Word the Week - Life Lessons (Continued - Part 2)

“We will not hide them from our descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done”  Psalm 78:4

Life Lessons with Scriptural Context Continued – The following are the second ten life lessons that Regina shared along with bible verses that I found that reinforce the principals/life lessons that Regina discovered over her 90 years on earth.  I think there is much truth and wisdom to be gleaned from Regina.  Just FYI, the “Word of the Week” email from last week with context is enclosed below.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up;  do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”.
12. It is ok to let your children see you cry .  John 11:35 “Jesus Wept”.
13. Don’t compare your life to others.  You have no idea what their journey is all about.  Galatians 6:4-5 “Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should take responsibility for themselves.”
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.  1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus God’s son cleanses us from all sin.” 
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don’t worry, God never blinks.  Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
16. Take a deep breath.  It calms the mind. Psalm 15:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord!”
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.  Ecclesiastes 4:6 “Better is one handful with tranquility than two hand full of toil and chasing after the wind”
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.  Romans 5:3-5  “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.  1 Thessalonians 5:18  “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you”
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.  James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”.

Have a blessed week,-Duane

Word the Week - Life Lessons

“We will not hide them from our descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done”  Psalm 78:4

The fruit of a life well lived in Christ - My good friend David Pursell’s father Jimmy Pursell passed away on Sunday, Father’s Day, at the age of 89 only two weeks away from celebrating his 90^th birthday, see linked obituary.  Mr. Jimmy Pursell was an amazing man of God who leaves a legendary legacy.  I am so encouraged to witness how God can use one man to impact so many people.  Mr. Jimmy came to Christ in his mid-forties, halfway through his journey of life, but God did “Immeasurably more” Ephesians 3:20 than most of us could ever ask or imagine by God’s power at work in him and through him.  My life and family were majorly impacted by Jimmy and the Pursell family as I was introduced to JH Ranch/Outback America www.jhranch.com , by attending an Outback America event with my eldest daughter Mary Kathryn in 2003.  My life and our family’s trajectory was changed forever by that weekend experience.  If it were not for Jimmy Pursell’s encounter with the living God and submission to the Lord as a generous ambassador for Christ, I would not have had that experience and who knows where our family would be today.  This is just one small nugget of the thousands and possibly millions of seeds planted by the Lord through the life of Jimmy Pursell.  Our thought and prayers are with the Pursell Family and we rejoice in the godly legacy of Jimmy Pursell….Glory be to God!!!!!!!!The wisdom of life from experience and God’s word – I received this from my dad a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me.  After attending Jimmy’s life celebration reception on Friday at Pursell Farms I was prompted to share some wisdom from someone who has lived 90 years.  Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. "To celebrate growing older, she once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.”  It was the her most requested column ever written.  I think we have much to learn from those who have gone before us, especially those how have lived 70 plus years on this earth and have the wisdom of many years of life experience.  Even more powerful is a life lived in communion with the Lord Jesus and submitted to the Holy Spirit from a biblical godly perspective.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, “declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways”. Isaiah 55:8-9Life Lessons with Scriptural Context – The following are the first ten life lessons that Regina shared along with bible verses that I found that reinforce the principals/life lessons that Regina discovered over her 90 years on earth.  I think there is much truth and wisdom to be gleaned from Regina.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior”.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
3. Life is too short – enjoy it. James 4:14 ^“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Acts 10:2  “He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” 
5. Pay off your credit cards every month. Romans 13:8  “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.  Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.  Romans 12:15 “ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.  Psalm 10:1 “Why, Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.  1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.  Ecclesiastes 2:24 “So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.”

I hope you enjoyed these life lessons with scripture.  I will plan to share the next ten “life lessons” from Regina next week.Have a great week in preparation for the celebration of our Nations birthday.Blessings,-Duane

Word the Week - Father

“Our Father in Heaven”  Mathew 6:9

The power of the Father relationship?  Research confirms that the Father relationship has the power to shape our view of God and ourselves at the deepest level.  A Father has many critical roles in life to include provider, protector, teacher, modeler, encourager, exemplar and much, much more. These are all very important roles to meet the very real needs of a child, growing adolescent and young adult.  As important as all these characteristics are in our development, what matters most is that we experience and know the unconditional love of the Father.  Love is the key, because “love overcomes a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8.Unconditional Love of our Abba Father:  I am blessed with a wonderful dad who demonstrated the characteristics noted above throughout my childhood and life and continues do so today at ripe young age of 80, but like all of us he was not perfect.  That being said, I never ever doubted his deep and unconditional love for me. This reality along with Jesus’ healing hand has been the catalyst for healing in our relationship and most importantly receiving and knowing the love of God the Father.  Now as a Father of 3 wonderful daughters, 2 sons by marriage to my daughters and 4 awesome Grandkids (it is true that Grandkids are an amazing blessing from God, this is the best ever😊), I have the amazing responsibility and privilege to be a Father to my children and grandchildren and I can say it is the most meaningful, joyful and fulfilling role of my life to date.  Just like my dad, I am doing my very best but I surely have made many mistakes along the way and unintentionally hurt my children.  That being said, I am so grateful to God our Father in Heaven who gives us the perfect example of how to be a loving Father, our Abba Father.  “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast (unconditional) love” Psalm 103:8.  With this love and example from God our Father through His son Jesus along with great examples from our parents and others, we are equipped to be godly Fathers who sow blessings and life into our kids for many generations to come as stated in Psalm 127:3 “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”Heavenly Father:  Finally, no matter what your situation and relationship or lack thereof with your earthly Father, God is our eternal Father and He loves us and deeply desires to redeem and restore us to wholeness through the power of His unconditional and everlasting love.  This is available for all His children (us) not matter your circumstance or experience with your earthly Father, through the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our Abba Father God is a Good, Good, Father…..He will gladly leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep, that is how much He loves us….“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” Malachi 4:6.Happy Father’s Day…..-Duane

Word of the Week - "Life that is truly Life"

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19

How are you living? – I love this short 10 minute graduation speech by Rick Rigsby https://youtu.be/Bg_Q7KYWG1g , a black man that I believe has a sound and godly perspective on what truly matters and how we overcome many of the challenges we are facing as a country during this time.  I would highly encourage you to watch this short video for a dose of healthy perspective.  I love the fact that he points out principals of what we can do to produce life giving results from a life well lived day by day.  Let’s focus on what we can do to make a positive contribution to our community by living and advocating for good healthy life principals of unity vs. focusing on what we are against and planting seeds of disunity.  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (satan - the enemy of our soul).” Ephesians 6:12The following are a few simple but profound truths that Rick highlights in his talk titled “How are you living”:Seek Knowledge and Wisdom:  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” Proverbs 1:7  Rick talks about the knowledge and wisdom imparted to him by his dad who was a cook and had a third grade education.  The truth is that God is the giver of knowledge and wisdom if we have a heart to seek truth and pray for wisdom.  We must be seekers of the truth so we can be informed to gain knowledge that gives us a basis for action to affect change.  If we simply operate from emotion without knowledge then we become foolish and this can cause chaos and destruction which we are witnessing around our country today.  There is a way to impact healthy change and reform but it requires godly knowledge and wisdom not simple emotional rebellion against authority.Take Responsibility:  “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us .  For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.  We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it.  On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.  We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.  For even when we were with you, we gave this rule;  “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10  Rick points out the example his father made in his life by deciding to be a man and taking on the responsibility of life to be a provider, protector and parent to his family.  This was not a question about his circumstance it was a decision to make the most of his life by taking on responsibility for his life and family.  We need to be careful that our motivation is not about entitlement, which as history demonstrates leads to the downfall of a healthy society.  God put every person on earth with a purpose to contribute humanity by using their talents and gifts to add and create value.Be a Servant : “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45 Rick talks about having a servants heart and the story about Coach Wooden sweeping the floor each day and that we should all “find our broom”.  The key is that we have an understanding that we have been put on this earth for something bigger than ourselves and as demonstrated by the life of Jesus, we are here to use our lives to serve others.  If we have a united heart to Love and serve God by loving and serving His people, we will thrive as a community and nation but if we take on a victim mentality and demand that others serve us to our liking, then we will never be satisfied because no one will ever be able to live up to our expectations because the motivation is not in order.  We cannot dictate or mandate service, we must encourage and incent it with the right values, examples and incentives.Rick had many other great life giving principals he shared in lessons from his father that all have a biblical premise to include:

• Don’t judge others
• Be the best you that you can be
• If you believe you can then you can
• If you are going to do something then do it right with excellence
• Be tough minded but always kind hearted
• Pride is the demise of the foolish
• Failure is part of the process of life – fail forward and learn from your mistakes

In closing Rick talked about the low that he and his boys experienced when his wife passed away from cancer.  He said that his faith in God and his father’s wisdom are what got him through this very dark and trying time of his life.  His dad told him that no matter what happened and how painful the circumstance that he needed to “stand” in faith and continue standing.  I love this and it points to God’s word in Ephesians 6:12 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand”. In the midst of this trying time, I hope Rick’s message and this word inspires you with biblical life principals that are true and have stood the test of time.  Each of us has the opportunity to make a difference by the way we live and how we treat all of our brothers and sisters regardless of their skin color, race or ethnicity.Blessings,-Duane

Word of the Week - Atmosphere of Unity

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” 1 Peter 3:8

Atmosphere creates the environment for Unity – Given the tragic and unjust death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots and protest, we are in desperate need of Unity in our country and world at large.  The current environment is toxic and filled with anger, contempt and disunity.  I was encouraged and reminded today by Pastor Larry Stockstill https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-royal-life that our Lord is the author of Unity and He uses us His people to usher in the spirit of Unity.  It starts with humbling ourselves and taking the first step to build an atmosphere that fosters Unity by:Honoring Others:  The Lord makes it clear in His word that we are to honor all and look past their issues and see them as a children of God.  “You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor”  James 3:18  This is “hard word” but it is what foster an atmosphere for healing and Unity.Unity of Mind:  We must be open to “seek to understand” and listen to others in regards to their thoughts and ideas so we can work to understand and have Unity of mind where others thoughts plus my thoughts equals our thoughts and a place of Unity.  We should always be seeking feedback and others perspectives to find the best path forward.  “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you work to agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10Sympathizing with others: Until we walk in others shoes we really don’t know what it feels like to be them; therefore, we should work to empathize and feel the pain of others so we can truly relate with what they are feeling.  This give us a heart towards others.   “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” 5 Galatians 6:2Fostering Brotherly Love :  If you believe in God as our creator then you understand that all humans come from the same origins and thus no matter your skin color or ethnicity, we are all brothers and sisters and should embrace our diversity as a gift to be celebrated.  “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28Maintaining a Tender Heart:  It is most important that we keep our hearts tender and do not allow our hearts to be hardened.  No matter how much pain or disappointment we experience, we must remain open to “Loving God and Loving others”.  The only way I know to keep our hearts tender and open is to stay connected to the vine of Christ through abiding in Christ daily John 15:5.   “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32Humbling Ourselves:  It starts with us thinking of ourselves less and thinking more about others.  No matter our nationality, giftings or social economic status we should never think of ourselves as superior to others.  We are all created equal in God’s eyes as human beings.  We are all children of God and each and every person has an eternal soul.  “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3Forgiving Others and staying faithful in Worship:  The Lord’s spirit of forgiveness/reconciliation is powerful and healing begins with us freely offering forgiveness as we have been forgiven.  Worshiping the Lord ushers in the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to humble ourselves, forgive others and love God and all His people.  “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13Benefits of Unity:  “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 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 133Healing in our nation will come through humility.  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14Lord, I pray for Unity and Healing in our World in the name of Jesus. -Duane

Word of the Week - Holy Spirit

“And I will ask the Father and He will give another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16

Pentecost – Celebrating and embracing the Holy Spirit – On this day of Pentecost, we celebrate the gift that God gave us in the 3^rd person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  Most believers and non-believers can understand God the Father and Jesus the Son but many are not sure about the Holy Spirit.  Of course God in His fullness is Spirit and mysterious in many ways, so we see and understand our Triune God through a dim view as humans.  That being said, the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as an amazing gift and we cannot experience the fullness of God unless we are in communion with the Holy Spirit.  “In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God”. Romans 8: 26-27The following are just a few attributes of the Holy Spirit and the benefits of fellowship with the Holy Spirit:He Comforts us:  If we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives He will Comfort us in times of need.  God sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended into heaven to be our great Comforter.  Call upon the Holy Spirit and He will comfort you in times of need. “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” John 14:16He Teaches us:  If we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit He will Teach us and give us wisdom.  We will see things and know things that are beyond our own intellect or conventional wisdom. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” John 14:26He Uses us:  By the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, we are able to testify to what God has done in us and through us and be witnesses for the Gospel.  We should constantly ask God to use us as instruments to represent God in power and love.  “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me.” John 15:26He Convicts us:  The Holy Spirit Convicts us when we have sin within our hearts.  He never condemns us but if we allow Him permission the Holy Spirit will point out anything that is not right within in us and lead us to change and be renewed in Christ. “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world, and show where right and wrong and judgement lie.  He will convict us” John 16:8He Guides us:  In this world there are many voices and no shortage of opinions, many of which are good and sound.  That being said, we must be able to navigate through the noise and it can be challenging at times.  The Holy Spirit is the still small voice of God that will lead us and guide us to the Way, the Truth and the Life in Christ.  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.  He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13Holy Spirit we invite you to come Comfort us, Teach us, Use us, Convict us and Guide us in the way we should go!!!!!!!Happy Pentecost Sunday.  Have a great week of fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Remember

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” 1 John 3:16This Memorial Day we Remember all of the men and woman who have paid the ultimate price for our Freedom.  While each fallen soldier has a unique story, each soldier is a hero who willingly laid down his or her life for a greater cause.  I think part of our struggle to understand the fallen soldier comes with our difficulty in accepting sacrifice, especially when a sacrifice seems so final and appears to hold no obvious reward. The idea that someone could give up everything - for people they don’t even know - is hard to process. We spend so much of life trying to gain, to acquire, to win. Our country is home to the American Dream, the land of opportunity. Remembering the fallen is key to ensuring that we maintain our convictions as a country to do whatever is necessary to keep our freedom and be willing to pay the price.“Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.  We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” – Ronald ReaganUltimate Sacrifice:  Let’s Remember the 1.2 million men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in service to our Country, I am reminded of the sobering reality of the true price of freedom, and how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America, “the land of the free” because of the price others paid for our freedom.  I am very grateful and humbled by this amazing gift.“Those who have enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” – Franklin D. RooseveltChrist Crucified for us:  In a similar frame, I am even more grateful for the fact that Jesus freely chose to come down to earth in the flesh to willingly be crucified for our sins, so we can have eternal freedom (salvation) and live with God forever.  “For it is for Freedom that Christ set us free” Galatians 5:1.  “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13.  Let us Remember who God is and what He has done for us through the Cross and let this be our motivation to live the great commandment to “Love God and Love others” by serving God and others in Love.Lord, I pray that we would Remember and understand the reality of what others have done for us as Americans and even more amazingly what you have done for us as Christians and never forget the suffering you endured for our benefit.  Let us receive the fullness of your love and Sacrifice.Jesus the Messiah who Died to give us Life and Freedom both now and for Eternity, the ultimate Sacrifice.-Duane

Word of the Week - Revelation

“I don’t know whether he is a sinner, the man replied.  But I know this; I was blind, and now I can see!” John 9:25

Revelation is simply becoming aware of a surprising or previously unknown fact or truth.  In the spiritual realm it is typically made known through divine or supernatural means such as reading God’s Word (the bible), hearing a sermon or a experiencing a personal encounter.  Revelation is powerful and necessary for us to know God and grow in our relationship with Him.  Even though we are made in the image of God and have His spirit within us, God’s ways are not our ways and thus we cannot really understand the things of God without divine revelation through the Holy Spirit.  Revelation is a catalyst for our faith to become real and have power in our lives.Receiving Revelation:  Revelation is a gift from God and thus a bit mysterious.  I don’t think it is something we can simply will into existence for ourselves.  That being said, we learn from scripture and the story about the blind man who was healed by Jesus, that by faith he obeyed Jesus’ instruction to go wash himself in the pool of Siloam.  The man simply did what Jesus asked him to do and was healed.  I surely can relate to this story and the motivation for something much better.  The key here is to recognize that the blind man had to listen to Jesus and do something by faith to receive the miracle of healing of his sight which led to his salvation.  All to often, I think we either are not listening, or when Jesus speaks to us, we do not obey by stepping out in faith.  We tend to ask questions and desire more clarity, or we simply just don’t do anything, we wait and hope He will do it to us or for us.  Faith in action is where God shows up and the divine happens.By Revelation we get to know the Lord and build an intimate relationship with Him.  So how do we posture ourselves to receive revelation from God so we can live in the fullness of our experience with Him?

• Surrendering our lives and submitting to His authority over our lives as a loving Father.  I am not sure I know how this all works but I had a born again/spiritual eye opening experience 19 years ago at the age of 33 when I surrendered my heart to the Lord by faith.  Therefore this man’s story really resonates with me, because right after I surrendered my heart to God I experienced supernatural revelation.  I had eyes to see a whole new world that I had never known before through the person of Jesus and His word.  I had heard about Jesus my entire life and attended church but I never had experienced divine revelation.  It was truly amazing and by far the most powerful experience of my life to date, which gives me blessed assurance of my relationship with God and my hope of eternal salvation in Christ.  An amazing gift.
• Seeking God through His word – The bible is literally God breathed and given to us for divine purpose and instruction.  It is a spiritual book that is alive and powerful.  As I have sought after God over the years and grown in relationship with Him through His word, I continue to receive revelation, which strengthens my faith and trust in God.  As we develop our spiritual eyes through a pure heart and deep desire to know and love God, He continues to take us deeper and reveal things to us through His word so we can know Him in a more intimate way.  Just like any relationship that grows and deepens over time, to grow deeper in love and relationship we must know the person more and much of this is through the process of seeking the relationship.

We all need our spiritual eyes opened to have more spiritual vision and deeper communion with God.  Only God can give us spiritual sight through His divine revelation, He is in the business of making the blind see.  He did it for me and thus I am certain He can do it for anyone who desires to know Him for who He really is.  We simply have is ask in faith and surrender our hearts to the Lord Jesus, and make Him the first priority and Lord over our lives by faith.  “For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast”. Ephesians 2:8-9Lord I pray you will give us eyes to see and ears to hear.  Give us your divine revelation.-Duane 

Word of the Week - Honor

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

On this very special day that is set aside to recognize and Honor Mother’s, I thought it would be appropriate to remind ourselves the importance of Honoring our mothers and others.  I was blessed with an amazing mother, Lillie May LeJeune Donner, who we lost to cancer just over 17 years ago.  I think about her very often and miss her deeply.  I am grateful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful godly mother who taught me and my family so much about love and Honor, especially towards God.Honoring the Lord by Honoring others:  Honoring the Lord and those in authority, especially our parents is one of the key themes of God’s Word.  It was so important that God made it number four on the list of the 10 Commandments.  It is also the first Commandment with a promise that clearly states if we Honor our parents then we will live long healthy and productive lives. The principal of Honoring others is based on the concept that we value them and their positions by giving them worth and weight.  That we don’t dishonor them by taking them lightly or overlooking them.  I did not understand this truth until I was born of the spirit 19 years ago.  The truth of the matter is that when we Honor God, our parents, those in authority and people in general we are blessed and benefit.  Similar to the principal of giving, the more we Honor others, the more we gain favor and receive Honor and blessing.  “Honor god with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Then your barns will burst, you wine vats will brim over” Proverbs 3:9-10.  That being said, our motivation should come not from what we can get out of the process but from understanding that Honoring God and others pleases our Father and promotes the Gospel, which produces goodwill and fruit.Honoring those in authority: We should especially Honor those in authority to include Parents, Teachers, Leaders, and yes especially Government Officials.  Unfortunately, the biblical principal of Honoring those in authority is not a function of the persons skill, competence, performance, how they treat us or even their character; the concept is that God calls us to Honor all authority, even if we don’t like them or agree with their approach or philosophy.  This is one of the more challenging mandates of our Christian faith, especially in today’s world that seems to be driven by dishonor and disunity.  Just to be clear, Honoring someone in authority does not mean we have to obey them or agree with them, it just simply means we need to recognize and consider the weight of their position and authority.  1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men; whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  Show proper respect to everyone:  Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king,”  Expect persecution when we stand in righteousness:  All of that being said, if we disobey or disagree with those in authority then we have to be willing to face the consequences; if done in a godly manner with the right motivation this is called persecution, being willing to suffer for a greater purpose.  There are many examples of this in the Bible and throughout history and during these days we may be called to stand up and be ready to be persecuted for the Gospel of Christ.So how do we Honor God and others?  1) By prioritizing them; 2) By using words of praise that build them up and not tearing them down; and 3) By protecting them and standing up for them, especially if they don’t have a voice. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves”. Romans 12:10“If we sow honor we will reap honor” Pastor/Coach Tom MullinsHappy Mother’s Day to all you moms, I celebrate and Honor you for all that you do day in and day out.   You are amazing and greatly appreciated.  I personally believe there is no greater role or influence on raising up godly offspring than the role of a mother.  So be encouraged, you are changing the world one son and daughter at a time, hopefully with lots of help from your husband 😊.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Community

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:24-25COVID-19 Perspective on Community – During this time of “quarantine” and “social distancing” it is most important that we maintain connection and Community.  Even though we need to continue to do our best to practice physical distancing, we should not distance ourselves socially.  Thank God for technology, which gives us the means to stay connected and put to good use social media tools.  Social isolation is not good or healthy and it is truly a tactic of the enemy to separate us from God and each other to bring us to a place of vulnerability.  I hope this Word on Community encourages you to stay connected to the vine of Christ and to your brothers and sisters of faith.What is community?  The definition is simply to have common unity with others.  For people to come together under common values and beliefs to live in fullness.  God created us for relationship, first and foremost with Himself and secondly and as important with each other.  It is impossible to live to our full potential without being in Community with others.   ^“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12: 4-5  As a body of Christ we do life with others in healthy interdependent relationship that allow the body of Christ to function in fullness.Community is Healthy and Life Giving – Life Giving Community should lift us up and bring out the best in us as we help bring out the best in others by using our God given gifts to love, relate and serve others.  I love the quote from John Maxwell that says “show me your friends and I will show you your future”.  The bottom line is that we become who we commune with; life begets life but bad company corrupts good character.  It is very important that we develop Community with people who are like minded and share our core values, especially as it relates to our faith.  We need to pursue Community with godly people who desire to grow and live to their full God given potential.  People who are authentic and speak the truth in love.  Friends that will challenge us and love us enough to admonish us and call us out if we are headed down the wrong path.  Friends that we enjoy spending time with and have our best interest at heart and visa-versa.  Friends that will be there for us in the good times and especially through the storms and challenges of life.Community is Covering and Protection  – Part of the reality of life is that we will all face trials and adversities in life.  “In this life you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome the world”  John 16:33.  One of the keys to going through tough times and persevering through the trials is to have a strong Community support system around us to provide encouragement and protection as we endure the trials of life.  We were not created to do life alone and we all need help and encouragement to navigate the challenges of life.  We can comfort one another with words, physical presence and prayer.  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2.  We can encourage each other in the process and always point to the hope of the Lord and his promises, helping each other keep an eternal perspective.  We often are inclined to give up too early but with good Community of believers “band of brothers” we can be encouraged to hang in there through the pain to get to the other side so we can experience God’s best for us.  “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all”.  1 Thessalonians 5:14Man was made for relationship and Community and was not made to do life alone in isolation.  The abundant life that God promises is one of Community with others.  I have truly found that the most joyous experiences in life come through being connected to others through Christ.  It can be hard for some of us to commit to Community, especially if we’re guarded due to past wounds or simply more introverted and prefer solitude.  Community is God’s desire and design for us and a sign of mature faith.  At the end of the day, when we grow in our relationship with others through authentic and vulnerable Community, we are growing in our relationship with God.  We really are better together!!!!If you are not connected with a small group of friends that know you and what you are going through then I encourage you to pursue this type of Community.  Church small groups are one way to find this type of Community, the following is a link to a directory of small groups https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/groups . Remember that we all desire to be connected in good healthy Community and we have as much to offer as we have to receive.Have a great week,-Duane

Word of the Week - Soulful Rest

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

It is amazing to me how quickly the entire world has downshifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.  This is a great opportunity for all of us to “find rest for our souls”.  We have all been forced at some level to move from our busy day to day routines that seem to be accelerating each year due to technology and the digital age, to a much slower and more simple pace.  There is no doubt that many of us are stressed and worn out because we are so busy and we don’t really know how to Rest.  “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.” Psalm 127:2  We think we can find Rest in more sleep, leisure time off or vacations; even though these are good things that we all need to remain healthy, the Rest referred to in Matthew 11 above is a much deeper level of Rest that is needed for our souls and spirits to be refreshed and restored.  So what is this “Rest” that the Lord is referring to in Matthew 11 and how can we receive it?Rest is security through Salvation:  It starts with eternal security that comes by salvation and knowing deep within our being that we are safe and secure in Christ as a child of God.  Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”  Our souls long to know that we are safe and secure in God our Father similar to a child’s longing to know that he or she is under the loving protection and security of parents.  This brings a deep sense of security that allows to experience a deeper state of Rest.Rest is trust in God through taking Sabbath:  We also find true Rest by putting healthy and intentional boundaries in our lives so that our souls have space to Rest and be refreshed.  This is the principle of Sabbath that is contrary to how the world operates but is truly a key to finding real Rest.  “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God”. Exodus 20:8-10.  God our Creator, designed us with the Sabbath in mind for our own good, and we will only find true rest and perform at our best if we adhere to God’s design and embrace the Sabbath.  The idea of Sabbath is that we stop and don’t engage in our “vocational work” for one day a week.  During our Sabbath day of Rest, we would engage in feeding our body, mind, soul and spirit with good healthy and godly things that refresh us.  Going to church on Sunday is just one of these things, but the Sabbath principle is much broader than church attendance.  It should include time for prayer, study, exercise, fellowship, enjoying family and recreation/hobbies.  Most importantly having space between your work and your soul life.  If we truly trust God as our provider then we will be able to embrace the sabbath and find good healthy rest to be restored weekly.Rest is living with true Purpose and Significance:  We find true Rest when we live with purpose and significance towards our eternal destiny.  If we truly understand why we are on this earth and have an eternal God perspective then we can find Rest in knowing and trusting that God “works all things together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.  This gives us a deep sense of security and Rest even in the trials and storms of life, like the one we are facing today.  Understanding that we are made on purpose for a “time such as this” so we can step into our destiny with confidence and know that God is using us for His plans that are much greater than our plans, even though we may not clearly understand how it all works together.  Simple faith and trust in God brings tremendous Rest to our souls.Psalm 23 is an amazing scripture that exudes the idea of Resting in God even in facing the darkest trials and tribulations of life. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”COVID-19 from a Spiritual/Biblical Perspective:The official lock down started March 23 and will likely end May 1st. That is EXACTLY 40 days.  The Latin root of the word "quarantine" is "forty".  So what does the Bible say about 40?  The flood lasted 40 days. 40 years Moses fled Egypt.  40 days Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments.  Exodus lasted 40 years.  Jesus fasted for 40 days.  40 days for a woman to rest after giving birth.  Optimum number of weeks for human gestation is 40.A group of theologians thinks the number 40 represents "change”. It is the time of preparing a person, or people, to make a fundamental change.  Something will happen after these 40 days. Just believe and pray. Remember, whenever the number 40 appears in the Bible, there is a "change".  Please know that during this "quarantine" rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner because of less pollution, there is less theft and murder, healing is happening, and most importantly, people are turning to Christ. The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.  Remember we are in the year 2020, and 20 + 20 = 40.  Also, 2020 is the year of the United States Census. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, was born during a census.  Lastly, 2020 is perfect vision. May our sight focus on the Lord and living according to His perfect vision for us knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand.May these days of "quarantine" bring spiritual liberation to our souls, our nation, and our world in the name of Jesus.-Duane

Word of the Week - Strength

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Physical Strength – BodyWe all desire to be strong and have the ability to overcome the challenges of life by having strength and fortitude.  The real question is where does our strength come from.  Physical strength is easiest to understand as a function of genetics, diet and exercise.  If we are blessed with good genes and take care of ourselves through eating well and exercising regularly, we can have tremendous strength and endurance and thus overcome amazing physical challenges.Inner Strength – Soul  As important as physical strength is to our lives, I would suggest that one’s inner strength (heart, mind and emotions) is most important to their health and wellbeing.  So what gives some people the strength to deal with and overcome challenging circumstances with grace, peace, fervor and serenity, whereas some people are crushed by similar situations?  I believe it is based upon their perspective, how they see the situation and where they draw their strength from.  Do they have hope beyond their circumstances.  Do they have a more eternal perspective vs. a temporal perspective?  If you put almost any challenging issue in the lens of eternity then it becomes relatively insignificant.  The apostle Paul had an amazing inner strength that was exemplified through tremendous trials: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.  Paul’s hope remained in something well beyond this world.Abiding Strength – Spirit Similar to physical strength, in order to build our faith and trust in God, we must exercise our spirit daily to maintain and build our faith.  The discipline of consistency pays off;  just as our bodies become strengthened over time through the proactive process of working our muscles daily to build strength and resistance; similarly, we must exercise our spirit each day to build our relational trust and faith in the Lord by seeking Him and knowing Him at a deeper level through seeking and connecting with Him.  We receive our spiritual food (daily bread) and strength by abiding in Christ through our daily disciplines (spiritual exercise) that include but are not limited to: praying, reading God’s word, fellowshipping with other believers, worshipping Him and giving thanks and praise to acknowledge what God has done and is doing for us.  This builds our faith and spiritual strength so when life deals us challenges we are prepared and have the strength to draw upon to overcome and hopefully thrive.  “So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you and my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10COVID-19It looks like our leaders are working at a local, state and federal levels to coordinate and build a plan of restarting our economy as the data shows that we are trending on the downslope of Coronavirus cases.  Let’s continue to pray for godly wisdom for our government and business leaders as they develop these plans toward recovery.  Hopefully we will see more specifics with trigger dates this week.  I pray that you will find tremendous strength, hope and peace through your abiding walk with Christ even in the midst of this unprecedented time of crisis.Abiding in Christ daily renews our strength and allows us to soar like an eagle and not grow weary so we can overcome the adversities of life and continue to grow and strengthen or faith and ultimately be made mature and complete so we can overcome, grow and thrive and ultimately finish our lives well and attain our reward in Christ.Have a blessed week,-Duane

Word of the Week - Resurrection Power - 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 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 sons and daughters to walk out our faith with confidence and trust in Him, which is what activates this power in our day to day lives.Here are 5 ways that God desires for His resurrection power to become alive in us:

• Resurrect Hope – “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
• Resurrect Purpose – “ For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10
• Resurrect Faith –  ^“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
• Resurrect Joy – “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of 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  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
• Resurrect Life – “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

In a world that lacks hope, purpose, faith, joy and life; Easter (Resurrection Day) is a day that reminds us that we have access to tap into God’s power so His life can come alive in each of us.  Jesus is the source of Resurrection.  "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;” John 11:25Especially in this precarious time of COVID-19 pandemic, let’s embrace and 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, purpose, faith and joy = Abundant Life!!!!Just a quick note of encouragement on the Coronavirus, that data indicates that we have reached the crest of the Covid-19 wave in the U.S. and should start seeing the number of new cases continue to decline moving forward.  That being said, our hearts go out to all who have lost friends and relatives to this terrible virus.  We also pray for all who are being impacted physically, emotionally and financially.  We pray for breakthroughs in a vaccine and treatments to heal those that are infected.  I am hopeful that we will begin the process of recovery very soon and God is using this challenging time to do a good work in each of us.  Romans 5:8Have a blessed Easter…-Duane

Word of the Week - Peace in the Storm - Look for Good/Blessing - Week 4 COVID-19

“For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those that are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28

Throughout history God has allowed many calamities to occur even though He possesses the power and authority to prevent and/or stop them.  As we read scripture we begin to understand how God uses all sorts of challenges and adversities to do amazing work and miracles, especially within the hearts and lives of those who call Him Father (those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose, His children).  We don’t often understand how or why, but in hindsight we generally can see God at work doing great things within our lives during the most trying times.  I believe the key to receiving the blessing is to press in towards the Lord during times of trial and uncertainty and pray that He will show us what it is He is trying to teach us.  He is surely more interested in developing our godly character than He is in making us happy and comfortable.  I believe that the Lord mostly desires for all mankind to come into relationship with Himself and He will go to extreme measures to draw us to Him.  “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  But He also desires for us, the body of believers to become fully dependent upon Him as we walk through the trials of life so we can grow and mature to our full potential.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:4  So how is God using the COVID-19 pandemic to draw unbelievers to Him and the body of believers closer to Him so that we can grow to become mature and complete in Christ?  I think this is a good question we should be asking as we navigate this unprecedented time.  Here are a few ways it seems like God is using this circumstance to impact everyone:Our calendar / Time  – Over the past 3 weeks our lives and plans have essentially been put on pause.  Our busy calendars have been redirected to shelter in place / work from home.  Simple pleasures and freedoms to go out for dinner, fellowship or entertainment has pretty much gone away.  What might be the blessing in this?  “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lords will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15Our jobs / Economy -  After over a decade of growth and prosperity, almost overnight our entire economy has essentially been put on idle which has created havoc in the capital markets and caused the stock market to drop over 25% in less than a month.  There are millions of people losing their jobs and tremendous uncertainty about the future of business and our economy.  If we ever thought we as a people had control over these things we have just been humbled and brought to our knees by an invisible virus.  We must turn back to the Lord and recognize that He is our God and provider of all good things.  Are we depending on God as our provider or looking to something else?  “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.  Matthew 6:31-33Sports and Entertainment -  Pretty much all sporting events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.  Things like the college final four, The Masters, Wimbledon etc. Most recreational entertainment establishments have been shut down to include movie theatres, restaurants, country clubs etc.  All of the sudden these things that seemed to be so important to us are no longer available and we find ourselves with lots of time and energy that was typically consumed by these activities and pass times.  What are you doing with this time and energy?  Have you considered using it to grow in your relationship with God and others.  It might be that God is allowing these things (idols) to be removed to get our lives in proper order.  “Jesus replied; “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”Even though none of us would desire to be in this situation and we are praying for healing for all being affected by this terrible virus, I truly believe God is using this to do a great work in our nation, community, families and personal lives.  Let’s not miss the opportunity to seek the Lord and find what He has for each of us during this time.  He promises us that if we seek Him we will find Him if we seek Him with all of our heart.  We have the opportunity to experience the first 3 verses of Psalm 23 during this time:  “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul” Psalm 23:1-3Founders Data tracking tool for COVID-19 Cases: For your reference I have linked a recently updated version of our COVID-19 tracking tool.  I remain hopeful and optimistic that we are will see the wave crest and will be witnessing some positive trends over the next week or so, which will lead to our country stabilizing and moving to a recovery phase in the not too distant future.  I hope this encourages you to stay positive and trusting in the Lord as we continue to humble ourselves, pray and serve.“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”  2 Chronicles 7:14See encouragement from last week below on Keeping Perspective, Experiencing Peace, Making a Plan and Tapping God’s Power.Stay healthy and keep the faith…..-Duane

Word of the Week - Peace in the Storm - Serve Others - Week 3 COVID-19

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

During this time of sickness and uncertainty let’s look for ways to love and serve those around us.  It can be as simple as calling a neighbor, friend or co-worker to see if they are okay and if they need anything.  It is much more blessed to give than to receive and to serve rather than be served.  Serving is also and antidote to anxiety/worry, it is hard to worry too much about yourself if you are focused on serving others.  This is really the essence of the Gospel that Jesus “Gave His all for us” to model what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.  As believers, we exist to serve others by showing God’s love in practical ways through meeting the needs within our communities, families and spheres of influence.  Simple acts of personal kindness can open hearts to the love of Jesus for both those being served and those serving, especially during this time of crisis and uncertainty.  The following are a few biblical principles of fostering a heart of Service.We over Me – One of the most amazing blessings of the Christian life is fellowship among the believers is the fact that we are better together.  God set up the Church for synergy through the body of believers.  We are all part of the body/community and have a specific gift and role to play in God’s plan.  God’s Kingdom will not advance to its fullest without us all serving together as a body.  “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given one spirt to drink.  Even so the body is not made of one part but of many”. 1 Cor 12:12-14Serving others is Worship -  We win the Lord’s heart by loving Him through worship.  Serving others in the name if Jesus is one of the highest forms of worship to the Lord Jesus.  It is a way to tangibly love the Lord.  Especially when we serve the needy and less fortunate who could never repay us.  So serve others with all of your heart and do it with no strings attached in the name of Jesus and for this you will be blessed both now and for eternity.  “The King will reply.  “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me”.  Matthew 25:40Let’s look for opportunities this week to Serve others in the name of Jesus.Founders Data tracking tool for COVID-19 Cases: For your reference I have attached a report we developed to track data associated with total cases and reproduction/growth in cases for COVID-19.  This is a tool we are using to better understand how things are progressing relative to what other countries (China, South Korea & Italy) have experienced since they are ahead of us in the pandemic wave.  Based on what we are seeing in the data, I am optimistic that we are will see the wave crest and will be witnessing some positive trends over the next week or two, which will lead to our country stabilizing and moving to a recovery phase in the not too distant future.  I hope this encourages you to stay positive and trusting in the Lord as we continue to humble ourselves, pray and serve.“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”  2 Chronicles 7:14See encouragement from last week below on Keeping Perspective, Experiencing Peace, Making a Plan and Tapping God’s Power.Stay healthy and keep the faith…..-Duane 

Word of the Week - Peace in the Storm (Coronavirus) - Week 2

“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge, and 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” Psalm 91: 9-11

Friends, Family and Colleagues, I pray this email finds you well in the midst of what we are experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.  I want to reemphasize and expound on the message that I shared last week (see previous post), I believe it is critical for all of us so we can experience God’s peace in the midst of the chaos and be ambassadors of hope and encouragement during this time.

• Perspective – Remember that God is sovereign and His plan is a good one.  He loves you and your family and will protect you if you make him your refuge - Psalm 91: 9-11 above
• Peace – The Serenity prayer is powerful, “asking God for serenity to accept what we cannot change/control, courage to take action to change/affect things that are in our area of influence/responsibility and godly wisdom to know the difference”.  Don’t waste your time worrying “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” Matthew 6:28
• Plan – It is amazing how much a good plan can ease fear and anxiety.  It is the “not knowing” that is most scary.  Run the numbers, look at the data/facts, gain input and counsel by bouncing it off of people you respect and have wisdom, then put it into place knowing that it will change as we get more clarity.  By the way, there is no perfect plan but any good plan is better than no plan at all.  As a leader what is most important is how you communicate the plan.  Be positive and empathetic to how it impacts people but remain strong in resolve to do what is best for the whole.
• Power – We all have access to the greatest power of all, which is God’s spirit.  God promises us that if we dwell in Him that His spirit will dwell in us and we will bare much fruit. John 15:5  One of the fruits of the spirit is “Peace” and it comes from God.  This is simply a daily decision to seek God first for direction, peace and wisdom or seek other things like government, media, information etc. to try to find solace.  The Lord makes it clear in His word that if we seek Him first then He will take care of us.  “Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness then all things will be given to us” Matthew 6:33

Stay strong by reading God’s word and remaining connected to the vine of Christ and the fellowship of the church.  We have more time and lots of technology to stay connected to God and each other.  Here are a few resources to encourage you and hopefully make you laugh:

• Read Psalm 91 -  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+91&version=NIV
• Watch this message - Converting Fear to Faith – Pastor Chris Hodges - https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/converting-fear-into-faith/
• Watch this youtube video - Toilet Paper Dealer – Humor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJalKceRxU

Keep the faith,-Duane

Word of the Week - Peace in the Storm (Coronavirus)

"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.” Psalm 91:1-2With the recent spreading of the Coronas Virus (COVID-19), we are experiencing unprecedented times in our country and world.  It is during these times that God does His best work in us and through us if we simply turn to Him for comfort, guidance/wisdom and peace.  As noted above in Psalm 91 and throughout scripture God promises us that He will protect us and lead us if we simply love Him by abiding in Him and put our faith and trust in Him.  So many scriptures come to mind in regards to what we are facing to include on of my lifetime favorites Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all things and He will direct your paths and keep you safe”.  It is times like these when are faith is truly tested and we have a great opportunity to stand on the promises of God and receive the perspective and peace of God so we can be a light of hope and encouragement for those around us.  As I have  prayed, reflected and pursued the Lord over the past few days He has filled me with peace and hope along with very practical wisdom that I would like to share to encourage you my friends and family in this time of uncertainty.  Here are a few God principals and truths along with some data based information to help you as you navigate through this time:Perspective - God is Sovereign so let’s Trust Him – The essence of knowing God is understanding that He is God and His ways are not our ways.  We cannot understand all the ways of God but we can trust that His plan is a good plan and that He loves us and “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for us who are called according to his purpose and plan” Romans 8:28.  The key here is that we simply “trust God” and know that He is a good and loving Father who is “Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” Psalm 103:8  The word of God is the story of God’s love for us and there are numerous examples where He allows things like disease and illness to impact humanity for the purpose of drawing people to Himself.  He does make it clear that His children will be under His protection during these times “Because they love me, “says the Lord,”  I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name” Psalm 91:14Peace - Having serenity balanced with courage and wisdom – “Lord give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” I love the Serenity prayer because it puts things into a healthy and godly perspective when we understand that there are many things out of our control and thus it is futile if we exert our energy trying to change things that we cannot influence or change. That being said, we all have gifts, authority and centers of influence that we should focus our energy and resources to serve and influence during this time.  The key is to have godly wisdom to know the difference especially as the world around us is dazed and confused and the media is over dramatizing the situation creating fear and panic.  The good news is that God promises us that He will give us wisdom and courage if we pray to Him and ask for it.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let Him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” James 1:5Plan - Know the facts, gain counsel and make a sound plan – We must trust God in His sovereign power and pray for Wisdom as we use our eyes, ears and intellect to gain knowledge (facts & data) and seek godly and wise counsel from trusted sources.  Once we gain perspective and find peace in Christ, we have courage to step up and take action and face things head on so we can have clarity to make good decisions and a sound plan of action.  In times of crisis it is important that we discern facts from fodder, especially in situations like this where political undertones can really skew news and information.  “In God we trust, and all others bring data” Edward Deming  See following links for recent data driven report “Coronavirus “Why you must act now””   https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca and this short video that explains the math behind “How the Coronavirus is growing” https://youtu.be/Kas0tIxDvrg .  Having a sound and well thought out plan based on current facts and good reason is simply smart and reassuring to those around us who are depending on our leadership. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty”.  Proverbs 21:5  Even with a great and well thought out plan we must remain open to be led by the Lord and His spirit as things develop knowing that the plan will change and evolve as we move forward and gain more insight and understanding.  “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”. Proverbs 16:9Power – Abiding in the Lord through prayer and meditating on God’s Word – “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all of my fears” Psalms 34:4.  God’s power is supernatural and has the ability to instantly change our perspective and move us from fear to faith then to focus on what we can do to turn an adverse situation into an opportunity for growth and blessing.  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity but one of power, love and sounds mind” 2 Tim 1:7  Let’s seek after the Lord through prayer and standing on the promises of His word so our faith can rise up and we can walk in the power of God with love and sound mind towards God and those around us.  I encourage you to read Psalm 91 https://www.bible.com/bible/111/psa.91.1-4,6-16.niv each day to build your faith and know the Power of the promises of God.Finally, I pray that as you seek first the Lord during this time He would bless you with a God perspective that gives you peace that surpasses understanding, and godly wisdom and clarity so you can have sound mind as you plan for your family, business and community.  Mostly I pray that you would remain in Him and encounter His power during this time and use it to be a light of hope and encouragement to those around you for a time such as this.“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge, and 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” Psalm 91: 9-11 We are better together, so as we practice physical distancing let’s stay connected to Christ and each other.-Duane

Word of the Week - Love of Money

But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  1 Timothy 6-10

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

• Contentment - First, he taught him that the love of money can be dangerous to one's spiritual health. Money itself is not evil, but the love of money is a dangerous deception that can lead even to being drawn away from the faith. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9.  The proper attitude toward money must be one of contentment. As we live our lives, we must be thankful for what we have, not always wanting what we don't have. “
• Gratitude – If we have an attitude of Gratitude we realize that God desires to bless us so we can be a blessing. He "richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17). God is not a taker- He's a giver! He longs to bless us for our enjoyment. ¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
• Giving - The third truth Paul shared regarding money is the principle of giving, which is the true antidote to the spirit of Mammon. He urged Timothy to instruct the rich to remember to use their earthly wealth for doing good, thus laying up an eternal reward in heaven.  ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19

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

Word of the Week - Be Still

Be still and know I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46

Being Still is one of the bigger challenges in my life.  I seem to be built for doing; therefore I am either in the middle of doing something or thinking about what I need to do next.  That being said, God is clear about the fact that there is something very powerful about simply being still by bringing our body and soul (mind, will and emotions) to a place of stillness and quiet.  This is really where we become conscious of the here and now and fully present to connect with God and receive what He has for us.  To fully experience and know God, we must sit before Him undistracted, which is the power of learning how to be still.  This is not my strong suit but I have developed some disciplines that seem to help me in this area.  “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” Psalm 37:7

• Finding a quiet place – Our environment and the ambiance can either set the stage for stillness or be very distracting.  Every one of us is different but when we find or create a space that allows us to quiet our mind we can begin to experience the power of being still before God.  Whether your truck, basement, closet, chapel, library, cabin in the woods or back porch try to find a place where you can mentally and physically retreat from the noise of life and the worries of the world.  “The Lord is in His holy Temple.  All the earth – be quiet in His presence” Habakkuk 2:20
• Praising and worshipping God – Focusing our energy towards God through praise and worship can usher us into a place of stillness by putting things in the right perspective.  When we exalt God to His proper place we find trust and safety in Him, which allows our cares and worries to lose power creating space for us to be still. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  Proverbs 18:10
• Sabbath – The principal of Sabbath is for this purpose, to set aside time and space each week for “being” with the Lord and enjoying His presence in a state of rest.  Giving ourselves permission to stop doing and producing by trusting God as our provider is very powerful and can lead to experiencing relationship with God at a deeper level.  “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath” Mark 2:27
• Taking thoughts captive –  The 3 disciplines noted above can really help quiet our minds but we may still have thoughts that are trying to sabotage us, in this case we can take captive the thoughts by acknowledging them mentally or by writing them down so we can release them to the Lord.  So when thoughts come that are not welcomed we can “take them captive and make them obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

When it comes to building relationship, the key is connecting at a deeper level.  Being still before the Lord allows us to connect with God and know Him at a deeper level.  So let’s make the discipline of “being still” a priority in our daily and weekly walk with God so we can experience His amazing power and presence to the full.  This is well demonstrated in the story of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke, “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42Lord I pray we can learn to be more like Mary and “Be still in knowing you are our God and Abba Father”.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Healing

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:2-3

There are many benefits to a relationship with the Lord Jesus but one powerful benefit that seems to be overlooked by many Christians is the gift of Healing. We all have areas of our lives that have dis-ease and need healing.  Whether we are struggling with physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual brokenness, our God wants to bring us healing.  In Exodus 15:26 God introduces Himself as Jehovah- Rapha, “the Lord who heals.”  The word Rapha means “to heal, to cure, to restore and make whole”.  By calling Himself Jehovah-Rapha, He is saying, Healing is what I am”.  Our God is the Great Physician.  Wholeness and restoration is what God desires for us in all areas of our lives.  Nothing that causes pain or suffering in our lives is above the healing touch of Jesus.  The key to receiving healing in our lives is first to be accept and receive the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood that He shed on the cross, this is salvation.  “He (Jesus) Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds we have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24.  Second, we should draw close and seek the Healer (Jesus) because He has the power to bring healing, draw close to the Lord.  ^“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”Salvation and healing are God’s twin mercies.   So let’s posture ourselves for forgiveness and Healing of all of our disease and be restored in the name of Jesus.  And for the many situations when healing does not come as we hope, pray and expect, let us not lose heart but trust God in His sovereignty knowing and trusting that His plan is better than our plan.  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all things and He will lead you in the way you should go”. Proverbs 3-6  Our ultimate healing is not in this world but in heaven united with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for eternity.  So if we can truly embrace an eternal perspective then we will find healing in all circumstances as the apostle Paul understood and shared in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What we lose in life we will gain in heaven.  Before that time comes, our purpose on earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death and point others to the hope that brings healing.Have a great week….-Duane