Word of the Week - Community

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:24-25

What is community?  The definition is simply to have common unity with others.  For people to come together under common values and beliefs to live in fullness.  God created us for relationship, first and foremost with Himself and secondly and as important with each other.  It is impossible to live to our full potential without being in Community with others.   ^“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12: 4-5  As a body of Christ we do life with others in healthy interdependent relationship that allow the body of Christ to function in fullness.Community is Healthy and Life Giving – Life Giving Community should lift us up and bring out the best in us as we help bring out the best in others by using our God given gifts to love, relate and serve others.  I love the quote from John Maxwell that says “show me your friends and I will show you your future”.  The bottom line is that we become who we commune with; life begets life and but bad company corrupts good character.  It is very important that we develop Community with people who are like minded and share our core values, especially as it relates to our faith.  We need to pursue Community with godly people who desire to grow and live to their full God given potential.  People who are authentic and speak the truth in love.  Friends that will challenge us and love us enough to admonish us and call us out if we are headed down the wrong path.  Friends that we enjoy spending time with and have our best interest at heart and visa-versa.  Friends that will be there for us in the good times and especially through the storms and challenges of life.Community is Covering and Protection  – Part of the reality of life is that we will all face trials and adversities in life.  “In this life you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome the world”  John 16:33.  One of the keys to going through tough times and persevering through the trials is to have a strong Community support system around us to provide encouragement and protection as we endure the trials of life.  We were not created to do life alone and we all need help and encouragement to navigate the challenges of life.  We can comfort one another with words, physical presence and prayer.  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2.  We can encourage each other in the process and always point to the hope of the Lord and his promises, helping each other keep an eternal perspective.  We often are inclined to give up too early but with good Community of believers “band of brothers” we can be encouraged to hang in there through the pain to get to the other  side so we can experience God’s best for us.  “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all”.  1 Thessalonians 5:14Man was made for relationship and Community and was not made to do life alone in isolation.  The abundant life that God promises is one of Community with others.  I have truly found that the most joyous experiences in life come through being connected to others through Christ.  It can be hard for some of us to commit to Community, especially if we’re guarded due to past wounds or simply more introverted and prefer solitude.  Community is God’s desire and design for us and a sign of mature faith.  At the end of the day, when we grow in our relationship with other through authentic and vulnerable Community with others, we are growing in our relationship with God.  We really are better together!!!!If you are not connected with a small group of friends that know you and what you are going through then I encourage you to pursue this type of Community.  Church small groups are one way to find this type of Community, the following is a link to a directory of small groups that are starting this fall https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/groups . Remember that we all desire to be connected in good healthy Community and we have as much to offer as we have to receive.Have a great week,-Duane

Word of the Week - Light

This is a word I received from my good friend Jesse May that I wanted to pass along.  Have a great week and let the light of Christ shine through!!!!

Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Thought for the Week: "Imagine walking into a pitch-black room. What would you do? Pray against the darkness? Curse it with some well-chosen declarations? Vainly search for some sort of anti-dark weapon? Or would you simply reach for the light switch and turn it on?Spiritually, we’re called to oppose the kingdom of darkness, and we’re told to stand firm, put on our armor, and wield the weapons of truth. But we also have to remember that we’re citizens of the kingdom of light. So how does a citizen of light oppose the darkness? We shine. In the natural and the spiritual, light overcomes darkness every single time.If you want to be like God, you’ll oppose the kingdom of darkness relentlessly. But the primary way you’ll oppose it is to shine brilliantly. By nature, you overcome when you show up and be who you truly are. Yes, speak truth and refuse to be deceived. Don’t be ignorant of spiritual assaults against your calling. But most of all, turn on the light you’ve been given and let it burn brightly. No darkness can withstand the light of God; and the light of God is burning within you. (Chris Tiegreen)-Duane

Word of the Week - Serve

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45

It is much more blessed to give than to receive and to serve rather than be served.  This is really the essence of the Gospel that Jesus “Gave His all for us” to model what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.  As believers, we exist to serve others by showing God’s love in practical ways through meeting the needs within our communities, families and spheres of influence.  Simple acts of personal kindness can open hearts to the love of Jesus for both those being served and those serving.  The following are a few biblical principles of fostering a hear to Service.Service over Status – This is counter to our culture and the way of our world.  Our culture idolizes the rich, the powerful, the beautiful, and the athletic.  We make celebrities out of those who brazenly flaunt their immorality in reality TV shows.  The world claims it demeaning to lower our selves to serve others.  However, God’s Kingdom completely rejects the world’s measure for esteem, giving the greatest honor to the one who serves most.  The person who serves selflessly, lovingly, without complaint, and without seeking recognition is highly regarded in the Kingdom of God.   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 Character over Convenience – There is no doubt that the Lord is more interested in building our character and faith than He is in making us happy and comfortable.  The bottom line is that if we desire to grow to our full potential in Christ through service it will require sacrifice.  “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”.  Romans 5:3-5We over Me – One of the most amazing blessings of the Christian life is fellowship among the believers is the fat that we are better together.  God set up the Church for synergy through the body of believers.  We are all part of the body and have a specific gift and role to play in God’s plan.  God’s Kingdom will not advance to its fullest without us all serving together as a body.  “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given one spirt to drink.  Even so the body is not made of one part but of many”. 1 Cor 12:12-14Serving others is Worship -  We win the Lord’s heart by loving Him through worship.  Serving others in the name if Jesus is one of the highest forms of worship to the Lord Jesus.  It is a way to tangibly love the Lord.  Especially when we serve the needy and less fortunate who could never repay us.  So serve others with all of your heart and do it with no strings attached in the name of Jesus and for this you will be blessed both now and for eternity.  “The King will reply.  “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me”.  Matthew 25:40Let’s look for opportunities this week to Serve others in the name of Jesus.Have a great week,-Duane

Word of the Week - Freedom

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 

Coming off of the July 4^th celebration of our nation’s Independence/Freedom, I think it presents a great opportunity to reflect on the true blessings and responsibilities of Freedom.  In a practical sense, we are truly blessed to live in a country that values Freedom and Independence for its citizens.  The United States of America was founded by men of faith on the premise that we must value and protect individual rights and hold these things sacred as outlined in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”.  It is easy to take this for granted because we are so accustomed to this reality that we really cannot relate with not having these Freedoms and individual rights.  Besides bar-b-que, fireworks and time on the water with family and friends, the purpose of the July 4^th Holiday is to set aside a day to recognize the high price that has been paid over the past 200 plus years to gain and defend this amazing gift of Freedom and to never take it lightly or for granted.  To remember the cost of Freedom and the blood and sacrifice that was poured out to attain our Freedom as a nation.As American citizens and believers (citizens of the Kingdom of God), I think it is most important that we take on the mantle and responsibility that comes with the gift of Freedom.  Ronald Reagan said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”  It is our responsibility as Americans to value, protect and steward our Freedom.  Similarly, but more importantly, Christ Jesus was crucified, died and rose again so that we could overcome death and have the ultimate Freedom that comes with salvation through Christ.  His blood gives us the power to find true Freedom from the wrath of God and the sin and strife of this world.  “It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1.  It is interesting that the Freedom of Christ is received not through a spirit of independence but by a spirit of dependence whereby we live our lives depending on God through an abiding relationship that He describes in John 15:5.  By living connected to the vine of Christ He blesses us with Freedom so that we can do His good work and produce godly fruit in our lives for His glory and purpose.  “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  Galatians 5:13Lord we thank you for our many Freedoms to include 1) Freedom of religion and individual belief, 2) Freedom to worship, 3) Freedom of prayer and 4) Freedom of speech to name just a few.  We are grateful that we live in a nation that that values Freedom and want to remember and honor all of those who have sacrificed and died to make this a reality for us by exercising our Freedoms in a healthy manner.  Lord, most of all, we thank you for the fact that while we were still sinners you died for us so that we can be Free from the wages of sin and live with you in Eternal Freedom.God Bless you and God Bless America, the land of the Free,-Duane

Word of the Week - Put God First

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 

The following is a short video of Denzel Washington giving a commencement address.  Click on the link below to watch.  I believe these are words of wisdom for all of us to remember and put into practice each day as we seek to “Put God First”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxY_eJLBflkThe first commandment of the 10 commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3.  I think this is pretty important to the Lord and He has our best interest at heart.Have a blessed week celebrating our nations Independence on July 4th.  We have much to be grateful for as Americans.God Bless America…..-Duane

Word of the Week - Thoughts

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2

Our thoughts are the leading indicator of our future and who we will become!  More than anything else, our Thoughts define our lives, our purpose and our well-being.  Thinking also affects all of our body systems.  There is mounting scientific evidence demonstrating the intimate relationship between the brain and the rest of the nervous system to include our immune system and that 75-85% of physical illness are a direct result of our Thought life.  Dr. Herbert Benson MD, the president of Harvard Medical School Mind-Body Institute says “Toxic Thinking leads to stress, which affects our body’s natural healing capacities.  Toxic thinking literally wears down the brain and the rest of the body”.  I am convinced that the pattern of Thinking in our culture/world is mostly toxic and thus not healthy, so if we just go with the flow of our culture it will lead to death.  “There is a way (thought pattern) that seems right to a man/woman but in the end leads to death” Proverbs 16:25.  No matter how godly and pure our walk, we all have an enemy of our soul who wants to destroy us and our relationships and he is working overtime to get in our heads.  He does this by planting negative Thoughts and lies in our minds through all types of circumstances.  We cannot allow these thoughts to land and resonate with us because if we do then they lead to strongholds that are much harder to overcome.The good news is that God has equipped each of us with minds that can be renewed and transformed in Christ.  Literally, scientist have proven that the neural pathways in our brains can be reprogrammed through the process of new habits and new thinking, which creates new pathways.  The key is that we understand this and take a proactive approach to our Thought life and have both a defensive and offensive strategy to combat this reality.  Here are some practical ways we can keep our Thoughts godly and pure and keep a healthy mind of Christ.

1. Feed your mind a daily diet of Truth through God’s Word.  “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way of sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.”  Psalm 1: 1-3
2. Put on the “Armor of God” each day.   ^“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18
3. Take thoughts Captive and make them obedient to Christ.   ^“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

To remain healthy and live to our full potential in Christ we must realize that our Thinking is most important and we have to continue to renew our minds in Christ so we realize God’s good, pleasing and perfect plan for our lives.  This can only be done by each of us taking responsibility for our own Thoughts so we have godly thinking that leads to peace and life opposed to stinking thinking that leads to death and dis-order.I pray you have a week filled with good thoughts that lead to life.-Duane

Word of the Week - Father

“And I will be a Father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.  2 Corinthians 6:18

How powerful is the role of a Father?  Research confirms that a good Father/child relationship is key in the healthy development of children and young adults.  Even more sobering is the fact that the Father relationship has the power to shape our view of God and ourselves at the deepest level.  A Father has many critical roles in a child’s life to include provider, protector, teacher, modeler, encourager, exemplar and much, much more. These are all very important roles to meet the very real needs of a child, growing adolescent and young adult.  As important as all these characteristics are to the development of a child, what matters most is that the child experience and know the unconditional love of the Father.  Love is the trump card, because “love overcomes a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8.  I am blessed with a wonderful dad who demonstrated the characteristics noted above throughout my childhood and life, but like all of us he was not perfect and did some things that wounded me along the way.  That being said, I never ever doubted his deep and unconditional love for me. This reality along with Jesus’ healing hand has been the catalyst for healing in our relationship and most importantly receiving and knowing the love of God the Father.  Now as a Father of 3 wonderful daughters and 4 awesome Grandkids (it is true that Grandkids are a true blessing from God, this is the best ever😊), I have the amazing responsibility and privilege to be a Father to my children and grandchildren and I can say it is the most meaningful, joyful and fulfilling role of my life.  Just like my dad, I am doing my very best but I surely have made many mistakes along the way and unintentionally hurt my children.  That being said, I am so grateful to God our Father in Heaven who gives us the perfect example of how to be a loving Father, our Abba Father.  “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast (unconditional) love” Psalm 103:8.  With this love and example from God our Father through His son Jesus along with great examples from our parents and others, we are equipped to be godly Fathers who sow blessings and life into our kids for many generations to come as stated in Psalm 127:3 “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”I am beginning my journey home today from Rwanda, Africa where I had the opportunity to spend the past week with my youngest daughter Isabella along with a friend of mind Ronald Fremin and his daughter Anna Katherine.  We had an amazing time visiting this beautiful country in East Africa (see a few pics attached).  We spent time encouraging, mentoring and celebrating with the young leaders in the country though our involvement in Bridge2Rwanda https://www.bridge2rwanda.org/ , and we also had the awesome privilege to spend time serving some of the poorest kids in Rwanda through Acts4Rwanda https://acts4rwanda.org/, and friends of Tom Allan at the community library pre-school in Sunzu Village.  Once again, God showed up in an amazing way and blessed me and Isabella beyond measure as we grew closer to God, the children and leaders of Rwanda, our friends and each other.  I also continued to learn and grow as a Father and Grandfather.  What a joy and blessing it is for me to share in this experiences with my daughter and see her stretch and grow as a young woman of God, it was truly awesome.  Our time in Rwanda has blessed me and my family immensely and I would highly recommend taking a mission trip with your kids somewhere in the world that is 3^rd world, there are lots of options.  If you have any interest in making a trip to Rwanda or Haiti, I have plenty of connections and can help you.  Experiences like this are really powerful for any dad who wants to grow closer to God his son or daughter and become a better Father.  “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” Malachi 4:6.Finally, no matter what your situation and relationship or lack thereof with your earthly Father, God is our eternal Father and He loves you and deeply desires to redeem and restore you to wholeness through the power of His unconditional and everlasting love.  This is available for all His children (us), through the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our Abba Father God is a Good, Good, Father…..He will gladly leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep, that is how much He loves us….Happy Father’s Day…..[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="5" gal_title="Fathers Day 2019"]-Duane

Word of the Week - Carnally Minded

For to be Carnally Minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  Romans 8:6-7

Since the Garden where Adam and Eve committed original sin, our human bent (Carnal Mind) is to be independent of God’s way of thinking.  This is when the mind fell under the law of sin and death and as stated above in Romans 8:6-7, our Carnal Mind in its original state is at war with God.  Praise be to God that Jesus came to break this curse through the cross and give us the power to be reborn of the Spirit and have our minds renewed in Christ.  Once we are born of the Spirit we have the power to choose to be spiritually minded but we have to turn from or die to the things of the world and pursue the things of the Spirit as stated in Romans 12:2  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  As believers, I think we would all agree that we desire to know God’s perfect and pleasing will for us and live in peace.So how do we truly walk by the Spirit and enjoy the Fruits of God’s Spirit in our lives?  First we must truly understand what Jesus did for us on the Cross.  By dying and pouring out His blood he not only gave us the gift of salvation but He gave us the ability to be cleansed of our past, present and future sins.  The enemy was defeated, the grave overcome, physical and mental healing was made available to us to have victory over our oppressor and accuser.  Access to this power simply requires childlike faith and courage to face our demons head on by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must believe and then pursue the things of the Spirit to include prayer, God’s Word and truth, healing and deliverance, godly relationships, praise and worship, serving and humility to fill our Spirit man daily and displace the old Carnally Minded habits and patterns with the new things of Christ.  If we eat of the things of this world we will eat of the flesh and produce sin and death but if we eat and drink daily of God’s spirit we will reproduce of the spirt and life.  Eating of the bread of life and drinking living water of Christ will keep us from hungering and thirsting for the things of the flesh.  He fills us with good things.It is very important to understand that the Carnally Minded Sin nature produces sins that leads to death but the life giving Spiritually minded produces peace that leads to life.  Not comprehending this and taking hold of it produces a continuous cycle of sins, condemnation, repentance, a temporary victory and the repeat of the agonizing experience.  This is the “pattern of the world”.  You cannot reform flesh with flesh, it can only be transformed by the Spirit.   This happens through the process of dying to our flesh and being born again of the Spirit.  “That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth”. Ephesians 4:22-24So let’s take hold of the life that is truly life and walk in the things of the spirit…Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Rescued and Redeemed

For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” Colossians 1:13-14

As believers, we are qualified to share in the inheritance of God’s kingdom as co-heirs to His mighty Kingdom.  On the surface this does not seem to make sense from a worldly perspective, what have any of us done to receive such an amazing promise?  That is the amazingly good news, we are qualified because of Christ Jesus, who has secured our Redemption through His blood on the cross.  Our Redemption is a eternal transaction where Jesus traded His blood for our eternal destiny.  Moreover, He purchased for us deliverance from the bondage of all sin both original and our own, so we can live and flourish in this life and the next.  We must take hold of this truth and walk in it.Through our Redemption, we are delivered from sin and introduced to the Redemptive freedom of Christ.  When Adam transgressed in the garden, he sold mankind into slavery lock, stock and barrel.  Since that time, humanity was held hostage by the Kingdom of darkness.  It was a hopeless situation because the only way to undo what had been done was for mankind to redeem or ransom what was lost (Leviticus 26:25-26).   Jesus came and took it all back for us.  What Adam did in the garden, Jesus undid on the cross.  “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!  Consequently, just as on trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” Romans 5:17-18Several things happened when Christ Redeemed us.  First, He rescued us from sin’s domain, which means we are no longer hostage and the enemy has no authority or claim over us.  We are now legally and rightfully under God’s Kingdom and authority and thus share in His power.  This means we cannot experience eternal death due to sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23. We exist in an entirely different realm now that this translation has taken place.  We are qualified as His Redeemed sons and daughters because of the ransom He payed for us.Our Redemption includes the forgiveness of our sins, which pardons us from its penalty.  This means we have freedom, pardon, deliverance and remission and do not have to carry the guilt of our sins.  The cleansing agent of Jesus’ blood removes every trace and effect of sin and washes us clean, as white as snow.  He not only forgives, but He takes away our sin as far as the East is from the West.I hope that we can truly take hold of the reality of what Christ has done for us and rejoice in this amazing gift and sing the song of the Redeemed.Rejoice you are Redeemed through the blood of the Lamb of Christ!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Sacrifice

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” 1 John 3:16

This holiday weekend we celebrate something that I think is sometimes hard for many of us to comprehend:  the sacrifice of soldiers' lives for the sake of our freedom. In recent years I've heard many conflicted views on this matter. But I think it would be a mistake to see these brave men and women as merely victims. While each fallen soldier has a unique story, each soldier is a hero who willingly laid down his or her life for a greater cause.  I think part of our struggle to understand the fallen soldier comes with our difficulty in accepting sacrifice, especially when a sacrifice seems so final and appears to hold no obvious reward. The idea that someone could give up everything - for people they don’t even know - is hard to process. We spend so much of life trying to gain, to acquire, to win. Our country is home to the American Dream, the land of opportunity. So contemplating the fallen solider can feel uncomfortable, even confusing but it important to remember the Sacrifice, which should give us a heart of appreciation and gratitude.So on this Memorial Day we remember the 1.2 million men an women who have made the ultimate Sacrifice by giving their lives in service of our Country, I am reminded of the sobering reality of the true price of freedom, and how fortunate we are to live in the United States of American, “the land of the free” because of the price others paid for our freedom.  I am very grateful and humbled by this amazing reality.  In a similar frame, I am even more grateful for the fact that God freely chose to come down to earth in the flesh as Jesus our Messiah and was crucified for our sins, so we can have eternal freedom (salvation) and live with God forever.  “For it is for Freedom that Christ set us free” Galatians 5:1.  “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13.  Let us remember who God is and what He has done for us through the Cross and let this be our motivation to live the great commandment to “Love God and Love others” by serving God and others in Love.  Lord, I pray that we would remember and understand the reality of what others have done for us as Americans and even more amazingly what you have done for us as Christians and never forget the suffering you endured for our benefit.  Let us receive the fullness of your love and Sacrifice.Jesus the Messiah who Died to give us Life and Freedom both now and for Eternity, the ultimate Sacrifice.-Duane

Word of the Week - Full Armor of God

“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” Ephesians 6:10-13.  “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17

In follow up to last week’s message on the Authority we have in Christ (see below), I want to expound on the Armor of God and its power and benefits in our lives along with those under our covering and authority (children and grandchildren).  Like most things of the spirit, our faith is an active process that we must engage daily to receive the benefits.  As noted last week, we all have an enemy of our soul that is trying to “steal, kill and destroy” John 10:10, so in order to defend ourselves from these attacks God has given us spiritual Armor for our protection.  We must put on the “whole” Armor each day to receive the full benefits of God’s Armor for us.I literally put on the Armor of God each morning with my 14 year old daughter Isabella.  Starting with our head and working our way down to our feet then picking up the shield and sword, we put on the full Armor of Christ before we go out to take on our day:

1. We put on the “Helmet of Salvation”.  Knowing that our salvation is in and through Christ gives us blessed asurance and peace of mind.  It sure makes the day a lot better remembering our eternal destiny in Christ.  “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
2. In a world that is full of sin and evil, we must protect our hearts and purity of spirit by putting on the “Breastplate of Righteousness”.  Knowing Jesus is our most holy righteousness we look at His life, death and resurrection to be our righteousness.
3. Since we have an enemy who is a liar and accuser and will use any tactic to confuse us through lies and deception we must buckle the “Belt of Truth” around our waist so we know the truth and live free by walking in the truth.  “then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” John 8:32.
4. The “Shoes of Gospel of Peace” represent the Good News of the Gospel that we are called to evangelize with all both near and far.  As we stand firm, we are standing on our foundation in Christ that is solid and steady so we can be secure especially as we are out in the world doing what God has called us to do.  “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”. Romans 10:5.
5. The “Shield of Faith” is necessary to defend against the fiery darts of the enemy that are constantly coming at us trying to penetrate our hearts and minds.  Faith and trust in Jesus is the essence of our relationship with God and it is impossible to know or please God without faith.  Faith is the catalyst that changes everything in our lives but we must continue to take up our Shield of Faith daily through prayer, reading of God’s word and fellowship with other believers to keep our faith healthy and strong and have full covering and protection.  “Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1
6. Finally we take an offensive posture against our enemy through the “Sword of the Spirit” which is God’s word.  We are given Authority through God’s word in the scriptures to triumph in victory over principalities of darkness and evil.  By praying and quoting scripture we are taking the fight to the enemy of our soul.  This is our ultimate weapon to overcome the enemy and have victory in Christ Jesus.  Jesus modeled this for us while he was on earth and gave us a great example of how to not only defend ourselves from the devil but put him in his rightful place with our foot on his neck.  “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.  Hebrews 4:12

Se be encouraged, God has equipped us with His full Armor to go out each day and live under His protection and experience victory over the enemy.  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and self-control”. 2 Timothy 1:7Fight the good fight with the “Full Armor of God”.Have a great week…..-Duane

Word of the Week - Authority

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” Luke 10:19

As believers, we all have an enemy of our soul whose number one goal is to “steal, kill and destroy” John 10:10.  He is not an imaginary, mythical character, but a spirit being whose objective is to cause destruction to believers by keeping us away from God’s plan and purpose for our lives.  He uses all types of tactics including temptation, confusion, lies, pain, relational strife, fear, anxiety and much, much more to keep us from God’s best.  The good news is that through the cross and by the blood of Jesus, we have been given Authority over the enemy, but we must expose the enemy and exercise our Authority if we are to overcome.  God has provided everything we need to walk in victory over the enemy and his schemes.  2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of sound mind”.Whether we realize it or not, Satan knows our strengths and weaknesses.  He is watching for opportunities to catch us off guard so he can slip into our lives and create havoc.  He is the great deceiver and desires for us to put blame elsewhere opposed to seeing the truth, he loves confusion.  As a subtle manipulator of circumstances, the enemy works to deceive us by blaming events, people or even God for the destructive things he does.  Make not mistake about it; your spouse, parents, children, pastor, employer, friends, foes, God – none of these are the real enemy.  “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12.  Satan is the real enemy.But as Christ followers we are not intimidated because we have a great deal of Authority!  That being said, we must exercise our Authority daily to win the battle.  By recognizing and exposing the attacks, resisting the enemy, taking an offensive posture by praying scripture and standing firm in faith, we have victory over the enemy and his schemes.  God has given us all the Authority we need to defeat the enemy and his works.  We have spiritual armor but we must have the discipline to put it on daily.  “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” Ephesians 6:10-13.  “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17Our ultimate Authority is the name of Jesus.  “Therefore God also as highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” Philippians 2:9-10.  When we use Jesus’ name, the enemy’s strongholds cannot stand.So lets expose the enemy and use our Authority to fight for victory over the enemy in the name of Jesus!!!!Have a great week…We are overcomers!!!!!!-Duane

Word of the week - Knowing Jesus II

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules”.  Matthew 15:8-9

I believe that Knowing God through a personal relationship with Jesus is the single most important decision of our lives.  But what does this really mean and how do we “Know” God?  It begins with the Bible which is “God’s Word” a book of life from Him about Him, God’s autobiography written to mankind.  As we spend time seeking God through His word, communicating with Him through “Prayer” and learning about Him through others, The Church, we become much more familiar with His nature and begin to really Know Him more and more.  Similar to other personal relationships we have with people like our spouse, children, siblings, friends ant others, the more we spend time with them, especially through the trials and challenges of life, the more we know them and the very essence of their nature.  By doing life with them, we learn about their values, dreams, desires, goals, priorities, strengths, fears, weaknesses, nuances and much more.  The more we are willing to open up and share our true self them the more they  can get to Know us and we get to Know them.  In most cases, we get to Know people well when we desire to Know them and intentionally pursue a deeper relationship with them.Unfortunately there are billions of people around the World that don’t have any desire to Know God; therefore, they don’t Know Him.  In most cases this category of people are running from God because they don’t Know who He is and what He is really about.  They have a perverted and false perspective of who God is and the benefits of Knowing Him.  If you think about it, why would anyone not want to Know God if He is the Creator of the Universe?  He has more power than anyone on earth.  In comparison, it would be like saying you don’t want to Know the President of the United States.  If you understand the power of the President there would be no good reason not to want to Know him if he wanted to Know you.  The good, good news of the Gospel is that God our Father, the Creator of all things,  deeply desires to Know each and every person on earth and have a personal relationship with each of us.  “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.  He desires all to come to Him.  As believers we need to pray that these people would Know the truth and have a change of heart and have a desire to Know God and seek Him.Equally concerning are the billions of people around the World that have substituted man made religion for Knowing God through a personal relationship.  They have fallen prey to the lie that we can somehow gain salvation through our own works and self-righteousness.  The truth is that we are saved by grace and only by the righteousness of God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.   ^“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8.  They may Know about Jesus by knowing facts about Him, attending church, performing religious acts and rituals and may even have committed bible versus to memory.  But they have never allowed God to penetrate their hearts to transform their lives.  Just because we are doing “Christian Things” does not mean that we Know God.  When we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to Him as our Lord and Savior, He comes alive in us through the Holy Spirit and we are transformed into a new creation in Christ.  In this process we have a new nature and desire to Know God and grow closer to Him by spending time with Him.  One of the most amazing things about God is the more we Know Him the more we love Him and desire to Know Him more because He is so good and faithful.This is the most important question we can ask ourselves when it comes to our faith and walk with God, do we Know God?  If the answer is yes then continue forward in your pursuit to Know Him more.  If the answer is no, I urge you to stop and watch the message below and make a heart decision to accept the truth of the bible and begin a sincere journey with Christ to seek Him daily to Know Him more and more so one day you will enter His presence and hear “Well done my good and faithful servant”.  It will be the best decision you ever make….-Duane

Word of the week - Knowing Jesus

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”  Matthew 7: 21-23

At the end of the day our eternal destiny will not be determined by our church attendance, good works or religious piety but by the simple question “do we know Him”.  The following Easter message is probably the best teaching I have ever heard on this most important spiritual truth.  Click on https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/do-you-love-me1 to hear the message by Pastor Chris Hodges.More to come on this word next week.I hope you enjoy.-Duane

Word of the Week - He is Risen!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  Romans 8:11

For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ (Christians), the death and Resurrection of Jesus over 2000 years ago is by far the most significant event in world history.  By the way, Jesus death and Resurrection is a recorded historical event. Through His death on the cross Jesus bore the sin of all mankind (past, present and future) so we can be saved from the wrath of God through forgiveness of our sins and have eternal life with the Father.  ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.  This is truly Good News for us to embrace and celebrate on this special Easter day remembering and celebrating this amazing event.  By accepting and believing in Christ and what He did for us on the cross, we receive the full benefits of the Resurrection.  As amazing as it is for us to receive the gift of communion with God for eternity, there is even more.  Through the cross we have access to the same power that allowed Jesus to rise from the dead.  God has empowered us as His disciples to walk out our faith with confidence and trust in Him, which is what activates this power in our day to day lives.In a world that lacks hope, this is the hope that we have that is truly an anchor for our souls.  Jesus is hope and much, much more.  "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;” John 11:25So let’s rejoice in the Good News that He is Risen!!!, and by faith step into the Resurrection Power of Christ Jesus as we live out our lives with true hope on our way to be with Him for eternity…..Have a blessed Easter…-Duane

Word of the Week - Benefits of the Cross

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  Psalm 103:2-5

As we celebrate Palm Sunday and enter into Holy week I would like to remind us of what Jesus actually did for us through His crucifixion on the Cross a Calgary.  First and foremost, He gave us Eternal Salvation by taking on our sin and paying our debt so we can have relationship with our heavenly Father.  But He did not stop there and many Christians miss out on the best things of the Christian life because they don’t step into receiving the full benefits of the power of the Cross that includes:

• Healing in our bodies – “He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness;  by his wounds we are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24.  Our God is a healer and promises that we have access to physical healing through faith in Jesus.
• Peace of Mind – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”  John 4:27.  The Lord desires that His children have supernatural peace even in the toughest trials of life through Trusting in God and His word.
• Forgiveness of Sins – “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”.  Hebrews 8:12.  He not only forgives but He forgets our sins so that we can walk in our anointing without any shame or regret.  We are made new in Christ as if the sins of the past did not even happen.
• Restoration of our Hearts – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3.  The Lord desires to take the deepest pains on our hearts and not just heal our wounds but actually use the pains for something good.  He is a redeemer and takes what the enemy meant for bad and turns it into good.

As we reflect this week on what Jesus did for us on the Cross, I encourage us to see the fullness of His sacrifice for us so that we can truly engage in the fullness of the Benefits of the Cross.  In doing so I pray that we are renewed like eagles and sore to new heights in our walk with Christ.  This is the Gospel and the redemptive power of the Cross.I hope you have an amazing Holy Week in anticipation of Easter, the greatest day in history for all mankind.In Remembrance,-Duane

Word of the Week - godly Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish.  Proverbs 29:18

Vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination, creativity and wisdom.  Vision gives us the ability to see a picture of a preferred future which infuses us with energy, enthusiasm and passion for life.  It can truly be the difference maker in our lives that determines if we are living or simply surviving and going through the motions.  Unfortunately statistics tell us that most people live with very little personal vision and thus don’t really experience the fullness of the life that God intended.If you are alive and breathing then you have a God purpose for being on this earth that I believe can only be discovered and revealed through a personal relationship with our Creator through the person of Jesus.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us “That we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do”.  The first step is to acknowledge this reality and step into a personal and intimate relationship with Christ through surrendering our hearts and life to Him.  This is an amazing and life transforming step that is the eternal difference maker.  As amazing as this is for us, this is just the beginning of our eternal journey, there is actually much more that God has for each of us.  God’s plan for us during our time on earth is that we live and grow to our full potential in Christ so that we can realize our God purpose and experience the abundant life.  “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full”.  John 10:10.“For I know the plans I have for you, “says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11  I know this sounds great and most everyone desires to have a vision and know their purpose but the biggest life question is how do we find our purpose and get a clear life vision.  First we have to understand that we have an enemy of our soul that is working overtime to keep us from God’s best for us and he will use anything he can to distract us from our God purpose because this is where we are most effective.  The main way the enemy keeps us from our purpose is through our pursuit and conforming to the customs of our culture/world.  We are typically so caught up in the world that we are confused about what is most important or we are constantly playing the comparison game trying to keep up with the Joneses, or we are simply pursuing counterfeit gods that will never be able to satisfy us, this is called idolatry.With this in mind, we must intentionally seek after God and pursue Him to know our God purpose and vision by simply asking God to reveal it to us.  We should also take time to reflect on our lives so we can discern our God given gifts and talents; those innate things that we were born with because our design reveals our destiny.  We should also take time to get feedback from those that are closest to us who may be able to see things in us that we may not be able to see ourselves.  Self-assessment tools like disc or others like the 2:10 Project https://210project.com/ can really be helpful.   Studying God’s word and knowing His heart will also reveal vision and purpose in our lives because we are made in His image and thus our life vision and purpose should be aligned with His word and will.  We should also look for opportunities and doors that are being opened for us that lead us down a certain path.  Finally we should pray to hear from God directly through a personal encounter with the almighty and be willing to step out in faith when we hear from Him.We can confirm if we are hearing from God or something else by testing what we are a hearing against a few simple litmus test.  Does our vison and purpose align with God’s word.  Are we being motivated by fear or faith, a godly vision promotes faith rather than fear.  A godly vision motivates people to action and requires risk-taking.  A godly vision glorifies God, not us.  As with everything we do in our lives, we must keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.Have a great week and live to the full.-Duane

Word of the Week - Goodness

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 1 Peter 1:5-7

The spiritual fruit of Goodness enables us as sinful people to do good and to be good – good in the truest sense of the word.  Goodness, after all, is the essence of God’s nature as opposed to man’s nature, which is selfish and sinful.  Yes, contrary to today’s popular belief, we are born from sin and into sin and thus we come out of the womb sinful and selfish.  All you have to do is observe any young child and how they act when they don’t get what they want.  Yes, according to God’s Word, badness comes naturally and Goodness does not, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7  This is truth.  But God has an amazing plan to radically transform our character!!  Though our natural inclination is to defy God in sin, He has determined and purposed through his love and grace to help us overcome that nature to live a life of righteousness and Goodness, which is possible only through a personal relationship with Jesus.  As the apostle John explained, “He who does good as of way of life is of God, but he who does evil as a way of life does not know God.  “By their fruit you will recognize them.  Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”  Matthew 7:16-17.   Since we live in a fallen world we are in a daily battle against the principalities of darkness and must stay connected to the vine of Christ to overcome and remain good to bear Good fruit.As followers of Christ we must seek the be transformed into the likeness of Christ so that we can possess godly Goodness and the character of Christ so that good fruit is produced in our lives simply as a byproduct of our love and relationship with Christ.  As a people and a nation we must understand that the blessing on America and her Goodness is rooted from our forefathers understanding of this truth, which led them to found our republic on a Judeo Christian foundation.  One of the most famous quotes about the blessings of America was by a French author Alexis de Tocqueville who spent years studying the success of young America and published Democracy in America in 1838.  He concluded that “America is great because America is good”.  Referring to the Goodness that comes from our Judeo Christian heritage so clearly stated on our currency “In God we Trust”.  It is our responsibility as “we the people” to do our very best to protect this amazing and godly heritage of our country, which is definitely at risk in this generation.  It is the Goodness of God that produces the Goodness of “we the people” who as a whole are the United States of America.So let’s resolve to pursue the Goodness of God through our pursuit of the Lord Jesus so that “we are not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, but especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10Have a blessed and Good week in Christ Jesus,-Duane

Word of the week - Kindness Part II - Love your Enemies

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Luke 6: 27-36

As outlined below, last week I ended my Word of the Week with the statement that we are to love and show kindness “even to our enemies and people we don’t really like”.  This is quite challenging but Jesus sums it up pretty clearly in the verses above.  I don’t think He was confused about what He was communicating in this verse.  This is counter to our human nature and our culture but such a differentiator and witness for Christians who are able to walk this out day to day, especially in comparison to other world religions.  I surely have not mastered this, but I deeply desire to love my enemies and continue to pray that God will give me the capacity and power to do so in all circumstances.  If we are looking for motivation other than the life of Christ and His Word, then you can be encouraged by Luke 6:22-23 that says “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”  Be encouraged, the pain of today is producing an eternal reward in heaven.Have a blessed week.-Duane

Word of the week - Kindness

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Kindness is defined as the quality or state of being friendly, gentle and considerate.  I would suspect that we all desire to have these qualities but may not have the highest marks in the area of Kindness if we were graded by our family and peers.  I personally value the attributes of Kindness and desire to possess and demonstrate these qualities but often fall short in this area.  In my own self-evaluation I find that other priorities and personality characteristics such as desiring to be straight forward and efficient often undermine my Kindness.  I think part of this is my intrinsic fallen nature and the other part is my lack of truly understanding what it means to be Kind and recognizing the loving Kindness that God has extended to me/us by His amazing grace though the life and death of Jesus.God’s Kindness is truly amazing and a wonderful model for us to understand the true definition and essence of Kindness. Divine Kindness - God’s kindness is demonstrated throughout His Word and the life of Christ.  It is manifest in what is referred to as “common grace” in that God is inherently Kind to all (psalm 145:9), even when we His sons and daughters are ungrateful and disobedient He still shows us Kindness.  “Yet while we were sinners Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.  “For it is the Kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance” Romans 2:4 Even while Jesus was on the cross He was showing Kindness by forgiving the very soldiers that were crucifying Him when He said “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34.  Then he turned to the criminal next to Him and invited Him to be forgiven and told him “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”. Matt 27:44Kindness aims to do good in a way that is gentle and mild, in a way that is sensitive to the needs of others.  It is never harsh.  I am learning that Kindness goes beyond our intent; it is working to understand the other persons perspective so they can receive the intended blessing in a manner that builds goodwill.  In other words it is as much about our delivery as it is our intention.  I find this very challenging because it implies we are responsible at some level for how people feel when dealing with us.  It is not simply having good and pure intent but how you deliver the message.  As much as I love the Kindness of the Lord, many times I can overlook this value in life and not give it the priority it deserves.   I know I have been guilty of this and I am working and praying to overcome because Kindness is a key to healthy relationship and the true purpose of the Christian life is having healthy relationship with God and others.So what are some practical ways to show more Kindness in our interaction with others?  Dale Carnegie in his book “How to win friends and influence people” really highlights some practical ways to show Kindness:  1) Become genuinely interested in other people, 2) Smile, 3) Remember the person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language, 4) Be a good listener.  Encourage other to talk about themselves, 5) Talk in terms of the other person’s interests, 6) Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely. I think all of these align with biblical Kindness.Finally, we should not confuse Kindness with “being Nice”.  I think this is one of the biggest confusions around the true meaning of Kindness.  Being Kind does not always look like being “nice”.  Having a pleasant disposition does not mean always making people happy or telling them what they want to hear; that is flattery and really counter to loving Kindness.  Sometimes Kindness means disappointing other people, even making them angry.  Kindness is based on foundational principals based in love and doing what is best for people whereas niceness is mostly based on doing what makes people “happy” in the moment.  Sometimes Kindness is difficult and means saying “No”.  It is not Kind to enable a person in something that is not good or beneficial to them just because we don’t want to disappoint them.  I think the key is to have good and pure motives based in the love and to slow down enough to communicate with others in a gentle and considerate manner.  Just like most of God’s truths, showing Kindness to others will not only make life more pleasant but it will win favor with God and others and allow for more blessing in our lives.Lord, I pray that you would give me the capacity to know and experience your loving Kindness so I can extend the same to others.  Yes, even to my enemies and people I don’t really like.-Duane