From His Heart

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Today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve, a call to action.

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Hey, our world is getting increasingly dark and it is a desperate time in America for Christians to stand up for righteousness, to stand up for the Lord, to stand up for truth.

And people say, well, don't get political. Listen, abortion is not a political issue, it's a moral issue. The sexual immorality, that's not a political issue, that's a moral issue.

And we need to stand up for the truth that God's word is true and what God says matters. Though every man may be a liar, the Lord is true. We need to stand up for that.

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There is truth, there is bless, there is hope that you always bring love. He can heal every scars of real truth, real love, real hope from his heart.

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Did you know that the moment you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, not only does he save you for eternity, he enlists you into his army? The Christian life is not a playground. It is a spiritual battleground, and we need to get serious about the enemy that we're fighting against.

This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Thank you for joining us today for a message that will give us encouragement to not lose heart amidst the heat of our day-to-day battles with spiritual darkness. If you're looking for comfort and courage, this lesson will empower you on both fronts. It's entitled "The Lord's Army," and it's from Pastor Jeff's series "We Are Soldiers."

Now, all this month we've been talking about how so many are spiritually deceived. Today's lesson will help us to be ready to fight the spiritual battles by being able to spot the lie and turn against the forces of evil, and they will surely come our way. Open your Bible now to Second Timothy, Chapter Two, as Pastor Jeff Shreve continues.

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The lesson the Lord's army presents a question for us to ponder: Are you a good soldier of Christ Jesus? How are you doing in this thing called being a soldier? How are you doing in this thing called being faithful in the Lord's Army? I want to share with you three characteristics of a good soldier of Jesus Christ. When the scripture refers to a good soldier, that word "good" means valuable, virtuous, and worthy—a worthy soldier, a soldier used as a metaphor for a champion of the cause of Christ.

The first characteristic of a good soldier of Christ Jesus is that he suffers hardship. In 2 Timothy 2:3, Paul encourages Timothy to "suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." A good soldier is willing to endure hardship. Paul, who was in prison in Rome and knew that his end was near, stated in chapter four, "The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have run the race." He tells Timothy to join him in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. Mark it down: the true Christian life comes with adversity and suffering. Jesus said in John 15, "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 persecute you. So, suffer hardship as a good soldier in Christ Jesus.

You might wonder, "What is the way I could get out of the hardship thing? I don't really like suffering." Listen, going AWOL is not an option for a good soldier. A good soldier is willing to suffer hardship.

The second characteristic of a good soldier of Christ Jesus is that he stays focused. In 2 Timothy 2:4, Paul writes, "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." A good soldier does not get consumed or distracted by everyday life. He is on a mission and realizes that he is here for a purpose. The scripture says in Hebrews 12, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses encompassing us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." We are to live for the approval of one, and that is Jesus Christ.

When all is said and done, the only thing that matters is when you stand before the Lord and hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." That is the commendation and approval from the one who matters. We often hear this at funerals, where people say, "Oh, well, you know, old Jim, he was just a great guy. We know that he's receiving from the Lord, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" But we should not take that for granted. We need to live every day to please the one who enlisted us.

How do we please the one who enlisted us? We do so by being faithful to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states, "Moreover, it is required of stewards that a man be found faithful." Not creative, not ingenious, not winsome—faithful. Faithful to the Lord, faithful to the Lord's army, and faithful to stand firm in the Lord. Our world is getting increasingly dark, and it is a desperate time for Christians to stand up for righteousness, truth, and the Lord.

Some may say, "Don't get political." But issues like abortion and sexual immorality are not political; they are moral issues. We need to stand up for the truth of what God says. Though every man may be a liar, the Lord is true. We need to be faithful.

When we think of the word "faithful," we naturally think of being dependable and reliable. That is exactly what the Lord wants us to be. Paul told Timothy, "The things that you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men." Timothy was a faithful man, and Paul wanted him to teach the gospel to others who would also be faithful. This is how the gospel spreads—when you tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on.

Paul also tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 to guard what has been entrusted to him—the gospel, the truth of God's word. We live in a world today where people are watering down the word of God, cutting corners, and massaging the truth to make it politically correct. Our job is not to change the word of God but to speak the truth in love.

The Bible warns us in the book of Jude that certain persons will creep into the church and turn the grace of God into a license to sin. We see many people preaching grace devoid of truth, leading others astray. It is crucial to present both grace and truth, as you cannot be saved by grace without truth.

A good soldier stays focused, lives for the approval of the One, and remains faithful to the One. Jesus said, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

The third characteristic of a good soldier of Christ Jesus is that he serves by the grace of God. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul writes, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." None of us can serve successfully in the power of the flesh. It is impossible to be a good soldier in our own strength.

Peter thought he could do it in his own power. At the Last Supper, when Jesus said that all would betray Him, Peter insisted that he would not. But when the pressure came, he denied Jesus three times. None of us can do it alone, but we can abide in Christ and be strengthened by His grace.

How do we connect to God's grace? We do it by abiding in Him. Jesus said in John 15, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself; it must abide in the vine." As long as we stay connected to the vine, the life-giving sap flows through us, and we bear fruit.

Some of you may find the Christian life hard because you are trying to do it in your own strength. You cannot burn the wick; you must burn the oil. The Christian life is about abiding in the Holy Spirit and yielding to Him.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I don't know where you are today, but God does. If you feel you have left your post, it is not too late to get back in the game. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you are not in the Lord's army and have never trusted Christ, know that the Lord's army wins. You can give your heart and life to Jesus. He will save anyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith. Turn away from your sin and turn to the Savior. He will wrap His arms of love around you and enlist you as a soldier to do battle, to remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and to fight in prayer and stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ by His grace and by His grace alone.

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The Bible tells us that through repentance and faith, Christ will come into us and change us. And he does. It simply requires that we surrender our life to Him, a turning over of control and a dependence on living in a way that allows the Holy Spirit of God to inform us, to help us spot the lies of the devil and to fight against it.

How do you do that? Well, we've set up an extensive section on our website called "Why Jesus," and if you'll go there and open your heart and seek answers for why you are here on this earth and wondering if God really does love you, you'll find it there. Go to fromisheart.org, click the "Why Jesus" link, and follow the many different links from there that will help you to understand who Jesus is and how much he loves you.

You're going to find the Savior there, and when you come to Christ, your life will not get easier. In fact, you'll be in a battle. But the light that you'll have will bring you the greatest joy that you can imagine and eternal rewards as well.

Now, if you've been listening today as a longtime Christian, you can testify to the fact that one of the challenges that we face as soldiers of Jesus is battle fatigue. We can easily get weary and fade in our efforts to stand for Christ by living for him every day.

This month, Pastor Jeff wants to help you fight those spiritual battles and learn to spot the lies of the devil by offering you his five-lesson series, "Discernment in the Days of Deception." It's our gift to you for your support this month of any amount. You can get it in multiple formats. Request "Discernment in the Days of Deception" when you make your gift of any amount by calling 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-BIBLE) or going online to fromisheart.org.

Also, a big thanks for joining us today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Join us for the lesson "Are You Dressed for Success?" That's on Friday, right here on From His Heart.

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There is truth, there is hope that you always dream love he can heal every scars of real truth Real love Real hope from his heart.

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From His Heart is the listener-supported broadcast ministry of Dr. Jeff Shreve, speaking the truth in love to a lost and a hurting world.

Remember that no matter what, God loves you and He has a wonderful plan for your life.

Find out about that. Go to fromisheart.org.