Word of the Week - Church (body of Christ)

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

Is it possible to love and follow God but not be part of the body of Christ through His Church?  I would suggest that we can come to know God and receive salvation through a personal relationship with Him outside of Church but we cannot grow and reach our full potential in Christ without being connected to a local Church, which is the “body of Christ” here on earth.  Even though Church attendance does not gain us salvation, the Church is God’s plan and design for His followers and as believers thus we should embrace His plan and be fully engaged in our local Church.

The reality is that Church leaders and members are not God and thus not perfect, they are simply human beings that are sinful and flawed.  Similar to a family, we have to understand and accept that there are no perfect parents and families just the same there are no perfect Church bodies.  The key is to see ourselves as part of the family not on the outside looking in, we are members of the Church so we should see our Church as family, brothers and sisters in Christ and accept them as we accept our family members and do our best to help them grow and overcome their issues and challenges.  We need to extend the same amazing grace that we have received from Christ.   Seeing Church this way changes our perspective and gives us the grace and compassion to love and accept our brothers and sisters as we represent the hands and feet of Christ knowing that we are all broken sinners that have fallen short but God loved us unconditionally in spite of our sin and flaws.

Church is a gathering place for us to connect with other believers in fellowship and be spiritually fed so we can grow and develop as disciples of Christ and thus it is important for us to be part of a Church that is feeding us and allowing us to grow in our walk with Christ and other believers.  So what makes a good Church?  Regardless of the denomination, I would suggest a good Church would possess solid leadership and a sound biblical worldview that is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a heart to shepherd its members/parishioners.  It is important to remember that the heart of Christ is to love by giving and serving, “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  From that perspective, good Churches have a heart for outreach and evangelism understanding that the true mission of the Church is to reach the lost and serve the least of these to include the poor, hungry, widows, prisoners and orphans.  As members of our Church body we should be as focused on what we can give and contribute to our Church family as much as what we are getting from our Church “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35.  We should understand our gifts and always look for ways that we can plug into our Church to love and serve our Church family and those in need.  Be a giver not a taker always asking not what my Church can do for me but what I can do to serve God through my Church.  This is the abundant life of Christ.  “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25

So let’s choose to not allow the sinful, broken people of the Church (those who look just like us) not to be a stumbling block that keeps us away from our sinless, perfect and loving Heavenly Father who simply wants to draw us to Himself.  The Church isn’t primarily a building or a set of programs or events. It’s a family. A broken family, yes. But a family all-the-more, seeking God to love more, serve more and share God’s light in a super dark world.  We see throughout the Bible that Christ Himself was part of the church. His apostles were as well. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-25

I am convinced that the Church is the hope of the world through our connection to our local Church.  This is God’s plan and it is good so let’s embrace it and make the most of it by being fully engaged in oue local life giving Church body.

Have a great week…

 -Duane

Word of the week - Children

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them” Psalm 127: 3-5

Amen!!!!  Our Children and Grand Children are a blessing from God and as parents of our families, we need to understand our role and involvement in influencing and receiving this blessing.  With divine order comes divine blessing, especially as it relates to raising up or Children.  God is sovereign over our lives and our Children but He is gracious in allowing us to participate in the process as parents.  He loves us and desires the best for us and our families, thus allows us to influence our Children and families, which ultimately influence and impact the world for His Glory.  Being a parent is an amazing blessing but also a big responsibility.  We as parents with God’s help, have the opportunity to sow into our Children and “Train them up in the way he/she should go, And when they are older they will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6

To understand how to impart God’s ways into our Children I believe we as parents must first become Children of the living God and have a personal intimate relationship with Him so He can impart His wisdom into our hearts and minds.  You cannot sow seed that you do not possess, and the only way to possess the things of God is to be connected to the vine of Christ through an abiding relationship with Jesus. John 15:5.  Even though we serve a God of order and principal, many of the things of God come through revelation not necessarily through logical reasoning.  So to know the things of God you must be connected to His spirit to receive His guidance, especially when it comes to the complexity of parenting, it does not always make sense.  I clearly remember when I came to Christ at the age of 33 how God so graciously began to change my perspective on parenting and reveal to me so many concepts that were vital for me at the time, because I had two young daughters Mary Kathryn and Saige and really had more questions than answers in regards to parenting.  It is like the lights started to come on, and as I grew in my relationship with God through an abiding relationship through prayer, reading His word and being discipled, I saw so many things that I had been blind to prior to knowing Him.  It totally changed me and the way Amy and I parented our Children and I believe ultimately changed the trajectory of history for our family and our lives.  Fortunately for me this happened before my daughters entered the challenging phase of teen adolescence.

So what does it look like to raise up your kids in a godly manner?  As in most things of God and the spirit, it is an inside job and must begin in our hearts through surrendering our lives, including our family and children to God by acknowledging that our Children are a gift from God and thus they are really His Children that we get to train for a short season of life.  Similar to other blessings, He is their heavenly Father so the reality is we are simply stewarding His children. We must get the right perspective and not take possession of our kids and think they are here for us.  From a biblical perspective, we have two primary objectives as parents: 1) To teach, train, equip and model our kids in their walk of faith and do everything we can to ensure that they have a relationship with Christ, and 2) to help them develop and understand their unique talents/giftings and connect with their life purpose so they become healthy, productive and godly citizens who live out their vocational calling to make a difference.  Our job is simply to help them through the “Journey of Transition” from dependence on us as their parents to dependence on God as they become adults. “Discipline your Children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” Proverbs 29:17

One of the most critical and challenging phases of parenting is when our kids are going through adolescents (generally between the ages of 13-17), the transition from kids to young adults.  This is a natural and healthy process when our Children desire to begin the process of gaining independence from us as their parents.  If we don’t have godly clarity and are not equipped with the proper tools this can be a very confusing time that can lead to life-long challenges if not navigated well.  It can feel like rebellion if not put in the right context.  I was blessed with the opportunity to attend JH/Outback www.JHranch.com ; www.jhoutback.com just as my oldest daughter was coming into adolescents.  The godly wisdom that God imparted in me and my family through JH/Outback were life changing and an amazing blessing that continues to impact our family today.  I highly recommend both of these organizations and encourage all parents to take your son/daughter through an Outback or to JH Ranch in their formative teen years, it will truly bless you and your son/daughter.  The simply key is to understand our roles as parents as our kids grow and mature.  As our kids grow we have to change our roles and interact with them in different ways.  This is not necessarily intuitive but it makes perfect sense if you understand it from a biblical perspective.

There is no doubt that our biggest blessings in life to date are our 3 daughters, Mary Kathryn (27), Saige (24) and Isabella (14), our two Grand Children Selah Marsh (23 months) and John Michael Matthews (15 months) with two more on the way😊!!!!   Not to mention the wonderful joy of having two sons by marriage who I get to enjoy life with, especially enjoying God’s creation through hunting and fishing which we are blessed to share as a hobby/passion.  It just keeps getting better and I am so grateful.

All that being said, I do understand the reality of the brokenness of our world and the pain that comes when our relationships with our Children are not good and healthy.  Sometimes no matter how we parent our Children go astray.  I don’t necessarily understand this but I know that God uses all things for good.  Romans 8:28   I do want to encourage you that it is never too late to begin the process of surrendering our Children to the Lord, even if they are grown.  We serve a God of redemption and second chances so be encouraged, there is always hope.  God is a healer and He desires to heal all relationships.  In fact, God ends the Old Testament with the following promise “I will turn the hearts of the parents to their Children, and the hearts of the Children to their parents”  Malachi 4:6

I pray the Lord’s blessings over you and your family during this Holiday season and that you would get to experience the delight of being blessed with Children and Grand Children, especially during this time.

Have a great week,

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Testimony

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Rev 12:11

Testimony" is translated from the Greek word martyria, which means "evidence." But not just any evidence. To put it simply, your testimony is your story, which includes the pain you've been through on the way to where you are today.  Every believer has a Testimony and even though they can be very different from person to person, they all matter and can be used to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  Sharing your Testimony also brings Glory to God.I find it quite profound in the scripture above that the Lord gives two key factors that will give us victory over the enemy of our souls, the blood of Christ through the Cross and the word of our Testimony, which demonstrates the power of Christ in our lives.  I love hearing people’s Testimonies/stories because it allows me to get to know them at a deeper level and better understand their heart and it also encourages me as I witness how God is at work in their lives.  No matter how dramatic or simple a Testimony it is always impactful.  Of course, most of us tend to think that our Testimony/story is not as exciting or interesting as others, so we shy away from sharing it; or, we are concerned about being judged or offending people due to their sensitivities and being politically correct.  All of these fears play right into the enemies plan to keep us quiet and ineffective.  The bottom line is that God has anointed every believer with a personal Testimony and we should look for every opportunity to share our God story. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3;15 The key to sharing our Testimony/story is that we do it with a pure heart of gentleness and respect; if people are offended when shared in this manner then they will be offended regardless of what you share with them and it is worth the risk.  It is certainly more important to be authentic than to worry about pleasing everyone.  I can assure you that this pleases our Father in heaven and plants seeds of faith that will be harvested at the right time.  It is not our responsibility to save people, that is God’s work, it is simply our privilege and opportunity to share what God has done in our lives.A strong Testimony is authentic and as much about our struggles as our victories.  We've all had experiences that have cut us to the core. Some of these are our own faults; others aren't. Whatever the case, many of these moments in life have left us marked by visible or invisible signs of the past.  Jesus' blood completely dissolves our sin and shame and covers us in His righteous identity. This is a powerful moment when wounds become scars.  Scars are simply wounds that are healed. And because they're healed, they no longer carry the pain and shame they once did, but are evidences of healing and reminders of God's power. We should never regret them or believe we have to hide them. But rather, the way we use testimony as a weapon is to unashamedly display our scars — to tell our story to others.Whether you are a pastor, student, business person or laborer there is tremendous power in your testimony and when you share it with others it not only blesses the Lord and others, but it also benefits the person giving the Testimony by: 1) Connecting us in a deeper relationship with others, 2) reminding us of our past and keeping us aware of where we came from and accountable to not falling back into the sins of the past, and 3) building our faith and giving us hope for the future.  We are reminded of how much God personally loves us and what He has done to demonstrate His love.  This is a beneficial and encouraging process.“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” 2 Timothy 1:8-12Let’s look for an opportunity to share our Testimony this week and let God do His great work and reap the benefits of sharing our Testimony.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:1,8-9

Thanksgiving defined by Webster is; the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.  I love Thanksgiving and the fact that we as a nation set aside a day to give thanks and acknowledge our blessings both individually, as a family and as a country.  It is by far my favorite holiday, a time to slow down to “express gratitude and acknowledge and celebrate divine goodness”.  Not to mention it is the opening weekend of duck season, thank you Lord for your awesome creation, especially ducks😊.In the busy and fast paced world we live in day to day, it is easy to go from one thing to the next focused on solving problems and dealing with the concerns and challenges of life.  This is our natural inclination but not necessarily God’s will for us and not always God’s best for us.  By focusing on the challenging issues of life, which will always be there this side of heaven, we often lose perspective on the blessings of life and God’s goodness towards us, which can easily lead to the trap of despair, bitterness, envy, depression etc, this is bad thinking.  Or, we can choose the Lord’s way, which is to “Give Thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  This approach leads to peace, hope, joy, encouragement etc., a life giving perspective.  This is a simple truth but can be hard to live without proper order, prayerful reflection and some self-discipline.  There is no question that we will reap what we sow in this very important area of life.  Therefore, I challenge you this week to begin each day (First Fruits/Priority) by acknowledging God’s goodness by counting your blessings and giving thanks to Him.  Literally naming specific things in your life that you are grateful for.  No matter how bad things are we can always find something to be Thankful for.  God loves it when we enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving, it blesses Him but it also really blesses Us.  “for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things”I pray you and your family had wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed some quality time together giving thanks and counting your blessings.-Duane

Word of the Week - Faith in Action

“Faith by itself if not accompanied by action, is dead.”  James 2:17

The age old question of the Christian faith;  Are we saved by faith or works?  The second chapter of James clearly articulates that both work together synergistically to fulfill God’s purpose for us as believers.  Where faith and works meet is where the power of God comes alive. “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that – and shudder.  You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” James 2:18-24.So what comes first, Faith or deeds?  This is a mystery that I am not sure we fully understand but I can tell you from my personal experience that these things work together.  In my early 30s I was very familiar with dead religion and found myself going through the motions of religious tradition and ritual.  I knew that there had to be more to God and my walk of faith.  In desperation, I began seeking God with an open heart and pursuing a more intimate and personal relationship with Jesus.  By faith, and through showing in up and pursuing Him in new ways (action) I attended a business man’s small group/bible study where I surrendered my heart to Christ and was literally born again of the spirit of the living God at the age of 33.  It was a life changing experience that has transformed me, my family and the trajectory of my life.Immediately after surrendering my life to the Lord Jesus my heart motivations radically changed.  My mindset prior to this life changing experience was more from a religious perspective thinking I “should” do good works to offset my issues/sin so that I can be good enough to find grace with God with hopes that I might be just good enough to get into heaven one day.  My prior perspective like most good church going people was that of good works vs. sin and trying to do at least 51% more good than bad.  This made serving God more of a duty than a joy because I was doing it out of obligation.  After my heart conversion experience at 33, I had the revelation that God put us on this earth to love and serve Him and His people with purpose.  This is truly the abundant life that Jesus spoke about.  This created an amazing desire in my heart to love God by serving Him through good works.  This was simply my heart response to show gratitude for what Jesus did for me on the cross.  Even though it is joyous to do the good works in faith it is still not easy because it requires hard work, sacrifice and commitment but it is most fulfilling.So as noted above in the second chapter of James, Faith without works is dead religion but if we have Faith grounded in a personal relationship with Christ, we will have a heart desire to do good works as our Faith in Christ grows.  When we are attached to the vine of Christ, John 15:5, we will produce fruit and fruit comes through engagement as disciples of Christ.   All that being said, let us never forget that we don’t earn our salvation through works “For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9I pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving.-Duane

Word of the Week - Victory

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57)

We all love the idea of winning and Victory and generally focus our lives around how to achieve Victory in our pursuits of this world.  We spend most of our time and invest heavily in positioning ourselves for Victory.  Just look at college and professional sports teams and the money, time and resources that are invested to win and achieve Victory, it is quite amazing.  On the other hand, if we really look at our lives, how much time and energy are we investing toward God’s kingdom and allowing His will to reign over our lives? What is most amazing about our Christian faith is that we attain Victory through losing and surrendering our lives; not by striving to win but by yielding and accepting death through Christ Jesus.  From a Kingdom perspective Victory means God working His will through us for His glory.  Thus we only realize the Victory of Christ when we are fully submitted and make Jesus Lord over all.Paul makes it clear that God gives us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  This isn’t about us figuring out a way to win Victory, we find Victory only in Christ through surrendering our lives.  Paul also tells us that we find Victory when death is swallowed up by the resurrection life of Christ.  So practically how does this work?  We know that if we are saved and in Christ, we have the ultimate Victory over eternal death.  Even though salvation is most important, it is not all that Christ desires for us.  He has so much more in the way of Victory and life.  In order for us to walk in full Victory we must fully surrender our lives and submit everything to the Lordship of Christ.  In short we cannot be Lord of anything in our lives and need to allow Jesus to be Lord of everything.  Thus if we want to find life in Christ, we must fully lose our life in Christ.  “Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me for the gospel will save it”. Mark 8:34-35 We have to relinquish control over everything by faith and fall into his hands.  In doing so, we will live in Victory because He has Victory over us.  This is the ultimate Victory for a believer in Christ Jesus.So what is the victory? OUR FAITH. Not us getting what we wanted from God. Our faith IS the victory because by faith in Jesus, Jesus becomes our living Lord. And then, because we are then rightly related to Him, our Victory is over everything over which HE has Victory. Victory is IN Christ Jesus. But only if we are UNDER Him can we be OVER what He is OVER. Thus, if you want to know why there must be trials and suffering in the Christian life, this is your answer. WE must be conquered through surrender to Christ. Only then can we be overcomers, "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Romans 8:37I pray we will submit fully so we can live in full Victory today and forevermore in Christ Jesus.-Duane

Word of the Week - Light

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

I think we would all agree that light is probably the most essential element of life because without light life would cease to exist.  In the physical realm of our world the sun is our primary source of light and life and without it there would not be life.  In regards to the spiritual/eternal realm, Jesus is the source of light and life and when we receive Him into our lives as “the light of the world” He comes alive in us and we carry His light with us to bring life to others.  "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Matthew 5:14-16.So what does it mean for us to walk in the light of Christ so that we can be a light unto the world to those around us.  I think first and foremost, we must stay connected to the source of the light through a daily abiding relationship and pursuit of Christ.  Just like the sun comes up each morning to bring light and life, so must we remain connected to the Lord and dependent upon Him as our source.  And yes, we should know and expect that every day will not be sunny blue skies, there will be clouds and storms that cause us to be tested in our faith and feel as if the light is not with us.  This is when our faith in and connection to Christ is most important; we know the sun is there even when it is not shining and we cannot see it.  Similarly in our walk with Christ, He is always there for us even when we do not feel His presence, this is the definition of Faith “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 Second, it is important to understand that God has given us His light so that we can grow and thrive to be beacons of His light to shine and share with others who are in the darkness and need light.  Our world is overshadowed with a cloud of darkness called the “sin of the world” and it is simply God’s plan to bring light to the world through us His sons and daughters of faith.  He enlightens and blesses us primarily so we can be a blessing and spread His light and life to others.  So we need to continue to ask ourselves how we are shining His light each day to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ?  Finally, we should understand that God’s light is our daily bread and the living water that gives us the nutrients we need to grow so we can become fully mature in Christ and live to our full potential here on earth and for eternity.  This is the abundant life that God desires for us; to not just have life, but to have life to the “full” and flourish in Him so that we can produce the amazing and delicious eternal fruit that is simply the bi-product of His light shining on us and flowing through us.  ^“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you”. Isaiah 60:1Have a great week and let God’s light shine in you and through you….-Duane

Word of the Week - Dependence

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For the most part, we generally think of Dependence from a negative perspective.  Concepts such as co-dependence and entitlement generally come to mind and they typically imply dysfunction.  As Americans our Country was birthed through a Declaration of Independence and thus we generally value the concept of being independent and self-sufficient.  Gaining personal independence is a natural and healthy process for our children as they grow and mature.  It is very normal for a young person to want independence from their parents as they reach adolescence and move into young adulthood.  Of course, if parents have a healthy perspective, they desire for their children to become capable young adults who are not Dependent upon them physically, emotionally or financially.  What I find so interesting in regards to our faith and walk with the Lord is that He invites us to become more and more dependent upon Him as we grow and mature.  In fact, He loves us so much that He will often do whatever it takes to get our attention so we become more dependent upon Him.  We often have a hard time getting this truth because it is contrary to what we typically learn and experience in the world.  Living a life of Dependence on the Lord is not necessarily normal but it truly allows us to receive the full benefits of our Faith while also allowing us to grow closer in our trust and relationship with God.  I would go as far as to say that as we live out our lives and approach the end of our time on this earth, our desire should be to become more and more dependent upon the Lord.  Just as we entered the world totally naked and dependent on our earthly parents, we will leave this world alone and solely dependent upon the Lord for our eternal wellbeing.  Whether we understand and accept it or not, we are totally Dependent upon the Lord.  So let’s make a Declaration of Dependence to God today and experience the wonderful benefits of living a life of Dependence on the Lord.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Mammon

But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  1 Timothy 6-10As a believing American businessman who works in the financial services industry where value, profit and success are mostly measured in the currency of money, this verse is sobering but also quite refreshing. Sobering in the sense that we are all susceptible to the temptation of lacing our hope in the things of this world with a foacus on money as the means to that end; therefore, we must proactively guard our hearts from this human condition that I believe is part of our nature.  Refreshing in the sense that at the end of the day we will leave this world the same way we entered it, with nothing; thus, all that really matters are things of eternal value which we know have nothing to do with temporal possessions and wealth but have everything to do with eternal things of God and people (relationship), which last forever.If the “love of Money” is the root of all evil then what does that really mean.  “Love of money” is synonymous with the word Mammon which implies we idolize and worship money and materialism such that we put our faith in money believing that money will meet our needs and make us happy.  On the surface this sounds extreme but if we truly evaluate our hearts it is not hard to understand how we might find instances of Mammon in our lives, at least it is for me.  So love of money or Mammon is the alternative to faith in God’s grace and provision.  It is faith in future human and material resources – the kind of thing you can obtain or secure with money.  Therefore the love of money, or trust in money, is unbelief in the promises of God.  Jesus said during the sermon on the mount that “No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money (Mammon)” Matthew 6:24.  Because of the value system of our world and the way our financial system is organized it is easy to fall into this trap.  The truth of the matter is that we are all susceptible to this temptation and must be keenly aware of the trap so we can work to build protection in our lives.  So how do we reject the spirit of Mammon and find godliness with true contentment when it comes to dealing with money and wealth?  Paul gives us the key in verse 1 Timothy 11 “ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith.” I think the key is to take an offensive stand and proactively pursue the things of God along with some other key strategies outlined by Paul in the book of 1Timothy that I found to be well-articulated by Pastor Larry Stockstill in his daily devotional:Paul taught Timothy three vital truths about money/finances:

• First, he taught him that the love of money can be dangerous to one's spiritual health. Money itself is not evil, but the love of money is a dangerous deception that can lead even to being drawn away from the faith. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9.  The proper attitude toward money must be one of contentment. As we live our lives, we must be thankful for what we have, not always wanting what we don't have. “
• The second truth is that God desires to bless us. He "richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17). God is not a taker- He's a giver! He longs to bless us for our enjoyment. ¹⁷ 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. 1 Timothy 6:17
• The third truth Paul shared regarding money is the principle of giving, which is the true antidote to the spirit of Mammon. He urged Timothy to instruct the rich to remember to use their earthly wealth for doing good, thus laying up an eternal reward in heaven.  ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19

As we proactively invest in God’s Kingdom Work we will be protected from the spirit of Mammon and our investment will be multiplied back to us in the life to come. Let's use our money as a tool for eternal investment, and one day we will see it again as “Treasures in Heaven”.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Difficult People

What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have because you do not ask God.  James 4:1-2

I don’t know about you but dealing with difficult people is one of the biggest challenges in my life.  I am convinced it is part of God’s perfect plan to put difficult people in our lives to test us and help us grow and become more Christlike.  I believe this is what God calls sanctification.  Whether you are a follower of Christ or not, you will have to deal with difficult people in life.  So what does God’s word say about dealing with difficult people?  I can assure you that God’s ways are not our ways, in fact from my perspective, God’s ways seem to be quite counter-intuitive.  That being said, I am convinced by my experiences on this topic that God’s ways are much better than my natural inclinations and surely much more purposeful and life giving.  The bottom line is that we can only change what how we respond and act towards others, so it is more about us then it is about them.  In fact, I think we need to continue to ask the question to ourselves if we might just be the “difficult person”.I heard a recent message by Pastor Chris Hodges on what God’s word instructs us about dealing with difficult people:

• First, He tells us to Overlook offenses.  “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense”.  Proverbs 19:11
• Second, He tells us to Pray for them.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:43-44  
• Third, He tells us to Forgive them.  “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”  Colossians 3:13
• Fourth, He tell us to Bless them.  “Do not do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult to repay an insult.  But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves were called to do this so that you might receive a blessing”. 1 Peter 3:9
• Finally, He tells us to do Good to them.  “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written;  “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, “ says the Lord.  On the contrary:  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. “Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21

I am convinced that the only way we can even come close to walking this out in our lives is by the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is that if we truly receive and comprehend what God has done for us, then we will have the capacity to love and bless difficult people.  Since we have been forgiven much we have the capacity to forgive much.  “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us”. Ephesians 4:31-32We are blessed so we can be a blessing, especially to those that are most difficult because it is the Kindness of the Lord that leads us/them to repentance.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Freedom in Christ

This is a word from my good friend Jesse May who along with the Holy Spirit inspired me several years ago to start writing my Word of the Week. He sends out a “Word of the Day” and last Thursday when I received this it was exactly what I needed so I wanted to share it with you this week in my “Word of the Week”.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Thought for the Day: "Freedom in Christ is something that we all search for and long to have in our lives.""Scripture shows us that when sin entered the world, it brought these three cages along with it: fear, pain, and shame. We are all broken in these areas. We have fears that paralyze us, pains that defeat us, and shameful thoughts that distort who we truly are in Christ.The good news is Christ gave us keys to get out of these cages! Faith. Hope. Love.Faith to believe who we truly are in Christ demolishes our shame. Hope to persevere through our pain. Love that casts out all fear.We may find ourselves coping in a life guided by fear, pain or shame: We keep secrets. We wear masks. We believe lies. However, a life of faith, hope, and love is characterized by the opposite — trust, transparency, and God’s truth!Prayer: "Thank you, God, for not giving me a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-discipline. In your name, Jesus, I ask you to remove the power of fear, pain and shame in my life. Help me not be tangled up in them but to break through to the true freedom found in the faith, hope and the perfect love you've give me." Amen (Greg Gackle - Life Church)Have a great week walking in the Freedom of Christ Jesus through Trust, Transparency and God’s Truth….-Duane

Word of the Week - Graciousness

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6Solomon taught that wise men speak graciously, but fools destroy themselves with their words (Ec 10:12). While he attached the critical adjective “odious” to women, he attached “froward” to men. A froward man is difficult, harsh, obnoxious, perverse, and unreasonable; he is the opposite of gracious. Kings delight in righteous speech (Pr 16:13), for they want counselors and ambassadors that advise and represent them well. Solomon highly praised pleasant words. Graciousness begins with a pure heart. Bitterness, envy, or strife in the heart is from the enemy of our soul, and leads to all sort of confusion and evil (James 3:14-16). A man’s speech reflects his heart (Luke 6:45), so you must keep your heart with all diligence (Pr 4:23). If your heart is cheerful, contented, forgiving, kind, and thankful, you will think gracious thoughts. We must reject all sinful thoughts of bitterness, envy, evil surmising, malice, or revenge.  A pure heart produces gracious speech. Paul said, “Let your speech be always seasoned with grace” (Col 4:6).  Graciousness is wonderful character trait. A gracious person is often described as a beautiful or charming person. Whether man or woman, graciousness makes a person delightful, pleasant, and winning. It is a rare and sweet pleasure to meet one. And this trait is most clearly shown by excellent speech. You will meet very few in life; they will have great reputations; they will warm your soul; and you will crave their company.  Lord create in me a pure heart and renew in me a steadfast spirit so I can have a full portion of your graciousness to dispense from my inmost being.-Duane

Word of the Week - Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

In the busyness of the world we live in that seems to be moving so fast with all of the technology that is constantly bombarding us from every direction, the idea of Rest seems elusive.  There is no doubt that most of us are stressed and worn out because we are so busy and we don’t really know how to Rest.  “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.” Psalm 127:2  We think we can find Rest in more sleep, time off or vacations; even though these are good things that we all need to remain healthy, the Rest that is referred to in Matthew 11 above is a much deeper level of Rest that is needed for our souls to be refreshed and restored.So what is this “Rest” that the Lord is referring to in Matthew 11 and how can we receive it.  It starts with salvation and knowing deep within our being that we are safe and secure in Christ as a child of God.  Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”  Our souls long to know that we are safe and secure in God our Father similar to a child’s longing to know that he or she is under the loving protection and security of parents.  This brings a deep sense of security that allows to experience a deeper state of Rest.  We also find true Rest by putting healthy and intentional boundaries in our lives so that our souls have space to Rest and be refreshed.  This is the principle of Sabbath that is contrary to how the world operates but is truly a key to finding real Rest.  “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God”. Exodus 20:8-10.  God our Creator, designed us with the Sabbath in mind for our own good, and we will only find true rest and perform at our best if we adhere to God’s design and embrace the Sabbath.  The idea of Sabbath is that we stop and don’t engage in our “vocational work” for one day a week.  During our Sabbath day of Rest, we would engage in feeding our body, mind, soul and spirit with good healthy and godly things that refresh us.  Going to church on Sunday is just one of these things, but the Sabbath principle is much broader than church attendance.  It should include time for prayer, study, exercise, fellowship, enjoying family and recreation/hobbies.  Most importantly having space between your work and your soul life.  Finally, we find true Rest when we live with purpose and significance.  If we truly understand why we are on this earth and have an eternal God perspective then we can find Rest in knowing and trusting that God “works all things together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.  This gives us a deep sense of security and Rest even in the trials and storms of life.Psalm 23 is an amazing scripture that exudes the idea of Resting in God even in facing the trials and tribulations of life.“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”I pray the Lord gives you a wonderful day of Rest and you will experience the deep Rest that comes from knowing and walking with the Lord Jesus. Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Righteousness

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14

The Righteousness of God is one of the most powerful attributes of God but it is also one of the most elusive and misunderstood.  Put simply God is Righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu) and only through Him can we be made right and possess godly Righteousness.  By His very nature and essence, God is the standard for Righteousness.  In our culture, we have this idea that Righteousness is some sort of group consensus or personal view on what we think is fair and equitable measured against our own man made rules and laws; or even more concerning, the interpretation of the law by a human judge or court.  It is only through God’s word that we can understand true godly Righteousness, for God’s Word is the foundation of His Righteousness.While the most common Old Testament word for just means ‘straight’, and the New Testament word means ‘equal’, in a moral sense they both mean ‘right’.  When we say that God is just, we are saying that He always does what is right, what should be done, and that He does it consistently, without partiality and prejudice.  God’s Righteousness is the natural expression of His holiness.  He is infinitely pure thus opposed to all sin, and that opposition to sin must be demonstrated in His relationship with us, His creation.  Richard Strauss defines Righteousness in relation to men as our conformity to God’s standard.  Unlike men, God is not subject to anything outside of Himself, He is the standard.The reality of mankind is that we were not capable of adhering to the standard/law of the Old Covenant and thus God in His Righteousness and amazing love and grace sent His son Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be covered by the Righteousness of Christ and have the opportunity for fellowship with our Holy and Righteous Father in Heaven.  We are only made Righteous before God and man by taking on the nature of God and allowing His Righteousness to become alive on inside of us through repentance and fellowship with the Lord Jesus.  Jesus taught that true Righteousness is not that which men regard as Righteous based upon external appearances, but that so judged by God based upon His assessment of our hearts.  “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” Luke 16:15Most importantly, God reveals His Righteousness to redeem us to Himself because He loves us and deeply desires for us all to come to repentance and have salvation.  “The Lord has made know His salvation; He has revealed His Righteousness in the sight of the nations.  He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;  All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  Psalm 98:2-3.Thank you Lord that you are our Righteousness!!!!!!!!!!Have a great week..-Duane

Word of the Week - Willing Spirit

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12

So what exactly is a Willing Spirit?  When it comes to our walk with the Lord, being positioned to say “yes” to what God has for us and where God is leading us, knowing that He loves us as a good Father and has our best interest at heart.  If you have children, you can definitely understand and relate to this concept.  There is nothing more challenging than a child that is defiant and lacks a Willing Spirit.  This is simply difficult and not in the best interest of the child or the family but for some reason, which is typically due to a skewed perspective, a child can create their own demise by not being willing to take the lead from parents. Parents typically know what is best and have the child’s best interest at heart but they cannot help the child if the child is not willing to be helped, especially as kids become teenagers and young adults. Similarly as children of the living God, we tend to think we know better; therefore we don’t have a Willing Spirit” and we choose to go our own way, which always leads to less than the best outcome.King David knew that his posture towards the Lord was key to his blessing from the Lord.  Knowing that God alone is our source, we must position our hearts and minds to receive what God has for us and be open and willing vessels, with the “Yes Lord” on the inside.  The verses prior to the one above help us understand how to posture ourselves to receive what God has for us “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”  Psalm 51:10-11.  This shows David’s dependence upon the Lord and his deep desire for God’s presence in his life, knowing he could not even trust his own motives but needed the Holy Spirit within him.  I pray that we will posture ourselves to allow God to grant us a Willing Spirt so we can receive all that God has for us; for He has great things in store for each of us.  Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Hardships

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

In last week’s Word of the Week I shared how God Comforts us in times of trouble, because He loves us and desires to strengthen us in times of trial to encourage us to press forward toward His divine plan for our lives.  Through these trials we continue to be sanctified and become more Christlike, which is an important part of God’s plan for us.  He promises to always be there with us because He knows that the journey of a follower of Christ is one of Hardship.  No one experienced this greater than Saint Paul; you have to love and admire his almost unfathomable determination and perserverance in some of the most challenging of circumstances.  He was only able to do this because he was so clear about his mission in Christ and the reality of the end goal.  He also clearly understood the implications and what was at stake for the balance of eternity, he had a clear sense of urgency and purpose.  The following verse really shows Paul’s heart and clarity of understanding of what God had called him to undertake in His calling and mission to advance God’s Kingdom on earth for the good of all God’s children.  By the way, Paul endured his Hardships with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving.“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you,  and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.  Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;  through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;  sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”  2 Corinthians 6:1-10This is a challenging message and probably not a refrigerator verse for most of us, but the reality is that when we sign up on God’s team as followers of Christ, we are also signing up for an everlasting adventure that will be very challenging and require everything, our all and all.  It is like joining the Special Forces, you are part of the world’s most elite military forces; it is not for the faint of heart and will require you to be all in and willing to give everything, yes even your life, but the reward far outweighs the cost.  The key is that we have clarity of our mission, vision and purpose in Christ then we will have the internal peace and fortitude to press on through the trials of life knowing that the eternal reward far outweighs the short term pain and Hardships that we will endure.^“ Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-14 So be encouraged and press on through your Hardships knowing that there is purpose in the pain and we are overcomers and ultimately victorious in Christ. We are on the winning team…By the way, God is with us through it all and so are fellow believers if we invite them to walk through the Hardships with us.  Remember that we all face Hardships and we are not in this alone.  They only last for a while and then the joy come.Hope you and your family have a blessed Labor Day and great week. -Duane

Word of the Week - Comforter

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.  2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

Regardless of your status or circumstance, in this life we all experience tough times that create distress, fear, anxiety pain and dis-ease.  In fact, one of God’s promises to us is that we will have trouble “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.  The good news is that as followers of Christ we have victory due to His work on the Cross.  But He does not stop there, He goes much further and tells us that in the midst of our troubles and pain He desires to be with us and Comfort us.  Just like a good earthy father would do to a son or daughter who is facing difficult circumstances in life, our heavenly Father desires to Comfort us when we are facing trials and feeling pressed and trapped.  As part of His design He gave us Himself in the three persons of God (Trinity), the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  God’s Holy Spirit literally means – Great Comforter.As follower of Christ it is critical that we know and understand that God deeply desires to be with us and Comfort us in all situations and circumstances of life but especially when we are going through the difficult and fiery trials in life.  Suffering is an inevitable part of our Christian life that gives us an opportunity to learn and experience the gentle and loving hand of our great Comforter. God desires to meet our every need if we simply invite Him into our situation and surrender to Him our circumstances and trust in His provision.  In doing this God can literally turn dire and hopelessness into Hope and life giving encouragement.  This is the work of God.So why would God allow us to suffer in the first place?  That is what is so amazing about God our Father, He cares more about developing us in His purpose so He uses the trials we face in life to show us His love and kindness in order to help us grow more faithful and dependent upon Him, for a much bigger God purpose.  In our trials, if we turn to God and depend on His strength in our weakness and vulnerability, we can truly experience His tangible peace and Comfort.  This is how we experience God in His supernatural ability and our faith increases.  He also does this to align us to His divine plan for all humanity; for us His children to become His hands and feet to give Comfort to those in need; in doing so, we become ambassadors/disciples of His peace and Comfort to show the tangible Love of God.  “It is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance”  Romans 2:4  This allows God to use us to love and Comfort our fellow believers and bring Good news of the Gospel to those who are lost who don’t know Christ and need salvation.  Finally, at the most intimate level, God allows us to share in His suffering so that we can relate with at some level how He suffered for us, which leads us to rejoice in the reality of our salvation and hope in Christ.  We would never be able to appreciate the reality of what Jesus endured if we did not know suffering and the hope of redemption.  Without suffering there is not an opportunity to be Comforted.So when we are pressed, depressed, suffering, or in despair – let’s remember to turn it over to God and seek Him for Comfort. Let’s Worship and praise Him in the midst of our pain when we feel like we are locked in to a narrow, dark place - - Let’s remember, as Christians we can receive Comfort from the highest source. And when He gives us peace and Comfort let’s share it with others.  And finally, let’s rejoice in our suffering and Comfort because we understand that we have a seat at the table and are co-laboring with Christ.By the way, I received an immeasurable amount of Comfort from the Lord this week in a very dire situation, which is why I am sharing this with you😊.Have a great week….-Duane

Word of the Week - Truth

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

Last week’s “Word of the Week” was about the power of our Thoughts and how important it is to feed our minds a daily diet of divine food, so we can experience the fullness of God.  I also shared Philippians 4:8, where Paul is instructing us on how to think and proactively manage our thought life “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such thing”.  The first thing he mentions in his list of things to think about is Truth – he says to think about “What is True”.  So what is Truth?Webster defines Truth - as most often being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard.  As Christians our faith is founded on biblical Truth, the original standard, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and all Truth comes from Him and through the Bible – the Living Word of God.  The truth of the matter is that we have to fully accept God at His Word to know Truth in order to receive the full benefits of our faith.  We cannot believe some of what God says, we have to believe and receive all of Him and His Word and Truth.  As human beings this can be very hard for us because much of the Truth does not make sense or resonate with us, we simply don’t understand.   If you step back for a second and realize that God is God, the Creator of heaven and earth and we are simply people, His creatures that He made in His image for His purpose; it does not take long to realize that we may not understand many things of God because His ways are not our ways and His ways are higher and not fully comprehensible to us.If you believe that God’s Word is absolute Truth then you will know and experience the power and freedom in seeking, discovering and knowing the Truth.  We also understand from God’s Word that we live in a fallen world and have any enemy of our souls who is literally out to destroy us through perverting the Truth through lies.  The Devil is the father of lies and deception – anti-Truth.  “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”  John 8:44  Our enemy desires to destroy us by keeping us in the dark and away from the Truth.  God came to bring Truth and light so we can overcome our adversary and be set free to live in the fullness of Christ and do what God has called us to do.  “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32So as believers what how do we walk in the freedom of the Truth?  We seek God and His Truth with all of our heart.  We have an offensive and defensive game plan for each day that God gave us in Ephesians 6.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  John 8:31-32  We also trust and believe God and His promises and put these into memory and practice within our minds.  Here are a just a few that are powerful.

• I am alive with Christ. (Ephesians 2:5)
• I am a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
• It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
• I am greatly loved by God. (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12)
• I can do all things through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:13)
• I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
• I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. (Romans 8:37)

Have a great week walking in Truth….-Duane

Word of the Week - Thoughts

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

If you think about it, our perspective and how we see things is what pretty much drives our lives in terms of what we do, how we treat people, and how we feel about ourselves and life in general.  Our perspective is simply our minds eye view of ourselves, the world and all that is going on around us.  The essence of this perspective is simply a function of our thoughts and what is going on in our heads.  Most of what happens in our thought life is subconscious, meaning we just allow it to happen to us, opposed to intentionally protecting and directing what comes into our mind and thoughts.  Contrary to popular belief, it does not have to be this way.  In fact God’s word tells us that we should actively and vigilantly guard what we allow to enter our minds and hearts.  I truly believe that this is key to healthy and godly living, to simply choose to take control of our minds and our thoughts.  “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 10:5.  This is a choice that we make each and every minute of every day.  If we allow our minds to be fed with bad thinking then it is likely that over time our minds will be conditioned and we will form negative or perverted perspectives.  The old saying “garbage in garbage out” holds true.  As important to keeping the garbage out, we must feed our minds with good thoughts that are based on truth.  God’s Word, which is our daily bread of life, literally has the power to transform our minds and thus transform our lives.  I personally experienced this 17 years ago when I decided to follow Christ wholeheartedly and started to live out what I am talking about here by protecting my mind and feeding it a nutritious daily diet of good godly food.  It is by far the most meaningful and impactful decision I have ever made in my 50 years on earth and has had an unbelievable positive impact on my life, my family and my circle of influence and I feel like I am just getting started.So what do we do about this?  First and foremost, we need to call upon the Lord and give our lives to Him so that we can tap into His power to overcome the attacks against our minds.  This is the process of surrender and salvation Romans 10:9.  Second we must replace the old stinking thinking with new godly thinking by renewing our minds daily through God’s word.  This needs to be reinforced by meditating on God’s Word and by taking hold of several of His truths and promises such as:

1. Think Good thoughts about yourself knowing you are a child of God and heir to His Kingdom.  Eph 2:10, Jeremiah 29:11
2. Think God thoughts and understanding that we are operating in a different realm when we are with God. Eph 3:20, Matthew 19:23
3. Think Grateful thoughts by counting our blessings and understanding how good God is to us.  1 Thes 5:18, Psalm 100

I encourage us to do what Paul talks about in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”I pray that God will renew our minds in Christ Jesus.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Forgiveness

“Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who have sinned against us”.  Matthew 6:12

God’s love for us is demonstrated by His amazing grace that “While we were still sinners God died for us” Romans 5:8  In doing so, by His blood Jesus took away the sin of the world to give us access to salvation through Forgiveness of the original sin of Adam and our own personal sin.  God offers us Forgiveness of our sins with only the stipulation that we admit we are sinners in need of His saving grace by confessing our sins to God, and that we extend this same Forgiveness to others.  The truth is that no matter how good we are, we are still sinners “We are all sinners and fall short of the Glory of God”. Romans 3:23.  So whether you are a proclaimed Christian or not, you are in need of Forgiveness.  God is so loving and good that He literally came to earth in the flesh to give us the gift of Forgiveness and model what it looks like.  Yes, he hates sin but He loves sinners (us) and desires to wash us clean by His blood through the miracle of Forgiveness, which is available to all who call upon His name with humble and contrite hearts.Just as the Lord freely Forgives us, He requires us to extend this same grace to others.  This can be really challenging because people can really hurt us and it is very hard to Forgive someone who has wounded you deeply.  That being said, it is much worse for us if we allow our hurts to grow bitter roots of resentment.  Research has shown that unresolved conflict and resentment can negatively impact your health and cause emotional, mental and physical issues such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.  It has been said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison hoping the other person gets sick; it really impacts us rather than the other person.  On the other hand, if we truly receive and understand the power of God’s Forgiveness, then we will have the capacity, strength and grace to Forgive others in the same way that God has Forgiven us.  In Forgiving others and letting go, we will find deep healing and restoration in our soul, regardless of how the person we are extending Forgiveness to reacts.  It is really not about them, it is about us and our relationship with the Lord.Personal health and freedom is a big reason to Forgive others but there is even a more important reason, unforgiveness breaks our fellowship with God.  “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” Matthew 5:23-24.  By the way it is up to us to make the first move in the process of Forgiveness and it is not a function of the other persons remorse or lack thereof.  Whether they apologize or not, we are still called to Forgive the person for the offense, no matter how meaningful. We are also called to offer people unlimited Forgiveness even for the same offenses. “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven”  Matthew 18:21-22By the way, Forgiveness is not to be confused with reconciliation.  Just because we Forgive people does not mean we have to hang out with them and it surely does not mean that we minimize what they have done to hurt us.  We are called to Forgive but not necessarily to forget.  The idea of Forgiveness is that we let go so we are not weighed down by the offense so we can move forward with freedom, but it does not mean that we foolishly repeat the same thing over and over. We have to pray for wisdom when it comes to relationships, sometimes they simply may not be healthy for us.  We are ultimately called to Love God and Love others and in doing so we must receive the fullness of God’s love and His Forgiveness so we have the capacity to extend the same Love to others.  This is the amazing Love and Grace of the Lord.“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:32Sorry, I got a little carried away on this one and went too long.  But Forgiveness is so important and misunderstood by many.Have a great week…-Duane