Word of the week - Knowing Jesus II

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

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

Word of the week - Knowing Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

Word of the Week - Benefits of the Cross

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

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

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

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

Word of the Week - godly Vision

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

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

Word of the Week - Goodness

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

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

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

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

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

Word of the week - Kindness

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

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

Word of the Week - Provider

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

This is a wonderful truth that is sometimes hard to fully grasp.  I will never forget how impacted I was when I actually received this truth about 18 years ago.  As a husband and father with a young family, I was very determined to do whatever I needed to do to be a good provider for my family.  As a business owner and entrepreneur earlier in my career, I had experienced a very painful business venture that took lots of energy and resources but did not provide the expected returns.  Even worse, it almost destroyed me, my marriage and family because I was so determined to “make it happen”.  This was a life lesson that helped me understand the principal of trusting God as my Provider.  In 2003 when I had the opportunity to start “Founders”, I was both excited and apprehensive based on my prior experience.  Through fervent prayer, godly counsel and discernment the Lord revealed to me the depth and truth of His role as my “Provider” and I “Got It”.  I understood the concept of stewardship and provision and embarked on my new venture with an entirely different perspective and posture.  This time around things were different, even though my name was on the Articles of Incorporation, I understood that God truly owned the business. It is really a pretty simple principal; since God is our Creator and Sustainer, He is the Provider of all things.  Why would we think it is different when it comes to our vocational pursuits to make income and Provide for our families?  Just like most biblical truth, it is really a wonderful and freeing to understand that we are not God and thus don’t have the power to control what happens in our day to day vocational endeavors.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a free pass for flippant living or being irresponsible; we do play a major role in influencing what happens and must take responsibility for our work; we will be held accountable for how we use what God has given us (time, resources, talents etc), but at the end of the day, we are not God and thus we don’t control the outcome.  We are simply imperfect human vessels who are given the opportunity and privilege to steward our families, businesses, ministries, relationships, for a period of time while we here are on this earth.  Our role is simply to align ourselves with the Lord in an abiding relationship, Trust Him in all things and give our very best effort.  The outcome is not up to us but up to the Lord. “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  But I truly believe that divine order brings blessing as noted a few verses later in Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with our wealth, with the firstfruits of your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” Our work is to sow the seed and tend the garden but only God can make it grow and produce the harvest.  This is up to the Lord, which is why we are so dependent upon Him.  That is why I love the serenity prayer and have it hanging on the wall in our conference room at Founders, it reminds us that God really is our Provider and He is sovereign:  “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.Just over 40 days until Easter!!!!   Have a great week enjoying relationship with Jesus our Provider.-Duane

Word of the Week - Focus

Philippians 3:8  "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

"Most of us have multiple layers and many dimensions that drive us day to day. We have dreams, desires, goals, responsibilities, commitments, and very long to-do lists. The result? We feel pulled in numerous directions and have scattered Focus and thus are much less effective and fall way short of living to our full God potential.The to-do lists may be unavoidable, but a scattered Focus isn’t. It’s possible to submit all those other desires and obligations under a single, higher pursuit. Instead of running after so many things in so many different directions, we can put things in order and prioritize under one preeminent Focus, our God purpose.Paul put it this way: I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things (Philippians 3:8). It wasn’t that he no longer fulfilled his responsibilities toward others or gave up all desires and dreams. In pursuing Jesus as the ultimate desire and Focus, everything else fell under that priority relationship. He was able to Focus on the one big thing that mattered most, and this one thing took care of the rest.  My buddy Tim Lee reminds me often of my Boudreaux translation of Matthew 6:33 “If you take care of God’s business He will take care of your business”.  As shared in last weeks “Word of the week” If we delight ourselves in the Lord then He will give us the desires of our hearts”  Psalm 37:4  We are simply blessed when we make the Lord our priority and Focus.There’s exhilarating freedom in giving up all things in exchange for the one thing of greatest value. Life feels much more free of clutter that way, and much more worthwhile. Unnecessary distractions fall away, and everything else fits under one ultimate purpose. And that purpose is far more significant than anything else." (excerpts from Chris Tiegreen via my good friend Jesse May)Have a great week and keep your Focus on the “one thing” that matters most – the person of Jesus.-Duane

Word of the Week - Delight

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Delighting ourselves in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him.  According to Merriam-Webster, Delight is defined as a high degree of gratification or pleasure – Joy.  I think we would agree that we all desire to have peace, fulfillment and joy in our lives but it often seems to be elusive and we end up experiencing the opposite such as anxiety, discontentment, and frustration.  So how do we Delight ourselves in the Lord?  I believe it really is about us aligning our values and our lives with the Lord and His values.  If we truly seek to find our satisfaction and worth in Christ, He promises to give us the longings of our heart.  My experience in walking with God over the past 18 years confirms this promise.  This is a self-fulfilling prophesy because as we pursue God and His ways He transforms our hearts and we become Christlike and value what He values.  This is truly the transformational power of the Gospel at work in our lives and it is really miraculous.  “But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well” Matthew 6:33  God simply desires to be the first priority and everything else follows.  As my friend Bruce Johnston says, “divine order produces divine blessing”.The challenge is that we live in a world with a different set of values and priorities.  These forces are real and constantly coming at us and our families from every angle every day, especially through media and I-phones.  The world system values and “delights” in wealth, status, power, material possessions, vanity and other temporary things of this world, which cannot be satisfied.  In this system we can never get what we want and are always left discontent and wanting more.  King Solomon the wealthiest person who ever lived wrote the entire book of Ecclesiastes with the conclusion that everything temporal is meaningless and only things of God and eternity really matter.  On the other hand, delighting in the Lord and things of eternity, which includes our fellow man, is true treasure indeed.  1 Timothy 6:6 reminds us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain”.   Furthermore, there is tremendous protection over our lives and our families if we make the Delighting in the Lord our priority.  “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24Psalm 37:4 above gives us the secret, when we delight ourselves in the Lord, when we pursue Him with all of our heart, He is the One Who will give us the desires of our heart, in line with His Kingdom, His way of doing things. In verse 5 of that same chapter we read that we are to “commit our ways unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” We Delight ourselves in Him by praising and worshipping Him, reading His Word, fellowshipping with Him, serving Him, loving Him and following his commands.  We also Delight ourselves in God by loving others and living the by the great commandment.  This all leads to knowing God at a deeper and more intimate level. The more we get to know the Lord, the greater our trust and peace will be in Him, regardless of our circumstances.This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to Delight in God’s way, He will always provide above and beyond our expectations.  Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” John 4:14I pray you have a Delightful 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

I love how God created our 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!!!!Not only do we have upside in Team and the joy of winning together but there is also great protection in the 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 6:19Finally, we must understand that we all have a place on the Team and that God’s 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 12:20-25We are better together and together we win…Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Relationship

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength;  the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  Mark 12:30-31

The more I live the more I realize that the key to life is real and healthy relationship with God and others, especially those close to us.  There is nothing more fulfilling and challenging than relationships.  On one hand, the true joy of life is sharing in the journey with others and experiencing the ups and downs of life with those we love.  On the other hand, the deepest pain and challenges I have experienced in life are associated with relational challenges, generally with those closest to me.  This is such a dichotomy but also the way God set things up because people are what matter most on this earth and their souls last forever.  If we allow Him, God will use relationship with Himself and others to refine us and mold us into His image, this is the process of sanctification.  So what is the difference between religion and relationship?  By definition, relationship is the way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected. Religion is a personal set of institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices.  Religion is based on people’s efforts at reaching God and being made right with Him through their own efforts.  Christianity is not about signing up for a religion it is about being born into God’s family.  It is relationship at the deepest level as we are adopted by our Father through our faith in, and relationship with Jesus by receiving what He did for us on the cross.  He then empowers us to live like children of the King.  He does not ask us to try to attain holiness by our own strength, as religion does, but He asks that our old self be crucified with Him so that His power can live through us.  God wants us to abide in Him to know Him, to draw near to Him, to pray to Him, and to love Him above everything.  That is not religion; It is relationship at its deepest and highest level, and this is where we find true life.Have a great week and don’t forget that it is Valentine’s Day on Thursday.  Great opportunity for enhancing your relationship with your significant other.Sincerely,-Duane

Word of the Week - Refuge and Protector

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

One of the most amazing gifts and benefits of a life of faith is that we serve a God who is a loving Father and as our Father He promises to be our Refuge and Protector.  One of the primary roles of any good father is to provide covering and protection for our children.  As a father of 3 daughters I have lots of first hand experience in this area and can really understand God’s heart in this.  My daughters are on my mind 24/7 as I am always concerned about their wellbeing and I am determined to be there for them in times of trouble.The truth is that we have a heavenly father who is thinking about us 24/7 and is most concerned with our well-being both now and for eternity.  This does not mean that we will not face trials and danger in life, to the contrary God tells us that we will go through trials and face many perils throughout our lives, but He promises to be there with us in the trials to see us through “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 He promises us in scripture that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” Hebrews 13:5.  As our heavenly father He is faithful and will always be there for us.  The key to this is that we trust Him by faith and call up on His name and invite Him into our lives daily.  That we pray for His covering and Protection over our lives and over our family, and depend on Him as our Refuge and Protector as we face the day to day dangers and trials of this life on earth.  We live in a fallen world that is full of sin and evil and we all need God’s covering through the blood of Christ to Protect us.  “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” 2 Thes 3:3One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 91 because it so richly expresses God’s love and concern for us as our Refuge and Protector:  “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[ I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91I pray that we will know and trust God our heavenly Father as our Refuge and Protector and proactively call upon His name each day and receive His benefits as so well-articulated in Psalm 91.Have a great week….-Duane

Word of the Week - Childlike dependence

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption as son/daughter. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Through His death on the Cross, Jesus made the way for us not only to be saved from the wrath of God but to become fully sons and daughters of God the Father.  When we receive Jesus and the gift of salvation, we become co-heirs with Jesus to our loving Father.  We literally become part of God’s family as one of His children…Hallelujah!!!!  As God’s children we cry out and entrust ourselves to God fully as our Abba, Father.  This is something to be giddy about, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” Mark 10:15  We can now approach God just as Jesus did with complete confidence, childlike dependence and absolute assurance that He will never ever leave us or forsake us.  As followers of Christ we are God’s children who have been adopted into His family and can approach the throne of grace with confidence not with a spirit of fear but a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters of God by which we cry out, Abba! Father! In today’s language this is like calling God our Daddy or Papa, an endearing term that implies deep love and trust.  By the blood of the lamb we are redeemed and grafted into His family.  This is how God sees us His children now that we are in Christ, He can love us and relate with us just as He relates with His son Jesus.  We are no longer distant slaves of the law but His holy children who He desires to draw near to Himself.  As sons and daughters of God we should have a hunger and desire to be close to our Abba Father just as a young boy or girl desires to be close to a loving dad who provides safety and security for his children.  This is an amazing gift, and at times, a reality that is hard to comprehend.  As we grow in communion with the Lord Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will give us confident, happy, peaceful affection towards God as our Father who loves us and wants the best for us.  Of course we revere His awesome power but we trust that He is for us and “If God is for us who can be against us” Romans 8:31  If you want to know that you are a child of God; put your ear to the Gospel and your eye to the Cross of Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to see and accept it for what it really is; In Christ we are sons and daughters of God the Father and co-heirs to God’s eternal Kingdom with Christ.  “For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family.  That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers & sisters” Hebrews 2:11Walking by faith with Childlike dependence on our Abba Father.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - JOY

May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Joy is something that I think we all desire more of but at times it can be difficult for us to possess.  Even though it is similar to the concept of happiness, Joy is much deeper because it is an attitude and condition of our soul.  Happiness tends to be more short term and based upon circumstances and driven by our feelings, whereas Joy is more foundational and based upon a deeper inner condition that can withstand the waves of feelings and circumstances that we all face in our day to day lives.  It is pretty amazing how both James and Paul talk about the power of Joy at work in our lives and how it can produce within us an inner fortitude that can supply us the strength to live in victory no matter what circumstances we are facing.  “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” James 1:2-3.  James is reminding us of a key concept as it relates to Joy, if we trust God and know that He is using us for His plans, then we understand that there is purpose in the pain and we can find the Joy of the process of being sanctified in Christ Jesus.  This gives us hope, peace and strength, which are all foundational to having Joy.  Jesus our savior modeled this for us as He was sacrificing His life for us on the cross.  “So we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.  For the Joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.  Most importantly I think we need to realize and remember that Joy is a choice.  We receive Joy by choosing to abide in Christ through His word and truth, which give us deep security in our eternal destiny.  If you truly believe God’s truth then you cannot help but be overjoyed because it is so amazing and Joyous what God has done for us.So rejoice, rejoice the Lord is near and He is with us and for us.  I pray that “The Joy of the Lord will be our strength” Nehemiah 8:10Have a great and Joy filled week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Unity

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  Mark 3:25  I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.  1 Cor 1:10

As Christians we are privileged to be part of a body of believers under one Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  As God’s sons and daughters we are perfectly and uniquely created to have different gifts, personalities and perspectives.  I personally find this to be one of the great blessings of life, though it can be really challenging and at the worst of times lead to discord.  It is quite normal, even for believers to have different views and opinions but at the end of the day we remain United as One body in Christ.  No matter what denomination or church tradition we come from we all share the same truth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  On a similar but different note, we are privileged to live in the greatest Country on earth.  As United States citizens we are blessed to all be Americans regardless of our race, national origins or political affiliation.  As Christians and Americans let’s embrace the power and blessing of Unity as one Nation under God.-Duane

Word of the Week - Salvation

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast”  Ephesians 2:8

The essence of the Christian faith, or any faith for that matter, is the end game and where we spend eternity.  Salvation in and through Christ is the end game for Christians and as believers it is a primary focus and motivation to know and follow Christ.  Our eternal destiny is a big deal since we are all going to transition from life on earth to somewhere else after our physical death, which is inevitable for all of us.  There are a few things that are certain and no one can deny, and one of those is the fact that we are all going to die, it is just a matter of time.  This is not a popular topic but it is a reality that we must all face in the journey of life.  “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens;  a time to be born and a time to die”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  That being said, the “Great News” of Jesus Christ is that He came to earth lived, was crucified by death on a cross and rose again with the primary mission of bringing Salvation to all.  What is amazing is that He did all of the hard work and sacrificed all for us, we simply have to believe and receive the “free gift” of Salvation.  This is the gospel message, the Good News of our Christian faith.

The biggest challenge we face in this process is ourselves and our way of thinking.  Since we live in a world where we work to produce to earn our keep, and justify ourselves, we tend to believe that God works in a similar way.  This is even how many religions characterize Salvation, if your good works outweigh your sin then you will be accepted and have your reward.  On the contrary, Jesus makes it very clear throughout His Word that our Salvation is about one thing, the person of Jesus and what He did on the cross.  We can never be good enough or do enough good works to earn acceptance by God, it is simply not possible because we are sinful and human.  The amazing news of our faith is that we don’t have to be good enough, we simply have to accept and receive what Christ did for us on the cross and fully believe by faith and we will have eternal life.  “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

So what about good works?  As Christians aren’t we supposed to be salt and light to the world and produce fruit of the spirit?  Yes, but this fruit is not produced by us it is produced by Christ at work within us.  The fruit and good works of a believer are simply a biproduct of believing and knowing Christ.  So the work of a believer is to pursue and know Christ through an abiding relationship and He takes care of the rest.  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide and you and you will produce much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5  The really cool thing is that the more we get to know the person of Christ the more we want to love Him by following His commands and loving others.  So our motivation to do good works is born out of love and gratitude and not driven by fear.  Finally, when we trust God by believing in Jesus and become true followers of Christ, we are not just saved but we are fully justified and adopted as co-heirs with Christ.  So we are actually part of God’s family and have access to the same powers and privileges of Christ.  ^“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by Him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Romans 8:14-17.  I know this is very hard to believe but it is what God’s word tells us.

So let’s rejoice in our Salvation and walk in the fullness of God’s spirit as sons and daughters of the living God justified freely by our faith through the blood of the lamb of Christ.  This is truly good news that should embolden us as we begin 2019.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Jesus First in 2019

But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

As we start 2019, I am grateful for the blessings of 2018 and look forward to what the Lord has in store for the year ahead.  It is hard to know what lies ahead in the journey of life as the years pass by but one thing we know for certain is that the Lord is faithful and unchanging.  He truly is the great “I am”, everything that was (history), that is (present) and that is to come (future) He holds in His hand.  What is so amazing is how good He is to us and how much He loves us.  He gave everything on the cross for you and me.  This is why I feel led to share this weekly Word, because I want to share the goodness of the Lord and remind us how awesome God really is in the person of Jesus, and encourage us to pursue Him and know Him more.  If you knew someone who was a faithful true friend, full of mercy, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love, trusting, generous and dependable.  Who has the power to fill you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control and desired to always do so.  Who was a gracious and gentle guide (shepherd) who wanted to spend time with you (daily fellowship and abiding) whenever you wanted to be with Him.  Who’s deepest desire was to help you persevere and overcome all things and redeem you and all your mistakes so you can flourish and live to the full.  Who always had your back and would never leave you or forsake you (Immanuel) even when you rejected Him.  Who came down to earth to live and die so that you can have eternal life with God the Father.  How could you not be attracted to such an awesome person?  Well that is just a brief and partial description of some of who the person of Jesus really is.  He really is the great “I am”, all that we need He is.  If we simply make Him the priority in our lives and “seek first” to know Him, He will supply all that we need to live a fruitful life.  He even goes further to tell us that He did not come to simply give us life but He came to give us life to the full, abundant life.  So as we start this new year let’s set our hearts and minds on “Seeking first God’s Kingdom” in the person of Jesus so we can know Him more and bear the fruit of His spirit.  What is so amazing is that we are the ones who really get the benefits of this amazing relationship.

Happy New Year….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Immanuel

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").  Matthew 1:23

This is the true gift of Christmas – Christ.  It is amazing that God sent His only begotten son Jesus down to be the ultimate sacrifice so we can have salvation, but He did not stop there.  Jesus came to this earth to be “with us” in the flesh and He remains “with us” in the good times and through the challenging times on this brief journey of life on earth.  Not only is He “with us” but if we invite Him, He lives “within us” and we can experience the manifest presence of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Under the new covenant established through Jesus birth, death and resurrection, we as followers of Christ are the temple of God’s Spirit.  Oh come, Oh come Immanuel!!!!!!!  And let’s Rejoice because God is “with us” and “within us”.  This is definitely a reason to Rejoice and give thanks to God on this special day of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

-Duane