Wise men invests where they get a return. If there is one thing we can be absolutely sure of about Jesus, it was that He taught a message of Good News...how to overcome obstacles and live with joy and peace. He told us where to invest if we want a higher return.

Why then, do so few Christians experience the joy and peace He proclaimed? The very first recorded message of Jesus was, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Later, after he had been baptised in the River of Jordan, we read: From that time (after His baptism and after the Holy Spirit descended as a dove on Him) Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Speaking of the Kingdom, He was saying, “God, the Father, the Creator, is taking back His kingdom and I’m here to establish His government on earth ... to take back the Kingdom that satan stole.” The old testament tells us, “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7a). In a very specific prayer, Jesus TOLD us to pray, “...Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” His message was the Good News of hope; the Good News that the time had come to regain what Adam lost in the Garden of Eden; the Good News that a kingdom is NOW available to anyone who will go through the door “Jesus” and find a place that can totally change their lives. Jesus taught victory, not defeat.

Why would a “son” wallow in the hog pen of defeat and self-pity when his Father’s house is full of every good and every perfect gift? By faith, you must believe that He IS and He is a REWARDER of them who DILIGENTLY seek Him. That’s a promise we can cling to. He didn’t promise a trouble-free kingdom He never promised we would be exempt from problems and heart wrenching trials, but He did promise we could overcome. Remember when Jesus told the disciples, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). To overcome, we must have something to overcome.

You can never win a war unless there is a war. Right now, October 2008, is a perfect time to let the power of Jesus reflect it’s light in your life. We are going through a financial crisis in America, but Christians must keep their focus on the fact that our resources are not of this world. Our resources come from the Kingdom. The Bible says everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that WHAT CAN’T BE SHAKEN will be remain! What a wonderful hope that is!

What are we expected to overcome? In a word, satan, and the temptation he throws at us to fear. Fear is a fruit of unbelief. Stand on your faith in these trying times. Follow your faith and not your fear. We are expected to be victorious over satan and live in the powerful Kingdom of God right here on earth. With that said, we know satan is a deceiver and we must overcome the deceiver within.

You say you don’t believe in the devil? Well, do you believe in Jesus? Then, you have no choice but to believe there is also a devil. Jesus believed in him. In fact, we have several recorded conversations between Jesus and the devil. Are we so brazen as to think satan talked to Jesus, but he won’t try to talk to us and tempt us? Paul told us, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). So we can see there are definitely two kingdoms battling for victory. But, the good news is that we don’t battle it alone. God sent his Son to be the door to victory and sent the Holy Spirit to act as “General” to lead us to victory and truth. The spiritual world is not something many people like to discuss because it pulls them out of their comfort zone and exposes them to ‘the unknown’. But Jesus discussed the spiritual world often. It was very real to Him. He was very clear on the fact that we are influenced in everything by one kingdom or the other ... the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of the world How can you be assured of higher returns? ...

Invest in a world that CANNOT be shaken. Invest your entire heart, mind, soul and strength in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. We get higher returns in life when we learn to walk in victory by overcoming satan and living in the Kingdom of God where God has provided “everything that pertains to life and godliness”...but we only obtain it through the knowledge of Him who called us. 2 Peter 1:3 - “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue”.

Jesus said, “Come unto Me” “I am the Door” ... “I am the Way” Multiple blessings lie behind the door, but most Christians never get past the door. In this trying time for America, it’s time to press forward into His Kingdom where we can experience the power and joy of the Kingdom of God. Want a promise from God? Well, Jesus Himself, said, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). God wants you to participate in the kingdom God, but the only way to do that is to go through the door which is Jesus and become a citizen of His kingdom. In the kingdom of darkness (the other kingdom) we are under satan’s controlling influence, but in the Kingdom of God we are under the rulership of God where the Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus and overcoming crisis in life. So if we want a higher return on our investment in Christianity, we need to invest in a different way of thinking. Quit thinking like a slave and think like a son.

Succeed in building your church; where have you placed your priorities?

by Teresa LeNeave

taleneave@gmail.com  

 I am not a preacher or a Bible scholar or a financial guru, but I know what it takes to succeed and I know what it takes to reach the God-given goals he’s set before us (although I don’t always do that). Having built, along with my husband, a very successful business, experience has taught me that there are two “earthly things” that are absolutely vital if we want to succeed in business: priority and determination.

   Sounds simple doesn’t it? It’s not. Those two things may very well be some of the hardest commitments you’ll ever make. I was reading in Haggai and found that God puts high emphasis on priorities and he told the people of Haggai’s day what the priorities were.

  Let's say you want to build up your church. What do you do? You will need to know exactly what you want.

   You want a soul-winning church? Then, there are certain things you’ll have to do to inspire your people to win souls. Telling them to win souls will not work!

   Everyone of us has the very same number of hours to spend in life: 168 hours every single week. It never changes. We have 168 hours no matter how much we work, sleep, achieve or don’t achieve. Why do some people achieve so much in those 168 hours and others achieve almost nothing? ... Priority.

   Everything you do is done by priority. I don’t care if it’s just sitting down at the local restaurant all day ... that was your priority or you wouldn’t be doing it! Your priority may be gardening or watching your favorite TV program. It may be visiting the hospitals or spending time with your mother in a nursing home ... it doesn’t matter. The truth is, whatever you did took precedence over what you didn’t do!

    Twenty years from now what will you be looking back on? Will you be just where you are now? Will your church, or your marriage, be exactly where it is today? Would you be satisfied with that?  

  One of satan’s greatest weapons to stop our achieving God’s plan in our life is little tiny distractions that pull us away in another direction. Over time, too many of those tiny little distractions will build up and they will be like a dam that catches you in the sticks and briars of time and even seem to choke the life out of you. Read (Haggai 1:3-6). God told the people, “You’ll not have enough until you get your priorities in order and honor the Lord first.” Priorities matter. Determination matters. When we learn to do things in the order of importance we will find we’ll accomplish more and enjoy more satisfaction in the 168 hours we must live week after week after week after week.

If Jesus is my friend what can I expect from Him?

by Teresa A. LeNeave

taleneave@gmail.com

We often hear preachers tell us, “Jesus is our friend”, but why don’t we flip it around and ask ourself, “Am I His Friend? And, if I am, how do I show Him? It is my belief that we can’t be a friend of God unless we know what He is like. There is something very distinct that proves who our friends are: friends love to spend time together. We overlook each others faults. We forgive when they hurt our feelings. We help our friends when we can.

The Christian objective is to feel connected with God just as you do with a good friend . As you well know, communication is the glue that bonds friends together. To have ‘a glued-together-relationship’ we will have to believe he IS and that He is a REWARDER to them who diligently seek Him?

The Bible says the way we treat each other is the way we treat God. What does God really want from His friends? He wants the same thing you want ... Friendship and respect! He wants us to put Him in the middle of all we do. What is there about Him that defines me and makes me what I should be?

 What are some of our rewards: 1. Love (you won’t feel alone) 2. Forgiveness (you won’t feel guilty) 3. Help (you aren’t without hope). God loves you. He loves me. He cares about the pain in your life; and the joy. Love Him...and enjoy His favor!

GPS and the Holy Spirit; How they compare

 Teresa A. LeNeave

taleneave@gmail.com

Sometimes I ache for the Son of God to come down and show Himself to me in person so I will know the right step to take. I guess some would say that’s weakness on my part, but I honestly want to make good decisions and sometimes I don’t.

My vehicle has a built-in GPS (global positioning system) that I thank God for every time I travel. Even when I travel places that I’ve been before and I know the way, I use the GPS! I am just so amazed that a system, hidden in the clouds, thousands of miles away can know instantaneously, where I am and can tell me where I need to go!

Oh, and, you know that sugar-coated-familiar-voice that catches all my mistakes so quickly? You know. You probably have one. She just patiently repeats “Make a legal U-turn ahead”, until I get it right. How in the world does it catch my mistake so quickly?

That’s what I’m talking about when I say it would be nice if Jesus just came down and sit in my office, or my living room, and told us who to hire, who not to hire and what to say in every situation. If He would catch my mistakes as quickly as my GPS ... wow! ... wouldn’t that be nice?

Then, I started thinking, “Actually, He does.” It’s just that sometimes I don’t listen, just like the one time I totally ignored my GPS.

Not long ago, I was in Evansville, Indiana and I had taken the first exit I saw that said Evansville. Well, it took me 30-40 miles from where I wanted to go and the whole ordeal added nearly two hours to my trip! The farther I drove, the more lost I became. I had a carload of people with me and there was a carload of family members following me. My GPS kept telling me to take certain turns and I was so sure that it wasn’t right that eventually, I just turned it off in exasperation! We drove an hour and a half out of our way and made dozens of unnecessary turns, just because I thought I knew more than the GPS! If you knew me you’d think I must have lost my mind because anyone who knows me very well knows I have an absolute terrible sense of direction!

Why did I suddenly think I knew more than the faithful and dependable GPS? Who knows! Maybe I had a sudden bout of ‘insanity’!

After I mediated on my ‘temporary insanity’ I decided, at least, I had learned a lesson.

I thought about how we often get on the wrong track in life and for some unknown ‘crazy’ reason we just keep barreling down that same ole road that has never brought us nothing but trouble and pain.

I thought about how the Holy Spirit is like my GPS. He is constantly nudging me in the right direction and when I’m about to make a mistake (if I am listening to the quiet voice inside), I can avoid a whole lot of unnecessary pain in life.

It’s like those unnecessary turns I made for over an hour in Evansville ... I could have avoided all that if I had stopped, set the GPS for where I wanted to go and then followed directions.

God desires to direct our lives and He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts for that very purpose. In fact, I remember Him saying, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:4-6)

Solomon, the writer of those words had just been explaining how to live with the favor of God in our lives. He said, “My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of your heart: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

WOW! Is that not better than the most expensive GPS one can buy? So what if He doesn’t come down and ‘sit’ with me in my living room or office. He has given me the gift of the Holy Spirit in my heart whose purpose is to lead me into all truth. God’s love for us is beyond human comprehension!

When My Heart Cries

by Teresa A. Leneave

taleneave@gmail.com

I once read an African proverb that said, “Even an old hen raises it’s head to heaven when it swallows its grain.”. Have you ever thought about praise and thanksgiving and what it creates in our lives?

Praise and thanksgiving actually creates feelings of love. You cannot praise and hate at the same time. It’s impossible. Have you ever seen someone whom you ‘pretended’ to like? Did you notice that while you was ‘pretending’ you actually did like them?
Recently, while studying the book of Revelation, a bit of oil seemed to seep into my soul revealing to me the importance of praise and two things that would benefit us greatly if we habitually practiced them. I suddenly realized when my heart cries for God (expresses love), feelings of gratitude grow and grow and grow ...

I noticed heavenly beings praise Him continually for two things:
1. Praise - because he is the Creator
2. Praise - because Jesus was slain and paid for our redemption.

The more you praise Him for these two things, the more you will love Him and you will find your love for Him grows and grows and grows ...

Thanksgiving is easier to understand if we imagine our heart aching to show love and gratitude to someone on earth, but we can’t find words or ways to express those deepest feelings. The closest thing we can come to it is meager expressions from our mouth and body language that pours from our heart and in our humanness, we simply utter, “I just can’t thank you enough”. What else can we say? We have no words to express our deepest gratitude to another person.

Why wouldn’t we be thankful when Jesus promised us such a wonderful “pay for service”. In Revelation 22:12 we read, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." The word "reward" simply means "a pay for service." There is going to be a heavenly pay day, but we will never see that pay day unless be believe He is the Creator and provider of our redemption.
If the heavenly beings thought it was necessary to praise him for His creative ability, shouldn’t we? If a number that no man could number praised Jesus because he paid the price for us, shouldn’t we?

The more we praise and adore Him, the deeper our love for Him grows. Praise is like a sponge dipped in warm water. ...it swells and swells until the heart if filled with love.

Angels among us

by Teresa A. LeNeave

Have you ever thought you met an angel? I am almost certain I met an angel one time, but since angels are there and gone ... how would one ever know for sure?
If you are a Christian and believe the Bible, you would certainly have to believe angels are sent to humans as messengers and helpers in the time of need. We may not even be aware of them, but how many times have you been saved from death or a terrible accident just by a thin slice of air or a split second of time?
Angels, according to the Bible are sent to minister to the heirs of salvation. (Hebrews 13:14). If you born-again; forgiven by the blood of Jesus, you are an heir of salvation. Every promise in the Bible belongs to you.
Angels are messengers and warriors. In 2 Kings Elisha’s servant was terrified when he looked across the hill and saw the King of Aram had sent a strong military force to get Elisha. The prophet Elisha told his servant, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
The servant was still afraid so Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6: 11-17 NIV).
Have you ever been afraid and needed the Lord to send an angel before you? Most of us have. What about times when troubles seemed more than you could bear and you were afraid of what would happen next? In those time, God will send you ministering angels to protect you.
We can’t tell angels what to do, but we can know God’s hand is on our lives, leading us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (not our own). Not only are they ministering to our needs, but I believe He sometimes uses angels to make things happen in our lives.

As children of an Almighty God we can expect to have His favor if we seek Him with all our hearts. He is the one who sets the rules and then He helps us carry them out. He did it over and over in the Old and New Testament. He will do the same for us in the 21st Century. The Bible says, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”
You don’t need to be afraid of serving God. He will do you nothing but good. In Psalms we read: “For you, Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor will you compass him as with a shield” (Psalms 5:12). In His great love, he sends angels to protect you and His Word to guide you. You are loved...and there is no better feeling, or security, than that!

Today, I begin a new life

by Teresa A. LeNeave

taleneave@gmail.com

Sitting in his easy chair, the old man leaned forward and yelled through the door, “Come on in”. The knock came again. “Come on in,” he yelled raising his voice to make sure he was heard. Still no one opened the door. After a period of silence, the knock came again. “I said come on in, or go away,” he nearly screamed toward the locked door. There was a long, long period of silence. The old man wondered who had been knocking so aggressively at his door, but wouldn’t come in. Curious, he finally dragged his tired and aching body from the recliner and made his way to the door just as a faint knock came again. Shuffling toward the door in his robe and house shoes, he said, “Just a minute. I’m coming to the door.” Reaching for the cold brass doorknob, he suddenly felt warm. The old man’s thoughts were flying: What is wrong with me? Is my blood pressure rising? Am I afraid of what’s behind the door? Why wouldn’t this visitor open the door?

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