall your Father in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

July 16, 2010   

THE KEY TO GREATNESS

When I was twenty-three years old, I obtained my first outside sales job. I went to work for Waste Management, Inc. My job was to sell non-hazardous commercial waste removal contracts to commercial and light industrial businesses. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? In layman's terms, I sold dumpster service. Although far from glamorous, the job was a lot of fun as every business needed what I was selling.

Early on, the company sent me to Dallas for sales training. Our trainer was an energetic, humorous, motivator. His goal was to inspire the sales reps to achieve personal and professional greatness.

DO YOU WANT TO BE GREAT?

Some people get the erroneous idea that a desire for greatness smacks of arrogance and pride. Not so. God wants you to be a person of greatness. He wants you to have great influence and impact on your family, your friends, your co-workers, your profession, your community and your world. God takes no delight in mediocrity. He wants you to shine brightly, not dimly, for Jesus Christ!

But just what is the key to greatness? It is not vaunting yourself and presenting yourself as if you are some kind of "big shot." The key to greatness is found in humility. It is found in "regarding one another as more important than [yourself]" (Philippians 2:3). It is found in becoming "servant of all" (Mark 9:35).

HUMILITY vs. PRIDE

When God lists the seven things He hates, pride is #1 on the list (see Proverbs 6:16-19). God hates pride because pride is rooted in self. Pride says, "It's all about me." No. It's all about Jesus - "Every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11). Simply put, we were created to give glory to the Lord Jesus who is Creator God, Savior God, and Sustainer God (Isaiah 43:7, 1 John 4:14, Colossians 1:17).

While God shuns and opposes the proud, He looks to the humble - "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). Humility is that special quality that causes you and me to live life with the wonderful understanding that we are nothing and He is everything. He is the potter, and we are simply the clay. We are totally dependent upon Him and can't make it one second without Him.

If you want to see God do great things in and through you and make you a person of greatness, focus on being soft, yielded clay in the hands of the potter. Focus on His will and His ways, NOT your will and your ways. Focus on serving others and seeing others as more important than yourself.

If you and I will spit on our pride and choose to walk humbly with God, He will lift us up to new heights of influence and impact. We will be amazed, and He will be glorified!

PRAYER

God, it is so easy for me to start living life as if "it's all about me." It is so easy for me to want my will over Your will. Forgive me, God. I do not want to walk in pride; I want to walk in humility. Teach me how to be soft clay in Your hands. I bow my knee, my heart and my life to You, Lord Jesus. Do great things in and through me as I obey You and live for the glory of the King who died and rose again for me.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
:angel:

RED ALERT
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8

As a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's, I watched my share of TV. Few shows were as exciting to me as Star Trek. I thought Captain Kirk was too cool for school. He always seemed to know just what to do and was ready to do battle with the most menacing of aliens.

In Star Trek, if the ship was ever in danger, Captain Kirk would give the command, "RED ALERT! RED ALERT!" Red alert meant that all crew members were to report to their battle stations and be ready for whatever threat might be coming down the pike. Once the "red alert" was sounded, all crew members rose to maximum awareness and precaution.

ARE YOU ON ALERT?

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5 that we are to live "on the alert." We are not to fall asleep at the switch because the enemy is out there and we must be ready. Our enemy is Satan. He is like a roaring, stalking lion who wants to devour you and me. Jesus told us that he comes only "to steal, and kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). He is a formidable foe. We would be very foolish to turn off the alarm and treat him as if he were a non-factor.

While we are to be alert against the devil, we need not fear the devil. He is a formidable foe, but he is also a defeated foe. "Greater is He who is in you [Jesus] than he who is in the world [Jesus]" (1 John 4:4). God has given us all we need to stand firm against the devil and beat him every time.

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

God tells us that the shield of faith extinguishes all the fiery arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). When the devil roars at you: that God does not love you, that your life is going to crash and burn, that things are never going to get better, that God is never going to answer your prayers, that you are never going to break free from your addiction, that you are never going to find the person of your dreams, that you are destined for failure and misery and a black, bleak existence, LIFT UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH.

Speak the truth with conviction and faith: God does love me! God is in control and knows what He is doing! God has a good plan for me! God is for me, not against me! God is going to answer my prayers at the proper time! God is going to provide for my needs. God is going to give the victory!!

When the enemy comes in like a flood, speak the words of young David when he faced off with Goliath and met that giant's mocking challenge with the shield of faith.

"You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands"
(1 Samuel 17:45-47).

David won the battle, and you will too. The devil is no match for King Jesus. Be alert and lift high the shield of faith. Victory is ours in Jesus Christ.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

 July 30, 2010 

WHY ARE MY PRAYERS NOT BEING ANSWERED?

"But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus said to him, 'If You can!' All things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:22-23

Have you ever felt like God was just not answering your prayers? I mean, you pray for peace, you pray for wisdom, you pray for a mate, you pray for a job, you pray for your marriage to get better, you pray for your financial condition to improve and there is no answer from the Lord. UGH! In times of heavenly silence, we think to ourselves, "What gives, God? What is the point of prayer if You don't answer?"

Is there any power in prayer? YES!!! But, often times we miss the key ingredient to prayer - FAITH. I believe that one of the biggest reasons we do not see God do miraculous things in response to our prayers is simply because we do not believe that He will really answer us. The maxim is surely true: "Pray and believe, and you'll receive; pray and doubt, and you'll do without." Be honest ... are you really believing that God is going to answer you?

BELIEVING PRAYERS

In the powerful little book, The Power of Positive Praying, my dear friend, Dr. John Bisagno, tells the story of his five-year-old daughter, Melodye Jan. She asked her daddy if he would build a doll house for her in the back yard. John was busy studying, and he lovingly brushed her off by saying, "Sure, darling." While engrossed in his books, Dr. John saw his little girl carrying her toys and dolls out to a corner of the backyard. When he asked his wife what Melodye was doing, his wife said, "You promised you would build a doll house, and she believes you. She is just getting ready for it."

Dr. John shot up out of his chair and went to work building his daughter a doll house. Why? Because she wanted it? No. Because she deserved it? No. The reason he got to work so quickly is because he had given his word, and she believed him and acted upon it. John said, "When I saw her faith, nothing could keep me from carrying out my word."

WILL YOU START TO BELIEVE GOD?

God wants to answer your prayers. He wants to do great and mighty things in your life. He is a good Father who longs to do "exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). But He will not do, if we will not believe Him. James, the Lord's half-brother, warns us concerning prayer, "But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8).

What is that issue that is heavy on your heart? What is that BIG dream? Bring it to God in prayer. Know that He cares and is able. He is the One who promises to give us the desires of our heart as we delight in Him (Ps. 37:4). If you know you are praying according to His will (1 Jn. 5:14-15), by faith, start moving your "dolls and toys" to the backyard. When you do, you will see God arise and build that "doll house." How do I know? Because He promised!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PRAY

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 

When I was a freshman in college, I was in a discipleship group consisting of six guys, five UT freshman students and our discipleship leader, a godly man in his late 40s. At the end of our weekly meetings, we would always close in prayer with each of us praying. I was nervous when it came time for me to pray. Know why? Because I didn't really know what to say. I was a fairly new Christian and this thing called prayer (especially public prayer) was not easy to do. I ran out of things to pray for after 60 seconds.

Have you ever struggled with prayer? Have you ever bowed your head, bowed your knees, and shot all your prayer bullets in less than a minute or two? Have you ever heard about people praying for hours and secretly wondered how in the world do they do that?

How can you go to the next level in prayer? How can you become a person of prayer who really connects with God and sees Him answer?

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF

In those early days in that discipleship group, I never felt like my prayers were eloquent enough. I somehow got the erroneous idea that to "really" pray, I had to sound like William Shakespeare. It was so freeing to learn that God is not impressed with my eloquence or disappointed in my lack of eloquence. He simply wants to hear me pray humbly and reverently from the heart. He wants me to share openly and honestly with Him. He wants me to tell Him what is going on in my life, what I am struggling with, what I am afraid of, and where I need His help - "Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8).

Remember, God is not watching the clock when we pray. He is not saying, "You know, I would have answered that prayer if you had gone another 45 seconds." Don't get too hung up in the time issue. Talk to God like you would talk to a best friend. That is what He is, "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).

PRAY THE WORD

God loves His Word. If you want to know the will of God, read His Word. The will of God is found in the Word of God. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that we can be confident that God will answer prayers according to His will. So, if you will simply pray Scripture back to God, you can be assured that He will answer that type of prayer.

A good place to go for prayers in the Bible is Psalms. David was known as "a man after God's own heart." He has LOTS of honest, humble, heartfelt prayers in Psalms that you can claim for your own and pray them back to God.

BE ENCOURAGED

My friend, prayer is not given to us to be torturous and a source of guilt and condemnation. It is given by God to connect us to Him. The King over the universe longs to hear from little old you and me. WOW!

The Bible tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The way you do that is to call on God as soon as you wake up in the morning and never hang up the phone. Talk to Him all throughout the day. Share your every trial and every triumph with Him. It makes all the difference in the world and will draw your heart close to the King.

With Prayer,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 

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:angel:

THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Just this week, I talked to a beautiful, Christian woman of the Philippines named Heather. I asked her about her dreams and goals for her life. She said she has two great dreams: to be a majorette (a lighthearted dream), and to be a housewife (a serious dream and desire). Since Heather is 30 years-old, she may never realize the majorette dream, but her desire for a godly husband is surely one that God wants to fulfill.

I asked Heather if she knew Psalm 37:4. She quoted it from memory. Obviously, that verse was one she was claiming as she prayed for God's man for her. Without a doubt, Psalm 37:4 is a great promise, but it is a CONDITIONAL promise. There is something you must do ("delight yourself in the Lord") in order to see God give you the desires of your heart. If you fail to do your part, if you fail to meet the conditions, the promise is null and void. So here is the key question: what exactly does it mean to "delight yourself in the Lord?"

The Hebrew word translated "delight" is anog. It literally means to be soft and pliable. In the PJV (Pastor Jeff Version), Psalm 37:4 reads, "Make yourself soft and pliable in the hands of the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Are you doing your part of Psalm 37:4? Are you making yourself soft and pliable in the skillful hands of the Potter?

POTTERY 101

Some years ago, I was given a pottery lesson by a dear friend and master potter. She showed me the tricks of the trade with regard to working on the wheel. It was GREAT fun. I will never forget one of the key things she told me, "For a skilled potter to be able to make a great piece, the clay has to be soft. If the clay is hard, stubborn, and non-pliable, the best of potters won't be able to make what they truly desire to make."

God is the Potter. You and I are the clay. Our only job as clay is to be soft and pliable in the hands of the Master. Our only job is to be yielded to Him and choose His will over our will.

JESUS IN THE GARDEN

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the cross and the sin of the world being placed on Him, He prayed three times that this cup of suffering, condemnation and judgment might pass from Him. And all three times, He ended His prayer with these words, "Yet not My will, but Thine be done." He chose to trust the will of the Father over anything and everything else. He knew His Father was/is full of love, and His will was/is "good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). He yielded just like soft, pliable clay is supposed to do. And He was GREATLY rewarded for His obedience and faith.

EVALUATION

The other day, I watched again the wonderful movie, Facing The Giants. In that story, the coach and his wife were trying unsuccessfully to have children. Brokenheartedly, the coach asked his wife this penetrating question, "If God never gives us children, will you still love Him?" After honest soul-searching, her answer was YES! As a result, God gave her the desires of her heart, and she got pregnant.

Perhaps you are facing what appears to be the death of your dream. Perhaps the husband/wife you are longing for and praying for does not seem to be anywhere on the radar screen. Will you choose to love God and trust Him EVEN if your dream never materializes? That, my friend, is delighting yourself in the Lord. That gets God's attention. That causes God to fulfill His conditional promise.

Never forget that the Potter loves you and wants what is best for you. Let Him have His way and you will be thrilled and amazed at what is produced on the potter's wheel as He makes something stunningly beautiful of your life.

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

WHEN YOU SIN BIG TIME

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in
lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5

Have you ever committed a BIG, terrible sin and felt so condemned and horrible as a result? I know I have. When we get like this, it seems to take days and even weeks for the painful stench to subside. It is almost as if we are shunned by God until sufficient time has passed for Him to not be totally disgusted with us. But is that really the way God deals with His children? NO!

THE TRUTH

The Lord is not our "condemner," He is our Savior and Friend. He is "good and ready to forgive." He has a heart of love for us, EVEN when we sin HUGE sins that bring terrible devastation. Remember the prodigal had "dissed" his father something fierce. He had wasted his father's money on parties and prostitutes. He ended up in the pig sty of life, needy, broken, sin-stained, and alone. He was filthy inside and out. Yet when he repented and returned to his father, he found his father to be "good and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness." What a beautiful picture of the mercy and grace of God that is available to us when we repent!

WHAT TO DO

Let me encourage you, no matter what terrible sins you have committed, to take those sins to Jesus in humility, brokenness, and true repentance. Believe His Word. He will receive you, and lavish on you complete and total forgiveness and restoration. The consequences of your sin don't magically disappear as a result, but your heart is immediately made right with God. And that is the most important thing.

TWO MOUNTAINS

If you have BIG sins from your past that continually haunt you and bring you down, if you are struggling with guilt, shame and condemnation, go to the right place with those sins. Go to Mount Calvary.

You see, there are two great mountains in Scripture: Sinai in the Old Testament and Calvary in the New. Sinai is the mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments. It is the mountain of Law. The Law was given to show us we are guilty before God. It was given to lead us to Christ and His grace. When you sin as a Christian, do not take your sin to Sinai. At Sinai, you will only find condemnation as the Law cries out, "SINNER!" Take your sin to Calvary, the mountain on which Christ died. At Calvary, you will find mercy, grace, and the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow.

Love,

:angel:

ENDURING OR ENJOYING?

In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

When I was a kid, I remember times when I got sick. My mom would make me take medicine so I could get better. I hated taking medicine. It always tasted so terrible. I wasn't able to swallow pills very well, so every pill had to be chewed up and swallowed, and every liquid had to be choked down amidst gags and minor dry heaves. I endured the medicine so that I could get well.

Did you know that is how some people view the Christian life? They view it as if it were akin to bad medicine that one must take in order to get well. It is definitely not something anyone really likes; it is just a necessary burden and chore. It is something you must endure, not something you could possibly enjoy. Hmmm.

MAN'S CHIEF END

Have you ever read the opening statement of The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1648? Probably not. But it is really good as it sates, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." Did you catch that? We were created to glorify God and enjoy God forever. And forever is supposed to start right now!

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Jesus Christ is the best friend a person could possibly imagine. He loves us no matter what, and He refuses to ever stop. He never leaves us or deserts us in our time of need. He is there as we walk though every dark valley. He listens to us and counsels us in our troubles and trials. He is a God full of love, joy, peace and excitement - and He wants to fill your heart and life with all those wonderful things.

If you have been guilty of enduring religion instead of enjoying salvation, the time is now to change gears. The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to walk with Him. He wants to help you walk in His ways so that you can be blessed and be a blessing to others. The Christian life is not a penalty, it is a privilege! It is an unfathomable, totally undeserved privilege to live everyday in the presence and fellowship of the King of the universe. WOW!

Life is too short to miss out on the great joy that is available to you and me as we take the hand of Jesus and live life with Him. Will you do it?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light with You. Help me to see how much You love me and how much You want to empower me to rise above my difficult circumstances. Help me to see You as You really are, "a friend of sinners" and "a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Help me to jettison my burdensome religion (with its long list of rules and regulations) and start enjoying a wonderful salvation and relationship with the Savior. Thank You, Lord, that the chief end of man is to glorify You and enjoy You forever. I choose to start today! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

THE TRAGEDY OF UNCASHED CHECKS

For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also
by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20


When I was a kid, I did not really understand how a check worked. I just viewed it as cash, and I would keep it in my drawer until I needed it. Someone told me one day, "Hey Jeff, that is not a wise move. That check is not good indefinitely. You need to cash it while the cashing is still good."

Have you ever held on to a check too long only to discover it was no longer good? That is an unpleasant experience. When that happens, I want to put on the dunce cap and sit in the corner. UGH! How could I have been so lazy and so foolish?

GOD'S CHECKS

Have you ever stopped to realize this truth: "the Bible is a giant checkbook of promises"? God has made us a ton of promises. And, according to 2 Corinthians 1:20, Jesus has signed every single one of them. His sacrifice on the cross validated all the promises of God that have been given to us. But why do so many of God's promises go uncashed?

Do God's promises go uncashed because He does not have the means to pay and sufficiently cover His promises? Certainly not! God's promises so often go uncashed in our lives because you and I fail to take those checks to heaven's bank and cash them!

WHERE IS YOUR AMEN?

Look at that verse again in 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." The way you cash God's promise checks is by endorsing the back of the check with your AMEN... with your "let it be so."

We cash the promise checks when we say to God, "Lord Your word has promised me peace in the midst of my storm (Philippians 4:6-7), and I am here to cash that promise. I say, 'Let it be so' in my life, just as You have promised me.'" My friend, God LOVES it when we believe Him enough to endorse His promises and take them to heaven's bank for cashing.

FINDING PROMISES

Let me encourage you as I encourage myself, take time every day to read God's Word and claim His promises for your life. Remember the words of Peter on the day of Pentecost, "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself" (Acts 2:39). Claiming promises is simply another way of saying you choose to walk by faith and not by sight. And walking by faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Why not start TODAY?

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171


:angel:

Friday, September 10, 2010   

WHAT'S IN YOUR HAND?

And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
Exodus 4:2


Let me ask you a question: What are you good at doing? What talent and ability do you possess? Perhaps you are good at singing, or speaking, or teaching, or organizing, or working with your hands, or drawing/painting, or playing sports, or putting together business deals, or playing an instrument. Everyone is good at something. What is that something for you?

MOSES

Do you know what Moses was good at doing? He was good at being a shepherd. He was a shepherd in Midian for 40 years. When God met him at the burning bush and commissioned him to deliver Israel from Pharaoh, Moses felt VERY ill-equipped for the task and argued with God that He had the wrong guy. And God did something strange with Moses. He asked him, "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus 4:2).

In Moses' hand was his shepherd's staff. That staff represented Moses' career, his livelihood, his ABILITY. And God said to him, "Throw it on the ground" (Exodus 4:3).

When Moses threw it on the ground, the staff became a snake. Moses had no idea there was a snake in his staff. Moses was afraid and ran from the snake. Then God told him to pick up the snake by the tail, and the snake became a staff again. No longer was the staff the "rod of Moses," it was now the "rod of God." It was now ready to be used not to lead sheep, but to lead God's people—about two million strong. Moses staff had been transformed, and it was going to be used for great things!

Moses stretched out the "rod of God" and the Red Sea parted (Exodus 14). Moses lifted up the "rod of God" and the Israelites won the battle against Amalek (Exodus 17). A wonderful transformation took place in Moses' ability because he was willing to obey God and "throw it [his staff] on the ground" before the Lord.

THROW IT DOWN

Did you know that what you are naturally good at doing, what you are ABLE to do by your strength, ingenuity and talent is just like Moses' staff? Your "ability" has a snake in it. And until your "ability" is thrown down and yielded to the Lord, it can never be used for His glory.

What is in your hand? Will you throw it down before the Lord? Will you freely and willingly give that ability over to God so He can remove the serpent from it, anoint it, and use it for greater things than you could possibly imagine?

God is asking you to throw it down. What is your answer to Him?

PRAYER

Lord, You have given me an aptitude and an ability for ___________________. 
It is what I am good at doing. I want to yield that ability to You. I freely and willingly throw it down before your feet. It is no longer mine; it is Yours. Please take the snake out of it so I can truly serve for Your glory and not for my glory. I look with expectation and excitement for what You are going to do in me and through me, Lord, for You are the God who does "exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). And I claim that abundance in Jesus' name!

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

:angel:

ARE YOU GIVING YOUR BEST?


Anyone who knows me knows I love Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion. I think one of the reasons I love the Rocky character so much is because he was a fighter with limited ability but tons of heart. He fought with all that he had, and then some.

When the unheralded Rocky Balboa first fought Apollo Creed, no one took the fight seriously. It was supposed to be a cake walk for Apollo, the skilled, polished, undisputed champion of the world. But the cake walk turned into a 15-round battle for survival that Apollo barely won by a split decision. As a result of the fight, both men ended up in the same hospital, battered and bruised. In one special hospital scene, Rocky wheels himself into Apollo's room and asks him this penetrating question, "Apollo, did you give me your best?" Going the distance with the champ only meant something to Rocky if he knew Apollo had truly given his best.

GOD'S BEEF WITH HIS PEOPLE

In the book of Malachi, God was very displeased with His people. Do you know why? It was because they were not giving their best. They were coming before the Lord with their scraps and the leftovers of their lives. They were offering mangy, crippled, flee-infested lambs as offerings and keeping the good lambs for themselves. They were giving far, far less than their best. Hear what God thinks of less than your best, leftover worship:

"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should He show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD of Heaven's Armies. —Malachi 1:8-9, NLT

ARE YOU GUILTY OF THE SAME?

Be honest. What are you giving to God—the best of your time, talent and treasure, or something far less? Jesus said, "Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [food, clothing, and the necessities of life] will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Are you really seeking Him first? Or are you putting your job, your money, your recreation, your family, your friends, your TV shows, and even your Facebook page ahead of Him?

To the people of Malachi's day who were giving God the mangy, crippled lambs, He reminded them that He was a great King who should be feared, revered and respected to the highest degree (Malachi 1:14). To the people of our day giving God the scraps of their lives, God says, "I see what you are doing. I see into your heart and know you are giving Me your leftovers. You desperately need to get a fresh glimpse of who I am before it is too late."

Take some time today to read Isaiah 41 and let your mind consider the unfathomable greatness of God. He spoke the world into existence! Universes drip from His fingertips! What an awesome privilege we have to know Him, worship Him, and call upon His name. Let us never offer to God anything less than our very best, for He alone is worthy.


Love,

:angel:

 
PEACE IN THE STORM

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

The other day, I had the great privilege of meeting with a very special lady and her wonderful husband. Linda has been battling breast cancer for the last few months. She has experienced all the fear that naturally accompanies being told the terrible news, "You have cancer." But Linda did not remain fearful for long.

Soon after getting this devastating news, Linda and her husband took their burden to the Lord. They told Him it was too great for them to carry. They cried out to Him for mercy, grace, and healing. They cast the burden of this breast cancer at His feet. Since that day, they have had tremendous peace in the midst of the storm.

The Secret to Experiencing Peace in the Storm

Why is it that Linda and her husband are experiencing such tremendous peace and other people facing heavy burdens are not? What is the secret to experiencing peace in the midst of a great storm?

Cast your burden on the Lord and LEAVE IT with Him. While many people know about casting their burden on the Lord, few really do it for very long. Our tendency is to pray about a problem... give it to the Lord, so to speak... and then take it back as soon as we say, "Amen." We let the Lord see our burden, but our tendency is to never really leave it with Him. That formula never produces peace.

My Taxes

I used to do all my own personal accounting. When tax time rolled around, I was busy gathering receipts and checking facts and figures. It was a stressful time making sure all was done correctly. It was my burden and my responsibility. When I acquired the services of a skilled, trustworthy CPA, however, the burden of correctly filling out my tax returns was transferred from my shoulders to her shoulders. No longer was I sweating due dates, checking and rechecking figures. I was enjoying life, leaving the burden of the tax forms to her. What a freeing experience!

Now it would be really foolish for me to hire Debra, my CPA, to do my taxes... and then go to her office each day to work on them too. She knows LOTS more than I do about taxes... and she is honest as the day is long and sharp as a tack. The wise, peace-producing move is to let her do her job.

God knows LOTS more about burdens than we do. He has all power and all authority. The wise move is to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there with Him. He can be trusted with the worst of situations.

But I am so Worried!

How can you tell if you have picked your burden back up again? It is easy. If you are worried and bothered over your burden, you have taken it back. Once you cast it on the Lord, it is His problem, His worry, not yours. The moment worry and fear creep in, recognize what you have done - reclaimed the burden - and pray immediately, giving it all back to Jesus.

If you and I are going to experience the Lord's great peace, we need to learn to cast our heavy burdens on Him and leave them at His feet. We were not made to carry heavy burdens. That is His job. Will you let Him do His job?

Love,

:angel:

WHAT EVERY CHILD NEEDS

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"
Matthew 17:5


Have you ever met a parent who was not a good parent? Sure. We all have. But have you ever met a parent whose ambition and goal was to be a bad parent and hurt his or her child? I don't think so. I believe every parent wants to do a good job and raise sweet, respectful, well-adjusted, productive, successful, happy children. Tragically, so many of us fail to see the desired results in this crazy little thing called parenting.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

While there are tons of books written on the subject of parenting, let me share with you a simple but profound insight I learned a couple of years ago at Men's Fraternity. If you want to be a good parent, do what God the Father did with His Son, the Lord Jesus. He said three things that are so important for a parent to say... so important for a child to hear.


1. I love you! ("This is My beloved Son...") Let your sons and daughters know that you love them! Let them hear those three words - I LOVE YOU - come out of your mouth often. And follow up those words with actions that prove your love.


2. I am proud of you! ("...with whom I am well-pleased.") Let your kids know you are proud of them. Let them hear those exact words from your lips. I tell my three girls regularly that I love them and am so proud of them. They never tire of hearing that from their daddy. And being proud of your kids has nothing to do with performance. The Father told Jesus He was proud of Him at His baptism ... even before Jesus preached His first sermon or performed His first miracle.


3. I think you are good at __________________. ("Listen to Him!") Listen to My Son because He is good and has a message you desperately need to hear. Your kids long to know you think they are good at something. They long to hear you brag on their schoolwork, their artwork, their athletic ability, their drama skills, their singing, their writing, their whatever. Don't go to their games/events and tell them how good so-and-so is. Tell them how good they are! It makes all the difference in the world.

Dr. Dobson said it best: "Parenting isn't for cowards." Parenting is hard, tiring, often thankless, often discouraging work. We can easily wonder if we are doing anything right at all.

I promise you, if you will do the three things the Father did with Jesus, you will make an impact on your child that will last a lifetime. Even if your kids are grown and gone... it is never too late to tell them, "I love you, I am proud of you, and you are so good!"

Love,
:angel:

Friday, October 8, 2010 

THE REFINER'S FIRE

While And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Malachi 3:3

I remember when Debbie and I were a young married couple and bought our first backyard grill. It was exciting. I was going to start "grilling out" like other guys did. I was going to be "Chef Jeff," griller extraordinaire... or so I envisioned.

One of my first experiences as "Chef Jeff" was grilling chicken for some friends. It was their first time over to our house for dinner. With virtually no cooking skills to my credit, I mistakenly took the chicken off the fire too soon. Some may like rare steak, but nobody likes rare chicken ... and Salmonella. At the table, my guests politely asked if I could put their chicken back on the grill to cook it a little longer. UGH! I understood, but it was still an "UGH" experience. (I decided to keep my day job and let Emeril get all the cooking glory.)

NEVER TOO SOON AND NEVER TOO LATE

Did you know the Lord puts His children on the grill, so to speak? He leads us into fiery trials. He puts us in the furnace of affliction, into the smelting pot of refinement. It is really hot and unpleasant in the fire. No one likes fiery trials ... but everyone needs them in order to be made more like Jesus.

Malachi 3:3 reminds us that the Lord "sits as a smelter and purifier of silver." In His infinite love, God watches over us as we are going through the flames of the refining process. He is using our fiery trials to purge the impurities and remove the dross of sin and selfishness from our lives.

Perhaps you feel as if God has forgotten you in the fire. Perhaps you feel as if He has gotten busy with other things and has left you to languish. Perhaps you feel as if the chicken was done a long time ago. Listen, my friend ... God watches you in the refining pot. He never sleeps or slumbers because He never takes His eyes off His children.

He is a master refiner, a master chef. He knows what He is doing in your life and mine. He has a purpose in every trial. He never takes us out too early, like I did with those chicken breasts, and He never leaves us in too long. Regardless of what we face, we can rest assured that our loving refiner is watching and will be faithful to do what is best for us.

SEE HIS REFLECTION

How does the refiner know when the process is completed? It is completed when all the dross is removed, and the refiner can see His own reflection in the precious metal.

God is working on you and me so that people can see Jesus in us. John the Baptist put it this way, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Trust God in the fire. He is working every trial together for our good and His glory.

Love,

:angel:

Friday, October 15, 2010 

DOWN IN THE DUMPS

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.  Psalm 42:5

When I was about six-years-old, I saw a city dump for the very first time. I was blown away by all the piles of trash, debris, and food garbage concentrated in one place. As we got out of the car to look around, my dad told me to watch out for rats. Yikes! I was glad when we left that place. It seemed depressing, even to a six-year-old.

WHERE ARE YOU LIVING THESE DAYS?

Can you imagine having to live at the city dump? Can you imagine spending the night with the garbage and the flies and the rats and the roaches? YUK! No one wants to live at the dump.

But the truth is this: a good number of you reading this e-mail are living in an emotional dump right now. Life has hit you between the eyes. You feel so overwhelmed, misunderstood, used, abused, and forgotten. You are filled with depression, discouragement and dread. You believe things are really terrible in your life, and you feel as if you are never going to experience better days. You have trouble seeing the bright side of anything. Every time you look out on the horizon, all you see is more trash.

TIME TO MOVE OUT

I know a lot about the emotional dump. I have spent more time there than I would like to admit. (In fact, I was just there for a good part of Wednesday morning!) When I get down, sing the blues and have a pity party, the Lord always reminds me of my problem. You see, dump dwellers tend to look out - and just see more trash, more depressing circumstances. What they need to do is LOOK UP and get their eyes on the Lord!

The psalmist in Psalm 42 had a strong talk with his depressed soul. He grabbed his soul by the scruff of the neck and said, "Listen here, soul. I am not going to keep despairing. I am not going to keep looking out. I am going to start looking up and put my hope in God!"

God is the One who can calm the raging storm. God is the One who can turn things around with a word. God is the One who can make a way where there seems to be no way. God is the One who can heal the sick, raise the dead, and make an immediate difference no matter how bleak the circumstances. Put your hope in Him, and praise Him for His presence in your life!

Moving today can be today for you if you will get your eyes off your problems and onto the problem-solver. The song says it best, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Love,

:angel:

Friday, October 22, 2010   

DON'T DESPAIR

Why are you in despair, O my soul?  Psalm 42:11

My favorite Old Testament person is David. He was such a special guy. He was the only man in the Bible to have been given the wonderful moniker of "a man after God's heart." I love David's faith and passion for the Lord as evidenced when he faced off with the blaspheming giant, Goliath of Gath, and defeated him with a sling shot and a stick. I love his tenderness and grace as he dealt so lovingly with Jonathan's crippled son, Mephibosheth. And I love his honesty as he shares the struggles of his life in vivid detail throughout the book of Psalms.

Even in the midst of great discouragement, in the midst of enemies all around him, in the midst of King Saul trying his best to kill him, David clung to the promises of God. He knew he had been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel. Although at times that promise must have seemed more like a pipe dream, David held to it despite all the obstacles before him.

As far as I am concerned, Psalm 27:13-14 are two of the most encouraging verses in the Bible as David says, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." David believed he would see the goodness of God in his lifetime. He believed he would see the great promises of God fulfilled in his days. AND HE DID!

BELIEVE AND WAIT

What are you and I to do when we face discouraging circumstances? What are we to do when everything inside of us says, "Things are terrible and not going to get better - just DESPAIR!"? Take hold of God's promises and wait on Him to come through. Take courage in the fact that God sees where you are, He knows what you are going through, and He cares for your soul. He has a wonderful plan for all those who will trust in Him and go His way.

AND REMEMBER THIS

God is always working behind the scenes. Even when you think He is asleep in the boat, the truth is He is working in ways you cannot see and do not know. Instead of speaking and praying words of doubt, unbelief and despair, start speaking and praying words of faith. Pray this type of prayer:

"God, even though I cannot see You doing anything in my dark situation, I know by faith that You are working on my behalf. I am one day closer to seeing a major breakthrough in these great problems of mine. I praise You that I AM going to see Your goodness manifest itself in my life before too long. I choose to wait on You; and I take courage in Your matchless presence and wonderful promises!"

You are NOT going to live permanently in the valley of the shadow of death. You are coming out of that valley one day soon - perhaps today! Believe it, receive it and begin now to make your celebration plans. Good things always come to those who faithfully wait on the Lord.

Love,

:angel:

DON'T DESPAIR

Why are you in despair, O my soul?  Psalm 42:11

My favorite Old Testament person is David. He was such a special guy. He was the only man in the Bible to have been given the wonderful moniker of "a man after God's heart." I love David's faith and passion for the Lord as evidenced when he faced off with the blaspheming giant, Goliath of Gath, and defeated him with a sling shot and a stick. I love his tenderness and grace as he dealt so lovingly with Jonathan's crippled son, Mephibosheth. And I love his honesty as he shares the struggles of his life in vivid detail throughout the book of Psalms.

Even in the midst of great discouragement, in the midst of enemies all around him, in the midst of King Saul trying his best to kill him, David clung to the promises of God. He knew he had been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel. Although at times that promise must have seemed more like a pipe dream, David held to it despite all the obstacles before him.

As far as I am concerned, Psalm 27:13-14 are two of the most encouraging verses in the Bible as David says, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." David believed he would see the goodness of God in his lifetime. He believed he would see the great promises of God fulfilled in his days. AND HE DID!

BELIEVE AND WAIT

What are you and I to do when we face discouraging circumstances? What are we to do when everything inside of us says, "Things are terrible and not going to get better - just DESPAIR!"? Take hold of God's promises and wait on Him to come through. Take courage in the fact that God sees where you are, He knows what you are going through, and He cares for your soul. He has a wonderful plan for all those who will trust in Him and go His way.

AND REMEMBER THIS

God is always working behind the scenes. Even when you think He is asleep in the boat, the truth is He is working in ways you cannot see and do not know. Instead of speaking and praying words of doubt, unbelief and despair, start speaking and praying words of faith. Pray this type of prayer:

"God, even though I cannot see You doing anything in my dark situation, I know by faith that You are working on my behalf. I am one day closer to seeing a major breakthrough in these great problems of mine. I praise You that I AM going to see Your goodness manifest itself in my life before too long. I choose to wait on You; and I take courage in Your matchless presence and wonderful promises!"

You are NOT going to live permanently in the valley of the shadow of death. You are coming out of that valley one day soon - perhaps today! Believe it, receive it and begin now to make your celebration plans. Good things always come to those who faithfully wait on the Lord.

Love,

:angel:

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today."
Exodus 14:13

Have you ever been between a rock and a hard place? That place is not where we like to be. That place feels like a no-win kind of place.

When I was called into the ministry, my wife Debbie did NOT want that for us. Her dad was a pastor. She had grown up in that "fish bowl" environment. She had experienced her dad always being gone because church matters and church members took him away from home so many nights each week. She said, "Jeff, I never would have married you had I thought you would go into the ministry. I do not want this for my children and me. You don't know what it is really like, but I do."

She continued, "Jeff, you have put me in a no-win situation. I am damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I try to keep you from doing what God wants you to do, you will be miserable, and I will, therefore, be miserable. And if I go with you into the ministry, I will once again be miserable because you will always be gone and our girls will grow up like I did." Debbie felt like she was between a rock and a hard place. Can you relate to that feeling?

GOD LIKES THAT PLACE

While we do not like being between a rock and a hard place, God likes it when we get there. In fact, He often leads us there in order to do His greatest work in our lives.

When God brought His ancient people out of Egypt, He led them to the shores of the Red Sea. Pharaoh had let them go as a result of all the plagues, but because of his pride and hard heart, he went back on his decision and came after Israel with a vengeance.

Here was the picture: God's people had the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh and his armies behind them. They could not go forward, and they could not go back. They were between a rock and a hard place. Death and destruction seemed certain. They cried out in fear, despair and complete faithlessness. No doubt, as Pharaoh witnessed this event, he said with a chuckle, "Moses' God is not much of a general. He has led His people to a dead-end." Oh really, great Pharaoh?

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD'S GREATEST MIRACLE

Pharaoh did not realize that Moses' God could part the sea. The people of God did not believe that was possible either. But God told Moses to stretch out his staff over the sea and have the people go forward. As God's people stepped out in faith, the sea was parted. The rock was split, so to speak. God did His greatest Old Testament miracle in the midst of the worst of circumstances, in the very place where it seemed they could not win.

Are you between a rock and a hard place today? Is the Red Sea in front of you and the creditors behind you? Are you crying out in fear, despair and faithlessness?

TRUST GOD, OBEY GOD AND GO FORWARD. HE HAS THE POWER TO PART YOUR RED SEA! Your rock and a hard place experience is nothing more than God's perfect spot for a great miracle. Praise Him for the difficult circumstances you find yourself in today. And trust Him, no matter how dark, how bleak, how black, or how hopeless. There is nothing too difficult for God.

THE REST OF OUR STORY

Do you know what my wife did? She prayed about my call into the ministry. She sought the Lord and shared her heart and reluctance and frustration with Him. And God spoke to her about it and changed her heart. She was not gung-ho, but she was willing. And she willingly joined me in stepping out of the boat to walk on the water with Jesus.

Has it been easy? No. But it has been so worth it! Debbie and I praise God on a consistent basis that He placed a special call on our lives. We are so thankful we went forward in faith, and did not shrink back in unbelief and bitterness. We have seen God show up and show out in numerous Red Sea experiences. We know firsthand that He is able, no matter what!

Love,

:angel:

November 12, 2010   

PULLING OUT THE BIG GUNS

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4


I have a friend of mine who loves to hunt. He goes to Africa quite often to hunt big game. He has a powerful rifle, Nitro Express, that cost him a small fortune. Talk about a big gun - WOW! The bullets it shoots are huge. That gun can do some damage and stop a charging elephant in his tracks. You have to have a big gun when facing big game. Otherwise, you are dead meat.


BIG GUNS

Does God equip His people with big guns? Are do we simply face every battle with a slingshot and a stick, as David did with Goliath?

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. We have BIG GUNS to fire at the enemy, but they are not the guns of this world.

PAUL AND SILAS USED BIG GUNS

Paul and Silas were in Philippi doing the will of God: exposing the deeds of darkness and preaching the Word of God without apology or compromise. In so doing, they faced serious opposition as the devil incited the people to come against them in a big way. Paul and Silas ended up beaten, bloodied, and imprisoned with their feet in the stocks (see Acts 16).

The devil, that fierce, roaring lion, seemed to have them in his grasp. They were down and out in Philippi. Or were they? At midnight, in the midst of great physical and emotional pain and demonically inspired adversity, Paul and Silas resisted the urge to gripe, complain, doubt and despair. Instead, they pulled out the big guns.

"But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25)

Now I can see praying in that situation, but singing hymns of praise to God? WOW! That praise said to God, "No matter what, Lord, we know You are in control of this situation. We trust You, love You, and exalt Your name in the midst of our suffering because You alone are worthy."

BOOM! In response to their prayer and praise, God sent an earthquake that shook the house. God brought about a jailhouse rock! Lives were touched and changed for all eternity as the jailer and his whole household received Christ as Savior and Lord. Great rejoicing took place that night. And it all started because the big guns of prayer, praise, and faith were unleashed in that prison.

IN YOUR LIFE

My friend, do you find yourself in trouble today? Are you failing miserably? Is the devil charging at you full force? Are you afraid and don't know what to do? Have you been doing the will of God only to experience suffering and hardship because of it? Are you ready to throw in the towel and follow the terrible advice of Job's heartbroken wife who said to Job, "Curse God and die!"?

It's time to pull out the big guns! It is time to start praying, praising, and believing God. Your "jailhouse rock" is coming. Don't give up! Don't despair! Don't quit! There is great power in prayer and praise. Satan hates it when we pray, and he can't handle the praise and faith.

The big guns are at your disposal. They are the weapons of our warfare. They tear down strongholds and put the devil to flight. Will you employ the big guns today?

Love,

:angel:

November 19, 2010   

WHY DOES IT SEEM SO HARD TO HEAR GOD?

And behold, the LORD was passing by! But the LORD was not in the wind. But the LORD was not in the earthquake. But the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, the sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:11-12


The great prophet, Elijah, was fleeing for his life. Wicked Queen Jezebel had vowed to kill him. Elijah fled to the mountain of God called Mount Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai where Moses received the ten commandments). Elijah was so depressed and fearful that he prayed for death. He desperately needed God to reveal Himself to him and speak to him. And God did, but in a strange way.

God brought a great rushing wind that broke the rocks apart, but God was not in that ear- piercing wind. Then God brought a mighty earthquake that violently shook the mountain, but He was not in that either. Then He brought a blazing, roaring fire. But God was not in any of the BIG, NOISY displays of power. God was in the gentle blowing, in that still small voice.

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?

Does God shout at His children? Does He speak in thunder clap tones that shake us to the core? He surely can speak loudly like that if He desires, but the truth of the matter is He rarely chooses that method. God's primary way to speak to us is in a soft-toned whisper. Why is that?

Think about it for a moment. If I speak to you in a whisper, you have got to do two things in order to hear me:

1. GET QUIET - God speaks in a whisper so we would get quiet before Him. He wants us to turn off all the outside noise and distracting sounds so that we can give Him our focused and undivided attention. Young Samuel got quiet before the Lord and prayed, "Speak LORD, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9). Are YOU listening today?

2. GET CLOSE - God speaks in a whisper so we would draw near to Him. More than anything, that is what God wants from us. He wants us to get close to Him, close to His heart. The Apostle John had such a close relationship with Jesus that he literally laid his head on Jesus' heart at the last supper. When you and I are that close to Jesus, we can hear every whisper that falls from His lips. How close are YOU to Jesus today?

THE CHALLENGE

Will you take time today to get quiet and get close? God wants to reveal Himself to you. He wants to speak to your heart. He invites you into His open arms. The promise is clear, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).

The ball is in your court. The King of the universe, the God in whom nothing is impossible, stands ready to lovingly guide, counsel and empower you. What is your answer to Him?

Love,

:angel:

November 26, 2010   

CONSIDER IT ALL... WHAT!?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3


Debbie and I get off the plane in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. We are scheduled to lead a three-day marriage conference at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in King of Prussia, PA. As we gather up the luggage, we have two carry on bags and three checked bags, we venture outside to catch our ride. It takes us about forty-five minutes to get to the hotel. As we unload the bags for hotel check in, I notice something very disturbing: my carry on bag is not in the van. My carry on bag has my laptop, my ipod, my cell phone charger, and ALL MY SPEAKING NOTES FOR THE CONFERENCE!



Panic set in as I thought, what am I going to do!? My friend and I drove back to the airport, hoping and praying that someone found my bag and turned it in to Lost and Found. To my chagrin, Lost and Found had not seen the bag. In so many words, they told me the bag was probably long gone. Nevertheless, I left them my name and Debbie's cell number - my cell phone was almost out of battery power, and I had no way to recharge it.

As I walked through baggage claim one last time, hoping I would see the bag against a wall somewhere, I said, "God, I thank you that my bag is gone. I thank you that it contained my computer AND ALL MY NOTES [I needed to make sure the Lord knew that]. You told me to consider it all joy, and by faith, I choose to do that. Use this for good somehow. Please convict the person who took my bag and have them return it to me. In Jesus' name. Amen."

I went back to the hotel facing an immense amount of work as I would have to recreate a weekend's worth of talks. Whenever I started to get angry or overwhelmed with the situation, I chose to keep thanking God for this trial. We called some friends and asked them to pray for the bag to be returned.

At dinner, Debbie said to me, "Jeff, I am so proud of the way you are handling this. If I had lost all my notes, I would have to be on medication." Within a few moments of that humorous comment, her cell phone rang. It was a strange area code. The lady on the other end of the line asked for Jeff Schreve. Lo and behold, she had my bag! Debbie and I were ecstatic. She was so sorry for accidentally taking it - somehow it got mixed up with their bags - and drove it over to my hotel within the hour.

Tears came to my eyes as I thought how good the Lord is to answer prayer and how faithfully He works when we praise Him and thank Him, regardless of the bleak circumstances.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you facing some great trials today? Has an unimagined and unplanned catastrophe struck your life? Do you wonder what to do?

Don't get angry and let the devil use this trial to steal your peace and joy. Make the choice to rejoice and thank God. Consider this a test to help you get stronger in your faith. The worst of situations is the best of times for God to work a powerful miracle. Keep praying and keep praising, it makes all the difference in the world.


Love,

:angel:

 December 3, 2010   

THE BLESSING OF ENCOURAGEMENT

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:1


Have you ever played the arcade game Whack-a-Mole? It is a fun little game in which you take a padded mallet in your hand and whack the moles as they pop up from their holes. You have to be observant and "quick on the whack" to do well at that game.

Did you know a lot of us play Whack-a-Mole with our spouse and our children? We notice every wrong thing that pops up in them, and we quickly whack them for it. We are so adept at seeing the negative. We are so good at beating down those we supposedly love. The sad truth about playing Whack-a-Mole is this: eventually those we love stop popping up; they just give up. Their attitude is understandable as they quietly whisper, "What's the use of trying anymore. It is obvious that there is nothing I can do to please my dad (or my mom or my spouse)."

PUT AWAY THE MALLET

If you have been guilty of playing Whack-a-Mole, the time is now to put away the mallet. Take time TODAY to let your spouse, your children, your loved ones know that you are proud of them. Be observant of what those special people in your life do well and praise them for it. People respond to positive encouragement much better than they do constant correction and criticism. Isn't that true of you? I know it is of me.

What if Jesus played Whack-a-Mole with us? How could we ever make it? We would be beaten into total despair. But Jesus doesn't deal with us that way. He gently and patiently works with us, convicting of us sin while encouraging us with His love and grace. When you fall and fail, He is quick to reach out His hand of forgiveness to pull you out of the ditch of discouragement and get you back on the narrow road with Him. In Psalm 130:3-4, the Psalmist said, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." Aren't you glad of that?

REAL ENCOURAGEMENT FOR REAL LIFE

If you are prone to beat yourself up over faults and failures, if you are prone to discouragement because of the negatives you see in your own life, let me recommend my new book, REAL ENCOURAGEMENT FOR REAL LIFE. I believe this book will be a great help in your relationship with God so you can truly walk by faith and not by sight. Click here for more details.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. May God bless you and yours as you look to Him.

Love,

:angel:

December 10, 2010 

A HOMERUN CHRISTMAS GIFT


I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

3 John 1:4


The Christmas season is here! It is time to pull out the shopping list and find the perfect gifts for those special people in your life.

I remember one of the best Christmas days we ever had as a family. My wife, Debbie, loves gifts. It is one of her love languages. I don't speak that language too well, so communication on that end has not been stellar over the years. But this one Christmas several years ago, I jacked it out of the park.

When Debbie's mom died, Debbie was given all her jewelry. Debbie's mom had redone her wedding ring some years earlier, taken the diamonds out of her original set and placed in another ring. Debbie never liked the new arrangement. She had mentioned a time or two about her desire to restore the original wedding set. So, as a surprise to Debbie, I had the original wedding ring redone. It looked GORGEOUS and had so much sentimental value to her. When she opened the box and saw that ring, she began crying big tears of joy. (Then I started crying, and the girls started crying, but they were good tears.) It was the perfect gift for Debbie. I was so thrilled that I blessed her heart with something so special.

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR JESUS

Wouldn't it be awesome to give Jesus a gift this Christmas that would bring great joy to His heart? Did you know that special gift is out there? It is within reach of every single one of us.

John said, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth" (3 John 1:4). The thing that rejoices the great heart of God is not diamonds or gold (remember that He paves the streets of heaven with gold), but simple obedience to Him. Jesus said, "He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me" (John 14:21). Walking in the truth shows God you really love Him, and that brings Him great joy!

I believe the key to walking in the truth is to walk honestly and humbly before the Lord. God is not looking for sinless perfection from you or me. That is a good thing, since you and I cannot live a life of sinless perfection. What God is looking for is openness and honesty before Him. When we mess up, He wants us to fess up. God hates it when we cover up. He cannot work in a heart that is full of cover up. Proverbs 28:13 tells us, "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."

This Christmas season make it your goal to give to God what He really wants - to see you walking in the truth. Take Him at His Word and start doing what He says. It is a home run gift for God this Christmas and every day following.

Love,

:angel:

December 17, 2010   

DOES GOD HAVE FAVORITES?


The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness.
Psalm 147:11

When I was in school, I always tried to finagle my way into the good graces of the teacher. My thinking was this: A teacher who knows you and likes you is always more apt to give you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to your grade.

In college, I made it a point to develop a relationship with my Calculus Teaching Assistant, Urjit Yanik. (As you may have guessed, Urjit was not from East Texas.) I frequently visited him during office hours to ask him calculus questions and go over homework problems. He knew I was trying hard to grasp all the concepts, equations and formulas. I was one of the few students who took the time to seek his help.

When it came time for the calculus final - a ten question, multiple choice test with every lengthy calculus problem having "none of the above" as a possible answer, UGH! - I cashed in my chips with Urjit. I was up every few minutes asking him questions and getting his reaction on my line of thinking. At one point, he actually came to my seat to let me know, in a roundabout way, that I may want to rethink problem #8 because the answer I had penciled in was not correct.

I ended up getting an "A" in Calculus because I studied hard AND built a relationship with Urjit that made him want to go out of his way to help me succeed. I think it would be safe to say that Urjit showed me favor. I respectfully sought his help throughout the semester, and he graciously helped me, even during the final exam.

DOES GOD DO THAT?

As the verse in Psalm 147:11 clearly states, "The LORD favors those who fear Him." God smiles upon those who continually show up at His doorstep during "office hours." He loves it when we come to Him with our questions and our problems. When He sees that we are serious about knowing Him, honoring Him and doing His will, He pours out His favor upon us. He becomes to us "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

And you know what else? When you really seek God and stand in awe of Him with all your heart, He shares His secrets with you. It's true! "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant" (Psalm 25:14). "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

THE BIG QUESTION?

Will you take advantage of the Lord's invitation to come to Him? Will you go to His office hours for individual tutoring? Or will you do like the vast multitudes that show up at church (like showing up at class), but never bother to take the time to really and truly develop a close, personal relationship with the Teacher?

God wants to pour out His favor on you. He wants to share His secrets with you. Office hours start now. Are you coming?

Love,
Jeff Schreve
Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 

:angel: 

December 24, 2010   

CAN'T NEVER COULD DO ANYTHING

"For by You I can run upon a troop; and by my God I can leap over a wall." Psalm 18:29

Has there ever been a greater movie character than Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion? The answer is NO! Rocky is beloved because he had limited ability but miles and miles of heart. He did what others said couldn't be done.

In Rocky II, Rocky is preparing for his big rematch with Apollo Creed, the heavy weight champion of the world. As he and his trainer, Mickey, watch film from the first fight, Mickey lets him in on a little secret: In order to win, Rocky was going to have to fight Creed as a right handed fighter.

Rocky responded by saying, "Com' on, Mick. I can't do that!" I love Mickey's reply, "What's can't!? There ain't no can'ts!"

IS YOUR ATTITUDE CAN OR CAN'T?

In the Christian life, there ain't no can'ts because nothing is too difficult for God. Yet, so many of us have "can't do" attitudes. We look at the mountains of opposition in our lives and silently say to ourselves, "No way. This can't be moved. This can't be done. I can't succeed." And you know what? When we think like that, we experience defeat. Mountain moving miracles don't take place in "can't do" people.

Peter walked on the water just fine until the fierceness of the wind and waves caused him to take his eyes off Jesus. As he began to whisper to himself, "This can't be done," he started to sink. Everyone knows that "can't do" people can't walk on water. But "can do" people can!

ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH

Jesus said, "Be it done to you according to your faith" (Matthew 9:29). He said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you" (Luke 17:6).

What exactly is faith? Tony Evans said, "Faith is acting like God is telling the truth." I love that definition. God IS telling the truth. You and I CAN see the mountains and trees of opposition leveled before us as we believe God and step out in faith.

You see, faith is not rooted in you. It is rooted in the promises of God and in His power to fulfill His promises. Faith is NOT whipping yourself into a frenzy and mindlessly chanting, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Faith is looking above your circumstances to the promises of God and saying, "I know He can, I know He can, I know He can!"

WHAT IS YOUR "CAN'T DO" SITUATION?

Are you facing a big "can't do" in your life today? Maybe it is financial. Maybe it is physical. Maybe it is in your marriage and family. Maybe it is with a sin you "can't" seem to conquer.

Remember, "There ain't no can'ts!" Bring that situation to the Lord, AND keep bringing it to Him! Find a promise in the Word of God that speaks to your situation and cling to it.

Every single day, make the choice to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). As you do, you will see Him do miracles in response. How do I know? The Bible tells me so!

Love,

:angel:

December 31, 2010   

Dear Friend,

With the end of the year almost here, I want to let you know where we stand in closing our $250,000 funding gap by December 31.

But before I get to that, I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you.

You are such a blessing to this ministry, and there is no way From His Heart could bring the good news to so many millions of hurting people were it not for friends like you!

Your support has helped us reach people like Jamie, who wrote recently...

"God is using you to speak directly to me during this terrible time in my life. I tune in eagerly every week to be fed. Please keep faithful to God and His Word. You are making such a difference."

Jamie is a great example of why From His Heart exists. And it's your support that God is using to help us reach her. So from my heart, thank you!

Now, about the $250,000 funding gap...

I must say, the response this month has been amazing. We've been blessed that so many have been willing to help at this important time. But we still have a ways to go in order to fully close the gap.

That's why... if you haven't had a chance to give... would you provide whatever online gift you can to help us meet this goal by Friday, December 31?

Thank you, my friend. I pray that this year will be filled with the joy and peace of our Savior for you and your loved ones.

:angel:

January 7, 2011   

A FRESH START TO A NEW YEAR

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.  "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."  Lamentations 3:22-24

Have I ever told you how bad of a golfer I am?  Well, it is true.  I am inconsistent off the tee box, can't chip to save my life, and putt like Herman Munster.  That mixture of problems typically results in bad scores.  Sometimes I just give myself an "F" for "fun" on the scorecard.

Recently, I was playing golf with a friend.  It was a typical day for me on the course, a few good shots and lots more bad shots.  After we made the turn for the final nine holes, however, something happened.  I started to play better!  It was like a scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  I am sure my friend was wondering, "Who are you and what have you done with Jeff Schreve!"  I was on fire!

We got to the last hole.  If I shot par on that hole, I would have finished the back nine with a 40, my best score ever for nine holes.  Unfortunately, as I stepped to the tee box, the body snatcher left me.  The old Jeff Schreve was back, and it wasn't pretty.  I hit tree after tree on my way to a quadruple boogie.  UGH!

You know what I needed on Hole 18?  A do over!  I needed my friend to say, "Jeff, that was a bad hole for you.  Let's not count it.  Let's play it again!  You need a fresh start to this hole."

GOD'S FRESH START FOR YOU

New Year's is God's way of saying to you, "Here is a fresh start!  My love is new for you to embrace.  My compassion is fresh for you to experience, and My faithfulness is great and will never fail you."  How cool is that!?

Do you need a fresh start?  Was 2010 a tough year?  Did things happen that really messed you up?  Did you make some bad decisions that really cost you?  Did you get a quadruple boogie on the last hole, so to speak?

Don't despair!  Don't throw in the towel and quit!  God still loves you, and He still has a wonderful plan for you!  You can have a "do over" with the Lord.         

Listen, my friend, the past is history.  You cannot change it, but you can surely learn from it and move forward.  Accept the Lord's love, compassion and faithfulness.  Those things from God are not just for other people, THEY ARE FOR YOU TOO!

2011 is going to be a great year IF, IF, IF you will live life with your eyes on Jesus, walking by faith and not by your feelings.  What God says IS TRUE!  Take Him at His Word!  Tee up again, and replay Hole 18.  He wants you to.  And this time, the results are going to be so much better!

Happy New Year!

Love,
:angel:

January 14, 2011   

A New You for the New Year

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 
Philippians 3:13-14

When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was The Six Million Dollar Man.  Do you remember that show?  It was about an astronaut who nearly died in a terrible accident.  The government stepped in and replaced his crushed body with bionic parts.  The show's opening said, "We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was.  Better ... stronger ... faster."

A NEW YOU! 

Wouldn't it be cool if you could be better than you were in 2010?  If you could be a better Christian ... a better husband or wife ... a better mom or dad or child ... a better boss or employee?  If you could be more loving, more joyful, more at peace, more considerate, more disciplined, and more effective at making a difference? 

Is it really possible to experience a new you in 2011?  YES!  That is exactly what God wants for you this New Year.  God is in the life-transformation business.  He has a plan and program to change your life and make you more like Him in the way you act and react. 

WHAT'S THE PLAN? 

Although Paul was arguably the strongest Christian who ever lived, he had a great desire in his heart to be "better, stronger, and faster."  He wanted to grow in His relationship with Christ.  He wanted to be changed "from glory to glory."  In Philippians 3, Paul shared an important action plan that made a difference for him and will for you also.  The action plan has two key steps. 

1. Forget what lies behind. 

A. Have you been hurt in the past?  Have people said bad things about you and done bad things to you?  Join the club.  We all have had bad things happen to us in the past.  The difference between winners and losers is this: winners let the pain from the past go.  They forget it.  Losers hold on to it.  God says, LET IT GO.  Give those hurts to me so you can move on down the road.                 

B. Have you blown it in the past?  Do you have major sins and failures in your past history that keep you feeling like a second class citizen in the Kingdom of God?  I don't care if you are guilty of mass murder; your sins, no matter how heinous, are no match for the blood of Jesus Christ!  Confess all those sins to God.  Get them out from the shadows of your heart and under the cleansing power of the blood of His cross.  And once you confess that sin to God and turn from that sin, accept His complete and total forgiveness.  "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15).
 
2. Reach forward to what lies ahead.

God does not want us to live looking in the rear view mirror.  He wants us to press on in Jesus' name.  He wants us to put our eyes on Jesus and seek Him with all our hearts.  He wants us to keep going, even when the way is hard.

Have you been tempted to throw in the towel? Have you gotten knocked down and have yet to get up?  The time is now to dust off the difficulties of the past and get back in the race.  Press on toward the goal, toward the prize of pleasing the Lord and hearing Him say one day as you cross the finish line, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

It's a new year. God wants there to be a new you. It is within reach.  It is His will and desire for you. Will you let go of the past?  Will you get up from your fall?  Will you go for the prize with all your heart?

Love,
:angel:

 January 21, 2011 

KEEPING PROPER PERSPECTIVE

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 
2 Corinthians 4:17


Years ago, when my oldest daughter, Jill, was in middle school, we had a little problem one morning right before I drove her to school.  Jill had gotten mad about something during breakfast, and she was still mad as she made her way to the car which was parked in the garage.

In those days, our garage was fairly small.  Debbie and I could fit both cars in, but just barely. There was not enough room to get into the car from the passenger side.  I would always tell the kids to wait until I backed the car out before getting into it.  Well, because Jill was mad, she blew off the rule and did not wait for me to back out.  As she tried to enter the passenger door, the lack of space caused her backpack to hit my weed-eater which was innocently hanging on a nail in the garage.  The weed-eater dislodged from the nail and came crashing to the garage floor.  Parts went flying, and I flew off the handle.

I angrily scolded Jill for breaking the weed-eater. Without even bothering to check the exact extent of the damage, I took the weed-eater out to the trash. I probably said something like, "There!  Are you happy now, Jill?  Because of your little temper tantrum, the weed-eater is trashed." (I hate to admit it, but I can be such an immature jerk at times.  God have mercy.)

Jill felt bad that she broke the weed-eater. She went to school feeling bad. Then I felt bad for losing my temper and overreacting.  As I thought about having to needlessly spend money on another weed-eater, I went to the trash to salvage the old one.  To my chagrin, someone had already come by and taken it!  UGH!  I had thrown away a functioning weed-eater because some plastic parts had broken. What a BIG dope! What a classic example of overreacting and losing perspective.

ARE YOU OVERREACTING TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES?

Could it be that you have a tendency to get mad and overact to adverse situations?  Could it be that you look at the brokenness of things in your life and quickly throw away that which could easily have been repaired?

Perhaps you overreacted to a marriage problem and threw it away without even ONE counseling session.  Perhaps you got mad at your boss and quit your job on the spot.  Perhaps you were hurt by a friend's comments and trashed the relationship in an act of retaliation.  Perhaps you got mad at someone at church and quit going in order to keep your distance.

When you step back and really look objectively at the situation, could it be that you made a bad situation 100 times worse by reacting out of hurt, anger and vindictiveness?  If you had kept perspective, would that weed-eater item in your life really be in the trash pile - and then absconded by an opportunistic landscaping crew?  Or would you have been able to fix that issue with relative ease and moved on down the road?

AFFLICTION

When you face affliction and fiery trials of life, it is critical to keep a proper perspective.  It is critical to take the long look past the immediate pain and discomfort.  The Apostle Paul had more than his share of hurts and trials, but he never lost God's perspective through the suffering.  He always compared the hurts of today with the glories of eternity.  When he compared the two, he said, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).  Paul said that the sufferings and beatings and major league difficulties he faced were really nothing more than "momentary, light affliction" when viewed through the lens of eternity  Now that is perspective!

I don't know what you are facing today, but God does.  He knows, and He cares.  He wants you to get proper perspective.  The difficulties are real and painful, but they are nothing compared to an eternal reward.  So be a good soldier.  Fight the good fight. Never give up, and never give in.  Keep praising, keep serving, and keep obeying God all the way to the finish line.

The Lord's great reward awaits those who are faithful until death.  Will that faithful one be you? 

Love,
:angel:

January 28, 2011   

UNDER OR OVER?

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.  Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT

Have you ever heard someone respond to the "how you doing?" question this way: "Well, under the circumstances, I guess alright." Have you ever stopped to think how often we seem to find ourselves under the circumstances? 

What if you could get yourself OVER the circumstances? What if you could rise above, regardless of the circumstances? What if you could experience peace, joy, and confident assurance of good things coming your way even though present circumstances are less than desirable? Is that possible? YES! 

The Prophet Habakkuk detailed the worst of situations for the people of his day: total agricultural devastation and subsequent starvation. In the midst of the most horrific circumstances imaginable, God led Habakkuk to share the secret to rising above. 

1. PRAISE HIM REGARDLESS. Habakkuk made the choice to rejoice and exult in the Lord! You can make that same choice. Even though everything may be falling apart for you, do not cease to praise the Lord and rejoice in Him. God is the Sovereign LORD. He is over every situation and every adverse circumstance. He is worthy of your praise and rejoicing regardless of the situation.

A few years ago, I tore my patella tendon playing in a church basketball game. I jumped up, and my tendon snapped like a worn rubber band. The pain was excruciating. As I lay on the court in a heap, knowing that surgery was inevitable (I had torn my patella before and knew that I had done it again), I remembered to praise God and rejoice in Him. It changed my whole attitude as I dealt with this injury. There really is power in praise and rejoicing!

2. TRUST HIM COMPLETELY. Habakkuk let God be his salvation, his deliverer. And he let God be his strength. As he trusted God in the midst of disaster, God brought him to new heights. God let him tread on the high places. God took him from UNDER the circumstances to OVER it all. 

Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha? Martha was the one who was working so hard to prepare a meal for the Master. She was stressed out under the weight of all her responsibilities. Mary, on the other hand, was stress-free as she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. I think it is safe to say that Martha was worried and bothered UNDER the circumstances. Mary was in perfect peace OVER the circumstances.

What is the secret to rising above? If you will put yourself UNDER Jesus, He will put you OVER your circumstances. He will bring you to new heights with Him and give you peace and joy the world cannot begin to understand.

The choice is yours. Will you live under the circumstances or under the Lord?

Love,
:angel:

February 4, 2011   

My Bodyguard

But the Lord is with me like a dread champion.  Jeremiah 20:11 

I have never been much of an animal person.  Debbie loves animals, and I love Debbie.  So we compromised.  Currently, we have three dogs and a cat.  They all live inside.  I wonder how many we would have if we hadn't compromised!

With our most recent pet arrival, a three-pound Chihuahua named Lil Pup, my heart toward pets has really changed.  I am crazy about Lil Pup.  She is so cute and so fun and so incredibly little.  I just look at her and marvel at God's creative handiwork.   

Although Lil Pup thinks she is a Doberman, the truth is she is weak, frail, and in need of protection when other dogs are around (or other cats and even some good-sized kittens).  On more than one occasion, I have had to come to the rescue of Lil Pup as the other pets were starting to get ticked-off with her puppy antics.  As much as I am able, I will look out for Lil Pup.  My heart for that little dog compels me to protect her.

GOD'S HEART FOR YOU

Sometimes we forget how much God loves us.  Sometimes we fail to see the great heart He has for our protection and defense.  Isaiah said, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat" (Isaiah 25:4).  God protected His "Lil Pup" named Jeremiah.  He was his "dread champion."  And no one messes with the dread champion! 

Are you hurting today?  Are your enemies closing in on you?  Does life seem to have you in its jaws, thrashing you about?  Do you feel as if God has forgotten your name, your address, your situation?  Does it seem like curtains?  Cry out to God!  Cast all your worries and cares upon Him "BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU" (1 Peter 5:7). 

Listen, my friend, you are Lil Pup times a zillion to God.  You could not be more precious to Him!  He will be there in your hour of need.  He will defend you in your time of danger and distress.  Draw near to God and know that He will draw near to you in response (James 4:8).  Call to Him and know that He will answer you (Jeremiah 33:3). 

PRAYER

Dear God, thank You for being a God who truly loves me, who truly cares.  Thank You that You do know all that is going on in my life, and You have my back.  Forgive me, Lord, for all the times I have believed the lie that you have given up on me or have forgotten me.  Help me be aware of Your presence in my life.  I trust You and Your protection.  My life is in Your hands, and I know that You will see me through the worst of situations.  Thank You for the unfathomable privilege of being Your Lil Pup.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Love,
:angel:

 February 11, 2011   

Pressing On or Coasting In?

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12

Last Sunday, the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. As I think about famous moments in Super Bowls, I am reminded of Super Bowl XXVII, January 31, 1993 in Pasadena, CA. Troy Aikman and the Dallas Cowboys were facing Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills.

The game was a blowout with Dallas winning 52-17. The only thing that really stands out about that game was a play in the fourth quarter involving Cowboys defensive tackle, Leon Lett, and Bills wide receiver, Don Beebe.

Lett, the 6' 6", 300 pound behemoth, scooped up a fumble late in the fourth quarter.  He had a wide open 55 yards to the end zone. Lett had a chance to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, something every lineman dreams of, but very few ever get the opportunity to do. Lett sprinted his way toward the end zone. Everyone thought it was a sure score, especially Leon. At the 10 yard line, he began to slow down, celebrate the moment and coast into the end zone. That proved to be the formula for disaster.

The Bills Don Beebe had a "never say die" attitude. When he saw Lett pick up the fumble, he got on his pony and raced after him, hoping against hope that he could somehow prevent a sure touchdown. Because he pressed on and Lett began to coast, Beebe was able to strip the outstretched ball from the showboating lineman right before he crossed the goal line. The result was Leon Lett lost his sure touchdown, and Don Beebe made the play of the game.

PRESSING ON OR COASTING IN?

In your Christian life, are you more like Don Beebe or Leon Lett? Are you coasting into heaven or are you pressing on? Are you still giving it your all, or are you just going half-speed? Years ago I heard this straightforward statement: You are either growing or dying. Which one is it for you?

The Apostle Paul had accomplished so much in his life for Christ and a big reason why was that he never let up. He kept pressing on with Jesus. He kept learning and growing and praying and seeking the Lord until he took his final breath.

RUTH GRAHAM

A few years ago, a friend of mine shared this true story about Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's wife. Toward the end of her life, she was mostly confined to her bed due to arthritis and other ailments. In her weakened condition, it would have been very easy to coast her way into heaven. But she did not do that. Until the very end, she took time to read and memorize Scripture. When she was asked why she was still trying to memorize, she said something to the effect, "There will come a time when I can no longer see. So I want to be able to quote God's Word and have it in my heart." May God help us to have that kind of passion and drive to press on, all the way to glory.     

HONEST EVALUATION

Let me ask you again, are you living life more like Don Bebee or Leon Lett? Regardless of your age or station in life, God has things for you to do until He calls you home. Perhaps He has left you here for the sole purpose of being a prayer warrior and an encouragement to others as you live in failing health as Ruth Graham did. 

Would you make a fresh commitment that regardless of the circumstances you are facing that you won't quit and won't coast and won't mail it in, but you will go all out until God calls you home? Although imprisoned, in chains and facing possible execution, Paul still says, "I press on." Will you say the same?

Love,
:angel:

February 18, 2011   

Why Is This Not Working?

If you know these things,
you are blessed if you do them.  John 13:17

Like many people, I had a goal to hit the month of January with a diet and exercise plan. I was going to cut carbs, get on my newly purchased elliptical machine four times a week, and lift weights three days a week. I was going to be a specimen by the end of the first quarter. Hmmm. As I write this on February 11, my elliptical machine is gathering dust, and I am heavier than ever.

Now we all know "why" my diet and exercise plan is not working. It is not working because I am not doing it! The Bible says, "A good understanding have all those who DO His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). Jesus told us that the blessing is not in the knowing but in the doing.

AT HOME

In the Christian life, the rubber meets the road at home. Without question, marriage and family are critical to our lives. It matters little how high you climb on the ladder of success in the business world. If your marriage and family is a disaster, everything else really rings hollow.

And why do so many who claim to follow Christ have such dissatisfying home-life situations? It is because the elliptical machine is gathering dust, so to speak. People often know what to do, they just don't do it. They want to have a great marriage and family without doing the things necessary to have a great marriage and family. They want to have a deep walk with God without doing the things necessary to have a deep walk with God - things like time in His Word, time on your knees and time with a small group who can hold you accountable and help you grow.

Debbie and I are privileged to get to share at Family Life Weekend Marriage Getaways around the country. Next weekend we will be in Roanoke, Virginia, sharing proven, biblical principles for experiencing a wonderful marriage and family. But you know what? Even though we teach on this stuff and know what the Bible says about it, we don't experience oneness in our marriage UNLESS we DO what we know. The blessing is not in the knowing, it is in the doing.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

There are some people I know who study the Bible and can give you chapter and verse on this doctrine and that doctrine, but those same people are mean, cruel, selfish, jealous, and bitter. They are just like the Pharisees of old who studied God's Word, taught God's Word and never really obeyed God's Word. They merely gave lip service to the commands of God.

Are you doing the same? 

As you look over your life, are you doing what God says to do?

1. Are you seeking first the Kingdom of God, or do you have God on the back burner?
2. Are you forgiving people who hurt you, or are you holding on to grudges and bitterness?
3. Are you loving your wife, even if she is not very loveable right now, or are you ignoring her and doing your own thing?
4. Are you respecting your husband, even if he is not very respectable right now, or are you constantly chipping away at him with disrespectful barbs and snide comments?
5. Are you disciplining your children and training them up in the fear of the Lord, or are you too tired to really enforce any loving, healthy boundaries?

My friend, the time is NOW to start doing what God says to do. Does Christianity work? YES! But it does not work unless you do it. Start doing His will by obeying His Word. You will be amazed how the blessings will start to flow as a result. Remember, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). Will you start today?

Now for me, I'm off to the gym to start doing my exercise program. Debbie is looking forward to a whole new me, one who takes up less of the bed!

Love,
:angel:

February 25, 2011   

Learning to be Content

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Philippians 4:11

I love the true story of Fanny Crosby, the beloved hymn writer of yesteryear. When Fanny was a baby, she developed inflammation in her eyes. A quack doctor prescribed the wrong treatment, and as a result, young Fanny went blind.

Fanny easily could have become a bitter person. She easily could have viewed life through the jaded lens of resentment and anger over what had happened to her. She could have been a constant whiner over the injustice done to her. But she refused to fall into that trap. Regardless of her circumstances, she chose to be thankful and content. In fact, she penned these words:

"Oh what a happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."

THE 33 PERCENT RULE

Sue Enquist, the legendary softball coach of the UCLA Bruins' (1989 - 2006), was known for the 33 Percent Rule. In her way of thinking, you can divide people into three categories. The bottom 33 percent of people always whine and complain. These are the folks that suck the fun out of anything and everything. The middle 33 percent have an attitude that fluctuates from good to bad depending on circumstances. They are good to be around provided all is going well for them. The top 33 percent choose a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances. No matter what they are facing, they are joyful, hopeful, and thankful.

Fanny Crosby was in the top 33 percent. What about you?

AWARE AND FIGHTING FOR IT

It is easy for me to slip into the middle category of the 33 Percent Rule. If I am not sensitive to what is coming out of my mouth, I can let negative circumstances make me negative. But, if I stop and take the time to see that God is over every circumstance, I can chose to thank Him for the adversity and look to see what He is going to teach me through it all.

Every trial is a test. Every hardship is an opportunity to thank God, trust God and grow stronger in your faith.

Will you take inventory of your life today? Are you living with contentment, regardless of the circumstances? Are you choosing to rejoice and praise God even in the face of adversity? If not, you can start today.

PRAYER

Dear God, please forgive me for whining and griping about my circumstances: my bad job, my terrible boss, my back-stabbing co-worker, my evaporating finances, my bad health, my troubled marriage, my _____________________. Lord, I know that You are over every circumstance and situation. You have allowed this trial to come to me to help me grow and shine for You. I choose to face my difficulties with a strong and renewed faith, knowing that You will see me through as I trust You. Thank You, Lord. Regardless of what happens today, I choose by faith to make it a great day! Amen.


Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor
:angel:

March 4, 2011   

Practical Atheism?

Have you ever met an atheist?  An atheist believes there is no God.  Do you know what God's response to that is?  "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Ps. 14:1).

While no Christian would ever be guilty of being an atheist, many Christians are guilty of being practical atheists.  Practical atheism does not believe there is no God; practical atheism lives as if there is no God.  Could you be a practical atheist?

THE PRACTICAL ATHEISM TEST

Notice the convicting similarities between atheism and practical atheism:

1.  An atheist does not pray. So many Christians do not really pray.  They may mumble something with a bowed head before dinner or before bed, but there is no real time to seek God in prayer.  The Lord says in the Book of James, "You do not have because you do not ask" (Jas. 4:2).

2.  An atheist does not read the Bible.  So many Christians do not read the Bible.  The average Christian is very susceptible to the devil's lies because he/she does not take time to read and study God's Word.

3.  An atheist walks by sight, not faith.  So many Christians do the same thing.  They fail to evaluate their situation in light of God's miraculous power, so they worry and fear and fail to simply trust God.  How quickly we forget, "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God" (Heb. 11:6).

4.  An atheist does not give to the Lord's work.  So many Christians do not either.  Many Christians spend more money on their pets than they do the Kingdom of God.  A recent statistic revealed that if all the members in an average-sized church were on welfare, and each one tithed, the giving to that church would double.  WOW!

5.  An atheist lives only for this life.  So many Christians are guilty of the same.  They store up their treasure on earth.  They live and plan as if this temporary, mortal life is all that matters.  They make decisions with only earth in mind, not heaven.  The Bible says, "The eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth" (Prov. 17:24).

CHANGE ME, LORD!

If some of those similarities are too close for comfort, don't sink down in guilt and shame.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  Confess it as sin, and ask God to change your heart.  Tell Him that you do not want to live another day as if He were not alive and able to work miracles.

The story is told of Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer of the 1500s.  There was a time in his Christian life when he was very depressed for days on end.  His wife, Kate, came into his study all dressed in black as if she were in mourning.   Luther asked her what exactly she was mourning:

    "Have you not heard?" she questioned.  "God is dead." 
    Luther responded, "Woman!  That is absurd!  God is not dead!" 
    "Well," she replied, "if God is not dead, then stop living like He is!" 

My friend, God is not dead, He is alive and well.  He still answers prayer, He still speaks through His Word, He still blesses when we honor Him with our wealth, He still moves mountains when we come to Him with a mustard seed of faith, and He still rewards those who diligently seek Him.

No matter what you are facing today, God is able.  Take Him at His Word and trust Him!!  Determine to live every day in the light of His presence.  Remember, His name is Jehovah Shammah, "the Lord ever-present."  He is ever-present for you this day and every day.  Live like it!

Love,

Jeff Schreve

Pastor
www.fromhisheart.org
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
:angel:

 March 11, 2011   


Taking The Pressure Off

He [Gideon] said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."  Judges 6:15-16

Pressure.  Ever felt it?  In sports, we marvel at those who can step up amidst the pressure and sink the winning putt, kick the winning field goal, or make the winning free throws. 

I recently saw the movie The King's Speech.  King George (B, B, B, Bertie) definitely felt the pressure as he stood to overcome his stammering and deliver the most important speech of his life. 

Have you ever felt great pressure to try to live the Christian life?  Have you ever felt great pressure to be the person God wants you to be?  Have you ever felt great pressure to knock one out of the park for Jesus as you teach or preach or witness or sing or serve in His name? 

Have you ever wilted under the pressure, and then beat yourself up for failing?

PRESSURE RELIEF

In Judges 6, God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian and their vast armies.  Gideon is stunned.  He responds with incredulity – "There is no way I can do this, Lord!  I am a nothing nobody from a family of nothing nobodies.  I don't have what it takes to deliver Israel.  I can't make the putt, kick the field goal, sink the free throws or deliver the speech.  I am not up to the task and can't take the pressure."  And God says, "I know YOU can't, but I will be with you and will enable you." 

The Bible tells us in Judges 6:34 that "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon."  Literally, it says that God clothed Himself with Gideon.  He wore Gideon like a suit, and delivered Israel through him.  God did it through him.  The results were not dependent on Gideon, they were dependent on God.  You see, the pressure is gone when God shows up and does it through us.     

A SUIT OF CLOTHES FOR GOD TO WEAR

Just as God clothed Himself with Gideon, He wants to clothe Himself with you.  God wants to do amazing and miraculous things THROUGH you!  The best ability is simple availability.  As Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

Perhaps you are trying so hard to do this, that and the other, thinking it all depends on you.  Perhaps you are starting to crack under the pressure of trying to be the perfect spouse, the perfect parent, the perfect boss, the perfect employee, the perfect pastor or deacon.  A tell tale sign that YOU are trying to do it on your own is anger, frustration and irritability.  Do you see those things leaking out of your life with increasing frequency and velocity?  Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Listen, your only real job is to present yourself to the Lord as an empty vessel for Him to fill.  You don't have to do it all yourself.  He will do it through you, if you let Him.

PRAYER

Dear God, I have been trying so hard, when I really just need to be trusting.  I don't have what it takes to do what You want me to do.  So, I humbly ask You to wear me today like a suit of clothes.  I surrender to You and claim the truth that the pressure is off and the power is on.  Today is going to be a great day of victory as You, Lord Jesus, live your life through me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen!     

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor

jeff@fromhisheart.org

:angel:

March 18, 2011   

The Key to a Lasting Marriage

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:32

Do you remember the Energizer Bunny?  He was the mascot and marketing icon for Energizer Batteries.  That little rabbit beat a bass drum ... and he never stopped.  He just kept going and going and going.

Wouldn't it be nice if marriages were like that? Wouldn't it be nice if, when you tied the knot, it wasn't a slipknot?  The sad truth is that tons of marriages don't seem to last as long as an Energizer Battery. 

I performed a wedding one time for a marriage that ended up lasting only four months. Four Months!  I was shocked and dismayed.  The couple went through nine weeks of premarital counseling and still trashed their wedding vows after four short months.  Now, whenever I do a wedding, I have the couple repeat after me, "Divorce is not an option."  As Ruth Graham once said, "I never considered divorcing Billy, but I did think of murdering him."  She was obviously kidding about the latter. 

WHAT IS THE KEY?

Without question, if you want to have a good and lasting marriage, one that keeps going and going and going, getting better and better as time marches on, there is one big requirement.  It is the "F" word – forgiveness. 

What is the source of all the problems in marriage?  It is simple.  Guys, you married a sinner.  And she married a bigger one!  When you get two sinners together, there will be fireworks, disagreements, hurt feelings and the need to seek forgiveness and grant forgiveness.

1. Seek Forgiveness.  When you do something dumb, selfish and hurtful, be quick to take full responsibility and humbly and genuinely apologize.  Don't go to bed until you make right those things you made wrong.  A good maxim to live by in your relationship with the Lord and your spouse: "When you mess up, fess up."  Spit on your pride and your rights and be quick to seek forgiveness for your sins and failures.

2. Grant Forgiveness.  When your feelings have been hurt, don't hold on to the hurt.  Let it go.  Even if your spouse does not seek forgiveness, grant it to him/her.  Every hurt eventually turns to anger.  And unresolved anger turns to bitterness and resentment, two poisonous snakes that inject their venom into the marriage until the love is dead and an icy cold fills the once happy home.  God's Word is clear, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity" (Ephesians 4:26-27).  Talk through problems, hurts and issues in the marriage.  Don't let molehills turn into mountains.  Give your hurts to God and refuse to live in unforgiveness.

OUR STORY

On Tuesday, March 15th, Debbie and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage.  We can honestly say that we love each other way more today than we did when we married at 23.  Although we have had our fair share of bumps in the road, we have made the Lord our cornerstone and practiced seeking and granting forgiveness.  It has made all the difference in the world.
In your marriage now (or marriage to come for those who are single), make it your goal to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving.  If you are thinking of throwing in the towel on your marriage, seek godly counsel before you do anything of the sort.  God specializes in raising the dead.  He can even raise your dead marriage, if you let Him.
Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast. 
:angel:
 

March 25, 2011 
 
Taking The Pressure Off

He [Gideon] said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."  Judges 6:15-16

Pressure.  Ever felt it?  In sports, we marvel at those who can step up amidst the pressure and sink the winning putt, kick the winning field goal, or make the winning free throws. 

I recently saw the movie The King's Speech.  King George (B, B, B, Bertie) definitely felt the pressure as he stood to overcome his stammering and deliver the most important speech of his life. 

Have you ever felt great pressure to try to live the Christian life?  Have you ever felt great pressure to be the person God wants you to be?  Have you ever felt great pressure to knock one out of the park for Jesus as you teach or preach or witness or sing or serve in His name? 

Have you ever wilted under the pressure, and then beat yourself up for failing?

PRESSURE RELIEF

In Judges 6, God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian and their vast armies.  Gideon is stunned.  He responds with incredulity – "There is no way I can do this, Lord!  I am a nothing nobody from a family of nothing nobodies.  I don't have what it takes to deliver Israel.  I can't make the putt, kick the field goal, sink the free throws or deliver the speech.  I am not up to the task and can't take the pressure."  And God says, "I know YOU can't, but I will be with you and will enable you." 

The Bible tells us in Judges 6:34 that "the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon."  Literally, it says that God clothed Himself with Gideon.  He wore Gideon like a suit, and delivered Israel through him.  God did it through him.  The results were not dependent on Gideon, they were dependent on God.  You see, the pressure is gone when God shows up and does it through us. 

A SUIT OF CLOTHES FOR GOD TO WEAR

Just as God clothed Himself with Gideon, He wants to clothe Himself with you.  God wants to do amazing and miraculous things THROUGH you!  The best ability is simple availability.  As Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

Perhaps you are trying so hard to do this, that and the other, thinking it all depends on you.  Perhaps you are starting to crack under the pressure of trying to be the perfect spouse, the perfect parent, the perfect boss, the perfect employee, the perfect pastor or deacon.  A tell tale sign that YOU are trying to do it on your own is anger, frustration and irritability.  Do you see those things leaking out of your life with increasing frequency and velocity?  Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Listen, your only real job is to present yourself to the Lord as an empty vessel for Him to fill.  You don't have to do it all yourself.  He will do it through you, if you let Him.

PRAYER

Dear God, I have been trying so hard, when I really just need to be trusting.  I don't have what it takes to do what You want me to do.  So, I humbly ask You to wear me today like a suit of clothes.  I surrender to You and claim the truth that the pressure is off and the power is on.  Today is going to be a great day of victory as You, Lord Jesus, live your life through me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen!

Love,
:angel:

April 1, 2011   

When God Doesn't Make Sense

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore He heard that he was sick, He stayed then two days longer in the place where He was.  John 11:5-6

The urgent message came to Jesus.  His good friend Lazarus was very sick and needed Him ASAP.  Surely Jesus, the One who would drop everything to go heal complete strangers, would come running to Lazarus' town of Bethany to save the day, right?  Wrong!  When Jesus heard Lazarus was deathly ill, He purposely waited two more days before making the twenty mile journey to Bethany.  By the time He finally arrived, Lazarus was stinking dead and in the tomb four days. 

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, both said the same thing when Jesus showed up, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21, 32).  Undoubtedly, they were wondering WHY He didn't come in time.  Undoubtedly, they were shell-shocked at the message He sent, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it" (John 11:4).  What in the world could that possibly mean given the fact that Lazarus died the very day Jesus uttered those words?  Is this some cruel joke? 

To be sure, the Lord wasn't making much sense to Mary and Martha.  Have you ever been there?  Have you ever prayed about a problem and believed God for deliverance only to have the problem worsen ... even to the point of death, or divorce, or bankruptcy?  Have you ever cried out to God in faith and seemingly received nothing from Him to meet your pressing need?  I think we can all relate.

Hey, what do you do when God doesn't make sense?

1. You remember that He loves you.  Before the Bible tells us that Jesus purposely waited two more days before coming to Bethany, it emphatically states, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" (John 11:4).  Just because the Lord does not do things the way you and I think He should, that does not mean the Lord has stopped loving us.  God is love and everything He does flows from His great heart of love.  When God's actions and delays don't make sense to us, we must cling to the fact that He loves us.  The Bible declares it again and again, and the blood-stained cross of Christ proves it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

2. You trust that He has a plan.  Jesus purposely waited until Lazarus was dead four days before coming to Bethany.  Why in the world would He do that?  He did it because He was going to perform His greatest miracle of all, the raising of Lazarus from the grave.  Jesus had raised two other people from the dead (Jairus' daughter, freshly dead in her bed and the guy from Nain, hours dead and in a casket on the way to the cemetery), but He never called a four-day-old dead man back to life from the tomb.  That miracle proved He was indeed "the resurrection and the life."  It was irrefutable evidence that Jesus was and is God in the flesh.

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He delayed His coming.  While it would have been a great blessing to have him heal Lazarus from his sick bed, it was a miracle of the highest order to have Him raise decaying Lazarus from the grave.

WHAT ARE YOU FACING TODAY?

Perhaps you are facing great problems today.  Although you have been praying, God does not seem to be answering.  Your tears are flowing, your faith is fleeing, and you are sitting bewildered at the Lord's absence.  What gives? 

Listen, it may be day three for you and your situation.  But I have good news: The Lord is on His way with jaw-dropping, miraculous victory in tow.  Day four is coming!  You see, the greater the problem, the greater the miracle God is getting ready to perform. 

Of course He doesn't make sense to you and me.  He is the infinite God who sees all and knows all, from beginning to end.

Whatever the trouble, remember His love and keep trusting Him, regardless of the current circumstances.  He knows exactly what He is doing, and He really will work all things together for your good and His glory!

Love,

:angel:

April 8, 2011 

What Are You Doing With Your Anger?

For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood; so the churning of anger produces strife.
Proverbs 30:33

Any college football team knows about rivalry games.  There are just some special match-ups where the stakes are higher and the emotions run hotter.  That is especially true concerning the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners.  Texas-OU weekend in Dallas in October often sees fan fights as the animosity toward one another runs as deep as the Red River.

Obviously, these "fighting fans" let their anger run amok.  They churn their anger, work themselves into a frenzy, and, no doubt, regret the strife that invariably ensues.  Anger is like that.  If you churn it and turn it over and over in your mind and heart, you will see harmful, hurtful results.  Many have been murdered because of churned anger.  If you don't believe me, just ask Cain and Abel.

SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH ANGER?

God never wants us to churn and chew on our anger.  To churn and chew on anger is as foolish as rolling around in Poison Ivy.  Surely no one would do that, right?

Perhaps you are angry toward a boss who mistreated you, or a spouse who betrayed you, or a relative who abused you, or a dad who wasn't there for you, or a coach who cut you, or a teacher who embarrassed you, or a former friend who stabbed you in the back.  When that person's name is mentioned in conversation, you can feel your stomach start to churn and begin to taste the bitterness in your mouth toward that terrible, horrible, hypocritical person.  Inflicting harm on that "evil" person sure sounds like a great plan, doesn't it?  Surely God would want you to take the bull by the horns and get even, right?  WRONG!

"Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord"(Romans 12:19).

GIVE YOUR ANGER TO GOD!

Anger typically comes about because something happened to you or someone you love that you did not like, did not want, or did not think was right.  Yet, God in His providence allowed it to touch your life.  Therefore, when you feel anger welling up inside of you, instead of churning it, chewing on it, and letting it produce strife, give it to God.  You can choose His grace to help you in your time of need.  His grace, the desire and power to live for Christ and rise above, is sufficient for every situation you and I will ever encounter.

Are you angry today?  Are you churning your anger?  Is the rancid butter of strife, discord, resentment and disharmony starting to ooze out of your life like pus from a boil?  (I was extra graphic here on purpose to help see what God sees when you churn your anger.)  Put down the churning-stick, and give your anger to God.  Let Him repay those who have wronged you.  Choose His grace, and allow the Lord to take the ashes of your hurt and anger and turn them to gold.

PRAYER

Dear Father, I have been holding on to anger, churning it, and chewing on it ... and I need to stop.  I confess what I have been doing is a sin, and it is very displeasing to You.  Forgive me, Lord.  By faith, I put down the churn-stick and turn this situation over to You.  I choose Your grace to help me rise above.  Bring back the joy, Lord, as I walk in the light with You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen!

Love,
:angel:

 April 15, 2011   

Ever Surrendered?

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love; and will meditate on Your statutes.
Psalm 119:48

Operation Desert Storm of 1990, do you remember it? It was our definitive answer to Psycho Sadaam Hussein's brutal and unprovoked takeover of oil-rich Kuwait.

I remember watching footage of that military offensive. Sadaam called it the mother of all battles, but the truth of the matter was the Iraqi soldiers were ill-equipped to take on America. In one memorable scene, the Iraqis surrendered to U.S. military without even a shot being fired. They came out of their bunkers with their hands in the air – the global sign of surrender.

A surrendered soldier has ceased fighting. He has relinquished his weapons and his rights. He is now pliable and agreeable to the will of the conqueror.

SURRENDERED?

When it comes to God and the commands of God, have you surrendered? The psalmist in Psalm 119 had surrendered to God's commands. He lifted up his hands in surrender. In verse 128 of Psalm 119, he goes on to say, "I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything." He didn't just surrender to various commandments from God; he surrendered to all of them.

IT'S NOT A CAFETERIA

Have you noticed how easy it is for us to get a cafeteria mindset with regard to the commands of God? We pick and choose what to obey and what to leave behind. "I'll have an order of baptism, church membership, Bible reading and prayer, please ... but I'll pass on tithing, serving, submitting to authority, and sexual purity." Hmmmm. It's not a cafeteria!

God's Word is right concerning everything, not just the things with which you agree. We are to take all of God's commands and surrender to them. As the song we sang last Sunday goes, "I'll say, 'Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, yes, Lord. Amen!'" We didn't sing, "I'll say, 'Yes, Lord. No way, Lord. Maybe one day, Lord. Amen!'"

WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFICULT THINGS?

There is no doubt that certain commands are harder for us than other ones. For example, we are called to "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7). That is a difficult command for the person who is undisciplined by nature.

My wife is very disciplined, and I have to really work at it. Debbie can have a jar of candy in the house and only eat one piece every other day – what discipline! I nearly ate the entire bowl of jelly beans last night while watching the news – what a lack of discipline!

So what about the difficult commands for you? Maybe sexual purity is a difficult command for you to obey. Or perhaps for you it is gossip, or forgiveness, or honesty, or integrity, or loving your enemies. Here is the secret: surrender to all of God's commandments and see all of them as right for your life!

That doesn't mean you will not fail and fall from time to time. It simply means your heart is surrendered, and you desire to obey ALL of God's Word because you know it is right for your life and will produce joy and peace as you walk in His ways.

ASSIGNMENT

How about lifting your hands in prayer right now? "Dear God, I want You to know that I am surrendering anew and afresh to Your will, Your ways, and Your Word. My way is not right, but Your way is right concerning everything! Give me power, Lord, to obey You ... for that is what I want to do. I want to please You, my King, my Savior, and my God. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Love,

 April 22, 2011   

From His Heart
     
The Day of Reckoning

There shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.  Acts 24:15

When I was a kid, I played a lot of board games.  One of my favorites was The Game of Life (I just loved the spinner in the middle of the board).  As you went through "life," you typically went to college, got married, had kids, grew older and then faced THE DAY OF RECKONING.  This determined if you would go to the Poor Farm or Millionaire Acres.

Looking back, it is interesting how The Game of Life is so true to real life.  You see, there really is a DAY OF RECKONING for every person ... but so many are so confused about it.             

YOUR DAY BEFORE GOD   

What does the Bible teach with regard to THE DAY OF RECKONING?  It teaches that there are two separate judgments.  One is for the wicked, and one is for the righteous.

1. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT (Revelation 20:11-15) – This judgment is reserved for those who rejected God's love and plan of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.  These are the folks who refused to humble their hearts, repent of their sins, and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  All who appear before the "great white throne" will be judged for their sins and separated from God forever.

This judgment is one of horror, regret and great sadness.  No doubt, the Lord with tears in His eyes has no choice but to say to those who rejected Him, "Not My will, but thine be done.  Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

It is interesting that at this judgment, the Lamb's Book of Life is opened.  Now, none who appear at this judgment will have his/her name in the Lamb's Book, so it seems futile to even open it.  I think God does this to show every person who stands at the Great White Throne that Jesus died for every human being.  This person's name COULD HAVE been in the Lamb's Book had they not "refused the love of the truth so as to be saved."

Although many people will be at this terrible judgment, it is NOT because God desires it.   The truth of the matter is God does NOT want one person to go to hell.  He "is not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).  I believe with all my heart that if a person ends up in hell, that person has to trip over the cross of Jesus Christ to get there.  Sadly, many do just that.   

2. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10) – This judgment is reserved for Christians.  Everyone at this judgment received Christ as Savior and Lord.  Never get the erroneous idea that this judgment determines if you go to heaven or not.  That issue is determined in this life, the moment you repent and give your heart to Jesus.

The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judgment of horror, as is the Great White Throne Judgment.  This judgment is one to determine rewards.  At this judgment, every Christian will be examined by the Lord Jesus to see what he/she did in the Christian life.

A good way to think of the Judgment Seat of Christ is to think in terms of an award's banquet.  When I was selling chemicals for Nalco, we had an annual award's banquet.  If you had a good year as a salesman, it was something to look forward to as you were going to be honored before the higher-ups in the company for a job well done.

So it is at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Those who lived for Jesus will hear those priceless words, "Well done, My good and faithful slave."  Those who lived for self will experience the shame and regret of a loss of reward.  These folks did nothing with the opportunities God gave them.  These folks buried their treasure in the ground.  They are saved, but saved with no reward and nothing to show for their years as a Christian.
         
WHAT ABOUT FOR YOU? 

Do you know what judgment you are headed to?  Are you ready to meet your God?

"Only one life will soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last."

Love,

:angel:

 April 29, 2011   

IN GOD WE TRUST?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

When my daughter was in the fourth grade, she went to school without her lunch. She immediately called me to let me know she had forgotten her lunch and needed me to bring it to her. I knew her lunch period did not start until noon. So, at 11:55 a.m., I arrived at her school with lunch in hand.

When she entered the cafeteria, she was a little upset with me. She said, "Dad, why didn't you bring my lunch earlier? I was worrying all morning that you had forgotten." I said, "When is your lunch period?" She said "12:00." I said, "What time is it?" She said, "12:00." I said, "Great, here is your lunch, right on time."

YOU AND I DO THE SAME

What my daughter did to me is just what we do to God. We call on Him in prayer with our needs, and then we worry all day long because He has not yet delivered. We need to remember that God is an on-time God. He gives us what we need when we need it.

To me, it made no sense to bring the lunch early. My daughter had no use for it early. It made perfect sense to bring it to her precisely at the time she needed it. She needed to just trust the fact that her Dad was faithful and had promised to deliver her lunch to her on time.

God has promised to meet all of our needs IF we will simply trust Him. When we worry and fret about tomorrow's needs, we tell God by our actions that we do not believe He is going to keep His promises. Listen, if God is true to His Word (and He is!), we can rest in the fact that "what He has promised, He is also able to perform" (Rom. 4:21).

WORRIED?

What are you worried about today? Something you don't even need just yet? Is it 10:00 a.m. in your life, and you are worried and bothered that the lunch you need at noon has not been delivered yet? Trust God!! Keep looking to Him. As Solomon said, "Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised" (1 Kings 8:56). You can count on the Lord. He will deliver on time to those who simply believe Him and rest in His Word.

Love,
:angel:

May 06, 2011   
   
From His Heart

Jehovah - Who?

In the Old Testament, God tells us that His special, covenant name is just four letters – YHWH.  The name is so sacred, so wonderful and so awesome, the Jews would not even dare pronounce it for fear of taking His great name in vain.  They would simply substitute Adonai (another name for God meaning master, owner, Lord) whenever they read Scripture aloud and ran across YHWH.

From YHWH, we get the name Yahweh or Jehovah (King James Version uses Jehovah). Just four letters, but those four letters are often coupled with other names to give us a richer understanding of God's wonderful nature.  For instance, we have the names Jehovah-Rapha: the LORD who heals, or Jehovah-Shalom: the LORD who is our peace, or Jehovah-Jireh: the LORD who provides.

One of my favorite names for God isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible, but it is indeed taught in the Bible.  And what is that name?  Jehovah-Nick-O-Time!  Over and over we read stories of Jehovah-Nick-O-Time showing up at the eleventh hour to deliver His own.

DAVID'S ESCAPE

In my quiet time today, I was reading about Psycho King Saul coming after David to kill him.  David was trying desperately to escape, but Saul and his armies were closing in fast.  As a matter of fact, David was almost completely surrounded.  When it seemed like all hope was lost and David's goose was cooked, Saul got this urgent message, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land" (1 Samuel 23:27).  To his great chagrin, Saul was forced to call off the dogs and return to Israel on the double.

David breathed a sigh of relief and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to Jehovah-Nick-O-Time who showed up at the eleventh hour, just when David needed Him most!

YOUR SITUATION

Maybe you are facing terrible circumstances today.  Maybe you can almost feel the hot breath of the enemy on your neck.  Maybe you feel hemmed in, surrounded and done for.  Maybe you feel as if God has forgotten you and your desperate situation.  Believe me, He has not!  Remember ... His name is NOT Jehovah-Ahead-O-Time.  It is Jehovah-Nick-O-Time.

Keep trusting Him, even if you can see Psycho Saul and his blood-thirsty armies in your rear view mirror, closing in fast.  Your Sovereign Lord is in charge of everything ... even the exact timing of a distress message that ends up saving God's choice servant.

Let me give you a wonderful verse to claim as you deal with the frightening situations of life that often appear as if they will sink your ship: "But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more" (Psalm 71:14).

Regardless of your seemingly hopeless circumstances, hope in Jehovah-Nick-O-Time.  He knows what He is doing and delivers those who trust in Him.

Love,
:angel:

May 13, 2011     

From His Heart

Living The Life

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  John 1:4

One Sunday, I had an interesting conversation with a man who was visiting our church.  He was very excited about the service.  He said to me, "This church is not like my church.  This church is alive.  This church just feels different!"  I thanked him for his comments and explained to him what he felt in the church was the manifest presence of God.  The living God is among us!  What a great praise!

Not too long ago, I ran across an insightful quote from George Whitefield, the great revivalist of the 1700s.  God used this British evangelist to shake America in the late 1730s and early 1740s.  Upon returning to England after one of his trips to America, Whitefield made this sobering statement: "I am greatly persuaded that the generality of preachers talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ.  And the reason why congregations have been so dead is because dead men preach to them."  What a terrible indictment ... and so true!

I believe there are multitudes of dry, lifeless churches in America where preachers tell people of a Jesus they don't even know and never really seek.  They often preach "feel good sermonettes" that lack the Word of God, the fear of God, and the power of God.  The result is a dull and boring religious service that is void of life, vitality, and the manifest presence of God.  I believe the Hebrew word is Ichabod – "no glory" or "the glory has departed."

CHECK YOUR LIFE

Is your life alive with the glorious presence of God?  Do you talk about an unknown, unfelt Christ ... or do you really know Him, love Him, and see Him working in your life each day as you seek to do His will with all your heart? If you are living a lifeless, joyless, powerless "Christianity," the time is NOW to trade it in on the real thing. 

The Bible says of Jesus, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).  The Lord wants you to have LIFE, not religion.  He wants to fill you with His joy, peace, and power.

Peter told the crowd in Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Humble your heart before God and ask Him to forgive you and be real to you.  Tell Him you are tired of going through the motions of religion and you want LIFE!

He will answer that prayer.  He wants to refresh your soul.  Don't wait any longer.  Start living the life Jesus died for you to have ... a life overflowing with the manifest presence of God.

Love,
:angel:

May 27, 2011     

PUTTING ON YOUR SHADES

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

In 1986, a little known musical group called Timbuk3 recorded a hit song titled"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades." It was a "one-hit wonder" that became a favorite of many, especially high school and college graduates. Although originally intended as sarcasm, the catchy lyrics actually gave listeners a sense of hope and great expectation for the future.

Be honest: do you have hope and great expectation for the future? Do you live with a sense that great things are on the horizon for you? Do you keep your shades close by? God wants that for you!

You see, God reveals Himself in the Bible as "the God of hope" (Rom. 15:13). He is the God of good news, new beginnings, and great expectations. He told his ancient people, exiled in Babylon, that their best days were yet to come. Although they had been through rough times because of their sin and rebellion, God still had BIG and wonderful plans for them. He wanted them to get excited about their future.

GETTING EXCITED

As you and I think about our life, our family, our career, and our future, I am convinced that we need to believe God and, by faith, put on our shades. God has promised a bright and glorious future for those who love Him and keep their eyes on Jesus.

Don't let yourself get gloomy, negative, and cynical. Remember, we are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). A negative outlook on life reveals a faithless belief that Jeremiah 29:11 is nothing more than an empty promise from God. It reveals that we foolishly believe the future is black, bleak, and blah. Nothing could be further from the truth. When God gives a promise, you can take it to the bank! It is impossible for Him to lie (Heb. 6:18).

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we should be so EXCITED about today and the days ahead. God has promised good things, not calamity. He has promised a great future, not a grim one - "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).

PUTTING FAITH IN ACTION

No matter what you are facing today - money problems, job problems, marital problems, school problems, health problems, heartache problems, failure problems - will you simply believe God that the best is truly yet to be? If you have sinned and blown it big time, repent and confess your sins to God and let Him bring forgiveness and restoration (1 John 1:9). If you have fallen into the doldrums of despair, let God know that you are going to start believing His promises, regardless of the present circumstances.

The choice is yours: a bright future or a bleak future? Walking by faith or walking by sight? Believing God or believing the devil? I trust you will make the right choice, and you will join me in putting on the shades!

Love,
:angel:

June 03, 2011     

Got Manna?

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them,  whether or not they will walk in My instruction.  —Exodus 16:4

I love the Old Testament story of how God fed His people in the wilderness with bread that came down from heaven.  It was called manna, a Hebrew word that actually means "what is it?"  The people had no idea what it was.  Manna was provided faithfully and lovingly by God for forty years.  It sustained God's people during their wilderness wanderings (note: the wilderness is the desert).

Without a doubt, manna was a daily miracle.  It serves as a vivid picture of Jesus Christ who is "the bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:41).  Notice the symbolism:

1. THE SWEETNESS – Manna was sweet to the taste.  It was described in Numbers as "wafers with honey" (Numbers 16:31).  Jesus Christ is sweet.  The Bible says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).  Don't ever get the idea that following Jesus is like taking bad medicine to get well.  It is not.  Walking with Jesus is sweet.  It is a blessing, not a burden.  It is a privilege, not a penalty.  Jesus is not a joy stealer but a joy giver.

2. THE LIFE – Manna was essential for life.  If the people did not eat it, they would die.  Jesus is essential to life.  There is no life apart from Him.  The Bible clearly tells us that "Christ is our life" (Colossians 3:4).   Too often we try to compartmentalize Jesus and make Him a part of our life.  DON'T DO THAT!  He is not just a part of life; He is the hub of the wheel, the chief cornerstone of all.  Unless you and I build on Him, the rock of ages, we have no stability when the inevitable storms of life hit (Matthew 7:24-27).  If you want to really enjoy life to the full, surrender everything in your life to His lordship.

3. THE LONGING – Manna whetted the appetite for more.  It was designed to satisfy and sustain until the people arrived in the Promised Land, that long awaited land that flowed with milk and honey.  Jesus surely is sweet and wonderful, but knowing Christ in this life just whets the appetite for what lies ahead.  God has so much prepared for those who love Him.  Today, I know Jesus heart to heart.  But there is coming a day when I will meet Him face to face.  One day, faith will turn to sight, and I will enter into the joy of my Master.  What a day that will be!!  As John said, "Amen.  Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).

WHAT ABOUT TODAY?

Are you feasting on your relationship with Jesus?  Are you seeking Him early, like the people gathered the manna early in the day?  He rewards those who seek Him, so take time TODAY to seek the Lord and call upon His name.  He is closer to you than the shirt on your back, and He is waiting for you to look to Him.

Love,

:angel:

June 10, 2011     

From His Heart
     
The Praise Perspective

And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made heaven and earth.  2 Kings 19:15

It was a dark and scary time for the people of God.  Assyria, the big and bad world power of the day, was just about ready to turn the lights out on Judah.  Their powerful army was closing in fast, and the situation seemed hopeless.  Hezekiah and the Israelites were dead meat.  They needed a miracle from God or else their goose was cooked.

King Hezekiah did what we would do in such a situation ... he went to the Lord in prayer.  BUT, unlike the way we are so much of the time, Hezekiah began his prayer with praise.  Can you imagine?  In the midst of dire circumstances, He took time to praise God for who He was/is and what He had done.

WHY IS PRAISE SO IMPORTANT?

Praise is so vitally important in prayer because:

1. Praise blesses God.  The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).  Praise tells God that you believe in Him.  Praise tells Him that you know He is able, more than able to handle any situation.  Praise is faith turned inside out.  God really likes that!

2. Praise brings perspective to our situation.  Hezekiah reminded himself in his prayer that God was and is the only God AND the creator God.  Now Assyria was mighty, but God is Almighty.  Assyria was powerful, but God is ALL powerful.  As great as Assyria was at that time, they did not have the power to make heaven and earth ... but the God of Israel did.  And remember how He made it—simply by the power of His word.  Listen, if God can just open His mouth and speak worlds into existence, He can surely handle any enemy, any giant, any army, any problem that threatens to destroy us.

START TODAY

While all of us face difficulties and problems throughout life, some of you can easily identify with the grave situation facing Hezekiah because, right now, you are facing bankruptcy ... or divorce ... or major surgery ... or a lay-off ... or cancer ... or the death of a loved one ... or the problems of old age.  Right now you feel totally overwhelmed, hemmed in and on the verge of certain collapse and destruction.  What is the answer?  Prayer that is filled with praise! 

When Hezekiah praised, he got a right perspective—God is greater than this problem.  As he made his request for God to deliver, God did deliver ... and Israel won a great victory as God fought for them and defeated their enemies.

Start praising the Lord today for the fact that He alone is God and He alone is able.  Remind yourself over and over again that the God who can speak the worlds into existence, can surely speak to your storm and calm it with a word (See Mark 4:35-41).  Now that is a reason to give God praise!

Love,
:angel:

June 17, 2011     

From His Heart
     
Speak No Evil

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29

Have you ever seen the Hollywood classic movie, Gone with the Wind?  It is an epic drama set during the Civil War era.  I remember watching it on TV one day and being struck with the fact that Melanie, Ashley Wilkes' wife, never once said an unkind word concerning the mean, selfish, conniving, immature Scarlett O'Hara ... even though Scarlett was in love with her husband and would do anything to break them up so she could get her man.  Melanie was far too kind and gracious to speak evil of the evil Scarlett.  While Scarlett continually spoke rotten, evil words of anyone and everyone, Melanie continually practiced Ephesians 4:29.

How about you?  Are you more like Scarlett or Melanie?  Do you let your mouth loose in evil, or do you keep a guard on your tongue?  Do you speak words over your life, your family, your employer, your country and your church that build up and encourage ... or do you speak words that tear down and destroy?  Do you choose to see the best in people and situations ... or do you choose to see the worst and offer up your negative, cutting comments?

GOD HEARS

Sometimes we forget that God hears everything that comes out of our mouths (Psalm 94:8-10).  He is not pleased when we speak words that tear down what He wants to build up.  In fact, the Lord says, "Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile" (1 Peter 3:10).

In Matthew 12, Jesus uttered these sobering words to the mean-spirited, self-righteous people of His day:

You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded?  It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words.  A good person produces good deeds and words season after season.  An evil person is a blight on the orchard.  Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you.  There will be a time of Reckoning.  Words are powerful; take them seriously.  Words can be your salvation.  Words can also be your damnation.  (Matthew 12:34-37 The Message)

A CHECKLIST

Let me encourage you (as I encourage myself) to think before you speak.  Ask yourself these questions:

Am I speaking words that build up or tear down? 
Is God pleased with the words coming out of my mouth? 
Do my words glorify the King who died to save me? 
Am I repeating rotten things that I don't even know are true?
Am I speaking words of faith or words of doubt?
Do the words that come out of my mouth sound more like Scarlett or more like Melanie?
Remember, your words reveal your heart.  So ask God to show you what is in your heart (Psalm 139:23-24).  If rottenness, wickedness, bitterness and faithlessness are there, confess it and ask Him to cleanse you and remove all the dross, all the sin.  He wants to use us and bless us, but He cannot if we are determined to use our tongues to destroy.

Take God at His word!  If you truly want to love life and see good days, keep your tongue from evil.

Love,
:angel:

June 24, 2011     


When You Feel Like The Worst Sinner

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.  Psalm 86:5

Be honest ... have you ever felt like the world's worst sinner?  Have you ever done something that made you feel so dirty and horrible and guilt-ridden?  Have you ever felt like there is no way anyone, not even a kind and merciful God could forgive you?  Well, you are not alone.  I think most of us have felt like that at one time or another.

Years ago, I heard a young woman interviewed on Oprah.  This woman had given herself over to terrible, horrible sexual sin.  She had sold her body for money and suffered the consequences for it.  I will never forget when she said, "I was in the shower, and I couldn't wash off the filth anymore."  The guilt and shame reached a boiling point, and this poor young lady suffered a nervous breakdown due to the enormity of her sin.

The good news is that no matter what you have done, God is good and ready to forgive you.  He is not short on lovingkindness.  The blood of Jesus can cleanse the absolute worst of sins and sinners.

BIG TIME SINNERS IN CORINTH

The church in Corinth was populated by people who had done some terrible things: fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion (one man was involved in an incestuous relationship), theft, drunkenness, greed, and abusiveness.  Their sins were horrific and plentiful.  Can you relate?

Now listen to what the Bible says about these terrible sinners in Corinth – "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11).

If you have received Christ as Savior and Lord, let me tell you three things that are true of you:

1. You have been washed.  The blood of Jesus has removed every blot from your sin-stained soul.  You are no longer a dirty sinner; you are a dirt-free saint, made as pure and clean as the driven snow!

2. You have been sanctified.  God has set you apart for His service.  You are in the Lord's army and have a wonderful assignment to shine for Jesus in a dark and dying world.  Those saved from the worst of sins have the most powerful of testimonies.  Such was the case with Paul.  His testimony was this: "If God can save me, the chief of sinners, He can save you too!"

3. You have been justified.  When God sees you, He does not see a condemned sinner.  He sees one who is clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.  You don't have to walk around guilt-ridden, ashamed and condemned.  You can walk tall and free because in the Lord's sight you are justified ... and it is just as if you've never sinned!

THANK HIM!

Listen, my friend, when you feel like the worst of sinners, revisit the truth of God's Word.  Thank the Lord for the cross and the blood that washes you white as snow.  By all means, confess and repent of your sins so that all is right with the Lord ... but never let the devil beat you to the ground with guilt, shame and the hellish lie that God cannot forgive you.

God is good and loving and READY to forgive, no matter what you have done.  So trust Him!

Love,
:angel:

01, 2011     

From His Heart
     
Perseverance

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Galatians 6:9 NLT

Do you ever feel like giving up? Does life ever get soooo hard that you just want to throw in the towel and quit?  I think if we are honest, we all get there from time to time. The job seems too tough, the school work seems too hard, the marriage seems too impossible, the mountain seems too impassable. What is the answer when you feel like quitting? You remember the immortal words of Dr. Jerry Falwell, "It's always too early to quit."

A few weeks ago, I ran across the diary entry of John Wesley, the father of the Methodist Church. Wesley was another man who said, "It's always too early to quit." Here is what he put in his journal:

Sunday, A.M., May 5
Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday, P.M., May 5
Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."

Sunday, A.M., May 12
Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.

Sunday, A.M., May 19
Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.

Sunday, P.M., May 19
Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday, A.M., May 26
Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday, A.M., June 2
Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday, P.M., June 2
Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

DON'T GIVE UP!

I don't know what you are going through, but God does.  He says, "Don't give up!"  It may be rough right now, but it is not always going to be this way.  Hold firm in your faith.  Keep believing God for your miracle and your breakthrough.  Keep obeying His Word and submitting to His will.  And as you keep on, remember His promise, "At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." Your miracle is one day closer to fruition, so press on in Jesus' name!

Love,
:angel:

July 08, 2011     

From His Heart
     
Perseverance

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Galatians 6:9 NLT

Do you ever feel like giving up? Does life ever get soooo hard that you just want to throw in the towel and quit?  I think if we are honest, we all get there from time to time. The job seems too tough, the school work seems too hard, the marriage seems too impossible, the mountain seems too impassable. What is the answer when you feel like quitting? You remember the immortal words of Dr. Jerry Falwell, "It's always too early to quit."

A few weeks ago, I ran across the diary entry of John Wesley, the father of the Methodist Church. Wesley was another man who said, "It's always too early to quit." Here is what he put in his journal:

Sunday, A.M., May 5
Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday, P.M., May 5
Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."

Sunday, A.M., May 12
Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.

Sunday, A.M., May 19
Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.

Sunday, P.M., May 19
Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday, A.M., May 26
Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday, A.M., June 2
Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday, P.M., June 2
Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

DON'T GIVE UP!

I don't know what you are going through, but God does.  He says, "Don't give up!"  It may be rough right now, but it is not always going to be this way.  Hold firm in your faith.  Keep believing God for your miracle and your breakthrough.  Keep obeying His Word and submitting to His will.  And as you keep on, remember His promise, "At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." Your miracle is one day closer to fruition, so press on in Jesus' name!

Love,
:angel:

July 15, 2011     


From His Heart
     
Are You Accepting His Amazing Grace?

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.  John 1:16

Do you ever have trouble accepting the grace of God ... accepting His undeserved and unmerited favor?  If I am totally honest, I have to say that I struggle with fully accepting God's grace in my daily living.

Now I know full well that I am saved by grace alone through faith alone.  I am definitely not trying to work my way into heaven.  But, I have a strong tendency to fall into the trap detailed in Galatians: "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3).  That kind of living is called performance-based acceptance.  It is one of the devil's chief tools to rob us of the peace and joy found in God's amazing grace.

The encouraging news is that I am not alone in this struggle accepting God's grace on a daily basis.  Many who really desire to walk with God fall into the devil's quagmire of performance-based acceptance with God.  Author and speaker Jerry Bridges confesses in his book on grace (Transforming Grace) that he too tends to default into this merit/demerit system with God.  He shares a story that really spoke to my heart.

JERRY BRIDGES' STORY

Bridges was scheduled to preach at a church one Sunday morning.  Upon his arrival fifteen minutes before the service, he found out that a staff member had just died the day before.  Bridges' prepared sermon on discipleship was not what the church needed to hear at this particular time.  They needed comfort and encouragement, not challenge.  Bridges needed to preach a totally different sermon ... and he had only fifteen minutes to come up with one.  He said he quickly began to check his merits before asking God for a sermon: Did I have a quiet time this morning?  Did I have any lustful thoughts today?  Have I told any half-truths?  Have I been "good enough" for God to grant this request?

Then he caught himself.  Wait a minute!  God does not accept me or my prayer based on my good works.  He accepts me based on His grace and His grace alone.  Bridges prayed, "Lord I come to you today in the name of Jesus and, by His merit alone, ask for your help."  God answered His prayer, gave him a sermon and empowered Bridges to minister to the people.  It was all by His grace.

FROM PRESSURE TO GLORY

When the Christian life depends on you and me, there is such tremendous pressure to perform ... and when we fail ... UGH!  The condemnation comes in spades.  We hear the voice of the enemy whisper in our ear, "What a terrible, horrible person you are.  God must be truly disgusted with you.  Surely something awful is going to happen to you because you make God sick with your continued failures and sins."  Have you ever heard those things whispered to you?

Those kinds of thoughts are lies from the pit of hell.  God is never disgusted with His children.  He can be displeased with our actions, but, by His grace, He is always accepting of us and pleased with us because "He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).

You see, when we get saved (initially receive God's grace), the Lord does not give us a clean slate ... He breaks the slate in a million pieces.  All our sins are paid for – past, present and future.  By His grace, our sins have been taken away and nailed to His cross (Colossians 2:14).  God does not keep a record of our transgressions anymore since He already declared they were "PAID IN FULL!"  Every sin you will ever commit has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now to be sure, grace does not give us a license to sin and do whatever we want. We do not continue in sin that grace may abound.  God's grace purchased us.  We have been bought with the price of His blood ... and we no longer belong to ourselves, we belong to Jesus.  And whether we eat or drink or do whatever, we are to do all to His glory, in His glorious strength (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 10:33).

I hope you will join me in consciously living each day by the truth of His grace.  It is certainly amazing and frees us to live in great joy, peace and power.  Believe it and receive it!

Love,
:angel:

July 22, 2011     


From His Heart
     
But It's Only a LITTLE Sin

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 1 Corinthians 5:6

The other day I read an article about the latest weight loss craze for some in Hollywood – crystal meth.  One unnamed doctor said a young starlet was trying hard to lose weight ... and found that crystal meth was an instant hit.  It gave her a high, incredible energy, and took away her appetite.  There was slight problem with it, however.  Over time it turned her into a paranoid, meth-mouthed junkie.  This young starlet thought she could control it.  She thought it would be okay if she just used a little.  But a little meth is like a little leaven ... it grows, spreads and pervades all of life, bringing destruction in spades.

SIN IS A PASSING PLEASURE

The problem most of us have with sin ("a little leaven") is that it is pleasurable.  Immorality is pleasurable.  Gluttony is pleasurable.  Gossip is pleasurable.  Laziness is pleasurable.  Partying and indulging the flesh in its corrupt desires are pleasurable.  The problem is the pleasure doesn't last.  The Bible speaks of "the passing pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11:25).  Sin is indeed pleasurable, but it is pleasurable only for a season.  When the season is over, the bills come in like a tsunami.

SIN IS LIKE A BAITED HOOK

Anyone who goes fishing knows you need to have the right bait.  Fish don't bite a bare hook, they bite a tasty morsel ... or, as in the case with artificial bait, what they believe to be a tasty morsel.  As the fish takes a nibble, there is temporary pleasure.  The pleasure quickly fades away, however, when that fish is hooked and cooked, gutted and grilled.  The bait was temporary pleasure that brought a lifetime of pain.  And so it is with sin.

YOUR LIFE

Will you take an honest look at your life today?  Are there areas of compromise, areas where you have given in to sin and made friends with sin, saying to yourself, "Oh well, what can it hurt?  After all, it is just a little, minor, insignificant thing (we don't like to call it sin, do we?)."

Listen: don't be fooled like the fish.  Little sins are like a little leaven.  They will grow and spread, stealing away your joy, peace, and relationship with God.  No one falls away from God in one fell swoop; they drift away slowly as little sins begin to pervade.  As the song so aptly states, "It's a Slow Fade."

Let me encourage you to live your life in the light of God's truth and holiness.  Don't let little sins have a place in your heart.  Like a meticulous gardener, take time every day to search your heart and pull the weeds while they are small and few.  Make it your goal to practice Psalm 139:23-24 so that your heart stays pure and cleansed before the Lord.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."

Love,
:angel:

July 29, 2011     


From His Heart
     
A New Normal

Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel."  Joshua 1:1-2

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 changed everything for so many people.  In the span of a few short minutes, thousands of lives were taken and cities were virtually erased from the landscape.  The pictures and videos were shocking and heartbreaking.


How do you rebuild after something like this?  How do you go on with life?  How do you resist the overwhelming temptation to just give up and die?

IT AIN'T OVER

While most of us have a hard time relating to the total devastation many of these dear people experienced (and are still experiencing), we can relate to tsunamis of a sort that hit our lives and change everything.  Perhaps your tsunami was the death of a loved one ... or the betrayal of your marriage partner ... or the termination from your job ... or the loss of your finances ... or the bad news that you have an incurable disease ... or the loss of your family (your kids got married, moved away and you see them once a year!).  What do you do when life changes on a dime without your permission? 

Surely you mourn.  There would be something terribly wrong with you if you did not mourn significant losses in life.  The children of Israel wept and mourned the death of Moses, the greatest Old Testament prophet and their leader for the previous forty years.  They intensely mourned for thirty days ... but then they ceased from their mourning.  God told them to get up and get going.  Moses was dead, but God wasn't dead.  Moses was dead, but God still had big plans and big dreams for His people.  Moses was dead, but the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey, was before them.  Moses was dead, but a great season of joy was coming into view.     

WHAT DO YOU DO?

What do you do when life changes on a dime?  You don't quit ... you get up and go on.  You recalibrate your life to a new normal.  What other choice do you have?  Curse God and die?  Turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain?  Live the rest of your days bitter, toxic and angry?  Certainly, none of those is the right path to take in the aftermath of tragedy and pain.  But going on with God is always the way.         

GOD KNOWS AND CARES

I don't know what significant loss you have faced or are facing, but God does.  He knows all about your broken heart ... and He cares – "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted" (Psalm 34:18).  Don't let your heart get bitter at the devastating changes that have befallen you.  Take God's counsel to heart.  Mourn sufficiently ... and then stop mourning, get up and go on with God.  There is a Promised Land awaiting all those who will "arise and cross this Jordan."  I know it is not easy to do, but He promises to be with us every step of the way.     
Love,
:angel:

A Note from Pastor Jeff about Finishing Strong

Dear Friend,

So many Christians today feel like they've messed up royally, and they feel so wicked inside. They think, "There's no way I can get back in the game for the Lord. God is finished with me."

But you know what? Despite your mistakes and mess-ups, you can finish strong. Today, God is putting His hand on your shoulder and telling you, "I'm not finished with you yet." So it's up to you to stand up and get back out on the field!

I hope that this edition of our From His Heart newsletter has encouraged you that despite your past setbacks, you can finish strong. I also hope you've been encouraged as you've seen how God is using your support to impact lives here in the U.S. and around the world.

Debbie and I are so grateful for your faithful support and friendship!

Love,
  :angel:

August 05, 2011     


From His Heart
     
Where Is Your Treasure?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Matthew 6:19-21

Some years ago, after I had left Nalco Chemical Company to go into the ministry, I sold all my Nalco stock for approximately $38 per share.  One month later it went to $42.  UGH!  After converting it to other stocks, the bottom dropped out of the market.  (I always seem to buy high and sell low.)  I lost one third of my portfolio within no time.  When I asked my broker about it (my best friend, Mike), he said, "You should be happy, Schreve.  I have lots of other clients who have lost way more than you have."  Needless to say, that did not make me happy ... nor did it instill confidence in Mike's ability to successfully handle my investments.

The bottom line is this: the financial world is up and down (and down and down, it seems).  Stocks that are hot today can be dog meat tomorrow.  The Bible tells people, "Not ... to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).  Riches are uncertain at best.  Does money talk?  Yes!  It says, "Goodbye."  Don't trust in money.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, regardless of the circumstances.     

TREASURE IN HEAVEN?

Where is your treasure today?  Is most of it in the bank or in the stock market or in real estate?  How much are you investing in the Kingdom of God?  Jesus said if you invest in the Kingdom and support the work of the Kingdom, your investment will pay HUGE dividends now and for all eternity.

The "now" dividend is that your heart will be free from the trappings of this world that weigh us down with worries and cares.

The "all eternity" dividend will be to see your earthly financial investment transferred into the eternal salvation of souls.

Paul said to the Philippians, "Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account" (Philippians 4:17).  How would you like to start adding some heavenly profits to your account?

A TRUE STORY

A few years ago, I was talking very frankly with a wealthy friend of mine who claimed to be a Christian.  I challenged this guy to take his millions and make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  I said to him, "You are approaching the end of your life (he was nearly ninety years old).  You can leave all your wealth to your children and see them greedily fight over every dollar, or you can give generously to God's work and touch lives for all eternity."  I encouraged him to invest in heaven's bank, the only bank that ALWAYS pays a GREAT dividend.  Tragically, he chose to hold on to every last dollar ... and he left it all to his children who began fighting over it before his body was even cold.   

WILL YOU TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD?

The Lord promises a great return on investment if we invest with Him.  He promises to meet our needs if we put Him first in our lives.  Money is not God, Jesus is ... and He made it clear that you and I cannot serve God and money.

The best way I know to break your dependence on the false god of money is to give generously, consistently, and sacrificially to the Lord's work.  Remember, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Put your treasure in heaven's bank ... and your heart will follow.   


Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor

:angel:

True Apologies

"If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."  Luke 17:3-4

Some years ago, I needed to get things right with a friend I had wronged.  While I felt he had also wronged me, that wasn't the issue.  I had wronged him ... and needed to seek his forgiveness.  I needed to own my wrong actions, repent of them, and humbly apologize – easier said then done.

When I finally called this person, I said something to this effect, "I was very wrong in the way I handled things and responded to you when we worked together.  I did not support you like I should have done.  I am so sorry.  Will you forgive me?"

This man readily agreed that I had wronged him and forgave me ... and our relationship was restored.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WHAT HE DID?

Did you know there was a part of me that wanted to say, "I'm so sorry for what I did ... BUT your actions surely did not help the situation either."  I so wanted to add a "but" and justify myself a little in my apology.  That's what a "but" apology does.  It tries to add a little justification for our wrong behavior.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, honey, BUT I've had a bad day" (i.e. it's not really my fault).

"I'm sorry I talked bad about you to other people, BUT you provoked me" (i.e. it's not really my fault, it's your fault).

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you, BUT remember those times you did that to me?" (i.e. you deserved it).

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN APOLOGIZING

1.   Be repentant.  Apologies mean nothing without genuine, heartfelt repentance.  If you simply mouth the words "I'm sorry" without truly being sorry, your apology is hollow and ineffectual.  God doesn't forgive us because we say some magic "I'm sorry" words.  He forgives us when we are genuinely repentant.

2.   Be specific.  General apologies mean little to nothing.  Don't say, "I'm sorry."  Rather say, "I'm sorry that I did _____________ (whatever it was)."  Specific apologies own the wrong that was done and right the wrong that was done.

3.   Don't add a "but."  When you apologize, don't try to justify your wrong behavior with a "BUT."  You cannot control what other people say and do.  You can only control you.  And if you messed up, fess up and seek forgiveness, regardless of what you perceive the other person did to provoke your actions.

Good apologizers are humble, willing to take honest inventory of their lives and actions, and willing to do what is necessary to make things right with God and others.

Bad apologizers are filled with pride and an unwillingness to admit wrongdoing.  Their theme song is, "Sin in others I can see, but praise the Lord there's none in me!"

What kind of an apologizer are you?

Love,



Jeff Schreve

:angel:

August 19, 2011   


From His Heart
     
WHEN YOU SIN BIG TIME

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5

Have you ever committed a BIG, terrible sin and felt so condemned and horrible as a result? I know I have. When we get like this, it seems to take days and even weeks for the painful stench to subside. It is almost as if we are shunned by God until sufficient time has passed for Him to not be totally disgusted with us. But is that really the way God deals with His children? NO!

THE TRUTH

The Lord is not our "condemner," He is our Savior and Friend. He is "good and ready to forgive." He has a heart of love for us, EVEN when we sin HUGE sins that bring terrible devastation. Remember the prodigal had "dissed" his father something fierce. He had wasted his father's money on parties and prostitutes. He ended up in the pig sty of life, needy, broken, sin-stained, and alone. He was filthy inside and out. Yet when he repented and returned to his father, he found his father to be "good and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness." What a beautiful picture of the mercy and grace of God that is available to us when we repent!

WHAT TO DO

Let me encourage you, no matter what terrible sins you have committed, to take those sins to Jesus in humility, brokenness, and true repentance. Believe His Word. He will receive you, and lavish on you complete and total forgiveness and restoration. The consequences of your sin don't magically disappear as a result, but your heart is immediately made right with God. And that is the most important thing.

TWO MOUNTAINS

If you have BIG sins from your past that continually haunt you and bring you down, if you are struggling with guilt, shame and condemnation, go to the right place with those sins. Go to Mount Calvary.

You see, there are two great mountains in Scripture: Sinai in the Old Testament and Calvary in the New. Sinai is the mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments. It is the mountain of Law. The Law was given to show us we are guilty before God. It was given to lead us to Christ and His grace. When you sin as a Christian, do not take your sin to Sinai. At Sinai, you will only find condemnation as the Law cries out, "SINNER!" Take your sin to Calvary, the mountain on which Christ died. At Calvary, you will find mercy, grace, and the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
:angel:

August 26, 2011     

From His Heart
     
Somebody Else's Bitterness

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.  Hebrews 12:15

Did you ever see the movie, Stepmom?  It starred Ed Harris (Luke), Susan Sarandon (Jackie), and Julia Roberts (Isabel).  It was about the ugliness of divorce and remarriage, especially when children are involved.

In the story, Luke divorced his wife, Jackie, and they shared custody of their two young children.  Over time, Luke began a relationship with Isabel, a younger, more attractive woman.  Although Isabel had nothing to do with the divorce, Jackie hated her for being "the other woman" in her ex-husband's life.  She was especially mean and cruel to her.  Nothing Isabel did was ever right or met with her approval, especially when it concerned the children.

In one memorable scene, Jackie's little boy, Ben, says to his mother, "Mommy, if you want me to hate her (Isabel), I will."  He was just trying to please ... and it seemed to him that picking up his mother's hatred for Isabel would be the ticket.  Although Isabel was trying hard to be good to Ben, yet he was more than willing to hate her on behalf of his bitter, sour-spirited mommy.

HATE ON ME HATER

Did you know there are lots of people who "hate" other folks in just the same way?  Although never personally wronged by the one they "hate," they simply pick up the bitterness and hatred of their "mommy" (a.k.a. loved one) and make it their own.  They become defiled by their friend's bitterness.

The Bible warns us about bitterness.  We are NOT to become like Jackie, bitter at people who have hurt us, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  Furthermore, we are NOT to become like Ben, picking up the bitterness of loved ones and hating on their behalf.  Listen, you are NOT being a loyal friend by picking up another's bitterness.  Rather, you are spreading strife, feeding the sin, and grieving the heart of God.

THE CHURCH'S BIGGEST SIN

I firmly believe the biggest sin in the church of Jesus Christ is the sin of bitterness.  So many people in the church are bitter and unforgiving ... and they are spreading their bitterness like a communicable disease to friends and family.  UGH!

What is the answer?  Deal God's way with the bitterness that may have wormed its way into your own heart.  Bring your hurts to God and leave them with Him.  Choose to forgive those who have hurt you, whether they ask for forgiveness or not.  And be a true friend to those whom you know to be bitter.  Don't hate on their behalf.  Lovingly confront them with the truth of God's Word.  If they have legitimate issues, they are to go to the person who wronged them as outlined in Matthew 18.

So much trouble and strife could be avoided if we would just do what God says to do.  I know it is not ever easy, but it is always right.

HONESTLY ANSWER THIS

Have you picked up another's bitterness?  Drop it right now at the foot of the cross.  Pray for that one you are now bitter toward.  It is impossible to stay bitter when you are earnestly praying for God's blessings to fall upon the one who hurt you ... or hurt your loved one.

Listen, God knows the score.  He sees the evil and the good.  He is certainly big enough to take care of those who wrong others.  So trust Him and don't fall short of His grace.

Love,


Jeff Schreve
:angel:

September 02, 2011     

From His Heart
     
What Is Real Worship?

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. 
Psalm 103:1

When I was a kid growing up in the sixties and seventies, I watched my share of TV on the few channels available at that time (ABC, NBC, CBS and two UHF stations that always came in a little fuzzy).  During those hours each day of TV watching (cartoons and sitcoms mostly), I remember one specific ad campaign for Coca-Cola: IT'S THE REAL THING.

Coca-Cola was not to be confused with the cheap imitation, "me too!" colas desperately vying for market share with a less expensive product.  Coca-Cola was the Real Thing!  If you were to drink a real cola that truly satisfied, you had to drink Coca-Cola.  That was the gist of the ad campaign.

THE REAL THING WITH GOD

When it comes to worshiping God, is there a real thing and an imitation?  YES!  Jesus said that there are people who worship God in vain (it is futile, empty and meaningless) because they don't worship Him from the heart with all that they are, with all that is within them.  Tragically, many people who call themselves Christians give lip service to God in worship while their hearts are a million miles away.

Does God know the difference between lip service and heart?  OF COURSE!  Even you and I know the difference between someone who is truly engaged vs. someone who is merely going through the motions.

IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM

The fall of Adam and Eve caused human beings to go from a God focus to a self focus.  That is why when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they immediately realized they were naked.  To be sure, they were naked before they ate, but they did not know it BECAUSE their focus was not on self, it was on God.

A self-centered, "it's all about me" focus is really the root of sin.  Sin should be spelled this way:

Sin is an "I" problem.  And we have a great tendency to bring in a self-centered focus when we gather to worship God.

Newsflash: if you worship God with a self-centered focus – let's sing the songs I like, let's do things my way, let's call attention to me now – your worship is in vain.  It is a cheap imitation that amounts to nothing in God's sight.

Vain, heartless worship is what God's people were giving him in the opening chapter of the Book of Isaiah ... and God was sick and tired of it.  Hear what he had to say about it in Isaiah 1:12-14.

When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me!  As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false.  I want no more of your pious meetings.  I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 

REAL WORSHIP

Real worship is not a Sunday morning event; it is a 24-7 loving, adoring, "all that is within me" response to the revelation of God ... worshiping Him from the depths of our heart for who He is and what He has done.

Perhaps it has been a while since you have truly worshiped.  Perhaps you have never really done it. Today can be the day for you.  It's all about Him.  We love, because He first loved us.  Let your mind and heart get lost in His love today ... and respond to Him with all that is within you.


Click to watch "The Power of the Cross"

Love,
:angel:

 September 09, 2011     


From His Heart
     
Sinking in the Storm?

But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying,
"Lord, save me!"  Matthew 14:30

Jesus sent His disciples away so He could be alone.  He put them into a boat and commanded them to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He went up the mountain to pray.

As the disciples made their way across the Sea of Galilee, a great storm arose, and the ship was being battered by the wind and the waves.  To make matters worse, it was in the darkest part of the night.  They were scared ... they were exhausted from countless hours of rowing ... they were feeling alone and abandoned because Jesus wasn't there with them.

Then, lo and behold, Jesus comes to them walking on the sea!  At first, they thought He was a ghost.  I mean, who would have thunk it?  Jesus, walking on water?  Who can walk on water?  God can.

REMEMBER THIS – WHAT THREATENS TO SWALLOW YOU UP AND GO OVER YOUR HEAD IS ALREADY UNDER HIS FEET!  HE IS IN CHARGE OF EVERY DARK STORM!

PETER

As Jesus tells the disciples that the ghost is really Him, Peter asks the Lord, "Lord, if it is really You, command me to come to You on the water."  And Jesus said to Peter, "Come!"

So Pet!  WOW!   What an amazing miracle.  Peter had His eyes on Jesus, walking on the water to Him.

And it was going great UNTIL he started looking at the wind and the waves and the stormy sea.  Once he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink and drown.

THE PROBLEM

The problem Peter had in the midst of the storm is the problem we all have – we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on our scary circumstances.  Whenever we do that, our heart of faith gives way to a heart of fear ... and we start to sink in the storm.

Are you facing a storm today?  Is it dark?  Have you been rowing a LONG time and getting nowhere fast?  Does it seem as if Jesus is nowhere to be found?  What are you to do?

Keep rowing and keep trusting ... and remember:

1.  Your Savior is praying for you (that is what he was doing on the mountain – praying for them).

2.  Your Savior will come to you at the right time.

3.  Your Savior will use the storm to bring a great miracle.

4.  You Savior will enable you to walk on water, to overcome that storm ... and you don't have to have a sinking spell if you will keep your eyes on Jesus!

Remember the immortal words of King Jehoshaphat as he faced the dark storm of certain annihilation from the vast armies surrounding Jerusalem and prayed:

"O our God, will You not judge them?  For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You"(2 Chronicles 20:12).

Keep your eyes on Jesus, my friend.  Don't focus on the storm raging around you.  God is greater than any storm, and He will bring about the victory at the proper time.

Love,
:angel:

September 16, 2011     


From His Heart
     
Are You Tempting God?

We should not tempt the Lord [try His patience, become a trial to Him, critically appraise Him, and exploit His goodness] as some of them did—and were killed by poisonous serpents.
1 Corinthians 10:9 AMP

God's Old Testament people were slaves in Egypt for more than 400 years.  They were doing backbreaking work for Pharaoh and his kingdom.  It was awful, and they hated it.  They cried out to the Lord for deliverance ... and deliverance finally came.

God raised up Moses to lead the people out of Egypt with great might and power.  If the ten plagues were not enough, the parting of the Red Sea and drowning of the powerful Egyptian army were proof positive that God was among His people and for His people.

And God led the people out of Egypt so He could lead them in the Promised Land.  But because of unbelief, they didn't go into the land as God wanted them to.  As a result of their disobedience, they wandered in the wilderness for forty long, hot, dry years.

It was in the wilderness that the people tempted God and tried His great patience.  Can you imagine?

They were impatient with the trials of the wilderness wanderings and spoke against God and Moses in frustration and anger, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food [manna]" (Numbers 21:5).

The people grumbled, griped, complained and tried God's patience ... and, in response, God sent fiery serpents that bit and killed many of the grumblers.  YIKES!  Paul told the Corinthians to watch out that they did not fall into the same sin of tempting the Lord ... and suffer the same killer consequences.

ARE WE GUILTY?

As I thought through this idea of becoming critical of the Lord and the way He does things in my life, I was convicted.  How often do I get impatient with God because things aren't going the way I want them to go... and doors are not opening fast enough ... and God is not doing what I want Him to do.  How easy it is for me to grumble, gripe and complain in the Lord's hearing.  May God have mercy!

Perhaps today you are frustrated with the Lord.  Perhaps you are getting impatient with your journey and are beginning to critically appraise the Lord and His will and sovereign work in your life.  Perhaps you are taking God to task for His apparent tardiness in answering your prayer or opening that door of opportunity.  Be careful!  The Bible makes it clear that it is a BIG sin to try the Lord's patience.  The children of Israel did it and died.

WAIT ON THE LORD

A good friend of mine shared a passage with me the other day from Psalm 27,"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:13-14).

My friend, God knows what He is doing.  He is good to us even when He has us wander in the wilderness.  So, make it your practice to:

1.  Praise Him for the trials and the difficulty of the journey.  He loves it when we choose to praise Him and thank Him, even when times are tough.

2.  Trust Him to bring His goodness to you in due time.  He has a wonderful plan for your life.  You will see the goodness of it if you don't grow weary and crumble in despair and unbelief.

3.  Wait on Him.  He does not work on your timetable, He works on His.  Rest assured while you wait that He really is at work, even when it appears nothing is happening.

May we recognize those times when we are trying the Lord's patience and immediately seek His forgiveness.  May we walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that our Promised Land will come about in His perfect timing.

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor

jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171
:angel:

September 23, 2011   

From His Heart
     
What to do When You're Tempted

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.   Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
James 1:14-15

Have you ever gone on a diet?  Let me tell you from personal experience, it is no fun.  The first three letters of the word explain it best: D-I-E.  A diet is dying to yourself and what you want to eat in the hopes of losing weight.

For me, a low carb/no carb diet has proven effective.  The only problem is that within a day – sometimes hours – I start craving carbs.  Pizza, chips and queso, desserts and other carb taboos start calling my name: "Hey, Jeff ... just take a little bite.  It won't hurt you.  After all, you are not THAT fat.  Come on, Jeff.  You know you want to."

Have you ever had temptation do that to you?  Have you ever had temptation call your name to get you to indulge the flesh or delight the eyes or build the ego?  If you are like the rest of us humans, the answer is yes.  We are tempted to lust, lie, cheat, steal, brag, hate, gossip, slander, etc.  Temptation is an inescapable part of the human condition.

THE TEMPTER IS AT WORK

The devil is called "the tempter" in Matthew 4:3.  Like a master fisherman, he loves to dangle the delicious, "forbidden" bait before our eyes.  To be sure, the forbidden bait looks so good and so satisfying – just as it did to Eve.  But, if you bite, you find the bait has a hook in it.  The sweet pleasure of illicit sex quickly fades as the painful hook of guilt, shame, disease or an unwanted pregnancy come into being.

Every temptation has a hidden hook in it.  The devil is not your friend who wants to bring happiness and fulfillment to your life.  He comes only to steal, kill and destroy.  Anything he offers will eventually wreck and ruin your life.  Like the unsuspecting fish, we will enjoy the bait for a short time, and then find ourselves hooked and cooked, gutted and grilled.  And it's true every time.

HOW TO BE VICTORIOUS?

How can you and I have victory over those things that tempt us so?

1.  Remember that God loves you and wants what is best for you.  When God gives us commandments, they are always for our benefit.  Every NO command is God's way of saying, "Don't do that because that will hurt you."

We told our kids, "NO!" to putting their hand on the stove because we knew they would burn themselves.  We love our kids and gave them rules and commandments to help them, not hurt them.  God does the same thing with His kids.

Disobedience is a step in the wrong direction.  It will not bring lasting satisfaction, only lasting pain, sorrow and regret.  If you doubt that, just ask Tiger Woods.

2.  Remember that God's ways are right in every situation.  Psalm 119:128 is a KEY verse to remember when fighting temptation: "Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way."  The devil tells us that this "forbidden fruit" will make us happy.  What a lie!  It will really make us miserable.  Like eating a huge helping of Cotton Candy at the fair, taking the devil's bait will taste good for the moment, but as your stomach aches and your life begins to fall apart, you will wish you could go back in time.

Listen to me, my friend: God's ways are right EVERY SINGLE TIME!  You will never go wrong obeying Him.  Every time you are tempted, recognize there is a hook there in that temptation and remind yourself that God's ways are right.  God's ways bring lasting peace, joy and happiness.

3.  Depend upon the Lord's power to help you escape.  1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."  What is the way of escape?

When you are tempted with the sins of the flesh – lust, laziness, overeating – the way of escape is accountability and a hard run.  Flee immorality.  Don't fight it, flee it.  It is too strong to fight.  If you are on a diet, don't go to an all-you-can-eat pizza place and say, "I'll just have a salad."  That will never work.  And get an accountability partner who will help you and pray for you.

When you are tempted with sins of the soul – greed, fame, revenge and getting more and more – the way of escape is to exercise faith (see 1 John 5:4).  God is the One who satisfies, not fame, fortune, or a pound of flesh.

When tempted with the sins of the spirit – direct attacks from the enemy who will tell you that God doesn't love you anymore, that God is finished with you and will not answer your prayer, and that you need to curse God and die – the way of escape is to fight!  "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:6).  Fight the devil's lies with the sharp sword of the truth of the Word of God.  God's promises thwart the lies of the enemy.

Victory over temptation can be yours as you trust Him, do what He says, and fill your heart with His love and grace. 

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor
:angel:

September 30, 2011    From His Heart
     
What to do When You Don't Know What to do

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 
2 Chronicles 20:12

Have you ever been there?  At a place in life where the troubles and problems before you are so great and so numerous that you don't know what to do?

In the Old Testament, good and godly King Jehoshaphat found himself in that uncomfortable place.  The enemies of Judah had banded together to make a super army ... and they were coming to wipe God's people off the map.  The circumstances were dire and destruction seemed certain.

Jehoshaphat did not know what to do except pray and get his eyes on the Lord.  And that is exactly what God wanted him to do.  When he took his eyes off his problems and put them on the Lord, God responded in mighty power.

IN YOUR PROBLEMS

Are you facing great and frightening problems today?  Is it cancer?  Is a layoff coming?  Is the marriage ending?  Is some destructive addiction taking you down?  Is the devil coming at you with both barrels?

What do you do when life seems to be caving in all around you?

You join with Jehoshaphat and honestly say, "God, I am powerless in this problem I am facing, and I don't know what to do.  But I choose to take my eyes off my problems and put them squarely on You."

You see, you and I are not able to handle the problems of life, but God is able.  And God will arise in your trouble IF IF IF you will just look to Him and trust Him, no matter what.

THE POWER OF PRAISE

In the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, it is interesting to note that God told him:

1. Do not be afraid because I am with you.
2. Do not be dismayed because I am able.
3. Do not think this is your battle because it is Mine!

How's that for an answer to prayer!  So, the people gathered the next day to face the enemy. Judah's army was ready, but they did not have to fight. In fact, it was the choir who led the army out to the battlefield.  And when the choir began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord responded to their praise (their praise was proof of genuine faith) and routed the enemy before their very eyes.  WOW!

What to do when you don't know what to do?  Get your eyes on the Lord and praise Him! There is great power in praise!  Praise shows God you know He is in control, and you trust Him.

The wonderful old song says it best:

When you're up against a struggle, that shatters all your dreams.
And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan's manifested schemes.
When you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fear,
Don't let the faith you're standing in seem to disappear.

Praise the Lord. He can work through those who praise Him.
Praise the Lord. For our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord. For the chains that seem to bind you,
serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you,
when you praise Him.

Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 today and be blessed as you trust God to see you through.

Love,


Jeff Schreve
Pastor

jeff@fromhisheart.org
:angel:

From His Heart
     
Conformed or Transformed?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2

Many years ago, when I was still selling chemicals for Nalco, I was talking to a customer about her boss.  She told me, "Dave does not speak evil of anyone.  He is a true Christian.  He lives it."

How many true Christians do you know who really live it?  The sad truth is this: while many go to church Sunday after Sunday, only a very few really radiate the glory of Christ.  Only a very few allow the Lord to transform their lives from the inside out.  Why is that?

CONFORMERS

The Bible warns us about being conformed to the world.  Without a doubt, the devil exerts pressure on us to conform ... to go through the motions of Christianity ... to exchange internal heart worship for external rituals ... to exchange a life-changing relationship with Christ to a lifeless, check-the-box religion ... to be an outside of the cup Christian, a whitewashed tomb that looks good on the outside but is rotten on the inside.

Churches are filled with conformers.  There are very few "Daves" to be found.  But a Dave is what we are called to be.  God wants us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we worship the Lord in spirit and truth and allow His Word and His Spirit to convict us and change us from the inside out.

HOW CAN YOU TELL? 

What are the tell-tale signs of a person being conformed vs. a person being transformed?

1.     The transformed fear God; the conformed fear man.  The transformed are concerned about what God thinks of them, while the conformed are consumed with man's opinion and approval.  Are you living to please the crowd or to please Christ?

2.     The transformed are soft clay in the Potter's hands; the conformed are hard, stubborn and rebellious.  The transformed come to the Lord saying, "Search Me, O God ...  See if there be any hurtful, evil way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Ps. 139:23-24).  They wanted to be searched, convicted if going wrong, and changed.  The conformed have no desire to be searched, convicted, or changed by God's Word and God's Spirit.  They want their will and their way, and they hear sermons that tell them they are doing great with no need to change a thing.  Are you soft clay, desirous of the Lord to mold you into His image, or are you hard and stiff-necked, thinking you are just fine the way you are?

3.     The transformed shine; the conformed whine.  People who worship the Lord in spirit and truth and truly desire to be transformed by Him see wonderful changes take place within them.  As they walk with Jesus, they begin to radiate His glory.  The sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him begins to seep from their hearts.  It is awesome!  The conformed, however, radiate nothing but the stench of self.  Conformers gripe and complain about virtually everything.  They don't "rise and shine and give God the glory, glory."  Rather, they rise and whine and tell you the story, story.  "Let me tell you what's going on in my life: my boss stinks, my health is failing, my kids don't call, my church is awful and my Pastor needs to be fired!"  Are you a whiner or a shiner?

4.     The transformed win souls to Christ; the conformed don't.  People who are allowing the Lord to change their lives from the inside out are attractive to unbelievers.  The aroma of Christ on a person's life is indeed a SWEET aroma.  When all is falling apart and the transformed still have joy and peace ... WOW!  That gets folks attention and makes them say, "I want what you have."  The conformed, however, never win anyone to Christ.  How could they?  The stench of selfishness, discontentment, anger and rebellion is not very attractive, is it?  Are you winning souls by your life and by your lips?  If not, why not?  Could it be there is no transformation taking place within you?

The time is now for Christians to get serious about transformation.  Conforming to this world, going along to get along is not the Lord's way.  Christianity is all about growth and change.  John the Baptist put it this way, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  May that be the cry of our hearts as we seek Him and present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor
:angel:

From His Heart
     
Burning the Wick or Burning the Oil?

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of hosts.  Zechariah 4:6

I heard something the other day from a very well-known and respected pastor.  He talked about ministry being "so incredibly hard."  He was doing great work for God, reaching lots of people for Christ, but he was SO WORN OUT in the process.  Can you relate?  Does it seem as if the things God calls you to do are SO INCREDIBLY HARD?

As I thought about that statement, I started to wonder if this pastor was unknowingly burning the wick instead of the oil.

Everyone knows when you light a candle, the wax candle begins to melt and consume itself as it burns.  An oil-powered lamp, however, does not consume itself.  It can burn and burn and burn with no ill effects.  It can shine as long as there is oil in the lamp.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Isn't it interesting that one of the key symbols in the Bible for the Holy Spirit is oil.  Anointing was done with oil to symbolize the Spirit of God coming upon a person - "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" (1 Sam. 16:13).

God saved us to walk in the infinite power of the Holy Spirit, not in the puny power of our own human strength.  Jesus said, "Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My load is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).  When you feel worn out ... when you feel as if this Christian life is just SO INCREDIBLY HARD ... you are doing it in your own strength, and you need to come to Jesus.

Quit burning the wick and start burning the oil.  Of course we will still get tired, but the work will NEVER feel like a heavy, exhausting chore.  It will be exhilarating ... and you will feel the power from on high when the Holy Spirit is filling your life and providing the energy.

A SIMPLE PRAYER

Maybe you are heavy-laden today.  Maybe you need to pray this simple prayer:

Lord, I am so worn out trying so hard to please You and do Your will.  It is obvious to me that I am burning the wick ... and I need to start burning the oil.  Jesus, you have invited me to come to You.  You want to give me rest.  You want to live through me, not just live in me.  Right now, Jesus, I surrender my will to Your will.  Fill me with Your Spirit and Your power.  I yield control of every area of my life to You.  In Jesus' name.

That prayer, prayed from a humble, believing heart makes all the difference in the world!  Remember, anytime you feel burdened, weighed down, and overwhelmed in your Christian life, you need to blow out the candle and light the lamp!

Love,

:angel:

The Desires of Your Heart

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

Recently, I talked to a sweet Christian woman of the Philippines named Heather.  I asked her about her dreams and goals for her life.  She said she has two great dreams: to be a majorette (a lighthearted dream), and to be a housewife (a serious dream and desire).  Since Heather is 30 years old, she may never realize the majorette dream, but her desire for a godly husband is surely one that God wants to fulfill.

I asked Heather if she knew Psalm 37:4.  She quoted it from memory.  Obviously, that verse was one she was claiming as she prayed for God's man for her.  Without a doubt, Psalm 37:4 is a great promise, but it is a CONDITIONAL promise.  There is something you must do ("delight yourself in the Lord") in order to see God give you the desires of your heart.  If you fail to do your part, if you fail to meet the conditions, the promise is null and void.  So here is the key question: what exactly does it mean to "delight yourself in the Lord?"

The Hebrew word translated "delight" is anog.  It literally means to be soft and pliable.  In the PJV (Pastor Jeff Version), Psalm 37:4 reads, "Make yourself soft and pliable in the hands of the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Are you doing your part of Psalm 37:4?  Are you making yourself soft and pliable in the skillful hands of the Potter?

POTTERY 101

Some years ago, I was given a pottery lesson by a dear friend and master potter.  She showed me the tricks of the trade with regard to working on the wheel.  It was GREAT fun.  I will never forget one of the key things she told me, "For a skilled potter to be able to make a great piece, the clay has to be soft.  If the clay is hard, stubborn, and non-pliable, the best of potters won't be able to make what they truly desire to make."

God is the Potter.  You and I are the clay.  Our only job as clay is to be soft and pliable in the hands of the Master.  Our only job is to be yielded to Him and choose His will over our will.

JESUS IN THE GARDEN

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the cross and the sin of the world being placed on Him, He prayed three times that this cup of suffering, condemnation and judgment might pass from Him.  And all three times, He ended His prayer with these words, "Yet not My will, but Thine be done."  He chose to trust the will of the Father over anything and everything else.  He knew His Father was/is full of love, and His will was/is "good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).  He yielded just like soft, pliable clay is supposed to do.  And He was GREATLY rewarded for His obedience and faith.

EVALUATION   

The other day, I watched a wonderful movie.  In the story, the coach and his wife were trying unsuccessfully to have children.  Brokenheartedly, the coach asked his wife this penetrating question, "If God never gives us children, will you still love Him?"  After honest soul-searching, her answer was YES!  As a result, God gave her the desires of her heart, and she got pregnant.

Perhaps you are facing what appears to be the death of your dream.  Perhaps the husband/wife you are longing for and praying for does not seem to be anywhere on the radar screen.  Will you choose to love God and trust Him EVEN if your dream never materializes?  That, my friend, is delighting yourself in the Lord.  That gets God's attention.  That causes God to fulfill His conditional promise.   

Never forget that the Potter loves you and wants what is best for you.  Let Him have His way and you will be thrilled and amazed at what is produced on the potter's wheel as He makes something stunningly beautiful of your life.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

:angel:

From His Heart
     
How's Your Worship?

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Psalm 103:1

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869.  He was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement.  Although a Hindu and not a Christian, Gandhi did study the New Testament and was moved by the Sermon on the Mount, especially.  He was a smart man who had some amazing insights into people and societal ills.

Recently, I ran across Gandhi's list of seven deadly social sins.

1.     Politics without principle
2.     Wealth without work
3.     Commerce without morality
4.     Pleasure without conscience
5.     Education without character
6.     Science without humanity
7.     Worship without sacrifice

I think we would all have to agree that Gandhi was spot on with his list.  As a society, I believe we are all guilty of committing all seven.  Is it any wonder we are in the mess we are in?  I think not.

WORSHIP FROM THE HEART

Although Gandhi, as a Hindu, did not worship the true God, he did understand about worship.  Worship does involve sacrifice.  The first mention of worship in the Bible is in Genesis 22.  In that chapter, Abraham takes his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice to God in obedience to God's clear command.  It was the hardest thing Abraham ever had to do ... to obey the voice of the Lord even to the point of sacrificing his dear son, Isaac, the son of promise and miracle birth.

And if you remember the story, this command from God was just a test to see if Abraham really loved and feared the Lord ... and would do what He said, no matter what.  (God intervened, and Abraham never plunged that drawn dagger into Isaac's beating heart.  Jehovah Jireh provided a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, a ram wearing a crown of thorns.  Does it remind you of anyone who took your place and became your sacrifice so you could go free?)

As much as we may want to get around it, we cannot.  Worship involves sacrifice.  To worship God in a way that pleases Him, we must give Him our heart, first and foremost.  Proverbs 23:26 says, "Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes delight in my ways."  We must willingly, lovingly sacrifice our heart on the altar.  When He has our heart, everything else follows.

You see, God can have:

1.   My money without my heart ... but He cannot have my heart without my money.
2.   My time without my heart ... but He cannot have my heart without my time.
3.   My service without my heart ... but He cannot have my heart without my service.

It's all about heart.  I hope you will join me in making worship from the heart the priority of your life.  As we do, everything else will follow, and God will be glorified.

Love,

Jeff Schreve

:angel:

 
From His Heart
In this month's e-newsletter, I talk about how you can make it through tough times like King David did.

You see, many times David found himself in a bad place. And far too often, he had no one to comfort him.

Have you ever felt like this? As a pastor, I'm aware of too many people who are suffering and feeling like David—full of heaviness, feeling as if there is no one to come alongside them.

But you know what David did? In the midst of his suffering, he began to thank and praise God: "I will praise the name of God with song, and magnify Him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30). And we know that God answered David's prayer and blessed him greatly.

So if you're facing tough times, God can do the same for you as you give Him thanks even when you're feeling discouraged, depressed, and alone. Try it and see for yourself. There is great power in thanksgiving and praise!

I hope you're blessed as you read this fall edition of Real Truth. Real Love. Real Hope. Please don't forget to request a copy of the 52-week daily devotional and prayer journal, The Pathway to Discipleship, when you give this month. Debbie and I are so grateful to have your prayers and support.

Love,
  :angel:

November 04, 2011   

From His Heart
     
Good News For Bad Times

Bad times.  Everyone faces bad times sometime in life.  Job certainly did.  He aptly said, "Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil" (Job 14:1).  Have you experienced turmoil in your life?  Are you experiencing some right now?

To be sure, bad times are not fun times ... but they are good learning times.  Typically, the greatest lessons learned come from the toughest times in life.  You know why?  Because it's in the hard times when we are most open and willing to listen and learn.

One of my favorite poems goes like this:

I walked a mile with pleasure
She chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser,
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow,
Not a word said she,
But oh the things I learned that day,
When sorrow walked with me.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

When you are walking in turbulent, troublesome times, it is critical to put some positive things into practice:

1.     Keep looking up and rejoicing in Him.  No matter what you may be facing, God is still on His throne.  He still loves you and still has a good plan for your life.  Offer genuine thanks to the Lord, even if you have to do it through clenched teeth.  God says, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me" (Psalm 50:23).  Thanksgiving can be a sacrifice at times, but God is honored when we give Him the praise and thanks He rightfully deserves.

2.     Keep your thoughts on the truth.  When bad times come, it is easy to fill your mind with negative, depressing, miserable thoughts.  DON'T DO IT!  You can choose your thoughts as you would choose your friends.  Let your mind dwell on what is true and honorable and right (see Philippians 4:8).  You are what you think ... so think God's wonderful truths, not the devil's depressing lies.

3.     See the light at the end of the tunnel.  When I was in college at U.T., Coach Fred Akers had a popular saying, "Tough times never last, but tough people do."  How true.  Do you know the most encouraging five words in Scripture?  "And it came to pass."  The bad time you are currently experiencing didn't come to stay, it came to pass.  It came for a reason to teach you to trust God ... to help you understand that Jesus never fails, and He will work all things together for your good and His glory.

PRAYER

God, thank You for loving me.  Thank You for having all things under control.  I choose to rejoice in You, even in the midst of my problems.  Help me to keep my mind on You, Lord, and my thoughts on the things that glorify You.  And help me walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that "it came to pass," it didn't come to stay.  I want to learn and grow through this hardship ... and come out on the other side more committed to You and in love with You than ever.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Love,
:angel:

From His Heart
     
Nov 11

No Parking

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

My first outside sales job was in 1986.  I was working for the Commercial Division of Waste Management, Inc.  It was a fun job filled with tons of prospective customers because every business generates trash.

One of my prospects was The Summit in Houston.  In my sales days, The Summit was the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team (now it is the home of Lakewood Church).  The Summit was a great prospect for me because they could generate tons of trash.

I became friends with the Operations Manager, Henry Thomas – the Big Hen as the players called him.  He was a super guy.  Although he never gave me the business there, he did bless me in other ways.

One day he called me up and said he had tickets to the game for me. I said, "Are they good seats?"  He was a little offended.  The Big Hen ONLY had good seats.  Turns out they were great seats, sitting at mid court on the floor, one row above the general manager of the team.  As a big time Rockets fan, I was in basketball heaven.

One of the perks that came along with the Big Hen's tickets was a parking pass.  He worked it out for me to park in the players' parking area.  As I pulled up to the entrance, a security guard was there.  He had a clipboard with approved names.  I had to give him my name ... and it had to be on the list before he would allow me to park in that primo spot.  If my name wasn't on the list, I would have been turned away.

BAD THOUGHTS CAN'T PARK HERE!

Did you know that God wants us to put a security guard at the entrance of our mind?  He wants us to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."  EVERY THOUGHT!

The clipboard of acceptable thoughts God approves to park in the mind is found in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

What is parked in your mind today?  Do your thoughts match up with Philippians 4:8?  Could it be that you have been lax in taking every thought captive?  Could it be that some lies have been allowed to park in your mind – I'm no good ... I can't be forgiven ... God doesn't love me ... I can't overcome this addiction ... my family would be better off without me ... my circumstances aren't going to improve ... my marriage is never going to get better ... what's the use of trying ... what's the use of praying?  Does any of that sound familiar?

Make no mistake: you are what you think.  If you fill your mind with negative, rotten, depressing things, you will feel negative, rotten and depressed.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?

1.     Start right now towing out those negative thoughts that came straight from the pit of hell and fill your mind with the truth of God's Word – I am loved by God ... I am forgiven and washed clean by the blood of Jesus ... God has a good plan for me ... God does hear my prayer and will answer at the right time ... I am NOT a victim, I'm a victor in Jesus' name.

2.     Reinstate the security guard with his clipboard intact.  From this day forward, do not let negative, rotten thoughts park in your mind.  Tell them to "hit the road, Jack."  Your mind belongs to Jesus.  Hellish thoughts are not allowed access.

Rest assured, if you will start putting God's Word into practice in your life, you will start seeing wonderful changes take place.  God's Word is not only true, it is also powerful to transform your life.  Do what God says ... and start today!

Love,
:angel:

 From His Heart
     
Feeling Afraid

I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." They threaten, "If you say anything, we will report it."  Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip.  "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him."
Jeremiah 20:10 NLT

Turbulence.  I hate it.  When I am on an airplane, 30,000 feet up and feel the plane start to shimmy and shake, I instantly feel a tinge of nervousness.  If there is prolonged turbulence, my mind races with what will happen to my wife and children after I die in this plane crash.  My prayer life soars (pardon the pun) in times of turbulence because fear sets in.

Let's be honest: Everyone gets afraid.  Although people may wear T-shirts that have "NO FEAR" printed on the front ... they still fear from time to time.  It is just something that we tend to do when we face turbulent times in life.

Are you going through some turbulence right now?  Is your life being tossed about like an airplane in a gale force wind?  Does it feel like people and circumstances are against you?  Are you starting to fear and think the worst?

JEREMIAH'S TURBULENCE ... AND GOD'S REMINDER

Jeremiah surely can relate.  He was obedient to God, delivering the message God told him to deliver.  It was a strong message of pending destruction ... and the people didn't like it.  Jeremiah's CD sales were zero.  Instead of heeding the message and repenting before the Lord as Nineveh had done when Jonah preached a similar sermon, the people of Judah hardened heir hearts and stiffened their necks.

The Jewish big wigs had Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks for preaching such doom and discouragement.  Everyone was against Jeremiah.  Everyone hated him.  Everyone wanted him gone.  Everyone ... but God.

Although fearful and frustrated with the great turbulence in his life, Jeremiah had this awesome comfort and assurance: The LORD was with him.

"But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten."  Jeremiah 20:11

Don't you just love that verse?  When I feel afraid because all hell breaks loose in my life, I only need to remember that the dread champion is with me.  Nobody and nothing can defeat Him.

David said by faith, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves round about" (Psalm 3:6).

OUR CHALLENGE

The challenge before you and me today is to make sure we are on the same page with the Lord.

If we stray from the Lord's will and ways, the dread champion will not protect us.  But, if we walk in the light with Him, confessing sin, and choosing His path over our path, we can have confident assurance that He will see us through any storm and deliver us from every evil.

Take courage today.  Meet your fear with faith.  The LORD is with you like a dread champion!

Love,

:angel:

From His Heart
     
Feeling Afraid

I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." They threaten, "If you say anything, we will report it."  Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip.  "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him."
Jeremiah 20:10 NLT

Turbulence.  I hate it.  When I am on an airplane, 30,000 feet up and feel the plane start to shimmy and shake, I instantly feel a tinge of nervousness.  If there is prolonged turbulence, my mind races with what will happen to my wife and children after I die in this plane crash.  My prayer life soars (pardon the pun) in times of turbulence because fear sets in.

Let's be honest: Everyone gets afraid.  Although people may wear T-shirts that have "NO FEAR" printed on the front ... they still fear from time to time.  It is just something that we tend to do when we face turbulent times in life.

Are you going through some turbulence right now?  Is your life being tossed about like an airplane in a gale force wind?  Does it feel like people and circumstances are against you?  Are you starting to fear and think the worst?

JEREMIAH'S TURBULENCE ... AND GOD'S REMINDER

Jeremiah surely can relate.  He was obedient to God, delivering the message God told him to deliver.  It was a strong message of pending destruction ... and the people didn't like it.  Jeremiah's CD sales were zero.  Instead of heeding the message and repenting before the Lord as Nineveh had done when Jonah preached a similar sermon, the people of Judah hardened heir hearts and stiffened their necks.

The Jewish big wigs had Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks for preaching such doom and discouragement.  Everyone was against Jeremiah.  Everyone hated him.  Everyone wanted him gone.  Everyone ... but God.

Although fearful and frustrated with the great turbulence in his life, Jeremiah had this awesome comfort and assurance: The LORD was with him.

"But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten."  Jeremiah 20:11

Don't you just love that verse?  When I feel afraid because all hell breaks loose in my life, I only need to remember that the dread champion is with me.  Nobody and nothing can defeat Him.

David said by faith, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves round about" (Psalm 3:6).

OUR CHALLENGE

The challenge before you and me today is to make sure we are on the same page with the Lord.

If we stray from the Lord's will and ways, the dread champion will not protect us.  But, if we walk in the light with Him, confessing sin, and choosing His path over our path, we can have confident assurance that He will see us through any storm and deliver us from every evil.

Take courage today.  Meet your fear with faith.  The LORD is with you like a dread champion!

Love,

:angel:

Are You Giving Your Best?

Anyone who knows me knows I love Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion.  I think one of the reasons I love the Rocky character so much is because he was a fighter with limited ability but tons of heart.  He fought with all that he had, and then some.   

When the unheralded Rocky Balboa first fought Apollo Creed, no one took the fight seriously.  It was supposed to be a cake walk for Apollo, the skilled, polished, undisputed champion of the world.  But the cake walk turned into a 15-round battle for survival that Apollo barely won by a split decision.  As a result of the fight, both men ended up in the same hospital, battered and bruised.  In one special hospital scene, Rocky wheels himself into Apollo's room and asks him this penetrating question, "Apollo, did you give me your best?"  Going the distance with the champ only meant something to Rocky if he knew Apollo had truly given his best.   

GOD'S BEEF WITH HIS PEOPLE

In the book of Malachi, God was very displeased with His people.  Do you know why?  It was because they were not giving their best.  They were coming before the Lord with their scraps and the leftovers of their lives.  They were offering mangy, crippled, flee-infested lambs as offerings and keeping the good lambs for themselves.  They were giving far, far less than their best.  Hear what God thinks of less than your best, leftover worship:

"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.  "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should He show you any favor at all?" asks the Lord of Heaven's Armies.  —Malachi 1:8-9, NLT

ARE YOU GUILTY OF THE SAME?

Be honest.  What are you giving to God—the best of your time, talent and treasure, or something far less?  Jesus said, "Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [food, clothing, and the necessities of life] will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Are you really seeking Him first?  Or are you putting your job, your money, your recreation, your family, your friends, your TV shows, and even your Facebook page ahead of Him?

To the people of Malachi's day who were giving God the mangy, crippled lambs, He reminded them that He was a great King who should be feared, revered and respected to the highest degree (Malachi 1:14).  To the people of our day giving God the scraps of their lives, God says, "I see what you are doing.  I see into your heart and know you are giving Me your leftovers.  You desperately need to get a fresh glimpse of who I am before it is too late."         

Take some time today to read Isaiah 41 and let your mind consider the unfathomable greatness of God.  He spoke the world into existence!  Universes drip from His fingertips!  What an awesome privilege we have to know Him, worship Him, and call upon His name.  Let us never offer to God anything less than our very best, for He alone is worthy.

Love,
:angel:

From His Heart
     
Breaker 1-9 for a Radio Check

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5

Do you remember the CB Radio craze?  I was in junior high when it hit.  It was the poor man's version of Facebook or a chat room.  It seems pretty lame today, but back then my friends and I thought it was so awesome.  CB Radios were selling off the shelves.

To talk on the CB Radio, you had to know the lingo and have a "handle" – your CB Radio name.  I remember racking my brain trying to come up with something cool.  (I liked "Bandit," but Burt Reynolds had already taken it!)

As you tried to generate conversation with a fellow CBer, a good opener was always, "Breaker 1-9 [assuming you were on channel 19] for a radio check; come in radio check."  You were asking for someone to tell you if you were coming in loud and clear.

BREAKER, BREAKER

In the Christian life, one of the things that is often overlooked but very important to do is a "radio check" with God.  "Heavenly Father, am I coming in loud and clear?  How is my signal, my connection, my walk with you?"

David asked for a radio check in Psalm 139:23-24 when he prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." 

When was the last time you did a "radio check" with God?

MY NEWEST REVELATION

Yesterday, as I was studying for a sermon on 1 Corinthians 13, God revealed this truth to my heart: The acid test of spiritual maturity is a growing love for God and people.  If your love is not growing for God and people, you are not growing in your Christian life.

Jesus made it crystal clear that the most important commandments are (1) loving God with all you are, and (2) loving people as you love yourself.  If I am to grow as a Christian, the proof of spiritual growth is not how much I know, it is how much I care.  It is not how often I go to church ... or how many Bible studies I am involved in ... or how many people consider me a strong Christian ... or how many verses I have memorized.  The real proof is how much my heart is growing with love.  Paul said that love is the goal of our instruction.

If you will do a "radio check" with God, He will question back to you:

"Do you love Me more today?
Are you growing in your love and appreciation for Me?
Do you love what I love ... people for whom I died?"

ARE YOU REALLY GROWING? 

If love is truly the acid test of spiritual maturity (and it no doubt is), how are you doing with this thing called love?

If you are really growing in your love for the Lord, your life will show it in obedience to His commands.  Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me" (John 14:21).

If you are really growing in your love for others, your life will show it in the way you treat people, in the way you pray for people.  Christians who are really growing are praying daily for unsaved family, friends, neighbors and associates.  They have a burden for lost people who are one heartbeat from an eternal hell.

Will you do a "radio check" today?  Ask God to show you where you are with Him.  Ask Him to change you, to grow you, to help understand His love for you better ... so that you can love Him back – "We love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  And ask Him to give you a heart for people, especially lost people who desperately need to know about a Savior who can forgive all their sins and change their lives if they will just surrender to Him.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

:angel:

Too Stressed to be Blessed This Christmas?

Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one...
Luke 10:41-42

Do you feel a big rush at Christmas time?  Do you have so much to do, and so little time to get it all done?  Many have shopping to do ... and parties to attend ... and pageants to participate in ... and trips to take to visit relatives ... and food to prepare ... and work to finish up ... and more and more to get done before the Big Day.  Sometimes the Christmas rush can steal your joy and peace, and you secretly long for it to be over.

WHAT'S ON YOUR "TO DO" LIST?

Martha of Bethany was a dear lady who loved Jesus, yet she got all worried and bothered in her service for the Lord.  She was cooking a meatloaf dinner for Jesus, and she wanted it to be just perfect.  "I'm fixing meatloaf for the Master," she said.  At first the emphasis was on her guest, the Lord Jesus, but slowly her emphasis shifted to the meal.

She lost her joy and peace because she got all focused on her meatloaf rather than her Master.

She was mad as a hornet that her sister, Mary, had left the kitchen to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to His word... and she told Jesus to reprimand Mary and get her back to work.  Surprisingly, Jesus gently reprimanded Martha.  He told her that Mary was in the right, and she was in the wrong.

What was Martha's problem?  Her priorities were not His priorities.  Her "to do" list had lots of things on there that Jesus did not think were very important.  She was worried and bothered because her plate was so full of stuff ... stuff that God never authorized.  Could that be true of you?

CHRISTMAS INVENTORY

The key to a joyous Christmas is to make sure you stop and look at your "to do" list.  Is your list crammed full of what you think is important, or what He thinks is important?  Are you worried and bothered about things that really don't matter that much?  Are you focused on the meatloaf, or the Master?  Is the main thing still the main thing for you?

Despite what the world says, Jesus really is the reason for the season.  Take time every day to get alone with Him.  Sit at His feet in quietness and adoration.  Read His Word and talk to Him from your heart.  Play some praise music and sing those words of worship back to Him.  He inhabits the praises of His people.

You will be amazed at how your stress level will melt away to perfect peace as you keep Christ first and foremost in your Christmas.  Remember, He is the Prince of Peace.  If you are not experiencing peace right now, it is because the Prince is not reigning in your heart.  Follow Mary's lead and yield to Him today.  You will be so glad that you did.

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

:angel:

Has The Grinch Stolen Your Christmas?

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11

Without a doubt, Christmas is to be a time of GREAT JOY.  On that first Christmas night, the angel announced to the shepherds "good news of a great joy."  The Savior has come!!  WOW!!  Those shepherds were so excited.  That announcement changed their lives forever.  They were filled with joy and wonder and praise.

At Christmas time, are you filled with joy and wonder and praise?  Or has the devil, the original Grinch, the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, stolen those things from you?  If so, there is still time to get it back!

Think about the angel's announcement, "There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  What does that really mean for you and me?

1.  The Savior has come to save you from a dark past.  So many people are suffering with intense guilt over bad things they have done in the past.  The devil beats them to death with shame and guilt.  But be beaten no longer!  All the terrible, horrible things you have done are no match for the Savior's blood that He shed for you on the cross.  The moment you confess those sins to God and repent of them, you are forgiven!!  Remember what the Savior said to Peter, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15).

2.  The Savior has come to save you from an empty present.  Many people are surviving and not really living.  Jesus came at Christmas not to fill your empty stocking, but to fill your empty life!  He has a purpose and a plan for you.  Come to Him.  Surrender to Him.  Let Him lead you.  He wants to bring you joy and peace, regardless of your circumstances.  He wants to use your life to make a difference in others, a difference that will last for all eternity.  It makes life worth living to know that everyday is an exciting adventure with the Lord, an opportunity to touch another person with the love and joy of Jesus.

3.  The Savior has come to save you from a hopeless future.  Everyone without God is without hope.  No one comes to the Father without the Savior, Jesus Christ.  But now He has come, and we can really know Him personally, and we can be assured of His presence and provision while we live ... and His heaven when we die.  Paul said, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).  WOW!  What a future is in store for the child of God!

My friend, do not let the devil steal from you and your Christmas time any longer!  The Savior has come, and He has come for you!  Receive the good news and rejoice in the truth!

Love,



Jeff Schreve
Pastor

:angel:

His Name is Jesus

"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21

About 12 years ago, I was privileged to take a seminary I-Term (one week intensive class) with author, speaker, and beloved professor, Dr. Calvin Miller.  Dr. Miller is a super guy, full of joy and excitement for the Lord.  I learned a lot from him that week.

One of my favorite Calvin Miller quotes deals with the false god of the politically correct today, appropriately dubbed "the great mush god."  Miller writes:

We've all gotten to like this soft new god—this god that welcomes everybody, this god who comes in bubble-wrap and has no sharp edges to sort of needle or offend anybody, the god we can all take together. He has no heritage and of course we will never learn to pray in the name of Jesus if we serve this god. This is the great 'mush god.' He has been known to appear to millionaires on the golf course, politicians at ribbon cutting ceremonies and clergymen speaking the invocation on National Television. The great 'mush god' has no theology, he's got 'cream of wheat' divinity, he has no particular credo. Because this god is not a jealous god, you can invoke this god to start any venture.  He is the god of the Rotary, a god of the optimists; he is the protector of the buddy system.  The 'mush god' is a serviceable god whose laws are not chiseled on stone but are written in sand—amenable to amendment, qualification or erasure. This god will make any agreement you wish and declare all alliances holy.  I know of no other way to stand against such a little soft 'g' god but to get in touch with the God spelt with a big "G." 

MAKE NO MISTAKE

The big "G" God has a name, Jesus.  We sing about Him at Christmas as "sweet little Jesus boy," lying in a manger ... but that is not the full story.  That sweet little baby in Bethlehem is the mighty God of the universe.  His name, Jesus, means Yahweh saves.  Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son.  He is the Creator, Sustainer, and One and Only Savior.  Every knee will bow one day before Jesus.  God the Father will make certain of that.

As you worship the Lord this Christmas, remember that He is not mushy.  He is "full of grace and truth."  He has grace to forgive us of our sins ... and commandments for us to live by and keep.  He calls us to "come out from among them and be separate."   

The time is now to take a stand and shine for Jesus Christ, "for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).  The time is now to lay aside all that entangles us and walk in the light with Jesus.  He is worthy.  He is good.  He is God.

"Happy Birthday, King Jesus.  It is an unfathomable privilege to know you as my personal Savior, Lord and friend!"

:angel:

The Simple Secret to a Great New Year

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

I have never been good at being a handyman.  Things that are a piece of cake to a handyman are like climbing Mt. Everest to me.

One time Debbie asked me to put in a doggie door.  She said, "You can do it, Jeff.  The box says, "Simple installation."  "Simple is good," I responded as I opened the box with gusto.

The very first instruction was to get out my electric drill.  That is when I knew their definition of "simple" and mine were quite different.  With "simple" instructions, I would have been told to get out my hammer. Now that is simple!  (Note: the doggie door installation was so NOT simple that I had to call my friend Gene over to help me before I completely lost my salvation.)

DO YOU LIKE SIMPLE?

If you like simple, you are going to love my simple secret to a great new year.  First, get out your electric drill (just kidding).

The simple secret is this: To experience a great 2012, just do what Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [the things you and I worry about] shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  If you will seek Him first, He promises to meet all your needs.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK HIM FIRST? 

1.  It means that you spend time with Him at the first of each day, praying and reading His Word, asking Him for direction, guidance, help and insight ... confessing your sins when you blow it, and seeking His grace to help in your time of need.

2.  It means you put His agenda above your agenda.  You pray, "Not my will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42).  You live your life to please Jesus, not to please yourself.

3.  It means you obey Him and do what He says in the power He supplies.  You don't let your fleshly desires control you; you let Jesus control you.

4.  It means you invest your time, talent and resources in the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self.

5.  It means you recognize that He is everything, and in Christ "are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge"( Colossians 2:3).  The true treasures of life—love, joy, peace, fulfillment, true success—are only found in Jesus ... so you spend your time seeking Him.

SIMPLE STARTS NOW! 

Don't wait for the ball to drop in Times Square before seeking first the kingdom of God.  Start now!  Put Jesus first every day you are blessed to live ... and He will bless your life abundantly in return.

One of my favorite Scriptures says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor" (1 Samuel 2:30).  If you want God to honor you, honor Him in all you do.  The best is yet to be ... and the ball is in your court.

Love,



Jeff Schreve

:angel:

Spiritual Amnesia

They quickly forgot His works.  Psalm 106:13

How good is your memory?  The older I get, the worse mine becomes.  Things that used to stick to my mind like glue, now easily float away like dandelion petals in the wind.  UGH!  A man in my church once told me, "I don't have Alzheimer's ... but I do have Sometimer's."  Sadly, I can relate.

While many of us may have trouble remembering things like people's names and what we were supposed to pick up at the grocery store, it is important that we don't forget what great things the Lord has done for us.  It is imperative that we don't allow ourselves to contract the faithless disease known as Spiritual Amnesia.

FORGETTING THE RED SEA MIRACLE?

When God delivered His Old Testament people from Pharaoh and his armies by parting the Red Sea, that was, without question, a magnificent, stupendous, over-the-top, unforgettable miracle.  The people were in awe of God's power and sang His praises BIG TIME (see Exodus 15).  Amazingly, their praises lasted only a short time, however.

Within three days, God's wilderness wandering people ran out of water, and they began to grumble and gripe about it.  The Bible says, "They quickly forgot His works."  Are you kidding me?

How could they possibly forget the parting of the Red Sea, the greatest of Old Testament miracles?  How could they forget that God was in their midst?  How could they forget that He would see them through?

How do you and I forget the very same things!  Ouch.

YOU NEED TO JOURNAL

What is the way to prevent Spiritual Amnesia from taking root in your life?  Journaling!  As we begin a brand new year, let me encourage you to begin the discipline of journaling.  Write down God's miracles and God's answers to your prayers.  Write down the date of the problem and the date of the answer ... and review often how God has met your needs.  Don't forget His works.  Record the details and rejoice in what God has done.

Many live life silently singing to the Lord that Janet Jackson song, "What have you done for me lately?"  Don't let that be true of you.  Remember what He has done.  Remember His impeccable track record.  And remember the words of Paul when he spoke of the Lord's works, "Who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.  And He will yet deliver us ..." (2 Corinthians 1:10).

The One who has delivered will yet deliver.  So keep trusting Him and keep reviewing His awesome work to date in your life.  Listen, if He can part the Red Sea, He can provide water in the wilderness ... and He can handle your problems too.

Love,

:angel:

How To Give The Moment That Can Change A Life
Jan 16, 2012 Kristen Strong

I read her post, the one where she says writing cards changes lives. Is that dramatic, I wonder? To think a card could really do that?

I recall an earlier time, a time when my thought life sped downhill like a runaway train. I looked at friends who seemingly handled everything infinitely better and wondered why I couldn't measure up as daughter, wife, mama. When the time came for a few of these friends and I to take a trip together, I thought about sitting out. Sure, I needed the rest a girlfriend's weekend would provide. But with this cyclone of insecurity spinning fast, I didn't think my confidence could take another hit.

I confessed my fears through tears to Jen, a true blue confidante. I don't remember one thing she said to me on the phone that day, but I know what she wrote me in a card soon after:

"I want to encourage you to read and memorize a powerful life verse: 2 Corinthians 10:5. Then I want you to do it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our struggles with whispers from the Accuser are very similar, for me they can stretch into every area of my life. If I do not filter my thoughts through God's word and take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, I become quite paralyzed. When I am faithful in this discipline, I see everything much more clearly and I see my value not overly or underly, but reality."

Not only did she encourage through I've-been-there support, but she pointed me to the Void Filler, Cyclone Calmer, and Perspective Giver. With my eyes on Jesus, I see my reality with accuracy. And this message is life changing.

I attended that girlfriend's weekend and had a gloriously good time.

Sure, I can receive and write this kind of encouragement via emails, facebook messages, or blog posts. And those things are beautiful. But I've re-read that taped-up card and other encouraging, special-to-me cards over and over. There's something about holding life giving words in my hands that moves them into my heart. And if God chose the written word as a means for communicating His love to us, there is power in writing words beyond what we even imagine.

A changed life starts with a defining moment. I wonder how God can use me to be that defining moment to a special person in my circle of influence?

So I return the favor and take a moment to give words wings by sending my Jen a moment of real encouragement in a card. I won't stress about making the words deep or profound. It's not how I write, but that I took the time to write in the first place.

It's not dramatic to believe writing cards changes lives. It's cathartic to know God uses us to change lives. He uses us to bring moments to life, to give life through encouragement.

Can you recall a moment when someone sent you life giving words through a card? Do you keep them and re-read them like I do? Did one in particular change your life like Jen's card did for me?

If you have written a blog post about who you sent a card to, why card writing matters, or whatever is on your heart about the topic, please link it below! If you have written a review in part of (in)spired deals, you can also link up your review post here. Also, we will be drawing the names of  FIVE winners from the link-ups to receive a card organizer and a card pack of your choice!

Kristen Strong, Chasing Blue Skies
:angel:

A Harvest of What is Yet to Come
Jan 16, 2012 Katie Davis


photo by Kim Nunn

At the age of 18, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda for the first time for a three-week short-term mission trip her senior year. She immediately fell in love with the children and people she met. She determined she would do whatever she had to do to get back to the country that had captured her heart.

After graduation, Katie chose to leave her family, friends, boyfriend, college dreams, and the traditional American path, to teach Kindergarten to 138 wide-eyed children who lived in an orphanage. She began chronicling her journey on her blog, Kisses from Katie. In 2008 she became a mother to three orphaned girls. Later that year she established Amazima Ministries, a non-profit organization devoted to caring for orphaned and vulnerable children and the poor through education sponsorship, feeding programs, vocational initiatives, medical care, and spiritual discipleship.



In October 2011, Katie wrote her first book, Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, released by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Now a mother of 13 daughters and resident of Uganda, Katie inspires us to put our faith to action every day, saying yes to whatever needs Jesus puts before us.


***

One of my very favorite things about gazing out at my backyard is our sunflowers. Seeds brought from dry Karamoja and planted in the fertile Jinja soil grow at least ten feet tall and radiant, heads lifted to the sun.

Much to my dismay though, the time we get to enjoy the flowers' bloom always seems brief in comparison to the time we have been waiting – days of pulling seeds from the dead heads and drying them in the sun before carefully pushing them back into the soft red dirt of Uganda. Weeks of waiting and finally some tiny green shoots. Then weeks more of watching as the shoots become thick stalks and climb into the sky. Then follows weeks of wonder as small buds open into something glorious and beautiful.

And then so soon, they bend their heads and begin to die. Something in me is so sad as I watch the flowers seemingly loose their splendor. But my 13 daughters are nothing but excited. They rush to the backyard and hack the stalks down, pulling off the flowers that are today bigger than their faces. I cringe. I look at the bare garden and feel loss, but they feel only eager anticipation. Because they remember: next time, there will be more.

Always, the shoots spring up and reach for the sky. Always they bloom beautiful and then always they bow, bending low to the earth and waiting for my children to run wide-eyed in wonder to the harvest. And always, we plant the seeds and next time there is a bigger harvest, more flowers. Many more. My daughters remember beauty from ashes.



I see beauty in the outcome and sadness in the death, but my girls know beauty in the process.

This is what my loving Father taught me every day of the last year, this beauty in the process. That while a healed and whole family is a marvelous thing to behold, the process that got us there is where He was most glorified and where He drew us to Himself. That a wound all healed and covered with smooth new skin is not nearly as wonderful as the relationship that was built while I bandaged that wound everyday for 8 months and cried tears and laughed stories of my Savior. That dreams die and plans change and seasons end, but He is not done yet. He sees the seeds that come with all the endings and He is faithful to turn them into harvest, into beauty.

Sometimes we look out at our lives and it seems the garden is empty – plans dead as withered leaves, dreams laid waste. Could we rejoice in the season of waiting, believing that God who brought Jesus out of the black tomb and brings green shoots out of hard earth will bring new life out of all dark seasons too? Could we know that beauty is in this whole process, the waiting part too, not just the end result?

This year, I have beheld exquisite flowers, glorious outcomes that could have only been designed by God himself. I have watched Him make family out of strangers. I have watched Him sell a book that I never intended to write. I have watched my little girl walk with her foot flat on the ground for the first time in all five years of her life. I have watched alcoholics become moms who work hard to provide for their families. I have watched my 16 year old walk through processing the abuse in her past and learn to jump rope and have her childhood finally restored to her after nearly 4 years of living in a family. I have watched God answer prayers that I hadn't even spoken yet.

As I gaze in wonder, I remember how He brought us out of the dark and the hard.



I remember how He protected us from the pounding rain and the scorching sun, baby green shoots clinging to Him for dear life. I remember that as we reached high to the Son, He came down and pulled us closer. We turn our heads up in awe and we know what is around the corner, but we look expectantly to the bowing and the bending and the death of all we had planned because we know – in Him, there will always be more. Glorious hope.

By Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie






Kisses from Katie is a story of relentless love and redemption by a would-be college student who moved to Uganda instead. Katie is "writing with the hope that as you cry and laugh with my family you will be encouraged that God still uses flawed human beings to change the world."

Learn more about Katie's story. Watch her book trailer below {click here if you can't see it}


To stay in touch with all God is doing in Katie's life, visit: www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
:angel:

Is Wisdom On Your Shopping List?
Jan 16, 2012  danisejurado




I love that God uses the simplest areas of my life to teach me some of the most life changing lessons.

Shopping for groceries and household items is just a part of my usual weekly schedule.  I normally don't think much of it.  I always viewed it as routine, nothing special.

I tend to be an organizer and list maker by nature.   Sometimes I make trips to different stores for favorite items or better prices.  This of course means that I make separate lists for the variety of stores I go to.

One morning while I was reading the Bible I came across this scripture.  It's a verse I've read many times before, but this time a specific word seemed to jump off the page at me.  As if God were saying to me, "Pay attention I have something special to show you."

Isaiah 33:6

He will be the sure foundation for your time, a rich STORE

of salvation and wisdom and knowledge,

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.



"STORE" Now, there's a word I'm very familiar with.

I read the verse again... "He will be the sure foundation for your time, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge..." 

I pondered that word, a word  I have used so many times in such a casual and uneventful manner.

Was God telling me that He had a store?

No sooner did that question cross my mind when I felt I knew the answer.  He does...  God has a store!  He has a wonderful and very rich store filled with beautiful treasures like wisdom and knowledge.  He gently encouraged me to take the time and do some daily shopping in His store for my family's needs.

God's store has an unlimited supply of  priceless treasures that are only available from Him and they satisfy the needs of my household far beyond the simple items once found on my lists.

Proverbs 24: 3-4 tells us that it's "by wisdom a house is built... and through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

Building a home is so much more than cooking, cleaning, decorating and stocking the shelves with various necessities, it's remembering the most important shopping list of all.

It's a list that can only be written from the heart, by faith in a loving Father who desires to fill each room with rare and beautiful treasures.

I am so thankful that God took a routine part of my weekly schedule that I once viewed as unimportant and turned it into an amazing reminder that He wants to add a few items to my shopping list.

I don't think I will ever write another shopping list again without thinking about God's store and all the treasures He has made available to our family through His promises.

Are there a few things God wants to add to your shopping list?
:angel:


Single In The New Year
Jan 16, 2012 Annie Downs




Historically, I haven't loved blogging about being single. I mean, I will. I'll do it. But only because I love you. :) And I know you single girls are out there, so it's only fair that you get a few posts for you every now again. And as you'll see deeper into this post, I want to talk about being single more in 2012 than I have ever before.

So as 2012 begins, I start another of my 31 years on this planet out of a relationship. [Is that the opposite of "in" a relationship? Or should I say (in) a relationship? Anyways....]

Hey single ladies, I want our 2012 to be different. Don't you? I mean, I'm NOT saying I want us to compromise and be different in a "give up hope and grab the next fella in your line of vision" kind of way. I'm just saying that I think we, collectively, could do some things differently and make an unique impact in our individual worlds.

Maybe I should just say, "hey y'all. I'm gonna have a different 2012. Wanna join me?" because maybe the other way sounds bossy?

Ok.

Hey y'all. I'm going to make the choice to have a different 2012.

1. I'm going to be grateful.

Every. day. Thanks to our beautiful friend Ann, we have all learned how to hone this skill. So I'm going to find one reason every day that I am grateful for my life place as a single Christian woman [Example: I got to stay up way late watching a movie last night and no one cared!]. I want to remind my soul, much like David does in Psalm 103, to bless the Lord.

2. I'm going to be generous.

With my time- because I have more of it than any wife or mom. With my money- because no one else lives off my dime. With my stories- because there are tons of girls in their 20s who worry about how to swim these waters and its unfair of me to withhold encouragement. Because dear girls in your 20s, you will survive this and if you'll let Him, God can really bless this single season.

3. I'm going to read from a book every night.

I know, some of you think that goal is ridiculously tiny. But with the amount of minutes I spend in front of a computer screen, my book-in-hand reading time has diminished greatly. So while I'm still the only body in my bed, I'm going to use some of those last moments each day to hold a book and read it.

4. I'm going to be brave.

I am not, mind you, going to jump out of a plane. But I will try to learn some new skills and talk to boys I don't already know and tell my pastor that I want to meet a nice guy in our church. I will do those things that scare me a little.

5. I'm going to cook.

It's easy to convince myself that eating out is just easier and that making meals for one is annoying. And it kind of is. But. I love cooking. So I'm going to do it.

In conclusion, here's what I'm going to do this year: ENJOY. As best I can, as much as I can, I'm going to enjoy who I am and where I am.

Wanna join me?

What are your thoughts on being single in 2012? Link up with us or leave a comment and let's hear your plans!
:angel:

Remembering The Day

They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary.
Psalm 78:42

Certain days stand out in our memories.  Many people remember where they were and what they were doing when:

1.     JFK was assassinated.
2.     The OJ verdict came down.
3.     9-11 hit.

You know the day we are supposed to remember often?  The day of our redemption.  Do you remember that day ... the day "He delivered you from the domain of darkness, and transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved Son"? (Colossians 1:13).

MY DAY OF REDEMPTION

I often think of that day.  I was a 17-year-old high school senior.  I was a jock, in the popular group, and thought I was all that and a bag of chips.  I lived to play basketball, chase girls, and party on the weekends.  While I wasn't a "bad" kid or a criminal or an atheist, I was definitely lost.  I knew about God, I just didn't know Him or give Him much thought at all.

In January of my senior year, all that changed.  I began to date a really pretty girl at my school (Cypress Creek High in Houston, Texas) who just happened to be a Christian.  I wasn't quite sure what exactly a Christian was ... I just knew she was good-looking, and I wanted to go out with her.

On one of our early dates, we went to a Young Life meeting on a Tuesday night.  I hated it.  It was like church on Tuesday.  I felt like I had gotten roped into something I didn't want.  I told her point blank, "I'm not going to that again!"  And she said, "Then I'm not going out with you again."  I said, "Fine ... when is the next meeting?" (I really liked her!)

It was at the next meeting, on a Monday night, that I heard a former college football player, beer drinker, and skirt-chaser share his testimony.  He was my kind of guy, and God used his story to touch my heart.

After that meeting, all alone in my room, God showed me how much I needed Him.  He showed me how I was not ready to die ... and if I did die right then, I would go to hell.  I got down on my knees and asked Jesus, in repentance and faith, to save me.  And you know what?  HE DID! 

That Monday night in January of 1980, I passed out of death into life.  That night I was redeemed from the hand of the adversary and made a child of God.  That Monday night, my name was recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life, and Jesus, by His Spirit, came to live within me.

That night changed my whole life ... and I revisit that night often.  It was the night of my redemption.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Has there been a day for you?  Do you know for certain that you have been redeemed ... that Jesus by His Spirit lives in you?  If so, revisit that event often and praise Him for it.  Remember that day and stand in awe of His amazing grace that saved a wretch like you.  Remembering the day keeps the gratitude flowing in your heart.

If there is no day to remember because you have never been redeemed, do what I did and get on your knees and ask Jesus to save you and be real in you.  He will answer any honest, heart-felt cry for salvation.  He longs to save anyone who will turn to Him.  How do I know?  Because He did it for me ... and He promises in His Word: "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Remember and rejoice!

Love,

:angel:

What to Do When You Fall

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness for all who call upon You.
Psalm 86:5

Do you remember the old commercial by a medical alert company called LifeCall that had the tag line, "I've fallen, and I can't get up"?  LifeCall was promoting a small communication device that older people or disabled people could wear as a necklace.  This device would provide instant assistance for them in case of a fall.  The product gave the wearers confidence, even if they lived alone.  As long as they could hit the button, they could get help ... and get back on their feet.

HAVE YOU FALLEN? 

Lots of Christians I know have fallen into sin, and they are having trouble getting back up.  You see, when you and I fall, the devil is quick to move in and say, "Look at you!  And you have the audacity to call yourself a Christian?  What a hypocrite you are!  What a liar you are!  You'll never get back up ... so my advice to you is to stay down and just accept facts: you are a failure and a fraud."

Have you ever heard that familiar voice of the accuser?  Interestingly, when the devil speaks to us, he makes his voice sound like ours.  He tries to make us think his damning, hellish advice is coming from our own "correct" understanding of the circumstances.  Remember, he is a liar and the father of lies.  He will do anything to keep you down.

And when the devil says, "Give up," God says, "Get up!"  "For a righteous man falls seven times, and RISES AGAIN" (Proverbs 24:16).  No righteous man or woman is immune to falls.  But when you do fall, you must not stay down.

God gives every person a LifeCall necklace ... and He wants us to use it!  When you and I fall into sin – whether that fall is an unplanned slip (I slipped into this sin that knocked me off my feet), a careless trip (I let my guard down and the devil pounced on me with temptation), or a blatant dive (I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway) – there is a way back up.  You must quickly hit the LifeCall button, and cry out to God in repentance and confession.

HE IS READY

One of the features of LifeCall was 24 hour coverage, 7 days a week.  So it is with God.  He is ready right now to forgive you and lavish you with His mercy and love.  Jesus didn't come to condemn us ... He came to save us.

Are you holding on to sin in your life?  Are you clinging to sexual sin or bitterness or pride or selfishness?  Sin is like cancer.  Unless you and I get it out of our lives through repentance and confession, we will stay down and diseased.  (Remember how the prodigal son LEFT the pigsty and went to his father and confessed his sin BEFORE he was restored?)  But, the moment we let go of our rotten sin and cry out to Him, He comes and gently, lovingly cleanses our heart and raises us up.

As you read this today, search your heart.  Be honest.  Have you fallen?  Do you feel as if you can't ever get up again?  Hit your LifeCall button.  Cry out to Jesus.  He loves you and is so ready to forgive and restore IF you are ready to leave your pigsty and come to Him.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Love,



Jeff Schreve

:angel:

Deceived!

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.   Galatians 6:7-8

When I was in fifth grade, I went with my friend Mike to a game room in our small town in Los Altos, CA.  The game rooms back in the early 70's were not super advanced like today.  Pinball machines ruled the roost.

Mike and I were looking at the different machines to see which game to play when an older kid asked us if we wanted to take over his pinball game.  He said he had to go but had several games already paid up.  If we wanted to take his offer, he would give us the games at a reduced rate.  It sounded like a good deal, very much worth the two dollars price tag.  The only problem: he was lying.  I still remember innocently waiting for him to come back from the bathroom to give me the change that he owed me, but he never returned.  Instead he slipped out the back door with my money—$2.00 was a lot back then, especially to a kid.  I learned a lesson that day about liars, cheats, and deceivers.

Have you ever been deceived?  Have you ever had someone promise you something good, only to find that the promise was a lie?

THE MASTER DECEIVER

When it comes to deception, no one is more cunning and crafty than the devil.  He is such a clever deceiver.  Like a master fisherman dangling deliciously-looking bait before the fish, so Satan dangles the forbidden fruit of sin before our eyes, promising something good and satisfying if we will only take a little bite.  But, he never tells us about the barbed hook hidden beneath, does he?  Of course not.

You know what I have found to be true?  When the devil comes at us with some forbidden fruit that we KNOW is wrong and sinful, he always makes us feel like we can handle it ... we can get away with it.  The devil says, "God knows and understands that you are weak in this temptation.  He doesn't expect you to be perfect.  And after all, you know you want to.  And it will feel so good.  Furthermore, you can handle it.  The pleasure will always outweigh any consequences, if there are even any to be found."

Does that sound familiar?

As you and I fixate on the forbidden, as Eve did with the fruit, it is only a matter of time before we bite and experience the passing pleasure.  The thrills and chills of the forbidden fade quickly as the hook is set.  Dr. Robert G. Lee used to say, "You can eat the devil's corn if you want to, but he'll choke you on the cob."

How many people do you know who deceivingly thought: I won't get caught ... I won't get pregnant ... I won't get an STD ... I won't get discovered ... I won't get hooked.  Ah, but you will.  Play with fire and you'll eventually get burned.  The same is true of sin.

GOD SEES

God is not mocked.  No one sins and gets away with it.  Everyone reaps what he sows.  You may not reap it today ... or tomorrow, but the harvest is coming.

Are you sowing to the flesh?  Are you thinking your sin will go unnoticed?  Think again.  God says, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:32).

In the tragedy of the fall of Ted Haggard, it was reported by his homosexual lover that Ted told him as they were watching pornography in bed, "You see, you can still serve God and have a little fun on the side."  He was so deceived ... and his world soon came crashing down as harvest time came and the hook was set.

My friend, I don't know where you are today, but I want to encourage you to take a sober inventory of your life and actions.  If you are dabbling in immorality, financial impropriety, online gambling, or drugs and alcohol, you are playing with fire and need to turn around before it is too late ... before the hook is set.

Get your eyes off the sin and onto the Savior.  His ways are ALWAYS right.  He will bless you with joy and peace IF, IF, IF you will obey His voice and sow to the Spirit.

Love,

:angel:

Putting Down the Whip

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

Have you ever heard the story of Martin Luther?  As a young monk, Luther wanted nothing more than to please God.  But, like the rest of us, he struggled with sin and fleshly lusts.  His way of dealing with this problem was to severely discipline his body.  He felt that if he mistreated his flesh, it would somehow make him more godly.

One day he took a trip to Rome to walk the 28 steps of Pilate's Staircase, the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs).  He climbed those stairs ON HIS KNEES.  Surely this painful sacrifice would garner favor with God, right?  As the pain grew and the blood flowed, he heard the voice of God say to him, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."  That revelation changed his life.

ARE YOU HURTING YOURSELF?

There are people today who still do hurtful things to their bodies thinking it will produce favor with God as they show Him they love Him.  Some whip their backs until the blood flows to prove their love and atone for their sins.  Others eat bland food, sleep on uncomfortable surfaces, and take a vow of silence. There are even some in The Philippines who endure an actual crucifixion every Good Friday to suffer for Jesus, show their commitment, and earn God's favor.  Can you image that? 

Now I don't suppose you are whipping your back over your sins, but are you beating yourself up nonetheless?  Do you whip yourself emotionally, mentally and spiritually over the failures from the past?  Lots of people say this to themselves, "I am such a bum and a scum and a loser.  I committed this terrible, horrible sin.  I am the worst!  God must hate me.  I hate me too."  Whip, whip, whip.

You know what?   I have pulled out the emotional whip on MANY occasions and beat myself silly over past sins and past failures.  Have you?

IT'S CALLED GRACE

Listen my friend, no matter what you have done, GOD DOES NOT HATE YOU.  HE LOVES YOU!  Jesus took all the scourging, all the spittle, all the humiliation, and all the nails.  He died for you and me, and "by His stripes we are healed."  He paid for all your sins and mine when He died on the cross.  No matter how terrible the sin, we do not need to live under the whip of guilt and shame and condemnation because "there is therefore NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  All the wrath of God fell on Jesus.  The moment we receive Him, we receive a FULL PARDON.   It is truly amazing grace!!

If you are inclined to beat yourself up over past sins, STOP IT!  If you have committed terrible sexual sin, or had an abortion, or hurt your family with tremendous selfishness, or betrayed a friend, or whatever, confess it to God.  Get that sin out of your life and under Christ's blood.  Make necessary amends with those you have hurt, and put down the whip!  Receive His grace and know that He does not have any condemnation for you, just a heart of love.

PRAYER

Perhaps you need to pray a prayer like this one today:

Dear God, I have been beating myself over _____________________ (name the sin).  Lord, I have confessed it to you, but I still keep whipping myself over it.  Today, I choose to put down the whip and believe your Word.  Jesus, you died for that sin and shed YOUR blood, so I don't have to shed mine.  Thank you for forgiving me for ________________.  I choose to believe your Word over my feelings – "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9).  Praise You, Lord!  I am forgiven, clean and loved by You.  I believe it and receive it.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Love,

:angel:

What He's Done For Me... (And You)

... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author [archegos] and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

Have you ever heard a song that just sticks with you through the years?

I can remember very vividly going to church on a Sunday night in the late 80's and hearing a song from Psalm 40.  The refrain was, "Whoa oh, oh, oh, what's He's done for me ... I never will forget what He's done for me." 

Do you know what He's done for you?

THE "ARCHEGOS"

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus because He is the author of faith.  The Greek word for author is archegos, a word that can also be translated founder, leader, or prince.  This word is beautifully pictured in maritime terms.

Ships in the first century had an archegos on board.  The archegos was the man who could swim the strongest.  When the ship would approach land, sometimes the wind and the waves would prevent the ship from actually reaching shore.  In those instances, the archegos was called upon to save the day and get the passengers safely off the ship.

This man would take a long rope and tie one end to the ship and the other to his waist.  He would dive into the billowing sea, fight through the wind and the waves, and reach the shore.  Once ashore, he would take that rope and tie it to a sturdy rock or a strong tree in order to make a way for the passengers to safely cross.

Jesus is our archegos.  He willingly dove into the waters of sin and death for you and me.  He was under the water for a time ... and His followers thought He was gone.  But on the third day, He rose physically, bodily, in power and glory.  He faced death and defeated death.  He made a way for us to safely cross over to heaven's shore.

Was it easy for Him?  No.  As a matter of fact, it was so hard that He sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane as He wrestled in prayer over the bitter cup of the sin of the world that was coming upon Him.  He said, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).  And He willingly, obediently, lovingly dove into the stormy waters of sin and death.

And He did all of that for you and me.  Wow!  A major WOW!!

Take time today and thank Jesus for what He has done for you.  Live every day in awe of His love and sacrifice.  And remember, because Jesus is our archegos, all those who have received Him will one day mock at death and say, "O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55).  Our heavenly archegos has defeated death and invites you and me to share in His victory.  What a Savior!

Love,

:angel:

The Waiting Room

... that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:12

When I was a sophomore in high school, I broke my leg in a basketball game against our big rival, the Cy-Fair Bobcats. Drag! That injury meant I had to go to the orthopedic surgeon for X-rays, a diagnosis, and a cast.

My doctor was Husam Bahrani. He was from Baghdad, Iraq. Dr. Bahrani was a very skilled surgeon. He was not, however, very punctual. I spent countless hours in his waiting room ... waiting ... waiting ... and waiting to see him for my needed medical care.

THE WAITING GAME

It is never fun to wait, is it? Most people simply detest it. That is why so many of the products we buy are instant: instant coffee, instant pudding, instant potatoes, instant oatmeal, instant whatever! We simply do not have more than an instant to wait! Many people I know tap their foot in impatience when their leftovers are being reheated in the microwave oven, wondering when on earth their food will finally be warmed and ready!

Now, when it comes to the things of God, you and I can throw out the microwave idea. God does not have a microwave; He has a Crockpot. God tells us that it is through faith and patience that we inherit His promises. If you and I are going to see God do great and mighty things in and through our lives, we must be patient and wait on Him and His timing.

Make no mistake about it: waiting on God is one of the hardest things to do. Often, we believe God and trust God for a miracle ... but we want that miracle NOW! In our waiting, we can easily get stressed out, frustrated, and disillusioned, thinking God does not care about us. If He did care, surely He would act, and He would act now! But the truth of the matter is this: God is never late and never in a hurry. He is always right on time. He has grace to help in time of need. He says to us, "Wait on Me, and I will answer in mighty power at the proper time and the perfect moment." The one who believes God—and waits on God—is the one who receives from God.

TAKE IT FROM ABRAHAM

Abraham and Sarah were promised a son. They were old and childless when that wonderful promise from God came to them. Obviously, they were excited and ready for God's promise to come to fruition. The promise did not come quickly, however. They had to wait about thirty years before God gave them Isaac. Thirty years!

The Bible says, "Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was also able to perform" (Romans 4:20-21). God taught Abraham so much as he waited on God to perform the miracle of the birth Isaac. (It was a miracle because Sarah was ninety years old when Isaac was born. Take about a late-life baby!) God strengthened Abe's faith in the waiting room ... and then blessed his socks off with a special son of promise. Did it take some time? Yes! Was it worth it? Certainly!

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you gotten tired of waiting for your miracle? Have you gotten tired of waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right? Have you gotten tired of waiting for your healing, your deliverance, your promotion, or your dream? Have you given up on your promise from God? Pick up the towel you have thrown in, and get back in the waiting room! Add patience to your faith. God's promise to you will come to pass in His timing ... and you will be so blessed.

Love,

:angel:

A Transformation is Coming

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness,  it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Have you ever looked in the mirror and cringed?  I mean, the image you see is not what you want to see.  Perhaps there are wrinkles ... or flab ... or bald spots ... or blemished skin.  Perhaps your body is wearing out right before your eyes.

I know that is true for me.  My joints are not what they used to be.  My body is stiff and sore much of the time.  As I type this, things are getting blurrier by the day.  I will eventually need to break down and get reading glasses.  Trust me: getting older isn't for cowards!  (And I'm only 49!)

Many of you reading this can relate.  Some of you are saying, "Just wait until you get my age.  If you think 49 is rough, try 79.  Just about everything quits working by then."

Hey, is there any good news for an aging body?  YES!  A new body is in store for every Christian.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, you can be assured that God will raise you up one day too ... and will give you a resurrected body that will blow you away.

IT'S LIKE A SEED

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul said that the resurrection of the body is much like a seed planted in the ground.  A seed doesn't look like much when it is planted, but when it comes out of the ground it sure does.  An acorn is not something to shout about, but a mighty oak tree is.  So ... "when you're down and feeling blue, just look at an acorn and see what a nut can do."

God says that our bodies are sown in dishonor and weakness.  Our physical bodies are perishable and perishing.  It's just like the little boy who was peeling his sun-burned skin and lamented to his mother, "I'm only four years old, and I'm already coming apart."  How true.  The moment we start to live, we start to die.  We all have a perishable body.

IT'S A TRANSFORMATION

But the imperishable is coming.  Glory and power are coming to the child of God ... in his/her body!  A caterpillar may look pretty ugly as it inches along the ground, but one day, that same ugly caterpillar is going to emerge from its cocoon with wings and beauty and glory that befits a Monarch butterfly.

There is a transformation coming to you, if you know Jesus.  You see, when Jesus saves a person, he saves the whole person: spirit, soul, and body.  The initial, instantaneous transformation takes place in the spirit as we are justified and made right with God the moment we receive Christ as Savior and Lord.  The ongoing transformation takes place in the soul as we are sanctified and made more like Christ each day in our hearts as we seek Him and obey Him.  The last and final transformation takes place in our bodies as we are given a spiritual body that is just like our resurrected Lord's.  Our new, imperishable bodies – given to us when the Lord returns – will not be governed by limitations, sickness, fatigue, pain, or death.

So, when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see ... when you get up in the morning and feel a pain in your back ... when you squint to read the street signs ... when you struggle with constant fatigue ... just remember that a transformation is coming.  Take time today to praise God that He has a new body on layaway for you.  It is going to be awesome, and it is something to shout about!

Love,



Jeff Schreve

:angel:

Laughing in the Face of the Grim Reaper

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.   1 Corinthians 15:55-57

The Grim Reaper is perhaps the most recognizable figure of all time.  The hooded skeleton with a sharp sickle in his bony hands has been the personification of death to all generations.

And death is something man fears greatly.  Try as we might, it is something you and I can't escape.  When The Grim Reaper comes to call, there is nowhere to run or hide.  He takes down the strong as well as the weak.  One Friday in Jerusalem, he even took down the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

MET HIS MATCH

But unlike those who had gone before Him, Jesus didn't stay dead.  On the third day, He broke the sickle of death and sent The Grim Reaper packing.  As He left the tomb, He laughed in the face of The Grim Reaper as he lay utterly defeated at His feet.  And what's more, He offers His victory over death to you and me today.

Do you fear death?  Do you block that ghastly thought out of your mind?  Do you quickly change the subject if death comes up?  Does the thought of The Grim Reaper coming for you scare you to death?  (I couldn't resist.)

As a preacher, I have done lots of weddings and funerals.  While I am always happy to conduct a wedding and tie a good strong knot (no slip knots!), I really prefer funerals ... not because I am morbid, but because of two main reasons:

1.     There is no mother of the bride at funerals (just kidding).

2.     People are forced to consider the reality of death at funerals.

DEATH LOST ITS STING

Did you know that if you are in Christ, you never really die?  It is true!  Jesus said, "Everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:26).  When a person receives Jesus, that person passes out of death to life (see John 5:24).  Certainly, Christians still experience the death of the body, but they never experience the death of the soul.  When a Christian dies, he/she goes immediately to be with Jesus – "absent from the body, present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

You see, "the sting of death is sin."  But Jesus died for all my sins.  He took the sting for my sins.  Because I have received Jesus as Savior and Lord, death has no power to sting me.  Like a stinging scorpion that lost its stinger, death cannot really hurt me.  It is just the shadow of death that I face.  Jesus already faced the real thing for me.  And He has for you too, but you must receive Him to make His sacrifice personally effective. 

THE BEST PART

The Bible makes it clear that when Jesus returns, He calls His own to Himself and transforms our earthly bodies into glorified ones.  The mortal puts on immortality, and the perishable puts on the imperishable.  Those who are dead in Christ are raised up from the grave, and those who are alive in Christ when He returns are caught up to the clouds.  Both groups will get to laugh in the face of The Grim Reaper saying, "Death you couldn't hold me, you couldn't touch me!  Where is your victory?  It is swallowed up in Jesus Christ!"

Make it a daily practice to thank God for giving His Son for you on the cross.  Thank Jesus for taking your sting so that death has no power over you.  And when the subject of death is mentioned, fear not.  The scorpion has lost its stinger if you know Jesus. 

Love,

:angel:

The Devil's Three Greatest Lies

He is a liar, and the father of lies.  John 8:44

Deception.  It is the devil's specialty.  The Bible says, "He deceives the whole world"  (Revelation 12:19).  And he deceives the whole world through lies.  Has he deceived you?

I talk to people nearly every day who have been deceived by the devil into thinking that (1) God is not good, (2) God does not really love them, and (3) God cannot really be trusted.  Those are perhaps Satan's three greatest lies ... and so many people, Christians included, subconsciously believe them, to one degree or another.  Why is that?

BAD CIRCUMSTANCES

All of us have a strong tendency to evaluate God's goodness, love, and plan for our lives based on current circumstances.  If things are going well for us, we tend to see God in a positive, biblical light.  But, if things suddenly go south (we encounter job loss, health loss, marriage and family trouble), we start to question the goodness of God and the promises in His Word.

Circumstances are a faulty means for evaluating God and His character.  Job's wife fell into that trap.  As she viewed all of the tragedy that had befallen her and Job, she surmised that God wasn't good, He didn't love them, and He was not worthy of their trust.  Her circumstance-driven response to Job was "curse God and die" (Job 2:9).

Sadly, many follow her advice as they cannot seem to reconcile their trials and hardships on one hand with a good and loving God on the other.  The devil steps in at that moment to say, "The reason this equation doesn't compute in your mind is because God is not good, loving and kind.  The pain of your trials is real and undeniable, but the goodness of God is obviously a cruel, sadistic joke.  Better to just curse God and die."

The truth of the matter is this: God is good, regardless of bad circumstances.  God loves you and me, regardless of the storms that may pour into our lives.  God has a good plan for us, regardless of what it might look like right now.

MAKING A CAKE

While I am not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, I have, on occasion, helped my wife, Debbie, make a cake.  Cake is something most of us LOVE because it tastes great.  But a cake doesn't taste too good if you start eating it before it is ready.  Flour and raw eggs and vanilla extract and baking powder and canola oil aren't the least bit tasty as they sit in the mixing bowl.

Perhaps you have been guilty of tasting the bitter ingredients of your life as they sit unstirred in the mixing bowl.  Perhaps you have secretly determined that the Master Chef, Jesus Christ, must not be much of a Master because the dish He is preparing – your life – tastes terrible.  Hmmm.

WAIT ON THE LORD

God knows what He is doing.  Put down your spoon and quit judging the product before it is finished.  Trust God and His Word.  The cross of Jesus Christ is God's permanent reminder to you and me that he is good, He loves us, and He can be trusted (Romans 8:32).  And what's more ... even when rotten things get thrown in the mixing bowl, He works them together for good by His amazing grace (Romans 8:28).

The devil's lies or God's truth: which one will you choose to believe today?

Love,

:angel:

I Still Do

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.   Genesis 2:24

A man in his twenties was talking to an older co-worker at the office and said, "Tomorrow is my fifth wedding anniversary.  I wonder what I should get my wife?"

The older man reminisced, "For my 25th wedding anniversary, I took my wife to France." 

"Awesome! How will you celebrate your 50th?"

The older man replied, "I'm going back to get her."

MARRIAGE WOES

That little joke sums up many marriages.  What started as an ideal, soon becomes an ordeal ... and eventually both parties are longing for a new deal.  That is not what God intended when He created marriage.  On a scale of 1-10, God wants your marriage to be a 12!  He wants it off the charts great.

As I write this, it is my 26th wedding anniversary.  I can honestly say that Debbie and I are more in love now than we ever have been.  We are best friends and committed to one another through thick and thin.  Divorce is NOT an option.  I told Debbie early on, "If you ever leave me ... I'm going with you."  I praise God for all that he has done and is doing in our relationship.

While our marriage is definitely not perfect, there are some things we have learned that have really helped us work through problems so that we can enjoy a healthy, growing relationship.

1.     COMMUNICATION.  Closeness in marriage is dependent upon the ability to openly and honestly share your feelings.  Oftentimes, a husband will hurt his wife's feelings and have little to no clue as to what he did.  She thinks he ought to know that his comment was rude, mean, and insensitive.  She says to herself, "He should know what he did.  I'm not going to tell him, I'm just going to wait for him to apologize."

NEWSFLASH: He doesn't know most of the time.  He doesn't think or feel like you do.  He needs you to kindly, respectfully, and honestly tell him—spell it out for him—when he hurts your feelings.  I heard about a woman who had on her T-shirt, "All men are idiots, and I married their king."  When it comes to men understanding women, that T-shirt is not too far off.  So wives, tells us.  Be specific and be timely.  We won't really know otherwise.

And husbands ... tell your wife when you feel shut out in the bedroom.  Let her know if       you feel rejected, unwanted, and undesirable to her.  She needs to know because she doesn't think and feel like you do and won't figure it out on her own.

2.     DISHONESTY.  Lies destroy trust.  If you are dishonest in your relationship (with finances, Facebook, or your hurts and struggles), you are setting fire to the foundation of trust.  Be honest and truthful with one another.  And always speak the truth in love.

3.     FAILING TO SEEK AND GRANT FORGIVENESS.  Forgiveness is a must in marriage.  If you hold on to hurts and refuse to forgive your spouse for things he/she did that hurt you, you set the stage for an ice-cold relationship where the poison of resentment and bitterness reigns.  Give all of those hurts to God so your heart does not sour toward your spouse.

And, when you mess up, fess up.  Take full responsibility for your actions and inactions.  When you hurt your spouse's feelings, humbly seek forgiveness.  Apologize from the heart and ask for forgiveness.  Remember, the greater the offense, the more time is needed for the rebuilding of trust.  Forgiveness can be granted immediately, but trust takes time to restore.

HOPE FOR YOU!

Maybe your marriage is in trouble today.  Don't despair!  If God can raise Lazarus from the dead, He can work a miracle in your marriage.  Enlist the help of a good Christian counselor and begin doing the things necessary to right the ship.

Think of your marriage this way: if you were 100 pounds overweight, you would not get slim and trim in a day, or a week, or even a month.  It takes time, effort, and consistency to drop 100 pounds.  And it takes time, effort, and consistency to go from a 2 to a 10 on the marriage scale.  It can and will happen, though, if both parties will commit themselves to the Lord and to the marriage.

God wants your marriage to be great.  When you are praying for a great marriage, you can be sure that you are praying according to His will (see 1 John 5:14-15).  So be encouraged.  He can do anything in the lives of people submitted to Him.

Love,

:angel:

That Still, Small Voice of Encouragement

And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.  1 Kings 19:11-12

Encouragement.  It is what everyone needs, is it not?  I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."  Wow.  One good compliment gave him that much strength and encouragement.

Did you know that God wants to encourage you and me on a consistent, daily basis?  He does not want you to wait months to hear a word of encouragement from Him.  He wants you to go to His Word and receive a fresh word of encouragement directly from Him for today's troubles and problems.  He is a daily provider.

A WORD FROM GOD TO PASTORS

As any pastor reading this can relate, being a pastor can be very trying at times.  As one pastor said, "My greatest challenge is keeping the 50% of the church that don't like me away from the 50% that aren't sure."  Another pastor said, "I think the whole world is against me ... but I know that's not really true.  Some of the smaller countries are neutral."

Many commentators have postulated that Paul's thorn in the flesh may refer to people who were working overtime to smear his character and bring him down.  I think there might be a lot of truth to that theory.

Let me share a great word of encouragement from David in Psalm 31:

I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, and You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place.  Psalm 31:7-8

Amen!  Thank You, Jesus!

AMY LEARNS

My 22 year old daughter, Amy, wrote a blog entry that fits like a glove with this topic.  It is from www.amylearns.tumblr.com... and it is such a blessing.  Amy writes:

So as many of you know, I really do admire and respect Tim Tebow.  I just think the guy is incredible. Okay so anyways, as many of you know he has done SO much with sick children ... it's really pretty amazing. I recently watched a video of him with a teenage boy who was very ill. They were in Orlando, hanging out for the day.

Toward the end of the day, Tim coaxes the kid out of the wheelchair to throw the football with him. The kid is shy and hesitant.  He fears that he won't be able to throw it well with this pro quarterback.  He even says, "It will be hard to throw with one hand."  There are cameras around, and people are watching.  He is nervous to throw the ball with THE TIM TEBOW.

Then Tim says something pretty remarkable. You have to almost know it's there to pick up on it. He almost whispers to the kid, ever so softly, "Just throw it to me."  Man.  I had to play it back several times. The kid throws it just to Tim, and it's a great exchange.

I thought: What a beautiful picture of the Lord and our walk with Him! How often do we look at our circumstances, all the stuff around and think, "I can't do this.  It's too much.  I'm scared.  I'm not capable." And just like Tim, the Lord whispers, "Just throw it to me.  Just walk with me, Amy.  I will protect you.  I will not abandon you."

Although once hesitant, the boy ended up having a great time throwing the ball around with Tim. He was joyful! The same can be true in our walk with the Lord. "Just walk with Me."

Wow.  I just can't get over that picture of the Lord.  It really spoke to me.  Pretty incredible!

Pretty incredible, indeed.

Love,

:angel:

The Secret of Being Content

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  Philippians 4:11

I love the true story of Fanny Crosby, the beloved hymn writer of yesteryear. When Fanny was a baby, she developed inflammation in her eyes. A negligent doctor prescribed the wrong treatment, and as a result, young Fanny went blind.

Fanny easily could have become a bitter person. She easily could have viewed life through the jaded lens of resentment and anger over what had happened to her. She could have been a constant whiner over the injustice she suffered. But she refused to fall into that trap. Regardless of her circumstances, she chose to be thankful and content. In fact, she penned these words:

"Oh what a happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."

THE 33 PERCENT RULE

Sue Enquist, the legendary softball coach of the UCLA Bruins (1989 – 2006), was known for the 33 Percent Rule. In her way of thinking, you can divide people into three categories. The bottom 33 percent of people always whine and complain. These are the folks that suck the fun out of anything and everything. The middle 33 percent have an attitude that fluctuates from good to bad depending on circumstances. They are good to be around provided all is going well for them. The top 33 percent choose a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances. No matter what they are facing, they are joyful, hopeful, and thankful.

Fanny Crosby was in the top 33 percent. What about you?

AWARE AND FIGHTING FOR IT

It is easy for me to slip into the middle category of the 33 Percent Rule. If I am not sensitive to what is coming out of my mouth, I can let negative circumstances make me negative. But, if I stop and take the time to see that God is over every circumstance, I can choose to thank Him for the adversity and look to see what He is going to teach me through it all.

Every trial is a test. Every hardship is an opportunity to thank God, trust God, and grow stronger in your faith.

Will you take inventory of your life today? Are you living with contentment, regardless of the circumstances? Are you choosing to rejoice and praise God even in the face of adversity? If not, you can start today.

PRAYER

Dear God, please forgive me for whining and griping about my circumstances: my bad job, my terrible boss, my back-stabbing co-worker, my evaporating finances, my bad health, my troubled marriage, my _____________________. Lord, I know that You are over every circumstance and situation. You have allowed this trial to come to me to help me grow and shine for You. I choose to face my difficulties with a strong and renewed faith, knowing that You will see me through as I trust You. Thank You, Lord. Regardless of what happens today, I choose by faith to make it a great day! Amen.

Love,

:angel:

The Kisses of an Enemy

Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?  Luke 22:48

It was late Thursday night.  Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples.  He was deeply grieved to the point of death, praying to His Father and sweating drops of blood as the weight of the sin of the whole world was pressing upon Him.  He knew the arresting soldiers were on their way.  To add to His agony, His disciples were asleep ... all except Judas.

Judas Iscariot was busily leading the charge against Him.  Judas was a thief and a lover of money (John 12:6).  He sold Jesus out for a mere thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave.  Stop and think about that: Judas sold out the holy, eternal, unfathomable God for the price of a lowly slave.  How tragically amazing!

The Bible tells us that it was at the Last Supper, after Jesus had washed the disciples' feet (Judas included) and instituted the Lord's Supper (the new covenant in His blood), that Satan entered Judas.  How boldly arrogant and offensive for Satan to enter Judas right in the Lord's physical presence!  With Satan firmly in charge of him, Judas, a picture of the antichrist to come, went to lead the soldiers to Gethsemane.  He betrays Jesus with, of all things, a kiss.  Isn't that just like the devil?  It is not enough to merely stab Jesus in the back with betrayal, he has to twist the knife in the process.  Betrayed with a kiss ... a kiss straight from hell.   

BETRAYAL

Can you identify with Jesus?  Have you ever been betrayed?  Have you ever had someone "kiss you" with deceitful kindness so that they could gut you down the road?  Many a wife or husband has experienced the kisses of a "best friend" who subversively steals away the marriage.  Many a friend has experienced the kisses of a "trusted" confidant who goes out and betrays that confidence to the gossipers.  Many a leader has experienced the kisses of so-called supporters who delightfully malign his character behind the scenes.  Can I get an "Amen!" somebody?   

What are we to do when we receive the kisses of betrayal from a trusted friend?  Get angry, resentful, and bitter?  Curse God and die?  NO!  We are to do what Jesus did and pray, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  It is amazing how potential bitterness will evaporate in your heart when you pray for the well-being and blessing of those who have hurt you.

What are we to do when we are the betrayer?  We are NOT to do what Judas did.  When he saw that Jesus was condemned to die, he was overcome with grief and remorse.  But instead of repenting before God, He returned the thirty pieces of silver and went out and hanged himself.  As Dr. Adrian Rogers has so poignantly explained, "Trying to escape the hell within him, he stepped into the hell before him."  What a tragic picture of wasted privileges and opportunities was this Judas Iscariot.

When you are guilty of betrayal, you must get things right with God and the person you betrayed.  Peter was guilty of betrayal.  In the Lord's great time of need, Peter cursed and swore and said, "I don't even know the man!"  And what did Peter do?  He went out and wept bitterly ... and repented of his sin ... and received forgiveness from God.  You can do the same!

GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY

The lessons of Good Friday and Easter Sunday are numerous.  The overarching message is clear, however: No matter what terrible things you may have done, your sins can be forgiven in His name.  No matter how long you may have lived in sin and selfishness, no matter how low you may have sunk, no matter what hurt you may have endured, you can receive a fresh start and a new beginning from the King of Glory!   

The Lord really does love you, my friend.  He allowed Himself to be betrayed (He knew what Judas was doing every step of the way) and willingly went to the cross so He could pay for all your sins and mine.  He wants to have a relationship with you that is real, personal, and life-changing.  It starts when you confess your sins and turn from those sins to Jesus.

Will you do it?  Will you get things right with God and those you have hurt?  Will you let go of the bitterness you may be carrying over those who have betrayed you?  There is nothing as wonderful as knowing your heart is clean, pure, and free because of the blood of Jesus.  And that can be yours today!

To read additional devotionals click here.

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.

:angel:

The Cure for the Blues

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. Psalm 104:33

Do you ever get the blues? Do you ever just feel blah, down, and a little frustrated with your life? Do you fall into the trap where everything seems so bland, tasteless, monotonous, and unexciting?

I think most of us can relate to the blues. Maybe you are in a blue mood right now. Maybe you have gotten knocked down by life and find yourself on the brink of depression (a blue mood gone amuck). What can be done? Is there a cure? Yes!

Psalm 104:33-34 gives us the key to defeating the blues:

"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the Lord."

God doesn't want you to "sing the blues," He wants you to "sing the blues away." He wants you to open your mouth in praise to Him. He wants you to get your eyes off your depressing problems and on His matchless presence. No matter how "blue" your situation, God is still the awesome God who loves you and can work miracles on your behalf.

WHY SING PRAISES?

Why is there such great power in singing praise to God? The answer is found in Psalm 22:3 (KJV), "But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel." God's wonderful, awesome, life-changing presence begins to fill our "blue" mood when we make the choice to lift our voice in praise.

Perhaps you will remember these powerful lyrics from the song When You Praise the Lord.
 
When you're up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams,
And your hope's been cruelly crushed by Satan's manifested schemes,
And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears,
Don't let the faith you're standing in seem to disappear.

Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him,
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you, serve only to remind you,
that they drop powerless behind you when you praise Him.

Will you take some time today to get alone with God and sing to Him? Find a great praise CD, one that gets your focus on the Lord and His greatness and power. Sing those praise songs back to Him. It will do wonders to cure your blues. Remember, your outlook will miraculously change if, if, if you direct your uplook to the Lord of glory who conquered death, hell, and the grave for you. His name is Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him, sing His praises, and say good-bye to the blues!


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Building Up or Tearing Down?

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:29-32

Many years ago, I was informally counseling a couple having marital problems. She was frustrated with him for not paying enough attention to her ... and she let him know it by the things she said. It was a classic "love and respect" problem. As I listened to the wife tear her husband down with her sharp-tongued words, I said to myself, "Terri, if you could only hear the things coming out of your mouth. No wonder your husband spends so much time at the office. People don't bash, belittle, and disrespect him there."

TAKING INVENTORY

Have you ever stopped to really listen to yourself? Have you ever truly considered the words that you allow to come out of your mouth?  Ask yourself these questions:

Are you speaking words of edification or words of destruction?
Do your words give grace to those who hear or do they give grief?
Do your words please the Holy Spirit or grieve the Holy Spirit?
Are your words laced with bitterness and slander or coated with blessing and sweetness? Be honest, what type of conversation is proceeding from your mouth?

God makes it crystal clear that we are to be careful what we speak because "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21).  James said the tongue is "a restless evil and full of deadly poison" (James 3:8).  If you and I are not careful to think before we speak, we will undoubtedly fall into the trap of using our tongues to spread poison and inflict death on family members, friends, classmates, workmates, and neighbors.

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Why is the tongue full of deadly poison?  Where do the rotten words come from?  Jesus said, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" (Matthew 12:34).  Your mouth is like a bucket, and your heart is the well.  If rottenness is found in your "bucket," it is because rottenness is present in your heart.  The answer is not to wash your mouth out with soap, but rather to deal with the sin and bitterness that have obviously found a home in your heart.
                 
TAKE THE ROTTENNESS TO GOD

What do you do when you have been hurt and mistreated and, therefore, believe you are "justified" in lashing out with your tongue?  Take the hurt and mistreatment to God.  Share it all with Him ... and leave it there.  If there is bitterness within you as clearly revealed by the words you are speaking, get that bitterness out of your heart and under His blood.  Confess it to Him, repent and claim His abundant forgiveness.  He wants to give you a pure heart like His.  And when your heart is right, when the well is clean, the mouth brings forth words that bless and refresh like cold water to a thirsty soul.

:angel:

What's in Your Basket?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.   Romans 8:28

Do you like cooking shows?  My family and I like to watch the cooking show CHOPPED.  In that show, several top-notch chefs are given a basket of ingredients with which to hopefully make a savory dish.  The challenge is in the ingredients; there is always an item or two that no chef in his right mind would choose.  How does anyone make a five-star dessert with gummy worms ... or grits ... or baby beets? (I hate beets.)

Amazingly, the master chefs are able to take all the odd-ball ingredients in each course basket (appetizer, entree, and dessert) and work them together to make a great-tasting meal.

GOD IS THE MASTER CHEF

When it comes to life, God is the Master Chef.  He is the One who is able to take all the difficult experiences and bad-tasting ingredients that befall us in life and work them together for good.  He is the God who is able to give beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

I talked to a friend this week who is facing some very tough circumstances.  Complications from a routine cataract surgery ended up costing him his right eye.  And if that weren't enough to deal with, he is fighting prostate cancer that has spread.  Without question, he has found some bad ingredients in his basket.

But you know what is great about my friend?  He is trusting God through it all.  While he surely doesn't understand why this is coming upon him, he knows the Lord loves Him ... and He loves the Lord.  And because he loves the Lord, Romans 8:28 is a promise for him to claim: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." 

What do you do when your basket seems to be filled with baby beets and other undesirable ingredients?  Do you curse God and die?  Do you get bitter and lash out?  Do you throw in the towel and quit?  Let me encourage you to do what my friend is doing and turn all the bitter ingredients over to the Master Chef, the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust Him to work it together for good.

JOSEPH'S BITTER BASKET

Genesis tells us the amazing story of Joseph.  What did Joseph have in his basket?  Hatred and Betrayal—his brothers hated him because he was daddy's favorite, and they sold him into slavery in Egypt.  Lies and Suffering—as Potiphar's wife lied about him and said that he tried to rape her.  Darkness and Gloom—as he spent years of his life in a dark and foul prison, forgotten and forlorn.  (His basket of ingredients made baby beets look like chocolate covered almonds.)   

But God reached down into his basket, took all the bad ... and made a masterpiece!  And when God took his dish out of the oven, Joseph went from the prison to the palace.  He became the Prime Minister of Egypt.  WOW!  Talk about a promotion!  Years later, he told his brothers,  "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).     

My friend, God is able to take the worst of ingredients and work them together for good.  It is a rock solid promise in His Word.  So the challenge is this: will you trust Him in the dark hour, when all hope seems lost, to make a masterpiece from your basket?


Love,
:angel:

But I'm Only One Person, Lord

And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.   Ezekiel 22:30

Do you remember the long-running commercial from the U.S. Forest Service?  The tag line was, "Only you can prevent forest fires."  When I first heard that, I remember saying to myself, "What a joke.  What can I possibly do to prevent forest fires?"  Well, the truth of the matter is this: I can do a lot ... and so can you.

What is true in the natural realm concerning forest fires is also true in the spiritual realm concerning revival fires.  You and I may be weak, frail, and anonymous, but we can make a difference, a big difference in our nation for Christ and His Kingdom.  We can be the difference makers in our land with regard to God's mercy or God's wrath.   

GOD IS LOOKING FOR YOU

In Ezekiel 22, the Lord recounts the great sins of his people.  They were guilty of murder, idolatry, robbery, greed, gross and rampant sexual immorality, lies, extortion, oppression, selfishness to the nth degree, and abuse of the poor and needy.  To make matters worse, the priests and prophets were corrupt, preaching and teaching lies for personal gain.  God was filled with wrath over the blatant, arrogant, presumptuous sins of His people.  Judgment was coming ... and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Yet in the midst of all the sin, our merciful and compassionate God said, "And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one (Ezekiel 22:30).  Did you catch that?  He searched for A MAN.  He didn't require a group of men or a congregation of people.  He searched for ONE PERSON who would stand in the gap and pray.  One single person standing in repentance, humility, and honest intercession could have stemmed the tide of judgment for the nation of Judah.  But sadly, God found NO ONE ... and severe judgment fell.       

Only you can prevent forest fires ... and only you can prevent judgment from falling on this nation of ours.  Our national sins are just as bad if not worse than Judah's.  And God is looking today for one single person who will really get serious before Him and stand in the gap for the land.  Will you be that one?

DWIGHT L. MOODY

There is a very famous quote concerning 19th century evangelist Dwight L. Moody.  Moody was a poorly-educated young shoe clerk when he was led to Christ.  Soon after his conversion, he was at a prayer meeting where Evangelist Henry Varley said, "The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man fully consecrated to Him."  And Moody bowed his head and said in response, "By the grace of God, I WILL BE THAT MAN!"

And God used D. L. Moody to shake the world for Christ.  He was the Billy Graham of his day.

God wants to use you, my friend.  He wants you to stand in the gap for Him.  He wants to empower you to be a force for the Kingdom of heaven.  "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His" (2 Chronicles 16:9). 

God is looking.  Will you stand up today and say to God, "Lord, here I am.  I am only one and seem very insignificant ... but by Your grace, I choose to be completely Yours and let You use me to make a BIG difference for the Kingdom and stand in the gap for the land."


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Do You Still Know How to Blush?

Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush.  Jeremiah 6:15

Have you noticed how the moral climate of our society has shifted in the last few years?  More and more people are living in open sin ... and they don't think a thing about it.

What's the big deal about having sex before you're married, or cheating on your spouse, or stealing from the government, or lying to get ahead at work, or having an abortion, or bailing on your family?  Who are you to tell me that what I am doing is wrong?!  The Bible says, "This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, 'I have done no wrong'" (Proverbs 30:20).  The adulterous woman is like the growing number of people in our world today: a people who have forgotten how to blush.

CAN YOU FEEL THE SHAME?

One of the marks of a hardened heart is the inability to feel shame and conviction of the Holy Spirit.  If you can sin BIG TIME and not feel the sting of the Lord's displeasure, something is very wrong inside.

Peter was one who boasted and bragged that he was ready to go with the Lord to prison and even to death.  He said all the other disciples may deny Christ, but he would NEVER deny Him.  As you know, however, he did deny him ... not once ... not twice ... but three times in a row.  And after the third denial, punctuated with cursing and swearing to prove he didn't know Him, the Bible says, "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter ... and he [Peter] went out and wept bitterly."  He could feel the shame.

Peter had failed miserably.  But praise God, he didn't blow it off as not a big deal.  He still knew how to blush, to feel shame and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  Do you?

FEELING THE SHAME SO YOU CAN FEEL NO SHAME

Does God want us to live in shame?  Absolutely not!  But, He wants us to feel the shame and to come out of the deception that our sins are "no big deal" so that we can get right with Him.

If we follow the example of the adulterous woman and say, "I am not guilty (when we clearly are)," we don't erase the guilt, we just lie to ourselves.  After passing the sentence of death on the faultless Jesus of Nazareth, Pilate said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man."  But we all know that he wasn't innocent.  Rather, he sent an innocent man to his death.  Oceans of water could not remove the guilt on Pilate's hands ... yet he felt no shame.

Here is the truth about shame: until you feel the shame of your sin ... until breaking God's law breaks your heart, you will never be able to get right with Him.  But, when you soften your heart and allow God's truth to permeate and convict, you can rightly deal with the sin that has become a part of you.

Peter went out and wept bitterly over denying His Lord.  He thought there was no way for him to ever be restored ... but he was wrong.  His shame and conviction before God opened the door for the Lord's grace, forgiveness, and restoration.  The same can be true of you.

Do you know how to blush ... how to feel ashamed of yourself when you blatantly sin against the Lord?  If so, thank God for it.  It shows that your heart is still sensitive to Him.  Get your sins out of the closet and under His blood.  Humbly confess to Him and claim His complete and total cleansing.  And begin to walk in His ways.  Make the decision to quit compromising with sin.  You'll be so glad that you did.

And God will be glorified.

:angel:

Redefining Marriage?

For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.  Genesis 2:24

As you know, the President of the United States made BIG news when he declared he has rethought his position on same sex marriage and is now in favor of such.  His exact words on the matter were:

"... I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."  President Barak Obama

Upon hearing these words, Rev. Franklin Graham lamented, "[It's a] sad day for America."  I would echo those sentiments.  Sad indeed.

GOD AND MARRIAGE

Where did marriage originate anyway?  Is it our place to define it and design it?

God is the one who created man and designed marriage.  He made EVE for ADAM, "a helper suitable to him."  She was like him in that she was human and made in the image of God, but she was unlike him in that she was female (the physiological differences are pretty obvious).  God brought woman to the man and performed the first wedding ceremony.

He desired for the two to become one under the bonds of holy marriage.  God is so wise.  He made a man and a woman different, so He could make them one ... and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with children.

HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH

Do not get confused by well-meaning friends, smooth-talking politicians, outspoken celebrities, situational ethics or the desire for political correctness.  God alone designed marriage ... and God alone defines marriage: One man to one woman for life.  And it is not up for repeal, erasure, modification or amendment.

Traditional marriage is the foundation and bedrock of society.  As David said in Psalm 11:3, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  May we as followers of Jesus Christ do our part to boldly and lovingly stand up for the truth of God and protect the foundations, no matter the pressure, the slander or the name-calling.

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:18-20).

Take a stand for Jesus and His Word.  And at the same time, love those caught up in sin and the deception of the evil one.  God will bless you for being faithful to Him and speaking the truth in love.

:angel:

Have You Opened the Door for the Devil?

Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity [place].  Ephesians 4:26-27

Do you remember the 1981 movie Cujo?  It was a horror/thriller film about a rabid, crazed St. Bernard who went on the attack, terrorizing a woman and her asthmatic son who ended up trapped in their broken-down car in the driveway of a lonely farm house.  Anytime the mom opened her car door to attempt a dash into the farm house, Cujo would be all over her.  She had to continually run back to the car and quickly slam the door, lest crazy Cujo get inside and maul her and her son to death.  Without question, she could NOT let Cujo get in!

THE REAL CUJO

The devil is Cujo on steroids.  He is prowling about, seeking someone to devour.  If you allow him to come inside your home, your life, your family ... you will experience profound misery and devastation.  Jesus told us that the devil is a thief who "comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy" (John 10:10).

Of course, no one would be so foolish as to leave the door open so Satanic Cujo could come in, would they?  Tragically, people do it all the time.  They forget that the devil is prowling around out there, and they foolishly give him an open door, clear and easy access to their lives and loved ones.       

DO YOU HAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE DEVIL?

What are the ways people open the door to the devil?

1.  Unresolved anger.  If you let the sun go down on your anger, that anger turns to resentment and bitterness.  A resentful, bitter heart is a comfortable, inviting nest for the foul birds of hell.  It is a welcome mat for Satan to set up his shop of horrors in your life.

2.  Rebellion towards authority.  The Bible tells us that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23).  If you refuse to obey and submit to the authorities God has purposely placed in your life, you are acting just like the devil, the original rebel who led a revolt against the God of heaven.  Rebellion towards authority reveals a heart of rebellion against God who clearly sets up all authority (see Romans 13:1-2).       

3.  Willful disobedience.  If you are walking in willful, known disobedience and sin, the Bible makes it clear that you are walking in the darkness, not the light (see 1 John 1).  A walk in the darkness is a walk with the devil, the Prince of Darkness.   
     
4.  Provision for the Flesh.  Romans 13:14 tells us, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh with regard to its lusts."  Suppose you are struggling with alcohol, trying not to drink because drinking is wrecking your life.  If you keep alcohol in the house, you are making provision for the flesh and will never conquer that demon.  Whatever you are struggling with—drugs, sexual immorality, gambling, unhealthy relationships—if you don't make a clean break from that which is destroying you, you will never break free, no matter how much you "pray about it."   

ENCOURAGEMENT

Let me encourage you to search your heart to see if any of these things are present within you.  If so, confess it to God and a trusted friend (see James 5:16).  Grant and seek forgiveness so that the root of bitterness can be removed.  Put yourself under God's authority and the human authorities He has ordained.  Don't rebel, submit.  Make needed changes in your life and relationships.  Do whatever is necessary to slam the door on the devil!  Don't give him a place in your life because nothing but heartache and pain comes when Cujo is allowed inside.

:angel:

Friend or Foe?

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.  Proverbs 27:6

Can you tell the difference between a true friend and a false one?  So many people cannot.

Paul made friends with the people who lived in the region of Galatia.  He loved them ... and they loved him back.  He told them about Jesus and led them to faith in Christ.  It was wonderful, at least for a little while.

But then Paul left that region to preach the gospel elsewhere.  When he was gone, false teachers came in behind him and swept the Galatians off their feet with their smooth sounding rhetoric, persuasive arguments and "kisses of an enemy."  They deceived these new believers with heresy and caused them to turn on Paul, their spiritual father in the faith.

Paul was hurt, angry and incredulous.  He wondered how they could so quickly turn away from Jesus and the gospel of grace.  He wondered how they could so quickly see him as a foe.  He said, "Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (Galatians 4:16).

Is it right to view a truth-teller as an enemy?  Certainly not.  Truth-tellers are true friends.

LIE TO ME?

In our world today, many people would prefer to hear lies rather than the truth.  The people in Isaiah's day didn't want to hear Isaiah preach the truth.  They didn't want to hear that they were sinning and needed to get right with Holy God before judgment fell.  They told Isaiah, "You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions" (Isaiah 30:10).  They wanted to have their ears tickled and hear sweet-sounding myths rather than the truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  They wanted to hear how wonderful they were ... how much God loved them and how lucky He was to have them even give Him the time of day. How twisted is that!?

What about you?  Would you rather hear the truth or hear lies?

Here is the problem with a "lie to me" mentality: It may feel good for a moment—like a kiss—but it is deadly in the long run.  Those who live choosing to believe lies end up forfeiting earthly blessings and eternal rewards.  The cost of the kiss is just too great.

FAITHFUL WOUNDS

To be sure, the truth often hurts.  But the truth is SO NECESSARY.  It is a faithful wound.  It sets a person free.

When I was in seventh grade, I had hernia surgery.  I went into surgery looking perfectly healthy, even though I was not.  I came out of surgery with a scar and abdominal pain.  I was wounded ... but it was a faithful wound that led to the wonderful blessing of long-term health and all the benefits that go along with that.

Think of salvation.  The devil's kiss tells us we are fine as we are.  There is no need to repent and be born again.  But that is a palatable lie that will send a person to hell forever. What is the unpalatable truth?

You and I are rotten sinners unable to save ourselves and in desperate need of a Savior.  (Most people don't want to hear that!)  But, if we don't see our true condition, we will never cry out to Jesus in repentance and faith.  We will miss out on a relationship with God and be separated from Him for all eternity UNLESS WE FIRST BELIEVE AND RECEIVE THE FAITHFUL WOUND.

Let me encourage you as I encourage myself ... walk in the light.  Ask God to search your heart on a regular basis and reveal to you any darkness that might be accumulating there—pride, bitterness, jealousy, greed, idolatry, dishonesty or lust.  Spend time each day listening to the truth of God's Word.  And make sure you have people in your life who are true friends, folks who will love you enough to tell you the truth and provide faithful wounds.


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

How's Your Heart?

And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
Luke 8:15

Have you ever noticed that hospital doctors – especially ER doctors – always wear a stethoscope around their neck?  One of the first things they do with a patient is to check the heart.  Why is that?  It's because the heart is key and crucial.  We can handle a poorly functioning gall bladder or kidney, but if the heart starts to fail, it's Red Alert time.

So here's the question: How's your heart as it relates to God?  If I were to put on the spiritual stethoscope, what would I discover?

THE SOWER AND THE SEED

In the Lord's great parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus compares the good soil – the soil that receives the seed (the Word of God) and grows – with an honest and good heart.  Is that true of your heart?  If Dr. Jesus were to listen to your heart today, would He remove His stethoscope and declare your heart to be honest and good?  What exactly does it mean to have a heart like that?

1.  An honest and good heart looks soberly in the mirror and faces the brutal facts.  A person with a heart like that doesn't make excuses or blame others or lie to himself about his sins and moral failures.  He doesn't hide from the light of God's truth, but he comes to the light so that forgiveness, cleansing and healing can take place.

2.  An honest and good heart desires to do whatever is necessary to be right with God.

3.  An honest and good heart knows "life is not about me and my agenda; it's about Jesus and His glory."

4.  An honest and good heart is soft and tender and ready to receive from God.  This person is not a bitter cynic, questioning God's veracity and motives ... and looking for reasons to "justify" his unbelief.

THE GOOD NEWS

What do you do if you didn't fare so well on the heart test?  Do you get mad at the doctor ... and disregard the results of the test?  I hope not.  That would be incredibly foolish.  The right thing to do is to get to work on your heart.

In the parable of the sower and seed, the good soil was that which had been cultivated, plowed, de-rocked and de-weeded.  That same work needs to be done in your heart through genuine repentance, confession of sin, and turning to the Lord.

God says in Hosea 10:12, "Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Humbly ask God to change your heart and make it honest and good ... and He will.  He longs to answer that kind of prayer.


Love,
:angel:

Change My Heart, O God!

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you."
Hosea 10:12 NLT

When I was in college, I learned to play the guitar.  At first, I could only play for a short while because my fingers tips were sensitive and continued pressing of the strings was painful.   After a couple of weeks, the tips of my fingers became calloused and insensitive to the pain ... so calloused and insensitive in fact that I accidentally ran them across my razor one day as I was digging through my overnight bag.  I did not even feel it until it was too late and the cuts were made.   

In the same way finger tips can get calloused and hardened, so too can our hearts.  Although we can see God do great and mighty things in our midst, if we are not careful, we can get hardened and deceived by sin and become insensitive to God's still small voice.  Has that happened to you?     

King David allowed his heart to get hardened.  He committed terrible sins ... and then covered those sins over with deceit.  As a result, his life was drying up on the inside.  His vitality and zest for living were melting away like a sno-cone in Phoenix.  But in Psalm 51, he repents and gets his heart right with God.  He says in verse 17, "The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit.  A broken and repentant heart, O God, You will not despise."  Spiritual renewal and fresh fire from heaven only come when the heart is first broken and repentant before a holy God.

YOUR HEART CONDITION?

Is your heart soft and tender and broken before the Lord ... or is it like hard ground?

There is only one thing that hardens your heart: sin.  And only one kind of sin: your sin.  My sin cannot harden your heart, and your sin cannot harden my heart.  Personal sin is what brings the callousness.  And the longer we continue in personal sin without getting honest, open and repentant before the Lord, the harder our heart becomes.

If you want to see how hard your heart is, ask yourself this question: Do the things that break God's heart break my heart?  God's heart breaks over sin, does yours?  God's heart breaks over pride and selfishness, does yours?  God's heart breaks for those who are lost and on the highway to hell, does yours?  God's heart breaks over broken vows, does yours?  God's heart breaks over injustice, indifference, abuse, abortion and sexual immorality, does yours?       

Maybe like me, you need to heed the call of God through the prophet Hosea and ask the Lord to plow up the hard ground of your heart.  Ask Him to change you and open your eyes to any bitterness and pride and sin and selfishness that may be lurking within you.  Ask Him to make your heart like His.

The time is now to seek the Lord—and to seek Him with a broken heart.  We will be amazed at the awesome things He will do when we get our hearts in line with His.

:angel:

Going .. Going ... Gone?

Have you ever been to an auction? I haven't actually ever attended one, but I have seen many of them portrayed on television and in the movies. When the bidding reaches its climax, the auctioneer often says, "Going ... Going ... Gone! With that last "gone," he raps his gavel and that particular item is up for grabs no longer.

AMERICA UP FOR GRABS

I believe our nation and the very fabric of what has made America great for these last 200+ years is "going ... going ... gon ..." I believe we are one vowel away, so to speak, from seeing our nation completely disintegrate before our eyes. For untold decades, Bible students have wondered why America, the most powerful and affluent nation in the world (at least we used to be), would not be mentioned in Bible prophecy. Hmmm ... I think now we can begin to see the reason.

While it is easy to lament the fall of morality, a strong work ethic, and basic common sense with regard to economics and national security, it is important to note that the answer to our problems will not come from the White House ... it will come from the Church House. God's people hold the key that can turn this nation around for God and for good.

GOD BLESS AMERICA?

God tells us in 2 Chron. 7:13, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people ..." Would we not all agree that we are living in a day where the blessings of God are being withheld in America? The news is filled with devastating reports of corporate cutbacks, job losses, unemployment, bankruptcies, bailouts, disease outbreaks, devastating natural disasters, and mind-boggling national indebtedness. Truly, the land is being "devoured" as I type this paragraph.

We like to sing "God Bless America" ... but how can He? We are kicking God out of every arena of American public life. Ronald Reagan hit the nail on the head when he stated, "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." How arrogant we are to ask for the blessings of God while refusing to submit to or acknowledge the God of the blessings.

THE GOOD NEWS

With all the bad news, there is some good news ... actually, it is great news. On the heels of the curses of 2 Chron. 7:13 comes the promise of 2 Chron. 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Without question, God responds to the repentance and prayers of His people. If the Christians in America will get right with God and white hot with passion for the Lord Jesus Christ (lukewarm Christianity is a disgrace to grace), THEN AND ONLY THEN will we see God hear, forgive and heal our land.

The auctioneer's gavel is coming down fast on America. The last "GONE!" is about to be uttered. But God's people can make the difference. We can speak up and direct our hearts back to God. Will you join me in praying for America? God will hear and answer if we will stand in the gap and call on His name from a humble, contrite heart.

Love,
:angel:

Are You Listening, God?

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness.  Acts 4:31

Have you ever prayed about something and it seemed like God was not listening?  Have you ever gotten discouraged in prayer and started thinking it was a waste of time?  Trust me, it is not.  Prayer is the key that moves the heart and hand of God.  The Bible says, "You have not because you ask not" (James 4:2).

HOW TO GET GOD TO ANSWER YOU

There are several prerequisites to answered prayer:

1.  Your heart must be right.  God will not answer your prayer if your heart and life are full of unconfessed sin.  The Bible says, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18).  God does not reward rebels ... and unconfessed sin is rebellion against God and His will in your life.  One of the first things we should do when we pray is ask God to show us any sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with.  "Search me, O God, and know my heart... and see if there be any evil way in me" (Ps. 139:23-24) is a good prayer to pray before you bring your needs to God.

2.  Your faith must be engaged.  "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).  God tells us in James that if we pray in doubt, we do without.  God longs to answer you when your heart is right with Him.  Do you believe that?

3.  Your requests must line up.  Prayer is not badgering God into doing something He does not want to do.  It is not overcoming His reluctance ... it is getting in on His willingness.  When the early church prayed in Acts 4, the place was shaken.  God answered in mighty power.  Do you know why?  Because they prayed according to His will.  They prayed for what God wanted to do.  John says, "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14).  And when God hears us, He answers us.  He shakes the place with His answer.       
Be honest, are your prayers for His glory, or for your glory?  Do you only pray for your safety and ease and comfort ... or do you pray for boldness in the face of adversity and opposition so that you can be a strong witness for Jesus?

My friend, God really does long to answer us.  He longs to shake our lives with mighty responses from heaven.  He delights in blessing us and giving good things to us.  He longs to heal and work signs and wonders in our midst (Acts 4:30).  But let us never forget the bigger picture – reaching people for the Kingdom of God.  If our prayers are not aligned and focused on the good of the Kingdom, they are out of sync with His will.
   
A GOOD PRAYER TO PRAY

Regardless of the adversity and problems you may be facing today, here is a good prayer to pray:  "Lord, I want my life to count for Christ.  I want to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  Jesus, this day I am signing all of my life over to your lordship.  My marriage ... my children ... my job ... my possessions ... my reputation ... my future ... my everything.  It is all yours to do with whatever you please.  Use me today, guide me today, bless me today, and put Your hand upon me so that I can be a bold witness and a great blessing to others. In Jesus' name, amen!"

That prayer, prayed from a pure heart, will move the heart and hand of God.  Make it a part of your day ... and see Him shake your life with His answers.


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

God's Truth or the Devil's Lies?

And you shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free. -- John 8:32

This is election year. We will be hearing lots of speeches and debates. Two candidates are vying for your precious vote, each telling us they have the right answers to our problems, and they will make things better if you vote them in.  The big question: Who is telling the truth?

In life, there is a daily election so to speak, a choice you and I must make: do we listen to the voice of God, or do we listen to the voice of the devil. God is a loving God who speaks truth ... and the devil is a murderous thief who speaks lies. The choice seems pretty obvious, right?

Well, the sad reality is this: the vast majority of people choose the devil's lies over God's truth. Even Christians tend to believe the devil's lies over God's truth much of the time. Why is that?

FEELINGS

When God tells you what is true, the problem with believing His Word is your feelings. Your feelings line up with the devil's lies, not God's truth.

For example, suppose John Q. Christian succumbs to temptation and engages in some kind of sexual immorality. After the sin is committed, guilt and shame come into John's life like a flood. When John repents and confesses his sin to God to seek forgiveness, the feelings of guilt and shame don't instantly disappear. He gets off his knees still feeling so dirty, condemned, and separated from God. (I mean, after all, how could God have fellowship with someone who just did what John did?)

At that moment, the devil moves in and whispers, "You are not forgiven. You make God sick. He is not going to have anything to do with a person like you. Get real here. Have you forgotten what you did? How disgusting are you! And you have the audacity to call yourself a Christian? You are a total hypocrite, a failure, a loser, and the worst of the worst. I wonder if you are even saved, John Q. Christian."

All of those things are lies ... but they feel so true, don't they?

Remember this: Truth is not what you think or feel. Truth is what God says ... and God says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). All – even sexual immorality, or abortion, or lying, or theft, or whatever.

God wants us to walk by faith, not by sight or by feelings. And faith is simply believing His Word—regardless of how you feel—and acting upon it.

May you and I choose every day to believe God's truth over the devil's lies. God is for us, not against us. He has a good plan for us, and He wants us to walk in joy, peace, and power.

I vote, God. How about you?

Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

To read additional devotionals click here.

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.

:angel:

God's Truth or the Devil's Lies?

And you shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free. -- John 8:32

This is election year. We will be hearing lots of speeches and debates. Two candidates are vying for your precious vote, each telling us they have the right answers to our problems, and they will make things better if you vote them in.  The big question: Who is telling the truth?

In life, there is a daily election so to speak, a choice you and I must make: do we listen to the voice of God, or do we listen to the voice of the devil. God is a loving God who speaks truth ... and the devil is a murderous thief who speaks lies. The choice seems pretty obvious, right?

Well, the sad reality is this: the vast majority of people choose the devil's lies over God's truth. Even Christians tend to believe the devil's lies over God's truth much of the time. Why is that?

FEELINGS

When God tells you what is true, the problem with believing His Word is your feelings. Your feelings line up with the devil's lies, not God's truth.

For example, suppose John Q. Christian succumbs to temptation and engages in some kind of sexual immorality. After the sin is committed, guilt and shame come into John's life like a flood. When John repents and confesses his sin to God to seek forgiveness, the feelings of guilt and shame don't instantly disappear. He gets off his knees still feeling so dirty, condemned, and separated from God. (I mean, after all, how could God have fellowship with someone who just did what John did?)

At that moment, the devil moves in and whispers, "You are not forgiven. You make God sick. He is not going to have anything to do with a person like you. Get real here. Have you forgotten what you did? How disgusting are you! And you have the audacity to call yourself a Christian? You are a total hypocrite, a failure, a loser, and the worst of the worst. I wonder if you are even saved, John Q. Christian."

All of those things are lies ... but they feel so true, don't they?

Remember this: Truth is not what you think or feel. Truth is what God says ... and God says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). All – even sexual immorality, or abortion, or lying, or theft, or whatever.

God wants us to walk by faith, not by sight or by feelings. And faith is simply believing His Word—regardless of how you feel—and acting upon it.

May you and I choose every day to believe God's truth over the devil's lies. God is for us, not against us. He has a good plan for us, and He wants us to walk in joy, peace, and power.

I vote, God. How about you?

Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Chick-Fil-A, Chicago and America

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  -Luke 13:3

Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A is a sold-out Christian who stands up for God and His Word.  His business is second to none.  He speaks the truth in love ... and for that he is being vilified as a hate monger and anti-American.  Amazing.

Here is what Rahm Emanuel, the Mayor of Chicago recently said:  "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values. They're not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you're gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values," Emanuel said Wednesday.

Chicago Alderman, Joe Morena, added this:  "Same sex marriage, same-sex couples — that's the civil rights fight of our time. To have those discriminatory policies from the top down [Dan Cathy on down] is just not something that we're open to. ...We want responsible businesses."

So, it seems Dan Cathy's biblical values regarding marriage are irresponsible and out of touch with the people of Chicago.  Hmmm.       

WHAT DOES GOD SAY?

When it comes to values, the ones that count are God's.  God defines marriage and morality, right and wrong.  Without question, a person or a society can choose to reject God and His out-of-date standards ... but the Bible gives clear warnings about the consequences associated with doing so. "For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You" (Psalm 73:27). 

Sodom and Gomorrah rejected God's moral code, and it didn't go so well for them.  Their smoking ruins serve as an example to those who want to follow in their footsteps.

"... and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter ..."   2 Peter 2:6

CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH?
 
God LOVES people, all people ... no matter what terrible things they have done.  Jesus died for everyone, and His blood can wash clean "the vilest offender who truly believes."  But there is something we MUST understand about God:

He does not and will not embrace sin, whatever that sin may be. 

There can be no salvation without repentance – turning away from sin and self, and turning to the Lord.  Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

America desperately needs to repent and turn back to God and His standards of right and wrong before it is too late.  We are on a collision course with judgment as we arrogantly try to rewrite the moral standards for our nation.

Alexis de Tocqueville, the great French historian and political thinker of the 1800's, visited America in the 1830's on a mission to discover the secret of her greatness.  The following insightful comment has been attributed to him:

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers - and it was not there ... in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there ... in her rich mines and her vast world commerce - and it was not there ... in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution - and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.

If we repent, we will find the grace, forgiveness and healing of God.  If we don't ...


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
:angel:

Failure is Not Final

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again.  Proverbs 24:16

A few years ago, we bought a Garmin GPS unit for my daughter, Amy.  Like her dad, she was not blessed with a good sense of direction.  We knew Garmin could help her with that challenge.

One day, Amy, Debbie and I were traveling together with Garmin leading the way.  Unfortunately, I missed a turn ... and Garmin let me know.  She could have said, "You missed the exit, moron.  You are going to have to turn around."  But, Garmin is very polite and encouraging.  When you miss an exit, she doesn't berate you, she just says this important word, "Recalculating."  That means, you messed up, but let me find a new route to get you where you need to go.

GOD IS LIKE GARMIN

When it comes to our lives, God is a lot like Garmin.  He guides us through His Word and prayer.  And if we get off course, He lets us know it.  Thankfully, He doesn't beat us up and throw us out.  He gently, lovingly says, "Recalculating." He wants us to walk with Him and go in the right direction of His will and His ways.   

How awesome to know that failure (missing "a turn" in life because of selfishness and sin) is not final.  No matter how badly you may have messed up your life, you can get back on track with God.  He graciously recalculates His route for you so that you can go on with Him.

WHERE ARE YOU TODAY?

Have you missed your turn with the Lord?  Are you hearing Him say, "Recalculating," but you are tuning Him out?  Remember this: "In His presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).  When you go in the right direction with God, you experience His presence, peace and joy.  "Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land" (Psalm 68:6).

The time is now to get back on track with the Lord Jesus Christ.  He hasn't given up on you.  Just like Garmin, no matter how many wrong turns we make, He keeps recalculating so that we can walk with Him, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

Will you heed His voice today and let Him guide you?  He is good and only wants the best for you.  The rebellious dwell in a parched land ... but the obedient dwell in the Promised Land.  The time is now to be obedient and enter in to the joy of your Master.


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
:angel:

Going through the Motions ... or Living the Life?

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  John 1:4

One Sunday, I had an interesting conversation with a man who was visiting our church.  He was very excited about the service.  He said to me, "This church is not like my church.  This church is alive.  This church just feels different!"  I thanked him for his comments and explained to him what he felt in the church was the manifest presence of God.  The living God is among us!  That is what makes all the difference.   

Not too long ago, I ran across an insightful quote from George Whitefield, the great revivalist of the 1700's.  God used this British evangelist to shake America in the late 1730's and early 1740's.  Upon returning to England after one of his trips to America, Whitefield made this sobering statement, "I am greatly persuaded that the generality of preachers talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ.  And the reason why congregations have been so dead is because dead men preach to them."  What a terrible indictment ... and so true!   

I believe there are multitudes of dry, lifeless churches in America where preachers tell people of a Jesus they don't even know and never really seek.  They often preach "feel good sermonettes" that lack the Word of God, the fear of God, and the power of God.  The result is a dull and boring religious service that is void of life, vitality, and the manifest presence of God.  The Hebrew word to describe many churches today is Ichabod – "the glory has departed."  How sad.       

CHECK YOUR LIFE

Is your life alive with the glorious presence of God?  Do you talk about an unknown, unfelt Christ ... or do you really know Him, love Him, and see Him working in your life each day as you seek to do His will with all your heart?

If you are living a lifeless, joyless, powerless "Christianity," the time is NOW to trade it in on the real thing.  The Bible says of Jesus, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).  The Lord wants you to have LIFE, not religion.  He wants to fill you with His joy, peace, and power.

Peter told the crowd in Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Humble your heart before God and ask Him to forgive you and be real to you.  Tell Him you are tired of going through the motions of religion and you want LIFE!

He will answer that prayer.  He wants to refresh your soul.  Don't wait any longer.  Start living the life Jesus died for you to have ... a life overflowing with the manifest presence of God.   

Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
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Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.

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What Are You Doing with Your Opportunities?

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Galatians 6:10

Opportunities.  They are all around us.  Opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people.  Opportunities to minister to someone who desperately needs a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a hug of care and concern, and sometimes even material assistance.

AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

This week, I encountered a dear lady who was helping me at the doctor's office. I was feeling terrible and just knew I had the worst cold known to man (well, maybe not quite that bad).  As she took my vital signs and asked me how I was doing, I felt impressed to ask her how she was doing.  After a long pause and a few composure-gathering swallows she said, "Okay."  It was pretty obvious she wasn't okay.

Before she left the exam room, I asked her if there was anything in her life that I could pray about.  That question opened the flood gates for her to share her heart and her hurt, her doubts and her fears.  I prayed for her right there, and gave her a big hug, and told her to know that God loves her.  He knows what is going on, and He will be with her every step of the way.  He is El Roi, one of the great names for God which means, "You are the God who sees [me]."  God sees us in our times of distress and fear ... and will take care of us as we trust Him (see Genesis 16).

EXPERIENCING JOY AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

It has well been said that J-O-Y comes when your life is focused on Jesus first, others second, and you last.  When you and I use our lives to brighten the life of another, it gives such great meaning and purpose to our days.

The Bible says that we are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are His representatives on earth.  Our citizenship is in heaven ... and we are merely strangers and aliens on this earth.  But we are here for a specific purpose: to make a difference in the lives of people for Jesus Christ.  We are here to be His witnesses, to lighten the load of those who are hurting, losing hope, and needing to connect with the God who sees them and loves them.

Here is a question for you to honestly and soberly consider: Are you really experiencing joy and a sense of purpose in your life?  If not, could the reason be that you have lost sight of the two greatest commandments—to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself?  Remember, the acrostic J-O-Y.  If you start out with Y (you first), you won't experience it.

THE PRAYER GOD LONGS TO ANSWER

Think how different your life could be if you started out each day with this sincere prayer: "Dear God, help me to be sensitive to the people You will put in my path today, people who need a word and a touch from You through me.  Help me see the opportunities all around me to make a difference in people's lives for Christ, to ease their burdens and let them know You are El Roi, the God sees them and will take care of them if they will simply trust You."

May you experience His joy as you focus on your calling—to be His ambassador in this world until He calls you home. 


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

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Do You Have the Right Foundation?

And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.  Matthew 7:26

One of the world's famous landmarks is an eight-story cathedral bell tower located in Pisa, Italy.  The tower is famous for one embarrassing reason: it leans approximately 4 degrees, resulting in a whopping 12' 10" departure from vertical at the very top.   

Work on the tower began in 1173.  According to Wikipedia, "The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-metre foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning."

Why does the tower lean?  For the simple reason of a bad foundation.

SO MANY SAND BUILDERS

Jesus told a parable one day about fools who build on the sand and wise men who build on the rock.  Sand builders are those who take the path of least resistance.  Why?  Because it's easier ... it feels good ... it provides instant gratification.  The sand builders get their houses up in no time.

The rock builders, on the other hand, have to work hard and dig deep and clear away all the sand.  It is tough sledding building on the rock ... but it's worth it.

In the parable, the rains and storms and problems of life came to both houses.  The rock builders were safe and secure, but the sand builders were swept away.  Their demise was terrible and tragic and catastrophic.  The worst of it was this: it didn't have to be that way.  They could have chosen to build on the rock.

BUILDING ON HIS WORD

What is a rock builder, anyway?  It is a person who listens to the Lord's Word and acts upon it.  It is someone who sets his value system not on the shifting sands of conventional wisdom and political correctness, but on the timeless truths of the Word of God.

A rock builder says, "Lord, Your ways are right concerning everything.  What you say is the foundation for me and my house.  I will obey You and live my life according to Your Word."   

Therefore, a rock builder is not debating in his mind if sex before marriage is "ok" if you love each other.  He is not basing his moral understanding of homosexuality on his gay friend who is so nice and kind and claims he was born that way.  He is not divorcing his spouse because he is unhappy and his marriage is really tough right now.  He is not compromising with sin because it's fun and exciting ... and everyone else is doing it.     

No, a rock builder is someone who takes God's Word seriously and yields to Jesus as Master and Lord of all.  And that person lives a life that (1) pleases God, (2) is filled with the goodness of God, and (3) stands strong in the storms.

Let me ask you, and be completely honest: Are you building on the rock or on the sand?  Choose wisely because the rains are coming one day.

Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
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The Healing Hand of Jesus

... And grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend your hand to heal.  Acts 4:29-30


When I was in tenth grade, I experienced my first broken bone. I was playing basketball for Cypress Creek High School. We were playing our archrivals, the Cy-Fair Bobcats. The stands were filled, the energy level was up, and the gym was rocking. Early in the game, I was fouled and went to the free throw line to shoot a one-and-one (if you make the first one, you get another one). I shot and missed. Drag. When I went in for the rebound, I was pushed in the back with my left leg in an awkward position. I heard a nasty-sounding crack and went down hard.
   
I had broken my tibia right above the ankle. It was painful and debilitating. I was in a cast for nearly six weeks and missed the rest of the season. As much as I wanted to play, I could not. The bone needed to heal before I could be whole again.

THE NEED FOR HEALING

Everyone I know has been pushed in the back, so to speak, and hurt by the things of this life. Let's face it: bad things happen to you and me that wound, cut, and break our emotional bones. What do you do when that happens?

1.  Don't deny it.  That is what so many do. They act like nothing is wrong. They sweep the hurt under the rug and pretend it is not there. Bad plan! When I broke my leg, I convinced the coach that I was OK. They taped my ankle and let me go back in the game. I lasted one offensive play. You cannot run with a broken leg, and you cannot run with a broken life.

2.  Get honest.  There is nothing cowardly or wimpy about admitting you are hurt. Unaddressed hurts give the devil an opportunity to move in and wreak havoc in your life, because all hurt turns to anger somewhere down the road.

3.  Get help.  The Lord has healing hands. He can heal wounded hearts. He is the Great Physician. But, like any physician, He cannot heal what we do not bring to Him. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). "Cast your burdens upon the Lord, and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22). Don't delay. Bring your wounded heart to the Lord Jesus, and let Him apply His healing hand to you. Furthermore, share your wound with a trusted friend or counselor. You will be amazed at how much better you will start to feel when your secret wound is out from under the shadows.

4.  Start praising.  God inhabits the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3). The devil cannot stand to be around a person who is praising God. Fill your heart and home with music that exalts the Lord and keeps your mind on the things above. Remember, Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave. There is nothing He cannot do. Think on that fact, and let your heart fill with hope in the victorious, resurrected King of Glory!

  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

The Greatest Deception

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"  Matthew 7:21-23

Do you remember when Simon Cowell was on American Idol?  He was the judge who made the show very interesting as he was not bashful about telling people the unadulterated truth.  No doubt, Mr. Cowell could use a lesson or two on basic human kindness, but he was rarely off when it came to assessing talent.

During the audition portion of the show, you would often hear Simon asking a particularly bad singer, "Have people told you that you can sing?"  The answer would invariably be an enthusiastic YES!  Simon would curtly reply, "Well, they lied to you."  And worst part of it all was the bad singer believed the lie.

BELIEVING THE GREATEST LIE

You know what the greatest lie is that so many people believe?  It is simply this: I think I'm a Christian and will do okay when I stand before God because I have done some good things in my life ... and I believe in God and Jesus ... and I went to church ... and I was baptized ... and God answered a prayer or two of mine ... and God protected me when I was in that car wreck ... and blah, blah, blah.

Multitudes of people deceive themselves and lie to themselves, thinking they are something – a true Christian – when they are not.  Jesus said "many" will be there at the judgment deceived and denied.     

I was counseling a man the other day who claimed to be a Christian.  In the course of our conversation, I asked him to tell me how and when he came to know Christ.  He described how God had blessed him this way and that way, and how he went to church.  I told him that was nice, but it didn't answer the question.  I said, "Have you ever really made a conscious decision to repent of sin and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?  If so, when and how did that happen?"  He sheepishly said, "Well, I don't think I've ever done that."

THE DISTANCE IS ONLY 18"

Someone has well said that the distance between heaven and hell is only 18" – the distance between your head and your heart.  Listen, the devil believes in Jesus in his head, and he is going to spend eternity in hell.  The doorway to heaven is through the heart.  "If you believe in your heart ... you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness ..." (Romans 10:9-10).

When you believe in your heart, you entrust your heart and life to Jesus, the One who died and rose again for you.  The moment you do that, you are born again as the Holy Spirit of God comes to live inside of you ... and your life is changed forever.

Has that ever happened to you?  Be totally honest here.  Don't fudge or hedge or equivocate here.  The stakes are too high.  If you are believing you are "okay" when you know deep down you have never truly been born again, you are believing a lie, and that lie is going to cost you for all eternity.

Did it register with you what Jesus said in Matthew 7 to those religious people who had done so much in His name?  "I never knew you; depart from Me."   

THE REST OF THE STORY

Back to the counseling appointment ... I asked the man I was counseling who realized he had never really met Christ, "Would you like to meet Him and become a true Christian?  We can pray right now?"  His answer was a swift and pleading, "Yes, I would like to do that right now."  And we prayed this prayer:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and can't save myself.  But Jesus, I believe You are God in the flesh who loves me and died and rose again for me.  I ask you to come into my heart, to forgive all my sins, and to make me the person You want me to be.  And I promise to follow You all the days of my life." 

And my friend prayed that prayer from his heart ... and was born again.  The same can happen to you!

Don't go through life believing a lie.  Don't risk your eternity on some good works you have done.  Remember, you are not saved by your sweat; you are saved by His blood.  Put your faith in Jesus and Jesus alone.  You'll be so glad you did, today and for all eternity.

Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
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What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."  2 Chronicles 20:12

Have you ever been in a difficult situation where you just didn't know what to do?  Perhaps it is a health crisis ... or a marital problem ... or a rebellious teenager ... or a financial collapse.  Can you relate?   

Jehoshaphat can surely relate to feeling like that.  He was King in Judah when the armies of the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites came together as one to wage war and destroy Jerusalem. 

Jehoshaphat and his armies were grossly outnumbered.  From a human perspective, their goose was cooked.  There was no way they could survive this attack.  There was no ingenious military strategy that they could concoct to somehow produce a victory.  There was no rabbit they could pull out of their hat.  They were indeed "powerless before this great multitude" coming against them.     

BUT GOD

Jehoshaphat had no idea what to do in light of the dire circumstances he was facing.  But He did do some things that are really important when you don't know what to do. 

1.  You cry out to the Lord.  That is what Jehoshaphat did.  The Bible clearly states that he was afraid.  But he did not let that fear immobilize him.  He used the fear as fuel to seek the Lord.  He called the whole nation to pray ... with fasting.  Why is fasting so important?  Because it is like adding a turbo charger to your prayers.  It shows God that you are really serious.  Remember this: God does business with those who mean business, and fasting shows Him that you mean business.         

2.  You can lay your situation before Him.  God is all-knowing.  When we pray, we never share something with God He doesn't already know.  But He wants us to share our problems with Him, openly and honestly.  It does us good to unload our burdens and cast them on Him.  And when you do that, leave them with Him.  It makes no sense to cast your great burden on the Lord in prayer, and then take it back up again the moment you say, "Amen."  Cast it on Him ... and leave it with Him. 

3.  You can put your eyes on Him.  The situation Jehoshaphat was facing was far too great for him, but it wasn't too great for God.  And the king chose to take his eyes off the problem and put them on the Lord.  Listen, the troubles you are facing today may seem HUGE, but they are nothing more than a pimple on a flea compared to God.  If you want to strengthen your faith in the time of crisis, then get your eyes off your problems and onto the Prince of Peace, the One who can calm the fiercest storm simply by the power of His word. 

4.  You can choose to praise Him.  Do you know how Jehoshaphat and the people won the victory over all the "ites" coming against them?  They won it through praise.  The Lord fought for them as they sang His praises.  Have you learned that there is great power in praise?  The Lord sent a jailhouse rock to a dark and terrible prison in Philippi because Paul and Silas prayed AND sang hymns of praise.  No matter the situation, praise is always the right response.   

WHATEVER YOU ARE FACING

I don't know what dire circumstances are breathing down your neck today, but God does.  He knows, He cares, and He has all power to make the difference. 

When you don't know what to do, do what Jehoshaphat did ... and watch God work a miracle.

  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Just Shake It Off

"But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand."  Acts 28:3

When I was a kid, I played Pop Warner football.  It was a ton of fun for a fifth grader like me who loved the sport.  It was, however, my first introduction into getting hit.  Oftentimes, after one of us received a big hit, I would hear my coach say, "You're okay.  Just shake it off."

It is amazing how that simple advice can make such a difference.  It is exactly what Paul did when he was bitten by a poisonous snake.  He shook it off ... and suffered no harm.   

PAUL'S STORY – IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING

In Acts, Paul was being sent to Rome for a trial before Caesar.  It was a LONG trip via the Mediterranean Sea.  On the way, the ship Paul was on went through a severe storm for weeks on end.  It was a fearful, "we are all going to die" event.  (And the sea sickness was probably at an all time high as the ship was battered for two weeks by the wind and waves.)  Everything was lost in the storm, from all the cargo to the ship itself.  By God's mercy, however, not one person aboard lost his life.

As soon as they hit land – the Island of Malta – they began to gather sticks to warm themselves by a roaring fire.  It was at the fire that Paul was bitten by a viper hiding in the sticks.  Can you believe it?  He had just endured the worst storm of his life, had beaten certain death by God's grace, and then this happens?

Upon seeing this occur, the natives on Malta surmised, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live" (Acts 28:4).           

But Paul didn't freak out.  He just shook the snake off into the fire.  The natives waited for him to die ... but he didn't get sick or even have a tinge of swelling.  Their opinion of Paul then took a drastic change.  No longer did they consider him a murderer ... they now considered him a god.  (Oh, the fickleness of public opinion.)

LESSONS TO LEARN

1.  Just shake it off.  When the devil's poisonous snakes fasten their fangs on you – people who malign your character or go out of their way to hurt you – just shake it off.  Turn that "snake" over to God and shake it off.  Don't let the venom of bitterness poison your life.

2.  Trust God's Word.  Paul had a promise from God that he wasn't going to die but live and testify before Caesar.  He knew dying on the sea or at Malta was not God's plan for him.  Regardless of the snake, God's promise was stronger.

3.  Remember that people are watching.  Those natives watched Paul for a long time to see if he would get sick and die.  They were astonished when that didn't happen.  People are watching to see how you and I respond to unexpected attacks.  Does the poison injected make us poisonous?  Do we get sick, filled with bitterness and revenge?  When Jesus was dying upon the cross, He prayed for those who hurled abuse at Him.  He took all the poisonous scorn and responded in love and forgiveness.  He shook it off and chose to trust His Father.  And the hardened centurion who oversaw His crucifixion, that man who had no doubt seen hundreds of people die on the cross, exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54).

You and I can have tremendous influence for Christ if we will seek to "shake it off and trust the Lord."  I know it is not easy ... but it is always right.  The bites hurt, just like they hurt Paul, but God will give you the strength as you rely upon Him.

What do you say?  Will you join me in shaking it off?


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Going ... Going ... Gone?

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

Have you ever been to an auction?  I haven't actually ever attended one, but I have seen many of them portrayed on television and in the movies.  When the bidding reaches its climax, the auctioneer often says, "Going ... Going .... Gone!  With that last "gone," he raps his gavel and that particular item is up for grabs no longer.

AMERICA UP FOR GRABS

I believe our nation and the very fabric of what has made America great for these last 200+ years is "going ... going ... gon ..."  I believe we are one vowel away, so to speak, from seeing our nation completely disintegrate before our eyes.  For untold decades, Bible students have wondered why America, the most powerful and affluent nation in the world (at least we used to be), would not be mentioned in Bible prophecy.  Hmmm ... I think now we can begin to see the reason.

While it is easy to lament the fall of morality, a strong work ethic, and basic common sense with regard to economics and national security, it is important to note that the answer to our problems will not come from the White House ... it will come from the Church House.  God's people hold the key that can turn this nation around for God and for good.

GOD BLESS AMERICA?

God tells us in 2 Chron. 7:13, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people ..."  Would we not all agree that we are living in a day where the blessings of God are being withheld in America?  The news is filled with devastating reports of corporate cutbacks, job losses, unemployment, bankruptcies, bailouts, disease outbreaks, devastating natural disasters, and mind-boggling national indebtedness.  Truly, the land is being "devoured" as I type this paragraph.

We like to sing "God Bless America" ... but how can He?  We are kicking God out of every arena of American public life.  Ronald Reagan hit the nail on the head when he stated, "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."  How arrogant we are to ask for the blessings of God while refusing to submit to or acknowledge the God of the blessings.                             

THE GOOD NEWS

With all the bad news, there is some good news ... actually, it is great news.  On the heels of the curses of 2 Chron. 7:13 comes the promise of 2 Chron.  7:14, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 

Without question, God responds to the repentance and prayers of His people.  If the Christians in America will get right with God and white hot with passion for the Lord Jesus Christ (lukewarm Christianity is a disgrace to grace), THEN AND ONLY THEN will we see God hear, forgive and heal our land.

The auctioneer's gavel is coming down fast on America.  The last "GONE!" is about to be uttered.  But God's people can make the difference.  We can speak up and direct our hearts back to God.  Will you join me in praying for America?  God will hear and answer if we will stand in the gap and call on His name from a humble, contrite heart.


Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

How Are You Growing?

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18

A common question we often ask one another is this: How's it going? It is a question of polite inquiry, a question that normally evokes a "pretty good" or "fine" response.  Well, let me ask you a deeper, more important question: How are you growing?  You see, God commands us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Are you doing very well with this command?

TEN 'GROWING' TEST QUESTIONS

1. Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation?(James 1:22-25)

2. Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)

3. Is there anything in my life that God is consistently convicting me of that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)

4. Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church? (II Corinthians 5:16-21)

5. Is there anyone I need to apologize to? (Ephesians 4:25:27)

6. Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)

7. Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)

8. Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with...or am I simply choosing to waste my life? (I Peter 4:10)

9. Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verses from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)

10. Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)

THE BIG TEST

May you and I always be serious and focused on spiritual growth ... because it really matters. Remember, there is a meeting at the end of life between you and Jesus (The Judgment Seat of Christ). You are going to have to give an account of your life, and I of mine. God wants that meeting to be one of joy and reward, not sorrow and loss.

So start today growing strong in Jesus Christ.

:angel:

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!

"The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." Matthew 6:22

Friday Night Lights was a movie turned into a TV series based on life and football in Odessa, Texas. The fictional Dillon Panthers were all the rage in Dillon, Texas. The football team's motto was a good one and repeated often by Coach Taylor and the team: "Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose!"

I think one of the reasons that I like that motto so much is because it goes right along with what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light"(Matthew 6:22).  You can't lose when your eyes are clearly on the Lord and your heart is fully in love with Him.

CLEAR EYES AND FULL HEARTS = A HEALTHY CHURCH

One of the many jobs a pastor has under God is to lead the church to a place of health. It starts with the pastor being healthy - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally (especially in their own marriage and family), and physically. It is impossible to lead people to a place where you yourself are not. It is incumbent on the pastor to do all he can to stay healthy so that he can lead the people to be healthy and stay healthy.

Clear eyes and full hearts bring about a healthy church. Healthy churches just naturally grow. The goal of any church is not really church growth, but church health. If you are not growing individually or your church is not growing corporately, a spiritual health check-up is necessary.  Let's take one now.

Answer these questions with me:

Are your eyes clear? Are you really focused on glorifying Jesus, regardless of the cost?
Is your heart full? Are you spending quality and quantity time with the Lord? Are you falling more and more in love with Jesus ... or are you like the church in Ephesus, "... losing your first love?"
Are you walking in the light? Are you really dealing with the sins that can so easily and subtly creep into your heart ... sins like resentment and bitterness, backbiting and gossip, lust, greed, and selfishness?
Here is the big question ... Are you honestly answering these questions?
I am convinced that bitterness is the biggest problem in the church today. Bitterness is a cancer of the soul. If you don't address it, it will eat you alive. Listen, we may not be able to have good relationships with everyone, Jesus surely did not, but we can have a good heart toward everyone on our end:

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).

THE HEALTH CHALLENGE

If you know that some things are off in the "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" part of your life, then the time is NOW to deal with them. The Lord is the Great Physician and can heal anything ... as long as you and I bring it to Him in humility, confession, and repentance.

In Christ.

  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

             

October 26

What Are YOU Looking At?

"But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  Matthew 14:30

Walking on water. Can you imagine anything more exhilarating and exciting? How about if the water is part of the stormy Sea of Galilee?

If you are familiar with the New Testament, you know the story of Jesus walking on the water... and Peter joining Him. It was both a triumph and a lesson in faith for Peter, for the other disciples in the boat, and for us today.

THE TRIUMPH

When the disciples saw the Lord walking on the water that dark and stormy night, they were afraid. They thought Jesus was a ghost! But He quickly calmed their hearts by saying, "Take courage, it is I [literally I AM]; do not be afraid." And Peter replied, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And Jesus said, "Come!" (Matthew 14:27-29).

And with his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, Peter hoisted his body over the side of the boat and planted his feet on the raging sea. He let go of the gunnel and began walking on the water with the Lord. No doubt he said to himself something like this, "Wow! This is INCREDIBLE!"

THE TRAGEDY

But as Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus, an unkind wave slapped him right in the face. And tragically, Peter took his eyes off the Lord, and began to look at the tumultuous sea.  When he did that, he became afraid and started to sink. "This is INCREDIBLE!" quickly became "This is IMPOSSIBLE!" One of the greatest personal miracles Peter ever experienced was cut short... all because he took his eyes off the Lord.

THE LESSON

You and I were saved to walk on the water, so to speak. The Lord calls us to join Him in overcoming every storm.  And the key to victory is to keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. The only reason Peter had a sinking spell was because he began to focus on the sea when He should have been focusing on the Savior.

What are you focused on today? Your health woes... your financial storm... your black skies and raging seas? If you focus on the problem, your heart will fill with fear. But, if you will focus on the Problem-Solver, your heart will fill with faith.

God is able, my friend. Whatever storm is threatening to come over your head is already under His feet. Look to Him... and keep looking. Trust Him to see you through the darkest of days. He says to you and me today, "Take courage. I AM the great I AM who is present in your storm. Do not be afraid. Simply look to Me and trust in Me."

Will you do it? If so, you'll begin walking on the water with Jesus and live a victorious and exciting Christian life.  God didn't intend for you to live "under the circumstances" but "over the circumstances"... and every trial and trouble that comes your way.

In Christ.

:angel:

Me-Ology or Theology?

We have all heard the term theology.  Theology is the study of God (from the Greek theos meaning God, and logos meaning word or reasoning).  Proper understanding of God comes from His Word.  He reveals Himself to us in His Word.

Now me-ology is a different kind of animal (and a made up word).  I use me-ology to refer to the strong tendency we all have in letting circumstances affect our understanding of God.  When things are going bad for me, my me-ology can kick in and try to convince me that: God is not good ... God does not care ... God does not answer prayer ... God cannot be trusted.

THE SAD CASE OF MRS. JOB

Mrs. Job had a serious problem with me-ology.  After losing all her children, her wealth, and her husband's health, she determined the best thing to do was just "curse God and die."  She told her husband, Job, that is what he needed to do.  Praise God, Job didn't listen to his heartsick wife.  In fact, he kept clinging to sound theology, even though all his current circumstances seemed to prove the contrary.

How could God be good, kind, faithful, and loving given the intense suffering that befell righteous, godly Job?  That's a profound question.  And the answer is ....

God's goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and love are not determined by me-ology- what is happening to me at the moment.  His trustworthiness is not seen through a snap shot of current circumstances, but through His Word and through the cross and empty tomb.  The bloody cross of Calvary proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is good, kind, loving, and faithful.  "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things" (Romans 8:32).

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TODAY?

Are you struggling with adverse circumstances?  Are you thinking of quitting God because, based on your current conditions, His promises seem untrue?  Don't let your me-ology form your theology, but let sound theology, gleaned from the truth of God's Word, rule and reign in your life.  Listen: It is better to die in faith than to live in doubt. 

I love the key verse in the Book of Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15).  Job didn't understand why God was letting all the onslaught of hell loose in his life, but he made the choice to trust Him, regardless. Curse God and died?  NEVER!
 
I don't know what "hell" you are facing today, but God does.  He knows, and He cares.  While He may be silent, as He was with Job for so many chapters of his suffering, He is definitely not absent - "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).  You can make the choice today to trust Him and believe His Word, regardless of your circumstances.

God IS a good and faithful God.  He DOES work all things together for good to those who love Him.  If you doubt that, read the last chapter of Job and see it for yourself.

Me-ology or Theology.  Which will you choose?

In Christ.

  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Good News For Bad Times

Bad times.  Everyone faces bad times sometime in life.  Job certainly did.  He aptly said, "Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil" (Job 14:1).  Have you experienced turmoil in your life?  Are you experiencing some right now?

To be sure, bad times are not fun times ... but they are good learning times.  Typically, the greatest lessons learned come from the toughest times in life.  You know why?  Because it's in the hard times when we are most open and willing to listen and learn.

One of my favorite poems goes like this:

I walked a mile with pleasure
She chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser,
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow,
Not a word said she,
But oh the things I learned that day,
When sorrow walked with me.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

When you are walking in turbulent, troublesome times, it is critical to put some positive things into practice:

1.     Keep looking up and rejoicing in Him.  No matter what you may be facing, God is still on His throne.  He still loves you and still has a good plan for your life.  Offer genuine thanks to the Lord, even if you have to do it through clenched teeth.  God says, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me" (Psalm 50:23).  Thanksgiving can be a sacrifice at times, but God is honored when we give Him the praise and thanks He rightfully deserves.

2.     Keep your thoughts on the truth.  When bad times come, it is easy to fill your mind with negative, depressing, miserable thoughts.  DON'T DO IT!  You can choose your thoughts as you would choose your friends.  Let your mind dwell on what is true and honorable and right (see Philippians 4:8).  You are what you think ... so think God's wonderful truths, not the devil's depressing lies.

3.     See the light at the end of the tunnel.  When I was in college at U.T., Coach Fred Akers had a popular saying, "Tough times never last, but tough people do."  How true.  Do you know the most encouraging five words in Scripture?  "And it came to pass."  The bad time you are currently experiencing didn't come to stay, it came to pass.  It came for a reason to teach you to trust God ... to help you understand that Jesus never fails, and He will work all things together for your good and His glory.

PRAYER

God, thank You for loving me.  Thank You for having all things under control.  I choose to rejoice in You, even in the midst of my problems.  Help me to keep my mind on You, Lord, and my thoughts on the things that glorify You.  And help me walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that "it came to pass," it didn't come to stay.  I want to learn and grow through this hardship ... and come out on the other side more committed to You and in love with You than ever.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Love,

:angel:

Does Prayer Even Make a Difference?

Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up.  Luke 18:1 CEV

Let's be honest here.  How many times have you prayed and prayed ... and praaaayed about something in your life, only to see no change and no affirmative answer to your prayer?

·         Perhaps you prayed for a sick loved one to get better, and he/she died.
·         Perhaps you prayed for your marriage to improve, and it worsened.
·         Perhaps you prayed for your finances to come up, and they went down.
·         Perhaps you prayed for a lost friend's heart to soften, and it hardened.
·         Perhaps you prayed for a different outcome to the 2012 election, and it didn't happen.

What gives when you pray about something heavy on your heart, something you feel is good and right, and He doesn't do as you requested.  Have you ever gotten discouraged in prayer, secretly wondering if it even makes a difference?

PRAYER MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

To be sure, prayer is always right and always makes a difference, even when the results don't go the way you wanted.

1.  Sometimes we pray the wrong thing, and God says, "No."  He, being omniscient, knows what we need and what we don't.  He knows what is truly good for us in the long run, and what is not.  When we get a direct "no" to our prayers, it is God's way of saying, "You are barking up the wrong tree in this request.  You are asking me for something that would not be truly beneficial to you in your walk with Me."  Remember, God's priority is not to make you happy, but to make you holy.  And as you and I grow in holiness, we grow in happiness and real joy.

Job, who had his share of prayers go awry, said, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).  God will not violate His Word and His Will to answer your prayer.  Every "no" from God is an opportunity for us to pray differently.  Even a spiritual heavy weight like Moses got a "no" from God.  In response to his request to go into the Promised Land – even though God had already told him he wasn't going to let him go in – God said,"Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter" (Deut. 3:26).  Moses had to change his prayer ... and sometimes we do too because we don't see the bigger picture.                     

2.  Sometimes we pray the right thing, and God says, "Not yet."  In this case, the prayer is right, but the timing is wrong.  There is more work that needs to be done in us and in the circumstances around us.

It is important to remember that God is NOT some heavenly slot machine who must pay out if you put in enough "prayer" coins.  Affirmatively answered prayed is not the ultimate goal of prayer.  Communion and fellowship with God is the ultimate goal.  Entering into God's presence and talking with Him from your heart is what He really wants and what will really change you.

How hard is it for the God who spoke the worlds into existence to answer your prayer for finances, or health, or a job?  It's as easy as pie.  But, how hard is it for God to change your life and make you a man or woman of character and Christ-likeness?  That is another matter altogether, and prayer (along with Bible study) is the main vehicle God has given us to make that happen.

3.  Sometimes we pray the near-right thing, and God says, "I've got a bigger and better idea."  Perhaps you joined with the multitudes who prayed for righteousness to prevail in the election ... that Americans would rise up and repudiate candidates who espouse a biblically immoral agenda.  Obviously, that prayer was not answered affirmatively, but it was not a wasted prayer.

God is getting ready to answer that prayer in a bigger and better way.  Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge, is one day closer to returning to planet earth to set up His righteous rule and reign.  You see, the Bible makes it clear that things get progressively worse before His coming.  But when He comes, all is made right.  In that coming day, His perfect will shall be the order of the day.  Love and joy and peace and safety will cover the land as the waters cover the sea.  I can't wait!             

My friend, if you have gotten discouraged in your prayers ... keep praying.  He is good.  He is God, and He never makes a mistake.  He longs to hear from you and change you as you marinate in His awesome presence.  Jesus said, "Pray all the time and never give up" (Luke 18:1 GW).  Will you do it?


  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Facing Marah?

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.  And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore, it was named Marah.  So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Exodus 15:22-24

Bitter things.  No one likes bitter things.  But bitter things are part of life.  Life is not all honey and no bees.  Roses do have thorns ... and all people face "bitter waters" from one degree or another.

The Marah story in Exodus 15 is especially significant.  You see, in Exodus 14  God's people had just seen and personally experienced the greatest Old Testament miracle: the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh and his armies.  The people take the first 21 verses of chapter 15 to rejoice and dance and sing over the great power of God.  Life is good, and God is awesome!  Hallelujah!   

But then something happens that quickly silences their song and steals their joy.  Within three short days, they run out of water ... and when they finally find water, it is bitter and undrinkable.  They are facing Marah, and they begin to grumble, gripe, and complain.

HOW ABOUT YOU? 

How do you respond when you encounter the bitter things in life?  What comes out of your mouth when the car breaks down, or the computer crashes, or sickness comes, or your job goes away, or the finances dry up, or your spouse wants out?  What do you do when you face Marah?

1.  The wrong thing to do is grumble.  The Bible says, "Do all things without grumbling" (Philippians 2:14).  God hates grumbling, and He takes all of it personally.  The people grumbled at Moses ... but Moses wasn't leading the group, God was.  They may have thought they were simply grumbling at a fallible man, but they were really grumbling at the infallible God.  In Numbers 14, they again grumbled against Moses, and God said, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me" (Numbers 14:27). 

2.  The right thing to do is trust and pray.  Moses didn't grumble, he cried out to the Lord.  He knew that they were in need, and the God who was faithful to bring them through the Red Sea just three days earlier, would be faithful to provide them the water they needed to survive.  Listen my friend, God did not bring you this far to drop you in the grease.  In your Marah, trust and pray.  The Lord is faithful!

3.  The right thing to do is factor in the cross.  God answered Moses' prayer by showing him a tree.  And when Moses threw in the tree, the bitter waters were made sweet, and the people could freely drink.  What does that tell us?  In every Marah, factor in the tree of Calvary, the cross on which Jesus died.  The cross transforms every bitter experience and turns every negative into a positive.  At the cross, all our sins were paid for, and access to the Father was freely granted to all who would believe.  The cross makes all the difference in the world.

No matter what Marah you may be facing today, God can use it for your good and His glory as you factor in the cross.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

The cross can enable you to forgive the unforgiveable, love the unlovable, and overcome the insurmountable.  So what are you waiting for?  Take your Marah to the cross, and see God do a miracle.



Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel:

Rejoicing In Each Day

This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24 NLT

Perhaps you heard the story of Bob, who died and went to heaven. As Saint Peter was showing him around, he noticed a complaint box. "Peter!" Bob exclaimed, "Why would there be a complaint box in heaven?"

Peter replied, "Well, heaven is a place of perfect happiness ... and some people just cannot be happy unless they can complain."

Have you ever met a "church person" who is a chronic complainer? Sadly, churches seem to have chronic complainers in spades. These are the folks who are never happy. The music is too loud, the temperature is too uncomfortable, the sermon is too shallow ... or too deep ... or too long ... or too short. Nothing ever seems right. One Sunday, I greeted a member of my church and said enthusiastically, "Good morning!"
He answered sourly, "Yeah, what's so good about it?" Yikes! Whatever he had, I surely did not want to catch.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

Regardless of the situation we may be facing today, one thing is for sure: God made this day, and He wants us to rejoice in it. In Psalm 118:24, a definite choice was made to rejoice. The writer says, "We will rejoice and be glad." Rejoicing is an act of the will.

You and I can choose to rejoice and be glad, or we can choose to grumble, gripe, and complain. Choosing the latter course of action does not change the circumstances; it just sours your attitude and outlook. Choosing to rejoice, however, pleases God and lets your light for the Lord shine among men.

What are you facing today? A dead-end job ... a stagnant career ... financial problems ... marital problems ... health problems ... unemployment ... loneliness ... the blahs? God is greater than your problems. He has a miracle with your name on it. Stop complaining and start rejoicing! You and I serve the risen Savior, who loves us, died for us, rose again for us, and promises to work all things together for good for us.

Take time right now to praise Him for this day and the challenges in it. Remember, the greater the difficulty you have, the greater the opportunity for Him to work mightily in your life. When a complaint comes to your lips, replace it with praise. You will be amazed at the difference it will make in you!


  Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries

:angel: