Word Of The Week
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Word of the Week - Courage - John Michael Pierce
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
My dear friend John Michael Pierce (F3 Woody) passed away on Wednesday, November 17th after a short battle with cancer. He had just turned 25, way too young. He was diagnosed with stage 4 Esophageal cancer on July 1st after having issues swallowing. When I heard the news I had a hard time believing it, because Woody was such a picture of life and health. In fact, I got to know Woody doing F3 workouts during the early days of COVID and quickly fell in love with this young man and his contagious smile and delightful personality. He was truly a special human being. Watch this short video that was shot a few weeks ago to get a glimpse of this young man’s heart and impact https://vimeo.com/642502556/3d80e63fc8.
When Woody found out about his diagnosis, he turned to his faith in God and began to pray for God’s strength. The Lord gave him the verse Joshua 1:9 above, and he began to share this with friends and family as his guiding verse. Many stood with Woody in faith over the past 4 months watching him live life in a remarkable manner. He had the most positive and encouraging attitude and was determined to use his situation as a way to minister and encourage others. He truly impacted so many people in such a huge way in such a short amount of time. God used him in an amazing way.
Even though I only knew him for a relatively short amount of time, his life and death had a tremendous impact on me, my family, and so many. He and his family demonstrated courage at a level that I have never witnessed in such a tough situation. He is a hero of the faith in my eyes, because he walked the walk in the toughest of times.
So how did he do it? I believe he was emboldened by choosing to trust God and walk by faith because:
- Woody had an eternal perspective - “For to me, to live is Christ to Die is gain” Philippians 1:21 Woody lived with fullness of life each and every day in the face of death on this earth because he know that this life is temporary and the life to come is eternal.
- Woody was walking very closely with God – “He who dwells in the shelter of the most Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty. He will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”. Psalm 91:1 Woody was walking each day in the presence of the almighty, so he knew God was with him and he had the peace of God in him.
I don’t understand why God allows these type of things to happen to great people like Woody, but I choose to trust that God’s plan is perfect even when it does not make sense to me. Woody’s sister Michelle, who he was very close to, shared at the service on Saturday that Woody’s short life of 25 years had more impact than most who live to old age, so his life was just what God had planned and their family was grateful for the 25 years they had with Woody.
Thank you Woody for showing us what godly Courage really looks like in the face of the toughest of circumstances. You will be greatly missed but your godly legacy remains.
We love you Woody!!!!!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - Benefits
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
Forget not all the Benefits of knowing and trusting Jesus:
Our God is so good that He not only came to save us and give us eternal life with Himself, but He desires to bless us as we journey through life on our way to being with Him for eternity. Our God is a God of relationship and deeply desires for us to know Him so we can live in fellowship with Him and realize our full God given purpose and potential. Just like there are benefits to knowing really powerful people because they have power and influence that you can call upon and use if you know them well enough. This is how it works with God, but He is the “great I am” with eternal and limitless power as opposed to powerful people whose power and influence are limited. “God can do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20. I believe that one of the keys to realizing the benefits of knowing God is that our heart motivation is pure in our love towards God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 Just like our children, if their hearts are right towards us and others, there is really nothing that we will not do for them within our power and influence.
5 Major Benefits:
There are endless benefits to knowing and abiding in Christ; the following are 5 major benefits outlined in Psalm 103:
- First and foremost, God forgives all of our sins. Nothing is more powerful and valuable than having our sins removed and being washed clean in the blood of Jesus. This is what allows us to have the hope and promise of eternal salvation. We are made new in Christ through the forgiveness of our sins, “as far as the east is from the west”.
- Second, He heals all of our diseases. Since we live in a fallen world of sin and disease, we will experience disease in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. In knowing Christ we have access to His healing power that allows us to be healed and overcome disease. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed”. Isaiah 53:5
- Third, we are redeemed in Christ. God does not just fix us and make us acceptable He actually redeems us by taking the things in our lives that are broken and the enemy meant for harm and uses them for good and for godly purpose. This is an amazing transformative power of God at work in us as we become His masterpiece. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”. 2 Cor 5:17
- Fourth, He crowns us with “love and tender mercies”, which is His very nature. Through the Holy Spirit living in us, He imparts His very nature into our being so that we become Christlike and bare eternal fruit. The anointing of God’s spirit makes our nature become godlike, which gives us the power to minister in Christ. “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you to remain in Him”. 1 John 2:27
- Fifth, our lives will be filled with “good things” and our strength will be renewed. Our heart desires are changed toward the things of God and this allows us to walk in the abundant life of Christ. Our God is a God of abundance and He desires to bless us beyond measure so that we can bless Him and others. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19
Forgiveness, Healing, Transformation, Anointing and Provision. Let’s seek Him with a pure heart so we can know Him deeply and realize the fullness of these benefits and much, much more….
I also want to say thank you to all of our Veterans who have served our country and given us the benefits that come from their sacrifice, especially Freedom!!!!
Have a great week!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - Persecution
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:10-12
Persecution defined – To harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve or afflict: Intent to cause a person to suffer because of their beliefs: Religious persecution.
Persecution is Imminent – As followers of Jesus, we must understand that our heritage is persecution. For the past 2000 plus years since Jesus walked this earth, Christians have been persecuted around the world. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12
As Americans living in the South, we have not really seen intense Persecution like many others around the world, due to our Christian culture and religious freedom. Those days are fading as things are quickly shifting away from our Judeo Christian value system toward a humanistic viewpoint that values individual preferences over moral values. This is a complex phenomenon that is very prevalent throughout history in societies that lose their God fearing foundation. It generally is a result of success and prosperity when a society/people become proud, lazy and gluttonous. When people become proud, their intellect and feelings excuse them from standards of basic human decency and they engage in perverted ways that lead to Persecuting those who don’t go along with their thinking. I heard a powerful message last Sunday from Pastor Charlotte Gambill at Church of the Highlands https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/blessed-are-the-persecuted. The message is summarized below.
Prepare yourself for Persecution – As true followers of Jesus we must be prepared for hostility and ill treatment because of our faith convictions. We must also be willing to stand in the face of Persecution and not acquiesce to the forces around us that are pushing us to comply with the forces of our culture. This story is told so well in the book of Daniel, chapter 3 when King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to get Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to go along with the ungodly perverse culture of the time. Here are some of the tricks the enemy uses to bully us into compliance:
- He tries to steal your voice – The enemy will try to steal our voice through peer pressure. “So they were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, that you do not serve my gods and worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what God will be able to rescue you from my hand?” They said to the king, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from your hand. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””. Daniel 3:14-18
- He tries to kill your spirit by intimidation – As you resist the enemy and stand firm in your convictions, he will turn up the heat and try his best to intimidate you. “Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.” Daniel 3:19 We must know that tactics of the enemy in our Persecution and increase our connection to the Lord and stand with Him in our divine protection.
- He will try to destroy your legacy in God’s purpose for you – God has a divine purpose for everyone who is in Christ and we must be overcomers in order to realize this purpose. The enemy will do everything he can to “steal, kill and destroy” our divine purpose and destiny. What we do matters not only for our life and generation but for those who come after us, it is truly generational and thus the stakes are high. Think about your children and grandchildren. “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God and you and your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7
Persecution leads to promotion – If we persevere and stand in faith through the Persecution there is something much greater on the other side. We are refined and purified in the fire for God’s Glory. “Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! So they came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of heir heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of these 3 men will be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the proving of Babylon”. Daniel 3:26-30
So be encouraged, God does His best work in the fire of Persecution. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20.
Have a great week.
-Duane
Word of the Week - Mortality
The years of our life are seventy, or possibly eighty by reason of strength; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Psalm 90:10
My good friend Charlie Beck, who I met over 25 years ago when I moved to Birmingham, died suddenly last Sunday afternoon from a heart attack after a round of golf at Shoal Creek with family and friends. Charlie had just turned 64, which seems young from my perspective. Charlie lived a rich life and was loved by so many. We celebrated his life yesterday with family and friends at his life Celebration Service. It was a sacred time together as we laughed and cried remembering Charlie. He was a unique and authentic person who had a God sized heart of love and generosity that we all loved and was a common theme at his service. He was a good man and a great friend but like all of us, he was a flawed human being with rough edges and brokenness that I believe led him to know his need for God. He was not the typical church going kind, although he did attend church from time to time. I believe he is in heaven today because he had faith in Jesus, not because he did anything to earn salvation. He is survived by his amazing wife Mary and 3 awesome grown children Catherine, Anna and John who are all married with great spouses. He also has 6 beautiful grandkids. He will be greatly missed by all; I look forward to seeing him again one day in heaven.
Reality of this Life – Each day that we have on this earth is a gift from God and it is up to us to determine how we will use it. The truth is that none of us will get out of this world alive. Only God knows the day or hour that we will face our departure from this world but each day that we live we are getting one day closer to the inevitable. I think we can all agree that as we get older time seems to pass much faster. God’s word is full of scripture that address this topic. James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes”. The average life span in the U.S. is 78, and even if we are blessed with a long life of 80 or 90 years, that is still a dot (mist/vapor) in the realm of eternity. So how are we to process this reality? On one hand it seems a bit scary and depressing, encouraging many of us to not want to think about it, which is the path most take. On the other hand, it is the reality of life, and thus I believe it is something to be embraced. God tells us in Psalm 90:12 “To teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
God Perspective – The truth according to God’s Word (perspective) is that this life was never intended to be the end game. Our life on this earth was always meant to be temporary. “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all of our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, this is not our permanent home”. 1 Chronicles 29:15 If we gain a godly perspective and understand this reality, it is truly a gamechanger on how we live and think about physical death. Even more importantly, how we see the process of death. This is why Psalm 90 above tells us that there is great wisdom in understanding that we have limited days on this earth and taking that to heart.
By the grace of God, I have personally experienced God’s divine wisdom in this area as I have grown in my walk of faith. Over the last 20 years since surrendering my heart to God, God has graciously led me from a place of fearing death and the unknown associated with dying, to embracing this life on earth as a process of preparing me for the next life, eternal life with Jesus. This has been life changing for me. So much so that I founded a ministry called the Heritage Forum www.heritageforums.com, where I and a group of amazing men lead a 2 day retreat to help men gain a new perspective on this process of beginning with the end in mind. Encouraging men that if we are in Christ and living with a God purpose and Heritage Vision, the best is yet to come and the final chapters of our lives can be the most enjoyable and productive years of our lives. In fact, the first exercise we do at the Heritage Forum after our welcome reception and a dinner is go through an exercise of writing our Obituary from the perspective of sitting at your funeral at 90 years old and listening to what your family and friends say about you and your life and what you would want them to say. This is a powerful exercise that gives us godly wisdom as noted in Psalm 90.
Our Hope in Christ – Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 This is the good news of our faith, the simple gospel. Jesus overcame death on the cross and gave us all access to eternal life. This is a free gift that is available to all of us but we must make a decision of faith to receive this gift. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, that than no one can boast”. Ephesians 2:8-9 The truth is that none of us is without sin and good enough to save ourselves, “we all fall short” Romans 3:23. We are not saved by anything we do other than accepting and believing in what Jesus did for us through the cross. The lie of the enemy is to try to make us think we have to do something or be a certain way to earn our salvation; the enemy of our soul wants us to believe we are not worthy. None of us is righteous or worthy in ourselves but yet God loves us and desires for us all to come to know Jesus and be saved. “Therefore, since we have been made righteous through His faithfulness combined with our faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
So we have a choice, we can live like most of the world fearing and avoiding the inevitable, or we can embrace the reality of our mortality and walk by faith understanding that this life is our temporary home preparing us for our permanent home with Jesus. Do you fear death? Do you have assurance of your eternal destiny? If not, I encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus today and be born of the spirit of God so you can be assured of where you will spend eternity. Romans 10:9-10
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16
“We only live once but if we live life well, once is enough”. Bruce Johnston JH Ranch
I apologize for the length of this “Word of the Week”. Have a great week!!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - Peacemakers
Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
My good friend Pastor Mark Pettus shared a message on the 7th beatitude this morning “Blessed are the Peacemakers”, it was such a powerful word I wanted to share the highlights from his message in my Word of the Week.
Biblical Peace – Peace in the context of the bible is not the absence of strife or adversity in life as generally taught in the world. Ideas such as world peace (lack of war or conflict) or finding a state of nirvana (tranquility). Peace in the context of the bible is finding a place of inner rest and fulfillment in the midst of chaos and conflict going on all around us. Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace 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.”
Peacemaker – Is an active state of sharing the peace of God with others regardless of our differences. Peace is something that we actively pursue and many times requires pain and conflict, opposed to the idea of peacekeeping, where we are trying to avoid any conflict and maintain status quo. To be a Peacemaker we must start with a God perspective and look for our point of unity with others. Remembering that we are all created in the image of God and God loves all His people regardless of the differences and beliefs. Peacemaking is a godly mindset and heart perspective. There is a huge blessing in being an active Peacemaker. “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” James 3:18
Being a Peacemaker – How do we become a peacemaker?
- We pursue our relationship with God by abiding in Christ daily and experience God’s peace in our own hearts. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope and glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2
- We experience peace with ourselves by depending on God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
- We experience peace in our circumstances knowing that God is with us. “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
We extend peace through our lives - God has called each of us to sow seeds of peace through our lives to model Peacemaking by:
- Staying focused on the real issues and understanding that we all have an enemy that is trying to lead us away from peacemaking toward destruction. “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10
- Seeing others through the eyes of God. We must see ourselves and others the way that God sees us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16
- We become the evidence of peace to the world around us. We spread the peace of God by loving God and receiving His peace so we can share it. “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be bought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them as you have loved me”. John 17:22-23
With the many challenges we are facing in our country/world today as it relates to focusing on our differences and experiencing disunity, there is no better time than the present to be a Peacemaker by actively sharing the love and peace of Christ. We are never more like God than when we are carrying the wholeness and completeness of Christ into the world through the gift of making Peace as an ambassador of Christ.
Have a great week!!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - Growth
Not that I have obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But the one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:12-14
Continued Growth – I have heard it said that if we are not growing we are dying. In order for us to become mature and complete, not lacking anything, we must be on a continuous path of growth in all dimensions of life. Although the pace of growth may vary and slow as we age, it is paramount to our health that we continue to learn and grow throughout our life. I believe this is key to living a life of fulfillment and significance. The definition of a mature person is someone who has reached full growth mentally, emotionally and spiritually, this is a lifelong process. The joy is in the journey toward realizing your full God given potential.
My Personal Experience - Ever since becoming a true follower of Christ over 20 years ago, I have come to love and enjoy the journey of continued growth and learning. With the right godly perspective, we can see this as a blessing and a joy, not a duty or job and enjoy the “Everlasting Adventure”. I recently had the privilege to take a trip with my friend John Maxwell to South America on a “Vision” trip to Paraguay and Brazil to see what John and his team are doing through his Equip Ministry aka Transform Paraguay and Brazil. I was blown away by how God is using John and his team to truly transform these countries through a strategy of teaching biblical values and leadership in all streams of influence, starting with young people through the Ministry of Education. I was able to witness leadership, service and growth at a level I had never seen and it was truly life changing and quite inspiring. I spent 5 days with John Maxwell from sun up to late in the evenings and observed this 74 year old brother, who is a world renown expert on leadership, add-value, serve, learn and grow as if he was a young man overflowing with energy. It was amazing and quite contagious. No matter how old we are and what level of success we think we have achieved, there is always opportunity to grow and develop. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others”. Philippians 2:3-4
10 Nuggets for Continued Growth from John Maxwell:
- Intentional Learner – Growth does not just happen
- Self-Aware – You must know yourself to grow yourself
- Believe in Yourself – Value yourself and add value to yourself
- Set aside time to reflect – taking time to pause, reflect and evaluate gives us better perspective
- Embrace Daily Disciplines – disciplines keep us going and growing
- Seek out great people to learn from – show me your friends I will show you your future
- Grow from the inside out – character is key to wholesome growth
- Stretch yourself – growth stops when you lose tension between where you are and where you could be
- Ask more questions – growth is stimulated by asking why
- Help yourself by helping others – we grow when we help others grow – be a mentor
So let’s strain forward to what lies ahead and press forward toward the goal and prize of growing upward to reach our full potential in Christ Jesus.
Have a great week!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - godly Character
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 5:3-5
What is Character - The Oxford English Dictionary defines Character as “a distinctive mark impressed, engraved, or otherwise formed”. Character is the essence of who we are on the inside – the internal system that guides us in all that we do, which becomes our permanent engraved nature.
Moral Character - You do not have to be a believer to have strong moral Character, in fact there are many great people throughout history who have displayed amazing Character who did not profess faith. Godly Character includes all of the core virtues of moral Character such as honesty, courage, patience, integrity and self-control but takes Character to a new level with Christlike virtues like humility, joy, faith, hope and love.
Godly Character - As Christians our objective is to take on the Character and nature of Christ so that His ways become our ways. In order to develop Christlike Character we must first be born of the spirit by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation: The old is gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is the part of the Character building process that is a gift from God that we can do nothing to earn or achieve, it is of the Spirit and given by Grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and not from yourselves; it is the gift of God not by works, so than no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9. Once we become a new creation in Christ, then our purpose is to Glorify God and allow God to work through us to produce fruit with our lives, which requires Character. Just like sanctification, growing in Character is a process that happens over time as we grow and mature in our walk with God.
So how do we build and develop godly Character? The first way we build godly character is by simply living life and persevering through the challenges of this life as stated in Romans 5:3-5 above. We will experience trials in this life. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” John 16:33 Secondly, we grow in godly Character by intentionally practicing godly virtues through training and repetition; these are the disciplines of our faith. Similar to daily workouts for a professional athlete, we must strive daily towards developing godly virtues so they become our nature. It requires intentional effort and discipline. Godly Character is forged and developed over time as we abide in the vine of Christ and grow in our relationship with Him. The byproduct of Godly Character is that our lives produce good fruit by becoming human beings who are naturally inclined to do the right thing. “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me then I will abide in you and you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing”. John 15:5
This is the goal and evidence of godly Character and the highest purpose of our lives as Christ followers. This Glorifies God!!!!!!
Have a great week.
-Duane
Word of the Week - Maturity
Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3-4
Mature defined – The definition of a mature person is someone who has reached full growth mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Reaching full natural growth and development; Realizing your full God given potential.
Characteristics of a Mature person:
- Show restraint – have control over their own feelings and emotions Mark 15:4
- Responsible – they take responsibility for themselves and their actions Galatians 6:5-10
- Grateful – they are thankful for what they have and recognize their blessings 1 Thes 5:18
- Secure – they know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Considerate – they are aware of the needs of others 1 Corinthians 10:24
- Humble – they recognize the value of others and are less about themselves and their ego Romans 12:3
- Flexible – willing to work with others and adjust their agenda to accommodate others 1 Corinthians 1:10
- Non-Judgmental – they look for the best in all people and reserve judgement Luke 6:37
- Self-aware – they recognize that they have issues and blind spots that need to be addressed Psalm 51:10-12
- Continuous learner – they realize there is always room to grow and improve Psalm 25:4-6
Growth & Maturity:
We must grow to mature but growth by itself does not translate to maturity. Some people do a lot of growing and never mature and reach their full potential. Maturing is a different process that involves time, experience and walking through and being tested by trials in life . People and organizations can grow very rapidly in short amounts of time but they don’t necessarily mature. In fact many times rapid growth results in relative immaturity. We see this often in businesses that experience rapid growth but have not had the time to mature by being tested, and therefore have not built a foundation of maturity needed to sustain the business. This can create illusions of grandeur that are not healthy and many times lead organizations down a path of dysfunction and ultimate failure. Just like the lifecycle of a business or product in business is the lifecycle of a person. Maturation is a process that requires time and experience with a willingness to learn and grow through the experiences and trials of life. This is the theme of James 1:3-4 above and also outlined by Paul in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces 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.”
So let’s rejoice in the trials and challenges of life recognizing that they are a gift allowing us to become mature and complete in Christ Jesus.
Have a great week!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - New Creation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The Old has gone, the new is here!. 2 Corinthians 5:17
New Creation – So how do we know if we are truly “in Christ”? It seems clear in this verse and several others that when we become one with Christ we are transformed into a new person. Our minds are renewed by the spirit and we think and act different then we did before we knew Christ.“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
The Old Man vs. the New Man – “That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:20-24
Below are some thoughts from Pastor Larry Stockstill’s “One year bible” Devotion today and this topic:
The exciting reality of Christianity is that a believer becomes a new person. In Ephesians 4, Paul contrasts the "old man" and the "new man." The old man is a liar, while the new man tells the truth (Ephesians 4:25). The old man is always angry, but the new man controls anger and makes amends for it before the day is over (v. 26).
There are further contrasts between the old man and the new. The old man is stingy and steals, but the new man has a desire to work hard and give to others (v. 28). The old man uses abusive language, but the new man speaks words that encourage others (v. 29). The old man holds grudges and bitterness for years, but the new man is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving (v. 32).
For you to say that you have become a Christian yet continue to lie, vent your wrath, steal, curse, and harbor unforgiveness is a contradiction in terms. As a Christian, you must put off your old self and put on the new self, which was created to be like God. In this way, you will live a life "worthy of your calling" (v. 1) by the grace God has given you through salvation.
Remember: You are a new person!
Power of the Spirit – It is not us but the power of the Holy Spirit that gives us what is needed to be transformed into a new creation. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 I will never forget how God transformed me by the power of His spirit when I surrendered by heart to Jesus 20 years ago. For me, it was an amazing and miraculous experience that totally and radically transformed and renewed my mind. The old bad thinking was replaced with a fresh life giving perspective. It impacted every area of my life in a positive way, including business/career. I was blind and I saw, seeing gave me a new perspective on life. This truly allowed me to be “born again of the spirt” and become a new person in Christ. I am still growing and being sanctified, and at times the old man sneaks in, but I can honestly say that I have become a new creation in Christ and the old has gone and the new has come by the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot change ourselves, we must be transformed by the power of the Spirit.
Let’s walk and live as a New Creation in Christ Jesus!!!!
Word of the Week - Generosity
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Generosity defined by Marriam Webster as liberal in giving: openhanded; marked by abundance or ample proportion. I love the spirit of Generosity because it is truly the spirit of the Lord. Our God is an amazing and abundant giver.
God our Provider – “And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:19 One of God’s name’s is Jehovah Jireh, which means God our provider. If we truly believe God is the creator of all things and our provider then we can understand that all things come from God and He can give us whatever we need and much, much more. Are we living Generous lives in how we love and serve others? Are we clinging onto what which we believe will give us security? Are we at peace, and confident in trusting God as our true provider? Do we believe and trust that God knows what we need? If we truly understand where our blessing and provision come from it gives us confidence to trust God by faith and live with a spirit of Generosity.
Heart of Gratitude – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life ” John 3:16 It begins with understanding what God has done for us through His son Jesus. If we really receive the amazing gift of grace and immeasurable Generosity that God showed to us through the Cross, then we cannot help but want to respond by giving and sharing what we have been given. This is a heart of gratitude that leads to a life of generosity. One common denominator of Generosity is Generous people don’t hold on to anything too tightly, whether money or status.
Generous Living – It truly is “More blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:25 Generosity is a state of the heart, not necessarily of your wallet. It encompasses all areas of our lives and resources including time, talents and treasures. Are we generous and open handed with the blessings that we have been given regardless of the measure of what we possess? Generous living is truly having a posture of “giving” to others out of what God has given to us. Some examples include giving your time to disciple or mentor others or giving your financial resources to support Kingdom work. This is above and beyond the tithe. The tithe is a minimum threshold but very important. There are multi-dimensions to living Generously. We must be discerning and pray for wisdom in the process because we cannot say yes to everything but we should be open to be lead by God’s spirit towards what are the right things to invest in.
The Blessing – “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others in the name of Jesus will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25. Just like all matters of faith, we must step out in faith and trust God by His word to experience the blessing. I am continuing to grow in my journey of Generosity but I can testify by personal experience over the past 20 years that God is true to His word. There is an amazing blessing in Generosity and the spirit of giving and it is the antidote to the spirt of fear, pride and greed. When we recognize God as the provider of all things and live in Generosity we are blessed beyond measure. The Lord truly loves a “Cheerful giver” and will bless those that “Sow Generously”. Despite many challenges and difficulties in life, I truly feel that I am living and waking in abundance as described in Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us”.
So let’s step into all that God has for us by trusting Him as our Generous Father who wants to bless us His children with “life that is truly life” 1 Timothy 6:17-18 in Christ Jesus. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”
Let’s live our lives with abundant Generosity!!!!!
Word of the Week - Service
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
Service is defined as someone providing help and assistance to those being served. I would suggest that Service should always involve adding value to the person being served. I believe that Service is as much an attitude and perspective as the specific Service being provided. The majority of us work everyday Serving others to make our living by providing something that is of value such as food, repair, maintenance, computer or financial advisory services. We have the opportunity to be both providers and recipients of Services and typically have a sense for what constitutes bad, average and good Service. Service is typically evaluated and measured relative to our comparable Service experiences. For instance we compare our experience eating at one restaurant vs. another restaurant and would typically not compare a fine dining experience to a fast food experience. Service makes the world go round and creates a tremendous opportunity to influence others and make an impact in this world.
Heart of Service – I believe the single most important key to providing great Service is ensuring that we have the right heart attitude, which begins on the inside. Understanding that it is truly a blessing and privilege to be able to Serve others. Not seeing it as a burden but as a blessing. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus himself said; ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Acts 20:35 With the right perspective we realize that there is true joy in the act of Serving and giving of ourselves, especially when it is done with pure motives. 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.
Going the Extra Mile – “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” Matthew 5:41 Having a willing spirit to go the extra mile is one of the things that differentiates typical Service from exceptional Service. When we are willing to go way past what is expected or the minimum threshold, we typically make a meaningful impression and engender goodwill with those we are Serving. It is important to keep a pure heart and not do it so that person “owes you” but do it out of the desire Serve them well. This is the true heart of ministry Service and what the Lord has done for each of us who call upon His name. That being said, these principals work well in any and all areas of life, especially in business. If you want to differentiate yourself in business and build strong and loyal client/customer relationships then go the “extra mile” by going well beyond what is “expected” and you will win clients and friends for life. Moreover, 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
Communication is key to providing great service to others. We must be thoughtful and timely with our communication to properly manage expectations and keep the person being Served informed. How the people we are Serving feel throughout the process really matters and this is a function of our ability to communicate well. Many times there are circumstances that we cannot control when providing Service to others, which may lead to less than favorable outcomes even though we did everything we could do to achieve the preferred outcome. Especially during these situations, communication is paramount. When and how we communicate things is almost as important as what we are communicating. It is very important that we “speak the truth in love” at all time and not try to alter or manipulate information to avoid the truth or reality. “We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the Church”. Ephesians 4:14-15 I think we can all appreciate times when those who were serving us shared less than favorable news but did it in a way that was forthright and honorable (in love), and we felt like they had our best interest at heart and were Serving us well. This may be juxtaposed to situations where we had little or no communications and felt like we were getting strung out and manipulated to find out at the end that we were not told the truth in a timely manner. Communicate clearly, frequently and in the proper mode of delivery (in person, telecommunication, written note, email, text etc.)
Serving 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 whether you are serving a your spouse/family, client/customer, friend or the least of these among us, 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. This is truly a win/win. “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 25:40
Let’s look for opportunities this week to Serve others in the name of Jesus.
Have a great week,
-Duane
Word of the Week - Team
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will life up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Power and synergy of Relationships - I love how God created humanity with a focus on relationship with Him and others. This is the great commandment and the essence of our faith, to Love God and Love others. In His divine Wisdom God put certain principals into motion that are true and delightful such as the practical and divine synergy of Team. I think we all recognize that we are much better together as part of a Team or Body opposed to trying to do life solo. For some reason we all have a tendency towards independence and trying to do things in our own strength, this is human nature and somewhat the American way. Our country was pioneered and built with a spirit of rugged individualism, which definitely has some positive attributes. That being said, we can only go so far in life on our own strength and talents but can do so much more together as part of a Team, especially when we put together the right combination of talented people with a clear focus and mission. Even more powerful and fulfilling is a high powered Team that has the hand of God’s blessing on it; this divine blessing is the ultimate experience for a believer. To live on purpose in your gifting as part of a Team where your giftings are exponentially multiplied through the synergy of the Team, where 1 + 1 = 5 plus!!!!
Joy and Protection in a Team - Not only do we have upside and synergy in Team but it is much more enjoyable to win with a team than solo. Life is simply more joyful when we are doing life with others. Even more important is the great protection we have when we are connected to a Team. No matter how strong and competent we are in our giftings and life situation, there will be times of adversity and discouragement when we will be knocked down by the circumstances of life. If we are running solo there is a meaningful chance that we will not have anyone there to lift a hand to help us up and out in times of need. Even in the times of victory and accomplishment, we can become vulnerable to pride and self-centeredness and need friends and Teammates to admonish us and protect us from self-destructing. “As iron sharpens iron, son one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17. There is an enemy of our soul that has one objective, which is to isolate us so that he can take us down and out, especially if we are living for God’s Kingdom. We must remain connected to our teammates in an honest and intimate way so we have their covering and visa-versa. In doing so we have the opportunity to provide the same covering and protection to them, which is an opportunity to minister to our Teammates. The bottom line is that life is much better together because this is how God our Creator designed it. “so that they may take hold of life that is truly life” 1 Timothy 6:19
We all have a place on God’s Team - Finally, we may not feel like part of a Team in certain areas of our lives but we must understand that we all have a place on God’s Team. The Kingdom is incomplete if we have not found our place and purpose. “As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ...” 1 Cor 12:20-25 So make sure you do all that is necessary to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Your Purpose and Make a Difference by serving on God’s Team using your unique gifts to do what God has created you to do with others.
We are better together for the Glory of God!!!!
Have a great week…
-Duane
Word of the Week - Spiritual Warfare
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity but a spirit of power, love and sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
Spiritual Warfare – As noted in last week’s Word of the Week, we must recognize that we live in a fallen world and there is an enemy of our soul that is trying to destroy us and take us down, but take heart because as believers we are fully equipped to reign victorious over the enemy of our soul. “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10 That being said, we must see ourselves as spiritual warriors and use the spiritual weapons that we have been given to battle in the spirit. The following are some key spiritual weapons we have at our disposal.
The Armor of God – Knowing that we are in spiritual battle, God provides spiritual armor and equips us to take a stand when battles come our way, and they certainly will. “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. Ephesians 6:11-18
- Belt of Truth – Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” We must stand on “The truth”. Our enemy is a master of lies and will do everything possible to plant lies and deception. We need to seek the truth, speak the truth and advocate the truth in all things. Jesus said, “If you abide in my Word, then you will know the truth and the truth will set your free” John 8:31-32
- Breastplate of Righteousness – We must stand on the righteousness that is only found in Christ. He is our righteousness and give us solid ground to stand on no matter the circumstance. “The righteousness is given to us through faith in Jesus Christ, to al who believe.” Romans 3:22 There is power and authority in the name of Jesus and all things have to bow and flee at His name.
- Feet shod with the Gospel of peace – We stand on the rock of Christ and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. This is the Gospel of Christ that gives us peace and confidence in the reality that Christ overcame death on our behalf so we can stand on the rock of the Gospel. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” Psalm 46:1
- Take up the Shield of Faith – We must actively take hold of the shield of faith by remembering what God has done through the Word and in our own lives, and continuing to exercise our faith and trust in the Lord. That is why it is important to be in a community of believers so we can encourage and build each other up in faith through the power of our witness and testimony, especially during times of trials. Faith in Christ is our ultimate defensive weapon from the attacks of the enemy. “Be on guard, stand firm in the faith, live like men, be strong! Let everything that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
- Put on the helmet of salvation – The assurance of eternal salvation through Christ is our impenetrable defense against anything the enemy throws at us. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell”. Matthew 10:28 There is amazing power in our salvation “To live is Christ to die is gain” Philippians 1:21
- Take up the sword of the spirit – This is the word of God and it is our main weapon of offense. Jesus modeled for us how to use the Word of God in Matthew 4 when he was tempted by Satan after 40 days in the wilderness. Three times Satan tempted Jesus and on all occasions Jesus overcame by the quoting the word of God. “If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. But Jesus told satan, “No! The scriptures say, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” Matthew 4:4
Warfare Prayer – Prayer is not only communion with God; it is also confrontation with the enemy. When praying warfare prayers it is important that we pray lots of scripture and pray everything in “the name of Jesus”. Speaking declarations over people and circumstances actually has power in the heavenly realm. Declaring that we have authority as a child of the living God. “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. We loose the spirit of God on the situation and we bind up the spirit of the enemy. We pray for protection. We confess our sins and pray for forgiveness. We pray for the spirit of humility. We pray to break generational curses and bondage. We pray for unity in our marriages and families. We pray of healing. This is warring in the spirit and taking ground in the name of Jesus.
As followers of Christ, we have been equipped with the offensive and defensive weapons to overcome the enemy of our soul. Let’s stand as warriors in the spirit so we can live victorious in Christ Jesus. And when we don’t know what to do, Stand on the Rock of Christ!!!!!! He does!!!
Have a great week.
-Duane
Word of the Week - Overcomer
"In all these things we are more than conquerors (Overcomers) through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37
We live in a fallen and broken world - It is very challenging for us to understand the concept of living in the victory as an “Overcomer” especially when we are experiencing the pain and brokenness of the tribulations of life. Many Christians, especially in America, believe that if we are walking in the grace of the Holy Spirit that we will be blessed and everything will go well with us. That we will have a life where everything works in our relationships, vocations, health etc. This is what I thought as a new believer when I began my journey of faith 20 years ago, but this is simply not what God’s Word says and it is not true. In fact it is almost to the contrary, if you study the gospel it is a love story of pain, sacrifice and tribulation even unto death. This concept is not too popular but it is where we find the abundant life Christ talked about. No matter your faith or belief, the reality is that we live in a broken world that is cursed with evil, pain and disease and thus we all will face trials and tribulations in our lives, some of us more than others. This reality is noted throughout the New Testament and is highlighted by the analogy “of us all having our own cross to carry” as followers of Christ.
Victory in Christ - The real questions is how we deal with the trials and tribulations of life. As believers, if we truly understand and receive this truth, we can have victory over any situation no matter the circumstance, because we know the final outcome. We are on the winning team no matter what the scoreboard of life says, because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. So why does God allow us to suffer the pain and trials of life while on earth? It is simple, trials are the only way that we can be tested and refined into the image of Christ. “He uses all things for good” Romans 8:28 So as Overcomers we can relate with the great Apostle Paul and “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” Romans 5:3-5.
Victory begins in the spiritual realm – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12 We must understand that we have an enemy of our soul that is at work in the spiritual realm. We win and overcome by focusing on the battle in the spirit (heavenlies) through tactics of the spirit not of the flesh. “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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 10:4-5 This is how we Overcome!!!
Next week I plan to share some truths and tactics on spiritual warfare to sharpen our spiritual battle skills so we can live in victory as overcomers in Christ Jesus no matter what circumstances we face here on earth in this temporary journey through life.
Have a great week as an Overcomer in Christ!!!!!
-Duane
Word of the Week - Healing
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:2-3
God our Healer - There are many benefits to a relationship with the Lord Jesus but one powerful benefit that seems to be overlooked by many Christians is the gift of Healing. We all have areas of our lives that have dis-ease and need healing. Whether we who are struggling with physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual brokenness, our God wants to bring us healing. In Exodus 15:26 God introduces Himself as Jehovah- Rapha, “the Lord who heals.” The word Rapha means “to heal, to cure, to restore and make whole”. By calling Himself Jehovah-Rapha, He is saying, Healing is what I am”. Our God is the Great Physician. Wholeness and restoration is what God desires for us in all areas of our lives. Nothing that causes pain or suffering in our lives is above the healing touch of Jesus. The key to receiving healing in our lives is first to accept and receive the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood that He shed on the cross, this is salvation. “He (Jesus) 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 have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24 Once we believe on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can then trust in Him for His healing power.
Ingredients to receiving healing – God is sovereign and can heal anyone at any time whether they ask Him or not. That being said there are a few things in scripture that God prescribes to those who are seeking a healing touch from the Lord. These include:
- Prayer – “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” Matthew 7:8 Prayer is simply our way of communing with the Lord. We share our hearts with Him and let Him know our concerns, fears, hopes and dreams. If we have a personal relationship with the Creator of all things and the great physician, we should simply ask Him to Heal us.
- Faith – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not yet seen” Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the key ingredient for God to move and work in His miraculous way. Faith places our belief and trust in God into the active state. It is by faith that that God moves, so we should do whatever necessary to strengthen and increase our faith in the Lord Jesus.
- Praise and Worship – “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” Ephesians 6:12 Our biggest weapon against the enemy is acknowledging God by putting Him in the proper place through our praise and worship. God’s name is above every name. The name of Jesus is our trump card and is above the name of disease. Everything must bow to the name of Jesus.
- Fasting – “So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer”. Ezra 8:23 Fasting is a way to humble ourselves and couple the physical realm with the spiritual. Fasting in conjunction with prayer adds another dimension of desperation and dependence upon the Lord as we cry out and trust for healing.
Healing is Personal – We all need healing at different levels but from time to time we have circumstances in life that are dire. In these situations we become more desperate and dependent upon the Lord to show up and do His miraculous work. This is what we are believing for my dear friend John Michael Pierce , see picture of me and John Michael here. John Michael is a 24 year old amazing young man who loves life and is loved by all who know him. Just 3 weeks ago out of nowhere he was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. He is a picture of health and life. On Thursday night at a prayer meeting we hosted for John Michael at our home, he shared with our group of prayer warriors that when he found out about his diagnosis he simply cried out to God and asked that God would send an army of angels to surround him as he battles through this season. He testified that God is answering his prayers and doing an amazing work in his life through this time of trial. The Lord gave him the scripture Joshua 1:9 “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” As a body of believers we need others during these times as there is power as we unite in faith and agreement and stand with each other bearing the trials of life together. I would like to ask each of you to please join us in praying and fasting for John Michael’s healing from cancer.
Salvation and healing are God’s twin mercies. So let’s posture ourselves for forgiveness and Healing of all of our disease and be restored in the name of Jesus. Our ultimate healing is not in this world but in heaven united with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for eternity. So if we can truly embrace an eternal perspective then we will find healing in all circumstances as the apostle Paul understood and shared in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What we lose in life we will gain in heaven. Before that time comes, our purpose on earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death and point others to the hope that brings healing.
Have a great week….
-Duane
Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” Ephesians 4:13-16
Principles of Growth and Practical Application – Last week I shared how important it is that we are growing and maturing spiritually, and the reality that many Christians are not growing in the things of God. I shared scripture that urge us to grow up in the things of the spirit to flourish in our walk with Christ and experience the best things God has for us. I also shared 3 basic questions to assess whether you are growing and maturing spiritually: 1) are you growing in godly character, 2) are you a giver or taker, and 3) Is your life baring fruit, see below. This week I want to share several principles and practical applications that will ensure you are growing spiritually.
What are we doing to grow up in Christ? Here are a few principles that if implemented will ensure spiritual growth and maturity:
Fostering God’s presence through spiritual disciplines & daily rhythms – The word tells us that God is the bread of life and that we must remain connected to the vine of Christ to receive what we need to sustain our spiritual health and for our lives to grow and bare fruit. This is a state of being but is result of the things we do day to day to remain plugged into the source of the spirit – Jesus. It does not happen by osmosis but through making God a priority in our day to day life activities.
- Are you making your connection with God the top priority each day by giving Him your first fruits of time and energy. Are you spending time in God’s word and writing God’s word on your heart by memorization? Are you thanking and praising God each day and letting Him know how much you love and appreciate Him by counting your blessing and having a heart of gratitude. Are you having an ongoing conversation with God and sharing your thoughts, concerns and dreams with Him through prayer. “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33
- Are you connected to the body of Christ through the local church? Are you attending church and small groups regularly? Are you sharing and praying with others regularly? Do you have spiritual authority covering your life and are you actively using your gifts and serving in the body of Christ. Do you have other believers who know you intimately and allowing them to speak into your life. Are you part of a small group of like-minded believers who are encouraging you in your walk with God and will speak the truth in love. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:4-5
Living life intentionally with a plan – Very few things happen serendipitously as it relates to growth and maturity. We must be intentional in planning and prioritizing growth. The following are a few practical tools that will ensure you are growing:
- Do you have a life Vision, Mission, Values and Purpose and is it based on a Kingdom vision. Just like the principles we use to grow our companies and in other areas of life, you cannot grow and develop if you don’t have a clear plan on where you are going, why you are going there and what it ultimately looks like. You also need to have ways to measure and monitor progress along the way. If you don’t already have a life plan that entails Vision, Mission, Values and Purpose then you should get busy working on one.
- Do you have a spiritual friend, mentor or life coach who knows your life plan, goals and objectives and is encouraging you and holding you accountable. Are you meeting with someone weekly, monthly or quarterly to discuss the plan and assess your progress? I personally believe we should all have people in our lives who know us very well and are coaching us along the way. I have all of these in my life and they are a huge part of why I am growing and maturing. People who love us and want us to become all God desires for us to be. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he fails and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lied together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken”. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Loving God by loving others by pouring out your life through ministry – To grow we must step out of our comfort zone and focus our energy on the greater good and making a difference. Are we living for something bigger than ourselves? Are we adding value to others and finding fulfillment in loving and serving others?
- Ministry is simply using the gifts, experiences and resources God has given to you to love, bless and help others in their journey. It simply is a way to respond to your love for God by loving what He loves and values, His people. He especially has a heart for those who are lost and don’t know him yet. So how are you loving God and others each day? How are you adding value to others to help them come to faith or grow in their faith? This is the biggest opportunity we have and truly the biggest joy of life, to use our gifts to impact the lives of others for God’s Kingdom and for His glory. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:28
- Knowing our God purpose and calling is one of the most important things in our journey of spiritual growth. Discovering and understanding our unique God purpose is one of the most exciting and transformational aspects of our walk of faith. I will never forget after I first stepped into my journey of faith and began to discover my God purpose, it was truly life changing for me. I started living with a different perspective going from the “Got to, to the Get to”. There is nothing more fulfilling or joyous in life than loving God and others in your gifting. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10 Living out our lives with purpose in communion with the Holy Spirt, this is the abundant life of the believer. Understanding it is not about us but about us partnering with the God of the universe to achieve His master plan for all mankind and we get to play a meaningful role in God’s master plan.
To grow spiritually, we simply have to engage in a walk of faith whereby we are not walking by what we see but trusting the living God and His spirit to lead us. Building our lives and identity on the rock of Christ so we know who we are in Christ. Recognizing that our life on this earth is preparing us for what is to come for eternity. Like Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But the one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Have a great week growing in Christ and living “the life that is truly life”.
-Duane
Word of the Week - Spiritual Growth
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14
Spiritual Growth and Maturity – Similar to how we want our kids to grow and mature in the things of life, so does our heavenly Father desire for us to grow up and mature in the spirit to become mature and complete, not lacking anything. The goal is to become Christ-like and spiritually fruitful. We watch babies learn to crawl, walk, talk and then develop life skills and knowledge through education to become healthy and productive young adults. Ultimately we hope and pray that our children develop goldy character in their journey of transition from dependence on their parents to independence from their parents to dependence on God. In our spiritual journey, we generally start off with an independent or rebellious spirit towards God until we realize we need Him, which hopefully prompts our spirit to pursue a relationship with Him. This is salvation, the beginning of our spiritual journey; we are born of the spirit and begin as infants in our faith. Some Christians stop here and never grow and mature in their faith and miss out on the greatest opportunity. Just like a good parent, God desires for us all to grow and mature in our spiritual journey by becoming fully dependent on God and relying on Him rather than ourselves in every area of our life. Walking by faith and not by sight, realizing that He is our everything, and we need Him and should desire to pursue Him in all things.
So what does spiritual growth and maturity actually look like? What are we doing to grow up in Christ? Here are a few areas to consider as we evaluate ourselves in the area of spiritual growth and maturity:
Are you growing in godly character – Just as we desire for our children to grow up and develop our values and a good and healthy character making them productive young adults. As Christ followers, we grow and develop godly character by living life with steadfast godly values and virtues. If we have godly character, we stand firm on the rock of Christ in the good times and through the challenging trials of life; this is what develops and demonstrates our true character, the essence of who we are and what we believe. Generally the trials of life are most revealing of our character and are the biggest opportunity to forge our character and help us grow and mature as followers of Jesus. James 1:2-3 clearly communicates this process of maturity “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This is the process of building godly character to become mature in Christ. The goal of a believer is to continue to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. He is our model for godly character and we know if we are taking on His nature and character if we grow and produce “the fruit of His spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
Are you a consumer/taker or a contributor/giver – “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son Jesus so that we can have eternal life” John 3:16 The essence of God is love and He demonstrated His love by giving us Christ who gave up His life so that we can have access to God and our salvation through the cross. We serve a loving and giving God who desires for us to have His giving nature. In our human nature we are born selfish and focused on what we want and need. It is only through God’s spirit that we are transformed and made new in Christ. In our new identity in Christ, we begin to understand that “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35. This is truly a test of our spiritual maturity. Are we men and woman who wake up every day thinking about ourselves and what we desire to consume or how we can be a blessing to others. Are we thinking about how we can use our gifts and resources to serve ourselves or are we thinking about how we can use our gifts and blessings to love and serve God by serving others. It is usually easy for us to see self-centeredness in others, especially our kids, but not so easy to see it in ourselves; Therefore, it is important for us to do an honest assessment of ourselves in this area as it is a key indicator of spiritual growth and maturity.
Is your life bearing fruit and are you reproducing in the things of the spirt – “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a gad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them”. Matthew 7:17-20. At the end of the day, the real test to whether or not we are growing and maturing in our faith is the fruitfulness of our lives. Are our lives bearing fruit and reproducing by multiplication? Can we truly point to godly fruit from our lives in areas such as our children, our families, our businesses, our ministries, our centers of influence? Can we point to specific lives that have been impacted by Christ working in us and through us? This is God’s heart for us to know Him in a personal relationship then grow up and mature so we can impact others and grow His family as we grow up and mature in His image. This is the gospel and the abundant life He speaks about. “The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:15
Many Christians are living their lives still drinking milk as infants or they are stuck in adolescence and have not grown up. The best things of God can only be experienced through growing up and maturing in Christ. No matter where we are in the process, we all need to be growing and maturing in our spiritual journey. I encourage us all to take time to evaluate our spiritual growth and maturity and step into whatever is needed to continue growing up in Christ. This is the only way we will experience the fullness of what God has in store for us so we can become mature and complete, not lacking anything. “So we fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith”. Hebrews 12:2
Have a great week.
-Duane
Word of the Week - Great Co-Mission
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
God’s Heart – God loves us so much that He gave us Jesus so that we can be restored to relational fellowship with Him through the Cross. This is the gift of salvation and God desires for all to be saved. “This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who want everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man of Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:4 Everything God has done and is doing is for this one main purpose, for all to come to know Him and have eternal salvation through personal relationship with Jesus. If this is God’s heart and primary focus then it should be our heart and primary focus. Though our walk of faith is tremendously beneficial to us and our personal lives, God’s purpose is to bless us with spiritual health and blessings so that we can be ambassadors for Him to share the good news with others and build God’s Kingdom. As we abide in Christ, we should bare good fruit that makes our lives attractive and fruitful to those around us in our sphere of influence (family, friendships, workplace, community etc.) The greatest fruit of God’s spirit is bearing witness to God by sharing with others what God has done in our lives, which is our God story (our testimony). This is how we encourage others who may not know God and have a personal relationship with God, to pursue Him and come to know Christ. This is the heart of God and the most important thing to know Him, abide in Him and to live with purpose on mission to share the Good News of the gospel with others, especially those who are lost and don’t know God.
The Great Co-Mission – God has commissioned us to partner with him in this great Co-mission (God and His church (you and me)). What an amazing opportunity and privilege for us to partner with God in this most important mission for all mankind, that has eternal implications. This is our opportunity to truly change the world by influencing those around us. I am often blown away by the reality of what God has done in my own life over the past 20 years since my salvation experience. Even though I grew up in a good family going to church, I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus and thus my life was not fruitful. I was not living on mission. From a spiritual perspective, I was lost and just trying to work my way through life hoping I could do enough good works to be accepted by God. My spiritual condition had meaningful negative implications on my mind, emotions and physical health, which impacted every area of my life. I was not living to my God given potential and I didn’t really know how to get there. By the grace of God and the fruit of others who did know Jesus were abiding in Him and were on mission to share His good news, I had a host of Jesus followers reaching out to me, praying for me, sharing their testimony with me, and inviting me to trust God and make Him Lord of my life. This gradually led to me surrendering my life to Christ and experiencing new life and new purpose. If God can do this in my life then I know He can do it in others and I get to be part of the process, what an amazing opportunity. If we understand the law of numbers and exponential compounding growth, the return on investment which I call Eternal Rate of Return (ERR) is exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever imagine. “He will do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His spirit at work within us, for His glory” Ephesians 3:20. We simply have to live on purpose willing to share with others what God has done and point to Jesus as the source.
The Opportunity – There is a huge opportunity for each of us to have a greater impact in our role in the Great Co-Mission. “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” John 4:35 It starts with simply recognizing that no matter who you are and what you do, we each have a group of people around us in our sphere of influence that are lost and probably hurting and don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.
My pastor Chris Hodges, who is probably one of the most gifted in this area of anyone I have ever known, he recently shared these simple and practical ways to share God’s love:
- Let’s open our eyes to where they are (family, work, small group, friend, neighbor etc.) We need to connect before we correct.
- Let’s open our eyes to who they are. We don’t have to be like them, but we do have to love them.
- Let’s open our eyes to what they need. We need to who people the same kind of love God showed us: Unconditional love
We need to be salt and light to the world and help them experience the love of Christ. We must build relationship before we can speak into someone’s life. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. John Maxwell
Most people who don’t know God have a distorted view of God. They think they are not worthy and have to do something to fix themselves to become worthy. The truth is that God sent Jesus to meet us all right where we are and He is here to save and redeem sinners. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God” Romans 3:23. We simply need to share the truth and love of Christ so those around us can experience the free gift of salvation by the power of our testimony, the blood of the lamb and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Be encouraged, you are on mission in the greatest mission of all. The Great Co-Mission with Jesus!!!!!!!!!!
Word of the Week - Abiding (Living in the Presence)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-5
In the 4th and final entry of my mini-series on – Abiding - spiritual principles and excerpts from Bruce Wilkerson’s book “Secrets of the Vine – Breaking through to Abundance” (see prior entries below), I want to end with some practical tools, principles, insights and encouragements for this most important and fruitful aspect of the Christian life. The author shares that the pleasure of abiding – and the extraordinary benefits have had tremendous impact on how God has worked through his life and ministry over the past 15 years. Yet none of it was a result of working harder. In my own walk of faith I can relate with Bruce on this, it is not about doing more it is about being intentional in connecting and staying connected to God through the person of Jesus.
The Person of Abiding – Abiding is all about the most important friendship of your life. Abiding doesn’t measure how much you know about your faith or the Bible. In abiding, we are actively seeking, longing, thirsting to see, know, love, hear and respond to a person, the person of Jesus. More abiding, means more of God in your life, more of Him in your activities, thoughts and desires. It seems that most believers don’t really believe God likes them. We believe He loves us from a theological sense because God loves everybody, but we don’t feel particularly liked by Him. This is a mindset that keeps us from wanting to spend time with Him. We need to see Jesus as our best friend who desires to spend time with us and likes us, the good the bad and the ugly. What we appreciate in a best friend is exactly what God offers. He is trustworthy and patient. When He looks at you. He does not call to mind the sins you’ve asked Him to forgive. He sees only a beloved friend and worthy heir. If we really abided in His love, we would come away feeling nourished, so cherished, so liked, that we would desire to spend as much time Him as possible.
The Principles of Abiding – Abiding begins with visible spiritual disciplines, such as Bible reading and prayer. Yet we can do these things for years without connecting with the Lord. We can read a book about a person but not really know the person who wrote the book. The challenge in abiding is always to break through from dutiful activities to a flourishing relationship with God.
- Principle 1 – To break through to abiding , we must deepen the quality of our devoted time with God
- Set apart the kind of time that will build relationship. Give God your first and best.
- Savor God’s word to you – read the Word expecting that God has something specifically for you to hear each day
- Talk and Listen to Jesus as a Person – He desires to be in relationship with you so see Him as a friend and communicate with Him from that mindset
- Keep a daily written record/journal of what God is showing you and doing in your life – It is encouraging to record what God is doing in your life and definitely worth writing down
- Principle 2 – To break through to abiding, I must broaden my time of connecting with God – taking it from a morning appointment to an all-day attentiveness to His presence
- Practicing the Presence – Brother Lawrence , a seventeenth- century lay Christian who worked in a monastery kitchen, describes his presence of abiding in God. Brother Lawrence had a mindset of practicing the presence of God in all things. Remaining in Christ by inviting the Lord into everything he did.
- Principle 3 – We have an enemy that will try to keep us from the power of abiding. The following are some of the misconceptions that need to be overcome
- Abiding is not based on feelings. Communing with God is relational not sensational. There will be times we feel something special and other times we will not feel anything special. This is normal and to be expected. Abiding is an act of faith.
- To stay connected to the vine of Christ we must be willing to obey Him. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in my love” John 15:10
- Principle 4 – More for less. When we abide, God can supernaturally multiply your time and efforts. Abiding more and doing less is how God does His work in us and through us. This is the essence of our walk of faith.
- Abiding helps us sense the leading of the Lord. This is how we learn to hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and become familiar with His ways, which are not our ways.
- Abiding helps us tap into all of God’s spiritual riches.
- Abiding give us the “rest” we need to bear a much greater yield
- Abiding carries with it a promise of answered prayer
Joyful Abundance – In abiding in Christ, “God will do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within you” Ephesians 3:20
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-5
I hope you have benefited from this over the past few weeks. I am certain that if you make abiding in the Lord your top priority you will experience the Joy of producing abundant fruit in Christ.
Have a great week….
-Duane
Word of the Week - Abiding (First Fruits)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-5
In part 3 of my mini-series on – Abiding - spiritual principals and excerpts from Bruce Wilkerson’s book “Secrets of the Vine – Breaking through to Abundance” (see prior entries below), I am excited to share what I believe is most important and fruitful aspect of the Christian life, simply “Abiding (remaining)” in Christ. Over the past few weeks I shared about the concept of being pruned by the Lord as a necessary part of the process of maturing in Christ so that we can live to our full potential and “bear much fruit”. I also shared the difference between being disciplined due to sin in our lives vs. allowing the Lord to prune us for purposes of growing and maturing in our walk of faith. This week I will share a simple but profound truth that is counter to conventional wisdom but is life changing if we can take hold of it, “His desire and purpose for us is not that we do more for Him (works), but that we choose to invest more time and energy to be with Him (abiding)”!!!!
The great paradox – I think this is one of the biggest deceptions of religion and the wisdom of the world, doing more is better. As a type A personality who grew up under the ideal of the “American Dream”, I learned that success is about being proactive to do and achieve more. This is somewhat the definition of success in our culture and it is typically very useful in producing worldly success. I personally find great satisfaction in producing and achieving, this is how God wired me. I don’t think it is a bad or negative thing to be driven to produce, unless it is “the thing” that drives us and defines our identity. The truth is that no matter how much I produce in my own strength, if it is not “fruit of God’s spirit” then it will not be lasting and it will not bring true fulfillment, especially as a follower of Christ who desires to grow in Christ. In our walk with God as followers of Christ, we must realize that it is God who produces His fruit through us as a bi-product of our connection to Him – through the vine of Christ. We cannot produce this in our own strength and efforts because it is of divine nature not of mere human efforts. So God doesn’t want us to do more for Him. He wants us to do more with Him. In this context our works are simply an outflow of our abiding love for Christ. We are not working to earn His love and approval but working out of a heart of gratitude in response to His love for us.
Abiding – “If you remain in me (Abide) and I in you, you will bear much fruit:” John 15:5 Abiding is an imperative from Jesus with a promise. He makes it very clear to us that in the case of Abiding that He wants us to be the pursuer and initiate. To abide, we must act, it is not a passive concept. So even though abiding is not about doing more for God, it is about actively pursuing Him-and typically this does not come naturally or easily. We have an enemy of our soul that is working 24/7 to keep us from this very powerful connection with Christ. We have the opportunity to make God our daily priority. Any of us who are married can probably relate to this concept in relationship with our spouses. My wife Amy appreciates me doing things for her and our family but what she desires most is connection and me pursuing connection with her. When I get too focused on doing and producing (performance), which is my nature, then our relationship suffers and is not most fruitful, but when I simply focus my energy on connecting with her by pursuing deeper and more intimate relationship, this is where the stars align and abundant fruit is produced. In this very same way but at a much greater scale, this is how our relationship with God works, the fruit is a bi-product of the abiding connection with the Lord Jesus. The power is from Him and thus apart from Him we can “do nothing” of eternal significance.
Priority “First Fruits” – If we understand and believe what Jesus is saying in John 15:1-5 about the importance and power of Abiding in Christ, then we should recognize that this is the most important thing; it trumps everything else. If it is the most important thing in our walk with Christ then we should make it the highest priority. If it is the highest priority then it should be the “first” priority that we focus on each and every day. This is the principle of “First Fruits”, making the Lord and our relationship with Him the “First” and highest priority. God tells us through scripture that He wants to be first. The first of the ten commandments tells us that “He wants us to make Him the priority and not put anything before Him” in our lives. In Matthew 6:33 He tells us to “Seek first the Kingdom (God) and His righteousness, and then all things will be added unto you”. In other words, Boudreaux translation of the scripture “Make God your first priority and He will take care of the rest”. Since coming to Christ 20 years ago, I have made this my highest daily priority and goal and I can honesty say that God has done “Immeasurably more than I could have ever asked or imagined by His power at work in me” Ephesians 3:20. I have a long way to go and will never achieve complete sanctification this side of heaven, but I can honestly say that God has done an amazing work in me and through me as a result (biproduct) of my relentless and at times vigilant pursuit of connecting with Him and making Him a priority in my life. He is clear when He tells us that “If we seek Him first and make God our priority then we will find Him and live fruitful lives”.
We are born of the spirit of God by accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, this is salvation. We only become fruitful and fulfilled followers of Christ by making our relationship with Him a daily priority through Abiding in Christ. I believe this to be the most important pursuit of a follower of Christ that will lead to the abundant life that Jesus talked about, the life that is truly life.
Next week I will wrap up this series on the abiding life by sharing practical ways we can “Abide and Live in God’s Presence” and experience the “Joyful Abundance” of remaining in Christ.
Have a great week abiding in Christ!!!!!!!
-Duane