Word of the Week - Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

Prayer is a wonderful gift that God gave us so we can simply communicate with Him as needed when needed, and He encourages us to pray frequently. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes 5: 16-18.  It is an amazing and powerful way of communing with the Lord and building our relationship and trust in Him.  It is one of the primary ways we get to express ourselves to God.  Prayer is so powerful because it actually puts our faith into action, which literally prompts God to put things into motion in the heavenly realm where God does His work. Because it is so powerful, our enemy does everything in his power to keep us from engaging in prayer.  Besides God’s Word, this is one of the most valuable offensive weapons we have as believers, and thus we should embrace prayer and use it as our First response instead of our Last resort.  Praying is much more than simply reciting memorized words, it is truly communing with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  There are different types of prayers just like we have many types of conversations.  The Lord’s prayer is an outline/protocol Jesus gave us to guide us in our conversations with God:

• Our Father in Heaven – connecting with God intimately and relationally as our loving Abba father who deeply loves us and wants what is best for us.
• Hallowed be Your Name – worshipping the name of God and acknowledging His position as our Sovereign God, Savior and Creator of the universe.  Praising Him for all that He is to us to include: our Righteousness, Sanctifier, Healer, Banner of Victory, Shepherd, Peace, Provider, Salvation, the Great “I Am” and much, much more…..
• Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven – praying God’s agenda first and making His priorities our priorities – i.e. praying for the lost and for those in leadership.   Seeking God’s direction and will for our lives.
• Give us this day our daily bread –  we acknowledge that God is our source and we are dependent on Him for everything. This is our opportunity to present our requests to God and petition Him in our needs and desires we have for ourselves and others.  This is generally what people think of first in prayer but it should not be the first order of business in our conversations with God.  We should first acknowledge God for who He is then praise and thank Him and try to better understand His agenda for us.
• Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors – this is our opportunity to repent and ask God to forgive us for our sins and also remember that we are called to forgive others who have sinned against us and hurt us in the process.  We must be willing to forgive if we want to receive forgiveness. This allows us to live in freedom.
• And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one – we do have an enemy that is doing all that he can to keep us from deep connection with God and the fruit of His Spirit.  We must recognize that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities , against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realms” Ephesians 6:12; therefore, we must take our stand against the enemy of our soul and proactively fight the good fight of faith.  Replacing every lie with truth from God’s word.
• For yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever – we express our faith in God’s sovereignty and His ability to move heaven and earth by His power for His Kingdom and eternal Glory.  We declare our faith in God for who He is and what He has done and what He will do in the future.

Just like any good relationship, the key to success is communication that leads to deep connection.  Prayer is a key to maintaining our relational connection with God and gives us access to His power.  So let’s make prayer a part of our day to day lives and watch God do His work in us and through us.  Pray first and pray often….”Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed” Mark 1:35Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Worship

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. John 4:23

God makes it very clear throughout scripture that He loves it when we His children Worship Him.  “He inhabits the praise of His people.”  Psalm 22:3  The word Worship in the Greek is “Proskuneo” which means to literally kiss the hand of the master or bow down in awe.  The picture that my pastor recently shared that was so relatable for me was the picture of a dog running up to its master at the end of the day and jumping up with excitement to greet his/her master and desiring to lick its master because it is so happy to see him and be in his presence.  I have awesome German Wirehair pointer named Kira who points birds and retrieves ducks.  I think God is so amazing that He created hunting dogs😊.  I love my dog Kira for many reasons but mostly because every day when I come home in the evenings she is always joyfully excited to see me and desires to jump on my lap and lick me in her excitement.  This analogy gives me insight into why it deeply pleases the Lord when we praise and worship Him with everything we have, heart, soul, mind and body.Throughout the bible there are stories of God showing up and doing miracles in response to worship.  Here are two examples:

• Jehoshaphat Victory over their enemy – As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and there enemy was defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22 God will go ahead of us to fight our battles as we focus on praising and worshipping Him in spirit.
• Paul and Silos Freed from Prison  – About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.  At once all of the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose”  Acts 16: 25-26  In our darkest times of life as we are walking through the valley of tears if we turn to God in praise and worship He will bring us hope, life and freedom.

So what does it look like to worship God?  “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind” Matthew 22:37

• Worship is simply an expression of our love for God  We worship by expressing our love and affection for God.  If we really love God and understand what He has done for us through our Lord Jesus, we will enthusiastically express our love toward Him in our worship.  Singing, dancing and raising our hands in excitement is analogous to us jumping up to lick the hands of our master.  “Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod” 2 Samuel 6:14
• Worship is focusing our mind and thoughts on God  We worship by placing our focus and attention towards God and making Him a priority in our thoughts each day.  Meditating on God and His word day and night.  Giving Him our First Fruits – the First and best of our time, energy and resources.  Practically making God the first thought of our day and pursuing Him first thing each morning is an expression of Worship.  “Worship the Lord with your wealth and the firstfruits of all of your produce” Proverbs 3:9  Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
• Worship is how we spend our time, money and energy  I once heard it said that we can know a person’s heart and priority by where they spend their time and money.  We Worship God by using what He has given us to bless Him and show our love toward Him and others.  How much of our time, money and energy do we invest toward God to show our love and thanksgiving.  This is true Worship.  “Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Opposition

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Opposition is a reality of the world we inhabit during our time here on earth.  As a result of original sin, God allows the enemy of our soul to exist as an opposing force of darkness  in our world and in our lives.  If you have lived any life and are aware of what is going on around you, you will see this force at work.   The “Good News” is that through the cross we have been equipped with the power and victory of Christ to overcome the enemy/opposer.  The key is to understand and recognize that we are in battle, and we have a real enemy trying to destroy us.  The opposer’s simple objective is to keep us from being effective in living out our God mission and purpose while we are here on earth.  This enemy is ruthless and will attack us in our most vulnerable areas such as marriages, families, and close relationships.  The enemy will do everything he can to destroy our key relationships to keep us from realizing our potential in Christ and living to the full.  But be encouraged because God has equipped us with all that we need to overcome “For God does not give us a spirit of fear and timidity but one of power love and self-discipline”.  2 Timothy 1:7So how do we fight the good fight and overcome the opposer of our soul?  Mostly by recognizing that we have an enemy and calling upon the Lord who is our protector and strength through a daily abiding relationship with Christ.  We must remain covered in Christ through prayer, fellowship, staying in the Word, and worship of the living God, this is our shield of defense.  But we can and should also take an offensive stance by using our “sword of the spirit” which is God’s Word combined with praying in the Spirit against the attacks of the enemy.Handling opposition is difficult, especially if the opposition is from those you love.  Jesus faced opposition continually, even from those in His own family who said, “He’s out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).  In addition, Jesus also faced opposition from the teachers of the law who remarked, “He’s possessed by Satan” (v. 22).In Psalm 37: 1-7, King David, “a man after God’s heart” gave us a great prescription for handling opposition:

• Trust in the Lord – “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture” Psalm 37:3  See the attack/opposition for what it is and don’t make the problem yours.  Give it to God and invite Him to lead you in the process of fighting the battle.  Our God is way bigger than our opposition and enemy.
• Delight in the Lord – “Take delight in the Lord, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” Psalm 37: 4  Keep your focus on the delightful and powerful relationship with God.  Remember what God has done in your life and “Give thanks in all circumstances” 1 Thes 5:17
• Commit your battle plan to the Lord – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust Him and He will do this; He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun”.  Psalm 37: 5-6  Shift the weight of the opposition from your shoulders onto the shoulder of your God who is more able to carry it.  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
• Be Still/Patient and wait upon the Lord – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7  How quickly we desire to attack and take matters into our own hands and begin to “fight hand to hand”.  We must learn the discipline of waiting upon the Lord to go ahead of us and clear the path for victory.  “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Proverbs 27:14

Trust, delight, commit and be still, and in the end you will see victory over your opposition and experience the true joy of the Lord.  In the process, God uses the opposition and process to build you into a mighty warrior in Christ so that you can realize all that He has called you to be in Him.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Fasting

"Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23

Fasting is a powerful discipline of our faith that many believers overlook.  Most professing Christians believe in the practice of praying on a regular basis and have the discipline of prayer integrated into their lives in some form but rarely do I find believers that value and practice Fasting on a regular basis.  The word of God is full of many scriptures that reveal the power of Fasting especially if combined with focused prayer.  Jesus told His disciples that there were certain spirits that were only cast out by “Prayer and Fasting”.  “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting;” Mathew 17:21. Even Jesus, God in the flesh, went out into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights Luke 4:2-4.  There is no doubt that as disciples of Christ we are called to fast and pray if we desire to realize all that God has for us:What is Fasting, Fasting is essentially giving up food or other things that you desire, need or enjoy for a designated period of time in order to focus your thoughts, attention and prayers on God.  Fasting is most powerful if combined with prayer, worship and scripture.  In Fasting we are simply working to intensify our spiritual connection with God by seeking connection to the spirit of God by feeding the things of the spirit and depriving the things of the soul and flesh.  As I mentioned in my “word of the week” last week, we are Triune beings comprised of body, soul and spirit and these 3 dimension of our being are in constant competition with one another.  By Fasting we are willfully and intentionally making our spirit the highest priority and thus our flesh and soul man tends to decrease and our spirit man comes more alive, which gives us heightened connection to God that results in increases spiritual awareness and power.  “Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded” James 4:8  Fasting is simply a way to intentionally live out James 4:8 and draw closer to God.What does it look like, Since Fasting is a personal and spiritual practice, there is no right or wrong way to Fast but there are some best practices that are helpful.  Most Fast involve giving up some or all food for a period of time.  Of course, our body must have food and water or it will die so Fasting needs to be well advised to ensure we are not doing something that is dangerous to our health.  That being said, we can go many days without food if we are drinking water or juices.  There are many different food related fast that include short term total fast whereby you give up eating for 24 hours or for 2-3 days; or more extended selective food fast where you may give up meats, sweets and breads and only do fruits and vegetables for 21 days.  This is referred to as the Daniel Fast. You can also Fast certain meals each day for a period of time.  You can reference the following link for more detail on various types of fast  https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/fasting.  You can also starve your soul by fasting certain hobbies or activities that you enjoy.  Minimizing media and social media intake is also a great way to quiet our emotions of the soul and feed become more attuned to the voice of God. The key is that you are giving up things that feed the body and soul and focusing your heart, mind and body on God and the things of the spirit.Benefits of fasting, The goal and most exciting benefit in Fasting is getting closer to God and that should be enough, but God is so good and loving that He gives us many more benefits.  Since our spirit is heightened and in deeper connection with God, we often can experience major breakthroughs and miracles in our lives through prayer and Fasting such as physical or mental healing and deliverance from strongholds or addictions that have plagued us or loved ones.  We can also experience revelation and gain clarity for our lives, especially if we are in seasons of trying to find direction or make big life decisions.  During times of fasting it is not uncommon to have revelation on new ideas and new vision that can profound and life changing.  Physically our bodies benefit from Fasting and typically become more healthy by ridding ourselves of toxins and other things that are purged out of our bodies through the process.  Most people lose weight and simply become more healthy and just feel better.  The act of Fasting by depriving our soul and flesh helps to cleanse and purify our hearts, minds and bodies.  God ways are so amazing because He truly knows what is best for us and there are always practical benefits to doing things the way God intended.The bottom line is that Fasting is a powerful discipline and tool for us a believers and when combined with prayer can really be the difference maker in our lives and walk with the Lord, especially when it comes to breaking through strongholds as noted in Matthew 17:21.  I have been practicing this discipline for the past 19 years since I came to faith and it has had a tremendous impact on me and my family.  It has had such an impact in my life that in addition to Fasting and praying with our church for 21 days in January, which is currently underway and you can join or check it out online at  https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/, I felt led over 15 years ago to begin each week with a 24 hour Fast from sundown on Sunday to sundown on Monday and this has been a true blessing and protection in my life and walk of faith.   Fasting is the act of humbling ourselves before God and declaring that we are dependent upon God as our provider and sustainer.  “The reward of humility and fear the Lord Are riches, honor and life.  Proverbs 22:4“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23-Duane

Word of the Week - Triune Man

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5:23

God created humanity in His image as a Triune being comprised of a Body, Soul and Spirit.  This makes us eternal beings unlike animals and other living things.  God also gave us free will, which allows us to choose whether we want to walk with God in spirit and live in connection with Him or simply follow our soulful and fleshly instincts in the carnal ways of our world.  Left up to ourselves, without a connection to God through our spirit, we are destined toward flesh, which leads to death in the spirt.  “For there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end leads to death” Proverbs 14:12  So why did God create us with these 3 dimensions and what does that mean for us in our walk of faith?Body/Flesh, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” Romans 8:5  God made us with a physical body that houses our soul and spirit man.  Our body is comprised of our 5 senses to include smell, touch, hearing, seeing and tasting.  Our bodies are made by God to have natural needs, wants and desires very similar to animals.  In fact our fleshly desires are very instinctual and animalistic and thus if not restrained by our soul and spirit can run ramped and create much chaos in our lives.  In order to sustain life, we have to feed our bodies food and drink and keep our soul healthy. If we allow our flesh to dominate then we will be controlled by the flesh, which leads us to a path of death and destruction.  The enemy of our soul operates very effectively in the realm of the flesh and is characterized at the “god of the earth”.Soul/Mind, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that is by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is the good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2  Our soul is comprised of our mind, will and emotions. This gives us the ability to think and feel and have relationship.  This dimension of our being allows us to experience life and interact with the world, it goes beyond our bodily senses to our inner thoughts, desires, dreams and emotions.  As we all have experienced, this is what drives most of us day to day and gets us out of bed to do whatever we do.  We don’t necessarily control our thoughts and emotions but we surely have tremendous influence over these things and must recognize that what we feed our minds and emotions is directly correlated to what we think, feel and do, who we really are as a person.  The principal of garbage in equals garbage out applies as does the principal of life and growth.  This is why it is most important to feed our minds and souls things that are good, healthy and life giving.  We should be very aware of what we are feeding our souls in terms of what consume through books and media along with the people we hang out with and the environments we spend time in.  We must be wise about what we feed our soul and guard our hearts and minds in Christ.Spirit/God within us, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:17-18  Our Spirit man is the part of us that allows us to be in connection with God through the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  This is the part of our being that lives forever either with God our away from Him.  This is the part of our being that is awakened when we are born of the Spirit in Christ and are saved through surrendering our hearts to God through salvation.  Interestingly, the process of being born of the Spirit typically involves us dying to our soul and flesh so that the Spirit can come alive in us and be regenerated in Christ.  Only after we are born of the Spirit do we truly begin to live as a complete being, which is why the experience is so powerful especially for people who have lived a large portion of their life without their Spirit being alive.  I know this to be true because I personally experienced this at the age of 33 and it was the most profound experience of my life to date.Living in the Spirt from the Inside out, Our tendency and natural inclination is to live from the outside-in as we go through life day to day focused on our bodily senses, thoughts and feelings leaving little if any room for our Spirit to be fed and grow.  I believe the key to life in Christ, the abundant life that Jesus speaks about in John 10:10, is to live from the inside-out.  If we make it our daily pursuit and priority to feed our Spirit by abiding/connecting with the Lord through praise, prayer, reading scripture, fellowship with believers and other spiritual disciplines, we will experience life and I Spirit will flourish allowing us to be Spirit led and have dominion over our soul and flesh.  The result/biproduct of living in the Spirit is that we will produce Spiritual fruit. This is the true goal of a believer and follower of Christ, that our lives would be fruitful.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23I pray you will experience the fullness of life in Spirit, Soul and Body as you live from the Inside-out in Christ…-Duane

Word of the Week - Everything "New"

"He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” Revelation 21:5

As we begin 2020, a New year and a New decade, we have the opportunity to start fresh and begin a “New” chapter of our lives, especially in our walk of faith.  I love this about God and our faith as Christians; as foundational as God is in the fact that He has been around since the beginning of time, He is the same today as He was in the beginning, but He is a God who loves to make everything New.  He desires for us to be born anew in His spirit so that we can experience the abundant life He promises us.  He also desires for us to be renewed and refreshed so we can continue to experience the fresh life of God and have the capacity to minister this hope to others.  In the Spirit of God there is always life and Newness and He calls us to pursue New things in Christ so we can flourish and rejoice in this truth.New Life in Christ, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 The New life in Christ, which is the abundant life that He speaks about in John 10:10, comes to us when we surrender our hearts and lives to Christ and are born afresh of His spirit.  In order to experience the New things of God we have to get ourselves out of the way and allow Him to do His work in each of us.  This is where salvation and New life begins and we literally become New persons in Christ.  I experienced this at the age of 33 and literally it changed the way I see God, myself and the world and I have not been the same since.  I was given a New identity in Christ and it awakened in me a New perspective that has truly been the biggest blessing of my life and made me a New person with New priorities, values, interest, disciplines, hopes and dreams.New daily perspective, disciplines and rhythms, “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17  The truth is that no matter how much we love God, life has as a way of taking a toll on us as the years pass and we experience the challenges, pain and disappointments that we will all experience since we live in a fallen and broken sin filled world.  According to this passage in God’s word, the key to living a healthy life is that we allow God to renew us each day by connecting to the vine of Christ, which provides the sustenance that we need to stay strong and faithful within our inner spirit man.  This is what gives us the strength to press on through the challenges of life with strength, faith and hope.  To maintain a healthy perspective we must have daily disciplines and rhythms that keep us in connection with the Lord.  Investing focused time each day with the Lord by talking with Him about life and our challenges (prayer), receiving guidance and instruction from Him (reading His word), and telling Him how much we love Him while gaining love and encouragement from Him (praise and worship), are some of the basic disciplines and rhythms of our faith that are key to having intimacy with the Lord and experiencing New things in Christ.As we begin this New Year I pray we will take inventory and make adjustments to our lives so we can experience the Newness and Goodness of God.  If you have never experienced the fullness of God by being born anew of the Spirit, there is no better time than now to surrender your life and start afresh in 2020.  This will be the best decision you ever make.  Simply praying the prayer of salvation and making Jesus your Lord and savior.  For those who have already surrendered their hearts and are pursuing God, there is no better time than now to assess, adjust and recommit to our daily disciplines in pursing an abiding relationship with Christ.  My friend John Maxwell says “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily.  The secret to your success is found in your daily routine”  Like any relationship, our relationship with the Lord is something that requires daily focus and attention.  Since it is the most important relationship in our lives, I would submit that it requires the most focus and attention.I pray the you will experience God in a New and Fresh way in 2020…-Duane

Word of the Week - Refuge and Strength in times of trouble

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46: 1-3

Life is filled with all types of experiences that include: joyous celebrations, challenging situations, spontaneous encounters, exciting adventures, triumphant victories and unfortunately sometime tragic events that we did not see coming.  I have heard it said that we are all either approaching a storm, in a storm or coming out of a storm.  So what do we do on those days when we find ourselves in the middle of the storms of life and tragedy.  When we get the unexpected phone call about the plane going down, like happened yesterday in my home town of Lafayette, LA where 5 lives were ended (3 of whom I knew personally), or the call about the diagnosis of Cancer for a loved one etc.  The reality is that we will all face these types of situations in life, the real question is how will we process and deal with these storms.  I love God’s word because it is full of true life stories where people like you and me were facing tremendous peril and tragedy and God used these situations to show His love and power by providing the strength and peace needed to weather the storms of life and ultimately overcome in victory.  I also love God’s heart as stated in the verse about that “He is our refuge and strength, and He is present as our helper and comforter in times of trouble”.  He does His best work in us and through us in the challenging and tragic storms and circumstances of life.As our refuge, God provides covering and protection to us so we can find comfort, protection and peace in the middle of the storm.  We literally can get under His covering and find rest in the midst of the emotional chaos, which is what we need when we are struggling with tragedy.  We simply need to look to Him and call upon His name and trust that He will show up and give us what we need.  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:2As our strength, God allows us to face these trials and tragedies with courage and He actually emboldens us to step up so we can extend love and empathy to those around us who are also facing the storm but may not have the hope of faith in Christ.  So many times our first instinct is to try to fix things in our own strength but I have learned through my experiences in life to look to the Lord for His supply of strength.  He will give us the divine strength we need to rise to the occasion.  An example of this was the amazing strength Coach Ensminger’s displayed in last night game after just finding out the tragic news about his 30 year old daughter-in-law perishing in the plane crash yesterday morning.  This is a quote from Ensminger’s player and wife last night after the game “For Coach E to come out and call the plays he called… somebody was watching over him,” says running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Asked in the postgame celebration how her husband did it, Amy Ensminger’s eyes begin to swell with tears and she points up to the heavens, “God,” she whispers.”  See  https://www.si.com/college/2019/12/29/steve-ensminger-lsu-carley-mccord-death for full story from Sports Illustrated article.  This is the essence of our faith, to trust God when all hope seems lost and we are broken and distraught by the calamity of life.  Somehow in the midst of the pain and darkness, through faith and trust in Him, He shows up and His light and love supplies us what we need.  He cast out fear and brings joy, hope and peace that allows us to receive the love of God and gives us the capacity to extend this love to others to encourage them in these times of need.  He is ever-present to those who know Him and call upon His name.I pray God’s blessings over you and your family in the New Year…..-Duane

Word of the Week - Christmas

" For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

Have you ever taken time to think about the impact that Christ birth had on our world?  Beginning with the celebration of Christ birth on December 25^th, which has culminated in the holiday of Christmas that is recognized and celebrated by most everyone around the world.  It is by far the most celebrated holiday in the western world and has an unrivaled impact on our world both economically, relationally and spiritually.  Further, our entire world calendar is based upon this event!!!  We actually measure time BC (Before Christ) and AD (After Death) by this single event.  This was obviously a major historical event that changed the world forever but yet it was such a simple and humble happening; a child being born in a stable amongst a handful of people.  The most amazing part of the Christmas story is that God sent Jesus “Unto us” you and me, as the gift of all gifts.  This is truly the reason for the season of Christmas, to celebrate the amazing gift of Christ unto us, all of humanity.  Anyone who wants to receive the gift has access, through a relationship with the person of Jesus.  Jesus came as God in the flesh and He is known as the great “I am” everything we need He is for us.  Jesus is both awesome and magnificent but personal and intimate, which makes Him our God, our friend, our comforter.  740 years before Christ, Isaiah prophesied the birth of Christ and some of the characteristics of Christ:Wonderful and Mighty  – In His awesome and eternal power, Jesus is King of all the heavens and the earth.  He is beyond our ability to understand, which makes Him our wonderful and magnificent God almighty.  His power is endless; He has been given authority over all things and literally sits at the right hand of God our Father and intercedes (advocates) for us.  We will ultimately stand before Him and He will have the final say as it relates to our eternal destiny.  If we “know Him” then we will enjoy eternity with Him.  “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?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22-23  He will ultimately return to earth in His second coming as a mighty King with a legion of angels with a mission to reconcile the world. Whether we choose relationship with Jesus or not, ultimately we will acknowledge who He is. “It is written, “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God” Romans 14:11Everlasting Father – We all desire to have a loving and caring Father in our lives to be there for us in the ups and downs of life.  There is nothing like the presence of a loving father when we are struggling and need strength and encouragement.  It is also a blessing to have a father who can share in our victories and success in life and who has our back no matter what the circumstance.  This is who Jesus is for us, He gives us access to Father God through the trinity and desires to be our loving “Abba” father in all circumstances of life.  Regardless of the status of our earthly Fathers, who are also a very important to us and our wellbeing, Jesus is there to be our connection to our Everlasting Heavenly Father. “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. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."”Counselor and Prince of Peace – As our Counselor, the Lord desires to be our friend and confidant in times of need. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14  The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us access to the Holy Spirit who comes as the great Comforter to give us what we need in times of trouble.  As the Prince of Peace, the Lord offers us the ability to stand in peace even during the most trying times of life.  One of the names of Christ is Jehovah Shalom, the giver of Peace.  We all desire to have peace in our lives but it is not something we can produce in our own strength but we can surely find peace in Christ our Prince of Peace.  “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 14:27I pray that the Lord’s grace over each of us to receive the true blessings of Christmas in Christ and remember the reason for this holiday season.  “For unto us (you & me) a Child is Born”.Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Harmony

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (Harmony)!!!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore." Psalm 133

Harmony is the state of living with an agreeable and conforming spirit towards others with greater shared values and purpose in mind.  Harmony in relationship is such a blessing but is not easily achieved.  We all desire to live in a Harmonistic state with those around us but for some reason we often find ourselves in disharmony, especially with those closest to us.  I believe the key to living in Harmony with others is sharing and agreeing on core values and submitting ourselves to a higher purpose grounded in our core values/beliefs.  For me as a follower of Christ, this translates into submitting my life to Christ and standing on the God’s Word as a basis for a higher purpose.  I believe our human sinful nature makes us more geared toward independence and disharmony so a person without God, or deeply shared values that are for greater purpose, will find themselves continually disagreeing, pushing their own agenda and creating discourse in relationship.  This is very prevalent in our culture today, where it seems to be more popular to look for things we don’t agree on and take issue with, then to look for common ground that we can stand on to build a base of Harmony to work from.  This approach is very divisive and creates much discourse and division in our world.  That being said, we all have the opportunity to live in peace and Harmony, if we choose to do so. So how do we find Harmony with others when we have different perspectives and convictions?Start with common ground – In most cases, if we are in relationship with someone we already have lots of common ground, especially if they are friend or family and close to us.  Even in situations with colleagues at work and in other settings, we generally share basic values.  The key is to start with the things that you do share and work from there.  If we take time to explore what is important and really matters to each person then you build a base to stand on, which establishes shared values and Harmony.  In our business we spend lots of time discussing our shared values and purpose because it gives us connectivity that builds trust, strength and Harmony.  There are many things that we may see different as individuals, and that is actually good, but it does not have to undermine the Harmony of the team because we value the organizations shared vision and purpose more than our own personal preferences.Define the Majors and Minors – It is important to ensure that we don’t confuse values and principal with preferences.  Harmony is not uniformity, we all have different and unique personalities and methods of day to day living.  These preferences and techniques should not be confused with the principal and essence of what really matters.  Many times we get more focused on the how than the what and why.  It is important for us to keep perspective on the bigger perspective and be able to keep focus on what really matters, we don’t need to Major in the Minors.  As it relates to our faith, there are a few essentials that are the foundation of Christianity that cannot be compromised such as the Cross, Trinity and the fact that Jesus is the only way to God the Father.  But there are many preferences that are not essential such as your denomination, style of worship, or the type of music played at church.Be willing to yield and compromise – One of the keys to finding Harmony with others is humility and the willingness to yield and compromise.  If we have any self-awareness, we understand that we are flawed sinners and all have issues and blind spots.  We also understand that there is power and protection in relationship and team, that we are better together.  This should make us value others and their thoughts and opinions.  From that perspective, we should approach relationships with a posture and willingness to yield and compromise when needed because it is much better to be unified in Harmony with some compromise than to be divided and right.  We don’t want to win a battle and lose the war.  We must always seek to do what is in the best interest of the greater purpose for our family, church, business etc.  This is the right thing to do and makes life much more productive and Harmonistic.  “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” Ephesians 4:2-3Harmony is a choice to sacrifice our personal agenda for the greater good of the “team” whether that team is family, ministry, or organization.  Harmony generates peace and progress.  Whenever leaders come into Harmony and unity, those they are leading are also likely to follow.  So let’s choose to pursue Harmony and see what God can do through our Harmonistic relationships.“We must learn to live together as brothers & sisters or perish as fools”  Dr. Martin Luther King-Duane

Word of the Week - Overcomer

"In all these things we are more than conquerors (Overcomers) through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

It is very challenging for us to understand the concept of living in the victory as an “Overcomer” especially when we are experiencing the pain and brokenness of the tribulations of life. Many Christians, especially in America, believe that if we are walking in the grace of the Holy Spirit that we will be blessed and everything will go well with us. That we will have a life where everything works in our relationships, vocations, health etc. This is what I believed when I first gave my life to the Lord just over 18 years ago, but this is simply not what God’s Word says and it is not true. In fact it is almost to the contrary, if you study the gospel it is a love story of pain, sacrifice and tribulation even unto death. This concept is not too popular in our current culture. No matter your faith or belief, the reality is that we live in a broken world that is cursed with evil, pain and disease and thus we all will face trials and tribulations in our lives, some of us more than others. This reality is noted throughout the New Testament and is highlighted by the analogy “of us all having our own cross to carry” as followers of Christ.The real questions is how we deal with the trials and tribulations of life. As believers, if we truly understand and receive this truth, we can have victory over any situation no matter the circumstance, because we know the final outcome. We are on the winning team no matter what the scoreboard of life says, because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. So why does God allow us to suffer the pain and trials of life while on earth? It is simple, trials are the only way that we can be tested and refined into the image of Christ. So as Overcomers we can relate with the great Apostle Paul and “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” Romans 5:3-5.So let’s take heart and live as Overcomers no matter what we are facing because we know that we are becoming more Christ like in preparation for eternity with Christ where there will be no more pain or strife.Have a great week as an Overcomer….-Duane

Word of the Week - Heart of Gratitude

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I hope all of you had a blessed Thanksgiving enjoying time with family and friends.  What a wonderful Holiday to take time out to count our blessings and give Thanks to God and others.  I love Thanksgiving and the spirit of Thanks and Gratitude.  This is truly the heart of God and what Jesus demonstrated through His life on earth even unto the Cross.  Many believers and even non-believers often wonder and ask the question of what God’s will is for their life, this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 makes it pretty clear, it is simply to “Give thanks to God in all circumstances” to live with a heart of Gratitude.  Developing a healthy God perspective and attitude of gratitude is a key to healthy living.  Researchers have found a correlation of gratitude to mental and physical health as reported in a 2018 “Mind and Body” article https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_gratitude_good_for_your_health “After 15 years of research, we know that gratitude is a key to psychological well-being.  But might the benefits of gratitude go beyond that?  Could gratitude be good for your physical health, too?”.We all know that living with a Heart of Gratitude is good and healthy, so how do we foster a heart of Gratitude and live with a spirit of Thankfulness even when our circumstances are not so rosy:We Understand Who God is:If we truly understand the truth of who God is, 1) Our Abba Father who loves us, 2) Our savior and redeemer who gave His life so we can have eternal fellowship with Him, 3) Our comforter who desires to walk in intimate fellowship with us each and every day as we navigate life.  Understanding and walking in a personal daily relationship with the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, gives us tremendous life and hope that will foster a heart of gratitude.We Recognize what God has done for us:If we truly recognize what God has done for us.  God our Father sending His only begotten son Jesus to become flesh and then take on the sins of the world through the Cross so that we can have eternal life.  “For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (us).  It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this;  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:6-8.  Understanding the reality of what God did for us should foster a tremendous heart of thanks and gratitude.We Realize Who we are in Christ:If we truly understand who we are in Christ, that we are adapted as His sons and daughters who have full access to His kingdom.  That we are co-heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of God and all of the benefits.  That we will live in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven for eternity.  This is very exciting news that should fill our hearts with gratitude since we really did nothing to deserve this, we simply gave our hearts to God and trusted Him.  “For those who are lead by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  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.  And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”. We Remember to Count our blessings Daily:We should make it a habit each day when we wake up in the morning and throughout the day, to simply thank God for the grace to be alive and to be able to have simple things like use of our arms, legs, ears and eyes if we have them.  We should not take for granted things like family and relationships and the ability to go out and enjoy the day and use our talents to influence the world and make a honest living.  As bad as things can seem at times, there is always a silver lining if we take time to look for it.  “God uses all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28Thanksgiving is a great reminder for all of us to live with a heart of Gratitude, which is a daily decision for each of us.  By the way, I am grateful for you.Have a great week by “giving thanks in all circumstances”.-Duane 

Word of the Week - Fear of God

The Lord favors those who fear Him.  Those who wait for His lovingkindness.  Psalm 147:11

Healthy Fear of God refers to fear in the context of respect, awe and submission.  The fear of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit and does not imply that we are to be afraid or fearful of God, since we know He is our heavenly Father who loves and forgives us.  Just like a good earthly father, God has our best interest in mind and He desires us to have a joyful awareness of His power and grandeur and a grateful realization that only in Him do our hearts find true peace, fulfillment and eternal life.  From a theological perspective, “fear of the Lord” is a convergence of awe, reverence, adoration, honor, worship, confidence, thankfulness, love and respect.Strength:“Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will a refuge” Proverb 14:26.  Healthy Fear brings us strength.  It is the feeling that allows us to experience risk, trust, dependency, collaboration, and ultimately, wisdom because it helps us realize our need for help.  As we recognize our need for help, we find great opportunity.  Fear can motivate you to reach out for help, risk your heart with your need.  This can create a healthy degree of interdependence on God and others, which is truly the joy and purpose of life, to live in connection/dependence on Christ and community with others.  We were not designed to do this life alone.  Unfortunately, too many of us answer fear by silencing its voice.  We run from risk, eliminate trust hide our dependency and become anxious and controlling not peace filled and collaborative.Protection: “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life turning a person from the snares of death” Proverb 14:27.  Fear awakens us to danger.  It is a visceral reaction to physical threat, but more important, because we are creatures of the heart, fear alerts us to emotional and spiritual danger.  By listening to healthy fear, we recognize our value and prepare to prevent harm to ourselves and others.  This caution affords us discernment, which gives us a sense of other’s intentions and recognition of our own.  If our fear is grounded in God’s love it will serve us well as a healthy protections system as we navigate a fallen and complex world with many emotional, spiritual and emotional risk and dangers.Wisdom:“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” Proverb 9:10.  Wisdom begins with healthy fear and understanding.  Discernment that comes by listening to our fear in the context of God’s word, helps us choose the wisest course of action, one that takes into account our propensity to harm others and values our potential to love.  Fear offers us the chance to decide or discern which direction to go.  When we move into life, we can risk truth and recognize potential harm.  Or as survivors we can hide by pretending fear isn’t happening or attacking the potential harm.  Seeing fear for what it is and acknowledging it offers new relational opportunities with God and people and initiates truth and Wisdom.Healthy fear is our friend because it helps us see God, others and ourselves in the proper context.  From God’s perspective we as His sons and daughters are amazingly valued and tremendously vulnerable.  So we need God and others to live healthy and purposeful lives.  We don’t have enough knowledge, wisdom or power to succeed and thrive alone, yet we are completely responsible for all of our choices.  Healthy fear helps us recognize that we are not enough and we need God and others.So let’s live with a healthy fear and reverence for God our Father while we walk by faith with confidence and courage because we know “That the Spirit God gives us does not make us timid or fearful, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. 2 Tim 1:7-Duane

Word of the Week - Refresh

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

We all desire and need to be Refreshed, which means to be given new strength and energy;  to be reinvigorated.  I love God’s paradoxical economy where we receive by giving and win by surrendering.  God’s economy is one of abundant generosity not scarcity and thus He loves it when we trust Him and give of our time, energy and resources freely with a generous spirit.  In Christ, these actions have the power to Refresh us with new energy and life that is truly life. Step out in faith this week by generously pouring into someone and receive the gift and blessing of being Refreshed by the Lord through His power at work within us.  

God is a rewarder of a generosity.

Have a great week…

-Duane

Word of the Week - Faith with Patience

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.  Hebrews 6: 13-15

Faith:“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 and without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the essence of our relationship with God and faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and makes Him become a tangible reality to the sense of perceptions of a believer.  Walking in faith and trusting God is where the power of God becomes alive and real in our lives.  Faith is the key to knowing and experiencing God.Patience:Patience is commonly defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.  Patient in the bible is also referred to as longsuffering, which originates from God as one of the nine fruits of the spirit. It is a product of self-control and a part of godliness, which was modeled by Christ many times through His life.  Patience is an important part of helping us grow and become strong in our faith during trials.  Our patience pleases God and really allows us to become mature in Christ.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4The power of Faith with Patience:Faith with Patience is a superpower and catalyst for God to do His full work in us and through us.  Due to our human nature and our instant tech driven world, we have a hard time walking in faith with patience over time.  We grow weary and start to doubt and want to throw in the towel and move on.  It is hard to trust when we don’t see short term results.  Be encouraged, God is faithful and will deliver on His promises in the proper timing.  God’s timing is not our timing because His plans are far greater than our plans and as humans we cannot see or understand the things of God.  The only way we can kind of understand this is to relate it to parenting.  As parents we know what is best for our children but due to their lack of maturity and experience, they don’t really understand many times when we are trying to guide and protect them from the things they don’t understand. By the way, this process takes many years and that is why we allow approximately 18-22 years for kids to grow up before we send them out as independent adults.  Abraham is a prime example of patient waiting.  “Then Abraham waited patiently, and He received what God had promised” Hebrews 6:15.  First he had to wait, and then he received the promise.  In the same way, it should not really matter to us when the Lord performs His Word.  His timetable is perfect, and He is never late.  What should matter is that we learn to relax in His promise and hold on to our confidence, which is like a “strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls”  Hebrews 6:19We must understand that the Word of God is testing our faith until it has passed the true test of its worth.  Faith is patience waiting on the promises.  Therefore, time must pass to prove that our faith is patient and sound.  So let’s be encouraged today that our faith with patience will produce the promise and we will become mature and complete in Christ through the process.  This is the Lord’s true objective for our lives on earth.Please remember and pray for our veterans and those who are serving in the military.  Our service men and women and their families are making big sacrifices for us.Geaux Tigers!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Benefits

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

Benefits of knowing Jesus:Our God is so good that He not only came to save us and give us eternal life with Himself, but He desires to bless us as we journey through life on our way to being with Him for eternity.  Our God is a God of relationship and deeply desires for us to know Him so we can live in fellowship with Him and realize our full God given purpose and potential.  Just like there are benefits to knowing really powerful people because they have power and influence that you can call upon and use if you know them well enough.  This is how it works with God, but He is the “great I am” with eternal and limitless power as opposed to powerful people whose power and influence are limited. “God can do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20.  I believe that one of the keys to realizing the benefits of knowing God is that our heart motivation is pure in our love towards God.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27  Just like our children, if their hearts are right towards us and others, there is really nothing that we will not do for them within our power and influence.5 Major Benefits:I have found that there are endless benefits to knowing and abiding in Christ; the following are 5 major benefits outlined in Psalm 103:

• First and foremost, God forgives all of our sins.  Nothing is more powerful and valuable than having our sins removed and being washed clean in the blood of Jesus.  This is what allows us to have the hope and promise of eternal salvation.  We are made new in Christ through the forgiveness of our sins, “as far as the east is from the west”.
• Second, He heals all of our diseases.  Since we live in a fallen world of sin and disease, we will experience disease in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.  In knowing Christ we have access to His healing power that allows us to be healed and overcome disease. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed”. Isaiah 53:5
• Third, we are redeemed in Christ.  God does not just fix us and make us acceptable He actually redeems us by taking the things in our lives that are broken and the enemy meant for harm and uses them for good and for godly purpose.  This is an amazing transformative power of God at work in us as we become His masterpiece.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!”. 2 Cor 5:17
• Fourth, He crowns us with “love and tender mercies”, which is His very nature.  Through the Holy Spirit living in us, He imparts His very nature into our being so that we become Christlike and bare eternal fruit.  The anointing of God’s spirit makes our nature become godlike, which gives us the power to minister in Christ.  “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.  But as His anointing teaches you about things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you to remain in Him”.  1 John 2:27
• Fifth, our lives will be filled with “good things” and our strength will be renewed.  Our heart desires are changed toward the things of God and this allows us to walk in the abundant life of Christ.  Our God is a God of abundance and He desires to bless us beyond measure so that we can bless Him and others. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

Forgiveness, Healing, Transformation, Anointing and Provision.  Let’s seek Him with a pure heart so we can know Him deeply and realize the fullness of these benefits and much, much more….Have a great week celebrating our Veterans on Friday, Nov 8^th….-Duane

Word of the Week - Light of Christ

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

Power of the Light of Jesus: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.The Power of His Light Shining in us and through us:So what does it mean for us to walk in the light of Christ so that we can be a light unto the world and to those around us.

• 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 vine of Christ 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 - Transformation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  2 Corinthians 5:17

Transformation Definition: 

1. to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.
2. to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.

What does Transformation look like:God loves us so much that He does not just want to change our behavior, He desires to make us new in Him.  As followers of Christ the Lord desires to transform our very nature from the inside out to become new in His nature so that we can be refined and developed into the fullness of what He created us to be.  God created us all as unique individuals with different journeys of faith but makes it clear that we all must be transformed through our relationship with Jesus.

• We first recognize that we are sinful and need God as our Lord and Savior – Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.
• We surrender our lives and be born afresh of the spirit – John 3:5  “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.”
• We become dependent on God realizing our need for daily connection with Him through a daily abiding relationship – John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide and you and your will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing”.
• We trust and believe that He has a good plan for our lives – Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• We live in our God purpose and allow Him to produce fruit in and through our lives – Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”.

Transformed Lives = Abundant Living – “Life that is truly Life”When we are transformed by the Spirit of God and renewed in our minds and hearts through Christ, we are introduced to a “new way”, which is the abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”The following are 5 fruits/truths of the abundant life:

• First Fruits – We desire to make the Lord our first priority life in life because we realize He is the source.  With divine order coms divine blessing. “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33
• Abundance and Win/Win – Since God is our creator and provider, we realize He has the ability to give and bless and His reality is abundance/plenty not limiting/scarcity.  We understand that a Kingdom perspective is not zero sum, it is win/win.  There is plenty of God’s blessing for everyone. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”. 2 Corinthians 9:8
• Generosity – We recognize that God is our provider and we can trust Him to take care of our needs, we now have capacity in our hearts and provision to give graciously and not worry about running out of time, money and energy.  This gives us the capacity to be generous with our blessings.  This becomes a great source of joy and delight that creates more blessing and capacity to give and minister.  “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19
• Newness  – We realize that God makes all things new and does not get hung up on traditions and the way we love and worship Him.  He is much more concerned about our hearts towards Him than the methods we use to pursue Him.  “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true””. Revelation 21:5
• Gratitude – We realize we are blessed beyond measure simply because of God’s love for us and our identity in Christ.  Our hearts of gratitude and thankfulness towards God blesses Him.  This is one of the keys to the abundant life, to count our blessings daily and recognize how blessed we are no matter what our circumstances. “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I can personally attest to the fact that God loves us so much that He desires for us to be transformed into new beings so we can be freed up to live an abundant life in Him.  I experienced this transformation 18 years ago when I was 33, and my life was totally transformed.  I have not been the same since and my life has been amazingly abundant since then through the good times and the painful challenges of life.  I have a long way to go and still being refined and growing in Christ, but I can assure you I am nothing like I used to be, I am truly a new creation in Christ.  I can honestly say that this is the most amazing gift I have ever experienced and I am so grateful for God’s love and that He allowed me to receive His love so I can live in relationship with Him.  I am also thankful that the circumstances of my life led me to a place where I was desperate and ready to “surrender” my heart and mind to Jesus.  I love Ephesians 3:20 because I get to experience this; it is very exciting because we never know what God has in store for us in the future but we do know that it will be “Immeasurably More than we can ever Hope or Imagine through His Power at work in our Lives”.“For God will do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us" Ephesians 3:20-Duane

Word of the Week - Contentment - Part 2

And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Matthew 6:21

My Pastor, Chris Hodges, recently did a series on getting “stress out” of our lives and one of his messages was about finding peace in the area of our possessions and finances. You can watch by clicking on this link https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/principles-of-peace1.  He used the familiar story of the Prodical son from the gospel of Luke 15: 11-32 who left the love of his father’s home and covering to pursue the things of the world and careless living only to end up broke and destitute.  Ultimately he returned home to the open arms of his loving father who received him back with unconditional love and forgiveness.  It is a beautiful story of redemption that I think we can all relate to at some level as we think about Contentment.What makes us DiscontentAs human beings living in a fallen world, we all have a tendency in our flesh and sin nature to wander into the land of independence.  This is demonstrated in our lives and our culture by the following:

• We are consumed with having more and never seemed to be satisfied.
• We want everything now and have forgotten the virtue of delayed gratification
• We engage in self destructive behavior by participating in or consuming things that are not good for us (media, junk food, drugs, alcohol, pleasure seeking etc.)
• We spend everything we have and live beyond our means
• We are unprepared for the storms and challenges of life that will come (recessions, layoffs, sickness etc.)

God Principals that produce Contentment When we live under the covering of, and dependence on the Lord, and understand that He is our provider of all things, then we will live Content and have the fruit of Contentment in the Lord, which is Peace.  The following are 6 principals that lead to Contentment:

• Obedience – give the Lord your first fruits (money, time, energy) and you will be blessed.  “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” Proverbs 3: 9-10
• Margin – we must understand that we all have limits and we need to create space between ourselves and our limits and not always push it to the limit.  “Better one hand full with peace and tranquility than two hands full with strife and chasing after the wind”. Ecclesiastes 4:6
• Generosity – see other peoples needs and always have extra available (time, money, energy) to give to others.  “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed”. Proverbs 11:25
• Integrity – we must live in a way that is true and honest.  “The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; He sets the standards for fairness”. Proverbs 16:11
• Dependence – We need God and each other to live to the full.  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and you will bear much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The fruit of godly Contentment is Peace Godly contentment is much more focused on the condition of our heart and soul and the evidence of Contentment in our lives is having Peace.  Peace is something that we all desire but so often is hard to attain.  It is another amazing fruit that is produced through an abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus and it is a very powerful gift.  Like all of the fruits of the spirit, Peace cannot be manufactured in your own strength it is a biproduct of knowing the Lord and fully trusting in Him.  If we trust Him we will obey Him and we will have the Peace of God which transcends understanding and guards our heart and minds.“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5Be Content, we are truly blessed beyond measure….-Duane

Word of the Week - Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and we can taking nothing out of it….But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  1 Tim 6:6-12

Definition of ContentmentSo what is contentment?  The world generally defines contentment as a quality or state of being satisfied with your portion and condition in life.  This definition is mostly geared towards the physical or material state of being.  The biblical definition of contentment goes beyond the physical realm and focuses on our internal condition and perspective.  Godly contentment is much more focused on the condition of our heart and soul.  Are we at peace with God and our eternal condition?Contentment in all Circumstances Saint Paul spoke clearly about his amazing contentment in the face of many external trials and challenges in Philippians 4:11-12 “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want“.  I am convinced that if we receive the gift of internal contentment through our hope and trust in God, it will permeate into our external lives allowing us to find contentment in all things and situations, which is truly a blessing that we all desire.  That being said, our Western values and self-focused culture of materialism and social media makes it very easy for us to get sucked into the swamp of envy and discontentment, which at its core leads to discontentment.  It is clear that God has called His people to a life marked by contentment.  So how do we gain godly contentment and extricate ourselves from the pervasive appeals of our materialistic culture?Divine order leads to divine blessing which produces Contentment First and foremost, godly contentment comes from having the priority of godliness over personal gain, we have to get the order correct.  “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.  This is a condition of the heart and is the miracle that comes when we truly give our hearts and lives to God and become transformed to new beings in Christ.  The old is gone and the new has come, which means that we now have a different perspective on life than our non-believing brothers and sisters.  Our values and priorities in life change because we understand that our life is no longer ours but has been bought with the blood of Christ.  We live with a new and greater purpose and mission in life, which leads to the second key point.  Godly contentment comes from having the perspective of eternal over the temporal.  Jim Elliot a famous missionary who was martyred at the early age of 28 spreading the gospel has a wonderful quote that so clearly portrays the concept of godly contentment, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose.”  We cannot keep the materials things of this world, but we will never lose the kingdom investments we make in the short time we have on this earth.  Let’s continue to work out our salvation by ordering our lives in line with the God’s truth, which leads to godly contentment.More to come next week on how to walk this out in the area of our personal finances.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the week - Excellence - Part II - What it looks like in Business, Ministry and our Personal Lives

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV)In continuation from last week, more on the spirit of Excellence: 1) Power of Excellence, 2) what it looks like in Business and 3) what it looks like in our Personal Lives and Ministries.

Power of Excellence: My good friend Lee Domingue who leads our Legacy lane at Church of the Highlands, sent me this verse and message on Excellence and it really resonated with me, so I am passing his message along with a few of my own thoughts.  I believe that one of the best witnesses we can offer to nonbelievers is to operate in all we do with a spirit of Excellence. If we have a desire to represent Jesus well in our businesses, ministries and families, we need to be Excellent in all things! We are not helping His cause if we are flaky, unorganized, poor stewards of our lives, ministries and businesses, looking for the short-cuts, and not holding true to our word or commitments. On the other hand, how strong is our witness if we are operating our lives with a spirit of Excellence?Excellence in Business: Rather than displaying a Christian fish symbol on all our marketing materials, if we simply conduct our lives and run our businesses with Excellence and integrity the world around us cannot help but stop and take notice.  So what does it look like to be Excellent in business:  1) Having a heart and attitude of service, 2) being honest and transparent in all of your dealings, 3) striving to exceed expectations, 4) desiring to go above and beyond the call of duty and walk the extra mile, 5) taking responsibility when you make mistakes and being candid and timely in addressing any issues, and 6) being proactive and taking ownership.  All of these things work together to create a spirit of Excellence.  Walking in Excellence consistently over time will result in being a positive witness for the Gospel of Jesus.  This creates opportunity for us to share our faith and influence others for the Kingdom.  As I mentioned las week, we have an amazing opportunity to use our business as a platform for the gospel.  The T-factor conference https://t-factor.com/#overview, is a great resource for what it looks like to run and operate a business with Excellence from an Eternal Perspective.  I am planning to host a T-factor conference in Birmingham in early 2020.Excellence in our Personal Lives and Ministries:The spirit of Excellence is important in the market place where we are compensated to provide goods and services but how much more the opportunity for impact in our personal lives within our families and ministries where our motivation and reward is not monetary but eternal.  I believe this really speaks to the condition of our hearts, our love for the Lord and our faith in Christ.  Here are a few areas to consider as we take inventory on our personal lives:  Are we treating all people (rich or poor, friend or foe, family or stranger) with the same love and grace that the Lord has extended to each of us?  Are we treating those closest to us such as spouse and co-workers with sincere love and consideration or taking them for granted? Are we parenting with Excellence, and investing in our children even when it is hard and painful? When we are alone, are we spending our free time in a healthy manner that is pleasing to God?  Are we pursuing our relationship with God in an excellent manner by making Him the priority in our lives by giving Him our first and best fruits opposed to the left overs?  Are we giving our tithes and offerings with Excellence, with the same energy and passion we use when investing in other things like vacations, hobbies etc?  Let’s examine all areas of our lives to determine if we are living with Excellence in all things.Closing thoughts of Encouragement: Make a decision today, to bring a spirit of Excellence into everything you do.  Please understand that Excellence does not mean perfection. Nobody is perfect. Excellence simply means that your heart is open to giving God your very best in all things, that you allow integrity to guide you, and you do your best to walk with the Spirit of God.  If you desire to be an ambassador for Christ, then choose Excellence every day. Ask God to help you. And remember, His Spirit, which is the source of all Excellence, lives on the inside of you, so be encouraged…You can be Excellent in and through Christ!!!“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13-Duane