From His Heart

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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. 

 

[Judy Harder]

 
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