From His Heart

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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,

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

 
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

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

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

[Judy Harder]

 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