Word of the Week - Biblical End time Events and Timeline - Prophecy part 4

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  Therefore, keep watch, because we do not know on what day the Lord will come.” Matthew 24:36-42

In follow up to my “Word of the Week” on Prophecy part 1,2,&3 – see below, this week I will attempt to frame the timeline and expected series of events that are recorded throughout scripture as it relates to end time prophecy.  There are many views on this topic.  Please note: Most of the content in this “WOW” was referenced from two sources: 1) Pastor Jimmy Evans book titled “Whats next Israel – Gaza War” and from 2) gotquestions.org website.  I apologize in advance for the length of the “Word of the Week”, there is a lot here.

Biblical scholars differ on the exact chronology. I don’t think anyone can dogmatically claim certainty in this area as it is a bit of a mystery and not exactly clear in scripture.  However, the general sequence of major events prophesied in the Bible appears consistent. All that said, based on my studies in this area, I believe we are indeed living in the last days preceding the major events of Christ’s return, which God’s Word repeatedly declares.  Therefore, I encourage you to do your own homework, so are informed and “ready” for what is to come. 

Israel stands at the center of End Times Prophecy.  As covered over the past few weeks, what is unfolding in Israel today is likely not the final war but surely aligns prophetically with events leading up to major end time events.  This is often referred to as birth pains of end times outlined in Matthew 24:1-14, which we are seeing first-hand with the war in Israel and developments around the world.  As noted, the prophet Ezekial foretells of the Gog of Magog invasion of Israel, which is predicted to transpire around the first half of the seven-year Tribulation.  This war is distinctly not Armageddon.  While the identity of Gog remains unclear, Russia has been suggested.  A coalition of hostile powers that include Russia (Rosh), Iran (Persia), and Turkey (Togarmah, Meshech, Tubal and Gomer) to Israel’s North is forming in ways consistent with Ezekiel’s prophecy.  As always, we see through a glass dimly lit, yet God’s Word is trustworthy in foretelling the broader geopolitical alignments that are currently jeopardizing Israel’s security.  This is all unfolding right before us, and we would be foolish not to pay close attention and do our best to understand how the pieces fit together with prophecy as events unfold.

Preface to End Time Events and Sequence: In eschatology, it is important to remember that almost all Christians agree on these three things: 1) there is coming a time of great tribulation such as the world has never seen, 2) after the Tribulation, Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth, and, 3) there will be a Rapture—a translation from mortality to immortality—for believers (John 14:1-3;1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The question is when does the Rapture occur in relation to the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ?  Through the years three main theories have emerged concerning the timing of the Rapture: pretribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins), midtribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation), and posttribulationism (the belief that the Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation).  Pretribulation seems to be the most accepted theory, so that is the one I am going with for the purposes of this exercise. 

End Time Events and Sequence: The following is what my research suggests as the most likely End Time Events and Chronological Sequence of these events:

1. Rapture of the Church, 2) Rise of the Antichrist, 3) The Tribulation, 4) The Battle of Gog and Magog, 5) The abomination of desolation,

1. The Battle of Armageddon, 7) The Judgment of the Nations, 8) The binding of satan, 9) The Millennial Kingdom, 10) The Last Battle,

11) The Great white throne judgement, and 12) The new creation

I will cover first 3 in more detail this week and plan to cover the remaining 9 in coming weeks.

The Rapture of the Church is the event when God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period.  The rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time. “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).  The rapture will involve an instantaneous transformation of our bodies to fit us for eternity. “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). The rapture is to be distinguished from the second coming. At the rapture, the Lord comes “in the clouds” to meet us “in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, the Lord descends all the way to the earth to stand on the Mount of Olives, resulting in a great earthquake followed by a defeat of God’s enemies (Zechariah 14:3–4). The rapture of the church is a glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God’s presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, the rapture should be a comforting doctrine full of hope; God wants us to “encourage one another with these words”.

The rise of the Antichrist  After the church is taken out of the way through the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the antichrist (Revelation 19:20). The meaning of the term antichrist is simply “against Christ.” As the apostle John records in First and Second John, an antichrist denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22), does not acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:3), and denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). There have been many “antichrists,” as 1 John 2:18 states. But there is also coming the Antichrist.  Most Bible prophecy/eschatology experts believe the Antichrist will be the ultimate embodiment of what it means to be against Christ. In the end times/last hour, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true Messiah, the Antichrist will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel.

The Tribulation is a period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). The Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulation on earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6–10). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is associated with the day of the Lord, that time during which God personally intervenes in history to accomplish His plan (see Isaiah 2:12; 13:6–9; Joel 1:15; 2:1–31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). It is referred to as “tribulation . . . in the latter days” (Deuteronomy 4:30, ESV); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); “a time of distress” (Daniel 12:1); and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7, NKJV). And we have this description of the tribulation that attends the day of the Lord: The tribulation will be marked by various divine judgments, celestial disturbances, natural disasters, and terrible plagues (see Revelation 6—16). In His mercy, God sets a limit on the duration of the tribulation. As Jesus said, “Those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive” (Mark 13:19–20).

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:23

More to come next week.  Be encouraged, we are victorious in Christ!!!!  Have a great week….

Thanks,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Highroad - Impact Leadership Conference

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each you to the interest of others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.  Philippians 2:3-5

Note: I was busy most of this week hosting folks for the Impact Leadership Conference (ILC) immediately followed by a trip to Florida with my wife and family to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday.  All that to say, I did not have time to compose part 4 of my prophecy word of the week.  I plan to get the next prophecy “WOW” next week.  This week I decided to share a little teaching and insight from our time with John Maxwell and friends at the ILC.

Our firm, Founders Advisors, was honored once again this year to serve as the Title Sponsor of the Impact Leadership 2023 on behalf of Highlands College.  Highlands College is a biblical higher education institution that exists to supply the Church with leaders of competence, character, and spiritual maturity, holistically trained to lead lives of eternal impact by fulfilling the Great Commission.  I have the privilege of serving on the board of Highlands College and passionately share in the Vision and Mission of Highlands College that addresses the challenge in Luke 10:2 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”.    

It was an amazing day with Dr. John Maxwell, Dan Cathy, Pastor Chris Hodges, and Doris Kearns.  I was encouraged, inspired, and equipped by all of these leaders.  If you were not able to attend in person or virtually, I would highly recommend that you take some time to listen to the talks from the Impact Conference.  I don’t have the recorded conference link today but hope to have it early this week.  I plan to email the link to my “Word of the Week” group as soon as I get it.

My friend John Maxwell, who recently turned 76, shared insights and principles from a book he is working on call High Road Leadership.  This is a timely topic as we navigate and lead through the currents of our culture where taking the low road is more common than the high road.  The following are a few of the High Road leadership principles that John shared that resonated with me, so I wanted to share them with you.

John Maxwell’s – High Road Leadership:

1. High Road Leaders - Do the right things for the right reasons

   • Motives matter especially in the life of a leader

   • Leaders see more than others before others see it

   • Leaders use their vision and position to benefit those around us

2. High Road Leaders place people above their agenda

   • Value partnering with people – it is privilege to lead

   • Understand the strength of partnership

   • There is synergy in unity – we are better together

3. High Road Leaders understand partnering with others

   • P – Place others agenda above my personal agenda.  The team is first above me.

   • A – Add value to other daily

   • R – Resource others with influence and ideas

   • T - Taylor your services to meet the need of your team and clients

   • N – Never violate trust it is the most important thing

   • E – Exceed expectations.  The client’s expectations should be the floor

   • R – Respect the relationship and work to strengthen it

4. High Road Leaders have Emotional Capacity (EQ)

   • They have the ability to handle adversity and welcome feedback and constructive criticism

   • They are humble and teachable and value the input of others

   • They are authentic and are comfortable in their own skin

5. High Road Leaders give more than they take

   • They see success in the seeds they sow each day not simply in the harvest they receive

   • They are generous in all ways with their time, talent and treasure and simply love giving

   • They enjoy being part of helping others succeed more than themselves

There are more High Road principles that can be found in John’s new book that will be available for purchase soon. I hope this adds value to you and blesses you as much as it has blessed me. 

Have a great week.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Biblical End time Events and Timeline - Prophecy part 3

“In that day, the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of His people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.  He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”  Isaiah 11:10-12

In follow up to my “Word of the Week” on Prophecy part 1&2 – see below, this week I want to frame the significance of Hamas and Gaza as referenced in biblical prophecy.  This give more context to current events we are witnessing in Israel/Gaza with Hamas, and how they fit into God’s bigger plan as referenced in God’s word through the prophets.

Israel today stands as the End Times prophetic super-sign.  Biblical predictions for the last days all center on the Jewish people and nation.  As noted in Isaiah 11 above, God faithfully preserved a remnant of the Jewish people (Israel) through the centuries, which finally led to a miraculous 20th Century rebirth in 1948.  For almost two millennia, the Hebrew people were scattered around the world.  They have shown a remarkable ability to both survive and thrive through times of blessing and extreme persecution.  Ezekial 36: 24-28 also prophesy’s a latter day return of the Jewish people to the ancient Holy Land and the rebirth of the modern state of Israel, culminating in a spiritual restoration of the nation.  “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all the uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God”.

Gaza is mentioned in the Bible 20 times. The Gaza strip is at forefront of the war in Israel. The first biblical reference to Gaza is in Genesis 10, where it is described as part of the territory occupied by the Canaanites, who were the enemies of God and Israel.  “And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.” Genesis 10:19  Bible prophesy has lots to say about Gaza.  Four Old Testament Hebrew prophets to include Jeremiah, Amos, Zephaniah, and Zechariah warned Gaza of impending doom and judgement.  In Jeremiah 47, one of the Pharaohs of Egypt conquered Gaza.  This began a long, difficult relationship between Gaza and Egypt that continues to this day.  Currently Egypt has a blockade wall to prevent people from Gaza entering Egypt.  This blockade stems from the fact that Hamas, which currently rules Gaza, grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt that was expelled by the Egyptian government.  So, the conflict between Egypt and Gaza seen in Jeremiah 47 still echoes today in strained relations.  “For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.”  Zephaniah 2:4

The “Day of the Lord” refers to a time when God dramatically intervenes in human affairs to bring judgement or blessing.  It contrasts with ordinary human history when humans seem in control.  This concept appears frequently in Scripture.  But Zephaniah uniquely emphasizes the coming “Day of the Lord” when God will directly intervene to judge.   Because of the universal scope described, it is likely Zephaniah 2:4 is not the destruction of Gaza as a past event, but a future event.  Current events may foreshadow the coming judgement of Gaza prophesied by Zephaniah and other prophets.  The current Gaza conflict probably does not fulfill Zephaniah’s prophecy, because he foretells judgement coming on Gaza along with Jordan, Ethiopia, and Assyria/Iraq simultaneously in the future “Day of the Lord”.  Acts 8:25-26 talks about an angel of the Lord sent Philip to Gaza to share the good news.  Though judgement waits for Gaza, God loves the people of Gaza and desires for them to embrace Jesus before it is too late.  Jesus commands us to love both Israel and her neighbors, including Palestinians.  God’s heart is for all to repent and know Him.

Hamas - The name Hamas comes from an Arabic acronym meaning “Islamic Resistance Movement”.  In Hebrew, however, the word Hamas means violence or wrongdoing.  In Genesis, it says God saw the violence (Hamas) on the earth in Noah’s day and was grieved in His heart before sending the flood.  Jesus likened the end times to the days of Noah, indicating a rise in violence and terror like Hamas. Hamas was born in 1987 with the stated goal of destroying Israel.  It is, in fact, a violent terror proxy for Israel’s supreme enemy, Iran, and receives funding from Tehran.  The recent brutal atrocities and horrific war crimes committed unashamedly against all ages of Israeli civilians showcases the barbaric intent of Hamas.  Despite Hamas’s intentions, biblical prophecy gives believers confidence and assurance that these staged events will ultimately fail to destroy Israel or supersede God’s plan and purpose for all humanity.  Palestine will not replace Israel.  Islam will not spiritually eclipse the Jews before Christ return.  Evil will not outmaneuver God.

In God’s sovereignty, He is setting a chessboard exactly as the prophets foretold.  Anti-Israel sentiments continue erupting as hostile nations position themselves for a role in the final chapter.  God and those who stand with Him will overcome.  Though most Israelis do not accept Jesus, God is sovereign.  He has preserved and restored Israel to set the stage for His ultimate purposes.  Scripture foretells a national turning of the Jews to Christ.  In the meantime, as Christians we should support Israel and stand with her.  God keeps His promises completely in His timing. The existence of modern Israel is an act of God’s grace, not human merit.  Its prophetic significance remains intact.

Next week, I will try to connect the dots for how the current war in Israel sets the stage for the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel and many unfulfilled prophecies that will follow.

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:23

Be encouraged, we are victorious in Christ!!!!  Have a great week….

Thanks,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Biblical End time Events and Timeline - Prophecy part 2

“On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river of Euphrates”.  Genesis 15:18

In follow up to my “Word of the Week” on Prophecy – see below, I wanted to give more context to the history of Israel and it’s biblical significance. I am currently reading a book by Jimmy Evans titled “Whats next Israel – Gaza War”.  This book outlines the biblical history of Israel, from the time that God gave the land to Abraham, until recent events we are hearing about on the nightly news.  As followers of Christ, I think it is critical for us to have biblical context to the prophetic events that are unfolding.  My hope is to share some of these key prophecies over the next few weeks.  I will only be able to summarize and hit some of the highlights, so I encourage you to take time to do your own homework on these significant developments.

Significance of Israel and Jerusalem - Biblical prophecy is specifically connected to the existence and restoration of the Jewish people (God’s chosen people) to the land of Israel.  The nation of Israel is mentioned over 2,200 times in the Old Testament and over 70 times in the New Testament.  Jerusalem is referenced more than 800 times throughout scripture.  This heavy focus on Israel and Jerusalem reveals their immense prophetic significance in God’s eyes.  Many Bible scholars have described Israel as God’s prophetic clock.  Watching Israel today provides insight into the advancement of God’s redemptive plan.  The rebirth of modern-day Israel in 1948 and the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967 have set the prophetic clock moving towards the culmination of God’s plan and purpose, the return of Jesus to rule and reign as King from Jerusalem over Israel and all the earth.  The Lord almighty remains sovereign over human affairs despite the events we are witnessing.  God’s plans will be accomplished in His perfect timing.  “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. Matthew 24:36. 

God’s Promise to Israel – “Now the Lord said to Abrahm, “Go from your county and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abrahm went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.” Genesis 12:1-4  God supernaturally directs Abrahm (later renamed by God as Abraham) to leave his native country full of idol-worshipping pagans.  By faith, Abrahm follows God’s instructions to go to the Promised Land of Canaan, which is the same general location as Israel today.  “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”  Hebrews 11:8 In Genesis 15, God solemnly enters into an everlasting, unconditional covenant with Abraham sealed by the passing between the halves of sacrificial animals according to the custom of sealing covenants.  “On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates” Genesis 15:18  In this covenant, God promised Abraham several things to include the coming of the messiah through Abraham’s lineage. 

The nation of Israel – God’s covenant with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, included land with specific defined boundaries outlined in Genesis 15:18.  Centuries later, God miraculously birthed the Jewish nation through Abrahm’s descendants Isaac, Jacob and then the 12 tribes of Israel after delivering them from 400 years of Egyptian bondage.  The books of Joshua and Judges record Israel’s conquest of Canaan.  God commanded them to rid the land of pagan peoples, but even though Israel had some success, they never completely drove them out or defeated them.  The people of Israel would continue to interact with the Canaanites for centuries while intermittently adopting their deities and falling into idol worship and all kinds of other perversions.  Today we see international organizations and other countries trying to convince Israel to concede some of their land for peace.  God laid out Israel’s boundaries in Genesis 15 to include the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and Lebanon, Syria and a substantial portion of Iraq.  The Palestinians and other Arab nations may assert historical or political claims of the land, but they cannot make a biblical claim.  God gave it to Abraham and his descendants forever. “He is the Lord our God; His judgements are in all the earth.  He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that He made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statue, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance” Psalm 105:7-11

Ongoing Enmity and Conflict – The long-running struggle between the Jews and Palestinians/Arabs traces back to 2000 BC in the rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael, both sons of Abraham.  According to the bible outlined in the book of Genesis, Ishmael was birthed illegitimately by Hagar, Sarah’s servant, while Isaac was conceived miraculously through Sarah and Abraham in old age.  God chose Isaac as the beloved and Ishmael and Hagar were cast out.  Their descendants have battled over the land ever since.  The long-running generational hostility has foreshadowed relationships between the offspring of Isaac (the Jewish people) versus Ishmael’s offspring (many Muslim Arab nations). Further, in Genesis 22, Abraham was instructed to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Mariah, the site of today’s Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Islam emerged with a competing narrative in 600AD asserting that the son taken up for sacrifice by Abraham was not Isaac but his half brother Ishmael.  This revisionist telling is attempting to disconnect the Temple Mount from Judaism’s origins and claim it instead for Islam, which came thousands of years later.  Therein lies the crux of the ideological clash over this sacred ground.

Jesus Wins - Though Jesus decisively defeated the powers of darkness on the cross, Satan continues his efforts to wipe out the Jewish people.  Why did the enemy not stop once Jesus completed His earthly mission on the cross?  It is because the Bible declares that Jesus is coming back again to finish fulfilling His messianic mission as both King and Redeemer of Israel, ushering in His literal thousand-year Millennial Reign from Jerusalem.  God deeply loves both Israel and the Church.  Satan opposes and despises whatever God cherishes.  This is sadly evident in the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land.  Just as God showed His unwavering compassion for Israel throughout the Old Testament, He retains a special affection for the Jewish people today.  Be encouraged, we know that God’s purpose for Israel will ultimately prevail, along with His plans for the Church.  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Next week I will go deeper into how the current conflict in Israel sets the stage for many of the biblical prophecies yet to be fulfilled. 

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving, we surely have much to be Thankful for.

Thank you,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Abiding

Note:  I was serving this weekend at JH Outback, so I didn’t have the time I needed to put together the next installment on “Prophecy”.  I plan to send a few more “Word of the Week’s” on Prophecy in coming weeks.  This week I am sharing one of my go-to life messages on Abiding.  I did an abiding talk this weekend at Outback that prompted me to share this message..  If I would only share one message with my fellow believers, it would be this message.

“I am the vine you are the branches, if you abide in me, I will abide in you, and you will bare much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5 (Jesus)

I had the privilege of serving with my wife Amy and some great friends at the Birmingham Outback www.jhoutback.com this weekend.  JH Outback is an amazing family focused ministry that I love and highly recommend.  I was again reminded of what God has done in my life and my family over the past 22 years since I gave my life to Christ and began abiding.  For the first 33 years of my life, I was not abiding in Christ, and I cannot point to any spiritual fruit from that period of my life (nothing).  By the grace of God and being part of great ministries like JH Outback, Church of the Highlands, Heritage Forum, Highlands College and others, God has produced amazing spiritual fruit in my life, family, ministry, and business over the last 22 years.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is all God’s work and the byproduct abiding in the vine of Christ. 

Abiding in Christ - I truly believe that a daily abiding relationship with the Lord is the single most important thing we can do after we make a decision to follow Christ and receive the gift of salvation.  This is where our faith becomes active and we receive the power and benefits knowing God. The word Remain is used synonymously with Abide in several translations, simply put it means to stay connected and become one with the Lord.  What is interesting about this quote from Jesus, is how He makes it clear that there is a condition for us to stay connected to Him, we must go first and be the initiator/pursuer.  He says that if we Abide in Him, then He will Abide in us.  God wants to be our first priority. “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33  I am convinced that abiding is an active process that manifest in daily actions of pursuing the Lord, which allow us to respond in love to what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Abiding is not just an idea or a nice thought or feeling, it is truly a passionate pursuit to connect with the Lord and remain in ongoing relationship with Him. 

What it looks like to Abide - So what does it mean to Abide in the Vine of Christ and how do we actively connect with an invisible God.  Similar to connecting with another person in relationship, there is no one right way to abide in Christ, the biggest thing is that we make it a priority and daily pursuit. Here are a few examples of how we can abide/connect with Jesus: 

1) Prayer - talking with the Lord daily and intimately,  2) God’s Word / Bible -  reading or listening to the book He gave us that tells us about His very nature and what He cares about, 3) Praise & Worship – letting Him know how great He is and how much we appreciate what He has done for us, 4) Ministry - making a point to care about what He cares about by loving and serving others, 5) Evangelism / Discipleship - telling people about Him and how great He is, 6) Fellowship of believers - encouraging each other in our walk of faith, and 7) simply thinking about Him and meditating on who He is and who you are in Him.    

Fruit of Abiding in Christ - The best part of all of this is that the Lord blesses us with amazing fruit/blessings when we stay connected to Him in an abiding relationship.  These are fruits/gifts that we cannot manufacture for ourselves, they are simply a byproduct of His very nature at work within us.  They include but are not limited to: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.  Who would not want these wonderful gifts that are the fruit of God’s spirit being produced in us so our lives become a blessing that produce Kingdom fruit.  “Therefor by your fruits you will know them”.  Matthew 7:20  The spiritual fruit of our lives is truly the evidence of God power at work within us. 

“God will do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine, in and through you, by His power at work within you” Ephesians 3:20 but this only happens if you remain connected to the vine of Christ.

For His Glory,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Prophecy

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”  Revelation 1:3

In light of the war in Israel along with many other major world events we have all witnessed in recent days, months and years, I have been prompted to dive deeper into understanding biblical prophecy.  I am currently reading and studying this fascinating area of our faith that has historically been somewhat seen as taboo.  The more I learn, the more I realize the need for us as Christ followers to be informed in this important part of God’s plan.  By the way, the more I learn and read about prophecy the more encouraged and hopeful I am as a believer.  Our God is sovereign and reigns over all of heaven and the earth.  He has a perfect plan, and as His children we can rest assured that our eternal destiny is secure in Christ no matter what is to come here on earth. 

Biblical Prophecy is a message from God communicated through a human prophet.  About 27%, more than one out of every four verses of the bible are considered prophetic, so apparently this is an important part of our faith as believers and what God is trying to communicate to us.  In the New Testament, almost every book contains some prophecy, with Revelation being wholly devoted to a prophetic.  The consistent relation of prophecy in the Bible is staggering not to mention the amazing accuracy of detailed prophecies in the bible.  This is confirming to our faith and God’s promises to us His children. 

Prophecy in the bible can be divided into two broad groups: fulfilled and not yet fulfilled.

Fulfilled Prophecies: • The first coming of Christ (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:15–19; Numbers 24:17; Daniel 9:25–26; Micah 5:2). • Jesus as the Savior of mankind (e.g., Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:4–5). • Prophecies regarding individual people, such as the doom of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:10). • Prophecies regarding Israel, such as in the case of Israel’s exile to Babylon (2 Kings 20:18; Jeremiah 34:3). • The destruction of the temple, which occurred in AD 70 (Matthew 24:1–2). • Daniel’s prophecies about the rise and fall of many kingdoms (Daniel 7:2–6, 16).

Prophecies Still to Be Fulfilled: • The second coming of Christ (Zechariah 14:3–4; Matthew 24:44; Acts 1:10–11; Revelation 1:7). • The rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). • The tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15–22). • The resurrections of the saved and the unsaved (Daniel 12:1–3; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Revelation 20:11–15). • The millennial reign of Christ (Psalm 72:7–11; Zechariah 2:10–11; Revelation 20:4). • The restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31–37; Romans 11:26–27). • The new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13;

The amount of prophecy in the Bible is one of the things that make it unique among religious books. There is absolutely no emphasis on predictive prophecy in the Qu’ran or the Hindu Vedas, for example. In contrast, the Bible repeatedly points to fulfilled prophecy as direct proof that it is God who speaks (see Deuteronomy 18:22; 1 Kings 22:28; Jeremiah 28:9). Given God’s omniscience, it should come as no surprise that the Bible contains so many clear predictions or that those predictions are literally fulfilled: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done” (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV).

What are the Reasons for Prophecies in the Bible? Human beings – even God’s chosen people (the Jews) – are sinful and lost.  God’s entire plan is one of love and redemption for us His children.  The Bible communicates God’s love for us in many ways.  One way is by giving us an understanding of what is to come on earth, so we can be prepared and have hope and peace in the midst of these trying times we are witnessing and experiencing. 

Some of the reasons for prophecies include:

• To warn both believers and non-believers and lead us to repentance/change.

• To expose our sin nature and need for a savior – to draw us to Jesus!

• To help us understand the future and our role as believers.

• To give us hope!!!! Revelation 21:3-4

Over the next few weeks, I plan to share more about biblical prophecy and how we can benefit from it as children and followers of the living God.

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:23

Be encouraged, we are victorious in Christ!!!! .   

-Duane

Word of the Week - Grace

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works." Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace is an essential part of God’s character.  Grace is closely related to God’s love and mercy for us, His children.  Grace in the context of our faith can by defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy”. In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, despite the fact we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously.  This is the amazing grace of God our Father through Jesus.  For me personally, I can relate best with the concept of grace when I think about my own children and grandchildren.  They have my unconditional love regardless of what they do or don’t do to deserve it.  Our Father in heaven sees us through this same lens but with a much greater love than we can even fathom.  Meditate on this, it is truly life changing to realize how much God loves us and how He invites us into relationship with Him and salvation through His amazing grace.

God’s Amazing Grace is the essence of our Christian faith.  Most of us have a hard time receiving and believing this because it is so counter to the way things work in the world, especially our merit based Westernized society.  This is especially hard for those who come from more works-based tradition where they may believe they need to do certain things or behave a certain way to be accepted by God and the church.  The truth is God’s grace is given to us before we ever deserve it, even while we are sinners and enemies with God.  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8-9

Even though our cultural and social tendency is towards conforming to a worldly pattern to gain acceptance and success, the gospel is very clear on the fact that we literally receive our salvation as a free gift from the Lord by simply believing on Him and being in relationship with Him.  “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9-10  Outside of pursuing a relationship with Jesus, we cannot do anything to earn our salvation, which is why Jesus makes it crystal clear that there is only one way to the Father and it is through His work of the Cross.  “I am the way the truth and the life, no one can come to the father except through me” John 14:6  What is more amazing is the fact that in the process of receiving salvation we become part of God’s family as co-heirs to His Kingdom. 

Once saved, God desires for us to give our hearts and lives to Him and remain connected to Him through a daily abiding relationship, so we can receive His protection, benefits and power, and so we can fulfill the purpose He has for us while we are here on earth.  If we receive His amazing grace of salvation and walk in an abiding relationship with the Him, we will have a grateful heart and desire to serve Him and thus we will do “good works” that He has already destined for us as part of His divine plan. Ephesians 2:10. 

So, rejoice in God’s amazing grace and receive the full benefits of our faith and live the abundant life of the redeemed in Christ.

Have a great week and enjoy the fully sufficient grace of the Lord.   

-Duane

Word of the Week - Thoughts

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

Our thoughts are the leading indicator of our future and who we will become!  More than anything else, our Thoughts define our lives, our purpose, and our well-being.  Thinking also affects our physical wellbeing.  There is mounting scientific evidence demonstrating the relationship between the brain and the rest of the nervous system to include our immune system and that 75-85% of physical illness are a direct result of our thinking.  Dr. Herbert Benson MD, the president of Harvard Medical School Mind-Body Institute says “Toxic Thinking leads to stress, which affects our body’s natural healing capacities.  Toxic thinking literally wears down the brain and the rest of the body”.  The reality is that our modern-day culture is full of toxic messaging that leads to toxic thinking.  If we just go with the flow of our culture, we are susceptible to bad thinking.  “There is a way (thought pattern) that seems right to a man/woman but in the end leads to death” Proverbs 16:25.  No matter how godly and pure our walk, we all have an enemy of our soul who wants to destroy us and our relationships and he is working overtime to get in our heads.  He does this by planting negative Thoughts and lies in our minds through all types of circumstances.  We cannot allow these thoughts to land and resonate with us because if we do then they lead to strongholds that are much harder to overcome. 

The good news is that God has equipped each of us with minds that can be renewed and transformed in Christ.  Literally, scientist have proven that the neural pathways in our brains can be reprogrammed through the process of new habits and new thinking, which creates new pathways.  The key is that we understand this and take a proactive approach to our Thought life and have both a defensive and offensive strategy to combat this reality.  Here are some practical ways we can keep our Thoughts godly and pure and keep a healthy mind of Christ.

• Feed your mind a daily diet of Truth through God’s Word.  “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way of sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.”  Psalm 1: 1-3 

• Put on the “Armor of God” each day.   “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18

• Take thoughts Captive and make them obedient to Christ.   “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

To remain healthy and live to our full potential in Christ we must realize that our Thinking is most important.  What we read, watch and listen to matters because it shapes and influences our thinking.  We must guard our hearts and minds and be careful of what we feed them. We must renew our minds in Christ each day, so we realize God’s good, pleasing and perfect plan for our lives.  This can only be done by each of us taking responsibility for our own Thoughts so we have godly thinking that leads to peace and life opposed to stinking thinking that leads to death and dis-order. 

I pray you have a week filled with good thoughts that lead to light and life.  Halloween and the festivities that accompany this tradition are more geared toward the dark side.  What may seem innocent and in good fun can sow seeds that pervert our thinking and perspective.  Use discernment to guard your heart and mind and those of your family.

Blessings,

-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 works in the financial services industry where success is measured in financial terms such as income (P&L) and net worth (balance sheet), this verse is both sobering and refreshing. Sobering in the sense that we are susceptible to the temptation of placing our hope and self-worth in the things of this world with a focus on our financial security and status; therefore, we must proactively guard our hearts from this tendency, which the bible states is part of our human 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.  “What do most people say on their deathbed?  They don’t say, ‘I wish I’d spent more time on my business and made more money.’ What they do say is, ‘ I wish I’d spent more time with my family & friends, and done more that counted for eternity.’  John Maxwell

“Love of money” is synonymous with the word Mammon which implies the worship of materialism, such that we put our faith in Mammon believing it will meet our needs and make us happy and fulfilled.  This is a lie of the enemy of our soul.  On the surface this may sound a bit radical, but if we search our hearts, it is not hard to understand how we might find instances of Mammon in our lives.  This is our world’s value system, especially in the good old USA.  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 things we can buy with financial resources.  Therefore, the love of money, or trust in the things of this world, can be counter to our faith and trusting the Lord.  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. 

Godly Antidotes to the Love of Money - 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

• Generosity and Giving - The third truth Paul shared regarding money is the principle of generosity and 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 our lives and our financial capital in God’s Kingdom, our hearts will be encouraged and protected from the spirit of Mammon.  Even more exciting, our investment will be multiplied back to us in the life to come as we invest forward for our “Treasures in Heaven”.  Finally, it is surely more joyous to give than to receive, try it and see!!!!!

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

Have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Maturity

Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:3-4

Maturity defined – The definition of a mature person is someone who has reached their full potential mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Spiritual maturity is achieved through becoming more like Jesus.  After salvation, we begins the process of spiritual growth, with the intent to become spiritually mature.  Paul tells us in Philippians 3:12-14 that becoming spiritually mature in Christ is an ongoing process. “not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Spiritual maturity as a believer requires a radical reordering of our priorities, from pleasing self to pleasing and serving God.  We make Jesus the Lord of our lives and pursue a relationship with Him and His ways.  We develop spiritual disciplines to abide in Him and stay connected to the vine of Christ through prayer, worship, study of God’s word, fellowship with other believers and being stewards of our gifts.  We also call upon the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way we should go as we commune and walk with the Lord.  “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” Galatians 5:16 The more life I live as a follower of Je, the more I desire to grow in my maturity.  In doing so, the Lord produces His fruit in us and through us.  The fruit of His spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  All of these spiritual fruits can also be considered biproducts of spiritual maturity.

Additional Characteristics of a mature person:

• Show restraint – have control over their own feelings and emotions Mark 15:4

• Responsible – they take responsibility for themselves and their actions Galatians 6:5-10

• Grateful – they are thankful for what they have and recognize their blessings 1 Thes 5:18

• Secure – they know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin 2 Corinthians 5:17

• Considerate – they are aware of the needs of others 1 Corinthians 10:24

• Humble – they recognize the value of others and are less about themselves and their ego Romans 12:3

• Flexible – willing to work with others and adjust their agenda to accommodate others 1 Corinthians 1:10

• Non-Judgmental – they look for the best in all people and reserve judgement  Luke 6:37  

• Self-aware – they recognize that they have issues and blind spots that need to be addressed Psalm 51:10-12

• Continuous learner – they realize there is always room to grow and improve Psalm 25:4-6

Growth & Maturity:  

We must grow to mature but growth by itself does not translate to maturity.  Some people do a lot of growing and never mature and reach their full potential.  Maturing is a different process that involves time, experience and walking through and being tested by trials in life .  People and organizations can grow very rapidly in short amounts of time but they don’t necessarily mature.  In fact many times rapid growth results in relative immaturity.  We see this often in businesses that experience rapid growth but have not had the time to mature by being tested, and therefore have not built a foundation of maturity needed to sustain the business.  This can create illusions of grandeur that are not healthy and many times lead organizations down a path of dysfunction and ultimate failure.  Just like the lifecycle of a business or product in business is the lifecycle of a person.  Maturation is a process that requires time and experience with a willingness to learn and grow through the experiences and trials of life.  This is the theme of James 1:3-4 above and also outlined by Paul in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy spirit, who has been given to us.”   

So, let’s rejoice in the trials and challenges of life recognizing that they are a gift allowing us to become mature and complete in Christ Jesus.

Have a great week!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Anxiety

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

Anxiety

Is a mental condition characterized by excessive apprehensiveness about real or perceived threats, typically leading to avoidance behaviors and often physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension.  Anxiety symptoms include: feeling nervous, restless or tense; having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom; having an increased heart rate; breathing rapidly or hyperventilation; sweating, trembling; feeling weak or tired; trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry. 

Most of us struggle with Anxiety at some point in life

Anxiety amongst adults and children has continued to increase at concerning levels in the United States.  The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that over 40 million adults in the U.S. (nearly 20%) have an anxiety disorder.  Meanwhile, approximately 7% of children aged 3-17 experience issues with anxiety each year.  This has become a national epidemic we are facing as a nation.  I personally struggled with anxiety in my late 20’s and early 30’s and ended up in the hospital after I experienced what I thought was a heart attack.  I will never forget when the doctor told me “your heart is fine but there is something terribly wrong.  You need to change your lifestyle because your body is communicating loudly that something is wrong.  This is serious!”, after being rushed to the hospital by ambulance on a Sunday night and having a series of test run to figure out what was going on with me.  This was my early entrepreneurial days when I was pushing myself to crazy limits and trying to do it all myself.  I was not walking with Jesus and thus carrying the weight of the world.  Through a series of events, I had gotten myself into a terrible situation (lonely, lack of purpose, disconnected, physically unhealthy, worried, stressed etc.), and I was trying to fix it on my own through brute force.  I started having physical pains in my chest and ultimately over a period of a few months it led to me having an all-out panic/anxiety attack that landed me in the hospital at the age of 28 years old.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death”. Proverbs 14:12

God’s Antedotes for Anxiety

My pastor, Chris Hodges, recently did a Message on Anxiety that really resonated with me and my experience.  He shared his own struggles with Anxiety and Depression, which led him to write a book titled “Out of the Cave: Stepping into the Light When Depression Darkens What You See.” In his book, he contends that Anxiety is not merely a malfunction of the mind but a signal our body uses to tell us that we have unmet needs in some part of our life.  Through his research, Pastor Chris found 9 factors that cause depression, 7 of which are psychosocial (they’re done to us, or we do them to ourselves), and 2 that are biological or genetic.  He also suggests that while there can be real biological contributions to anxiety and depression, which may require medication for treatment, many times there is a much more going on in our souls that medication cannot fix, but God can heal.  Using the story of Elijah found in 1 Kings 19, we see that Elijah did at least 6 of 9 causes of depression and anxiety.  His anxiety and depression came right after two major spiritual victories, which reminds us that we’re not our best when we’re tired and worn down.  Before God helped Elijah emotionally or spiritually, He helped him physically by strengthening him with good food, drink, and rest.  Many of us need the same thing, true “rest”.  We should all evaluate our lifestyles and how we can best proactively live towards peace and tranquility vs. anxiety and depression.

Practical strategies from God’s Word to live free of Anxiety (from PC’s message on Anxiety):

• Pace of Grace – In today’s digital world of technology we are inundated with inbound information and opportunities.  We all have some degree of “fear of missing out” and way too many options.  Research indicates that the pace of our lifestyles are a leading cause of anxiety.  We must learn to refocus our lives by prioritizing what matters most.  We must learn that it is healthy and best to say “no” and eliminate the non-essentials.  Focus on the big rocks of life that really matter. “Better is one handful with peace and tranquility, than two hands full with strife and chasing after the wind”. Ecclesiastes 4:6

• Connecting with Jesus – We need to create rhythms and environments where we can quiet our souls and connect with God.  The greatest anti-depressant is a fresh awareness of God’s presence in our lives.  Giving God our First Fruit’s by connecting with Him First every morning is a simple but powerful way to experience the peace of God.  I personally believe that abiding in Christ is our greatest offensive and defensive strategy against the enemy of our souls.  “I am the vine, you are the branches, if you abide in me, I will abide in you and your will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing”. John 15:5

• Seek the Truth – Let the narrative I believe about myself come from God’s word and not from myself, others, or the world.  What we believe about ourselves and tell ourselves (self-talk) can produce a false narrative.  We need to quit ruminating and listening to others, and turn to the truth of God’s Word to know who we are in Christ.  “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”.  Jeremiah 29:11

• Live with Purpose – God created each of us on purpose for a God purpose.  The best day of my life was when I met Jesus and the second-best day was when I discovered my life purpose in Christ.  If we have clarity in our purpose, life is just more enjoyable because we give our thoughts and energy to our purpose opposed to allowing our minds to wander toward the unknown causing fear and negativity, which cause anxiety. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do great works that He prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10

• Godly Relationships – “Show me your friends and I will show you your future” John Maxwell.  God created us for relationship with Him and with others!  If we hang out with the wrong people who don’t love us, admonish us and build us up, then we are likely to have negative experiences that cause anxiety and stress.  On the other hand, building and nurturing relationships with solid godly friends is a key to life and health.  We all need to invite the right people into our lives, connect with them regularly, and be willing to share our anxieties with them.  “Two are better than one, because they have good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up”.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Most of all, we should know and trust God and cast our cares up on Him because He love us and is worthy of our trust.  He tells us not to worry or be anxious about anything but bring it to Him.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

I pray we can all walk in these truths and experience peace that surpasses understanding in Christ!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Love

A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  John 13:34-35

The word Love is defined by websters as a quality or feeling of strong or constant affection for and dedication to another: the strong affections and tenderness felt by lovers.  1 Corinthians 13 defines Love a little differently: “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

Love like Jesus:  The longer I live, the more I realize that Love is the most important aspect of life.  At the end of the day, when it is all said and done, what will matter most is how well we loved while we were here on earth.  So, what does Love really look like in our day to day lives?  I would submit that Jesus is the best model of love in all of history, and as followers of Jesus, we can learn how to Love by knowing and pursuing Jesus.  Jesus is Love!!!  Our goal as believers should be to conform to the image of Jesus by being faithful and obedient to God.  Jesus was pure in every way and He loved selflessly and commanded us His disciples to love the same way He loves us.  Here are a few ways that Jesus Loved for us to learn from:

Sacrificial and generously:  Jesus demonstrated His love by dying for us, saying, “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” John 15:13 Since most of us will never be called upon to physically die for someone, what does it look like to lay down our lives in love?  John 3:16 tells us that to love is to give.  “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son”.  Godly love gives sacrificially.  Are we willing to give of ourselves, whether it be our time, money/stuff or our energy to love and serve others?  The truth is that all we have and all we are is a gift from God in heaven and we are simply stewards of our lives and our possessions.  This is well articulated in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25: 14-30.  Are we using our gifts and blessings to love God and love others?

Speaking the truth in Love:  Loving like Jesus means we care enough about the souls of others to tell the truth.  If we really love others, we will speak the truth in love.  We will be willing to get uncomfortable and possibly even have conflict to share truth, especially if the person we are sharing with is blind to the reality of the truth.  This is not always a fun and pleasant experience but it is necessary. That being said, our hearts and motives must be to Love first.  Truth without love can be harsh and love without truth is shallow.  If we truly love someone we will take the time to let them know we have their best interest at heart as we gently share the truth in love.  Jesus was the best at loving people deeply while being clear and bold about the truth.  The rich young ruler cam to Jesus with good intentions, but with lack of surrender Luke 18:18-25.  He wanted what Jesus offered, but did not want Jesus.  He loved his stature and stuff more than the truth, and Jesus lovingly pointed out the young man’s heart of greed.  We don’t love people by watering down the gospel that can save them or truth that can help them.  Jesus loved us enough to warn and challenge us all the way to the cross.   

Forgiving:

Forgiveness is another way we can love like Jesus.  We forgive when we have been wronged by others.  In our humanness we want to hang on to the wounds hoping to get revenge or restitution.  But if we love like Jesus, we will quickly forgive and let go allowing healing to flow into our hearts.  Jesus forgave us and makes it very clear that we are to forgive others as we have been forgiven.  “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins”. Mark 11:25  We cannot love someone if we won’t forgive them.  When we forgive others, we can love and pray for them with a clean conscience because we have done what God commands us to do.  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32

Love y’all!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Gratitude

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

The word Gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness.  Gratitude encompasses all of these meanings.  Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for our blessings.  With gratitude, we acknowledge the goodness in our lives.  No matter our circumstance in life, there is always something to be thankful for.  I think the key to gratitude is to always be looking for the goodness and blessing in life, and making a point to acknowledge our blessings.  As believers, we recognize that the source of our blessings is the Lord.  I love this song by Brandon Lake titled “Gratitude” you can listen by clicking this link Gratitude Song .

An attitude of gratitude is a key to healthy living.  There have been many scientific studies by some of the most world’s most respected health organizations including Harvard Health, Mayo Clinic, National Association of Mental Health to name a few.  They have determined that Gratitude is a key to healthy living.  Check out this New York times article from June 8, 2023, titled “Gratitude Really is Good for You.  Here’s what the Science Shows” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/well/mind/gratitude-health-benefits.html  Our level of Gratitude is directly correlated to our health physically, mentally and emotionally.  God our Creator knew what He was talking about in Thessalonians 5:28 when He said “Give thanks to God in all circumstances”.

How do we foster Gratitude in our lives?

Know God and recognize 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”.

Recognize and value those who have helped us along the way:

Thank God that He set things up for us to do life with others as a community of believers.  We are much better together as a body of Christ each with different and unique gifts and personalities.  None of us can do this life successfully without others.  It is important that we take time out to show our sincere appreciation by recognizing those who have helped us along the way.  “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”. Romans 12:5  

Count our blessings Daily and show sincere appreciation for those who are in our lives:

We should make it a habit each day when we wake up in the morning and throughout the day, to simply thank God for His grace and the simple blessings of life.  Make a list of things you are grateful for 100 questions for gratitude from NYT Article.  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. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”. James 1:17

I am Grateful for you!  Have a great week!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Serenity

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

Serenity

The definition of Serenity is a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled regardless of your circumstance.  Having Serenity allows us to stay calm, present, and true to our core values during tumultuous life experiences. It is an ability to surrender control of circumstances to God while taking responsibility and ownership for our part.  Serenity and the peace that comes from experiencing serenity is an antidote to stress and anxiety. “This will bring health to your body and nourishments to your bones” Proverbs 3:8

Walking in Serenity

“Lord, I pray you would give me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that need to be changed and the wisdom to discern one from the other”.  I am not sure exactly who originated the prayer in its current form but my brief research implies it was originated in 1932 by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who according to “Wikipedia” is reported to have used the prayer as the last part of a longer prayer.  Nonetheless, it has been used by many faith-based and civic organizations & programs over the years, especially for people who are working to overcome addictions.  I know this simple prayer has helped millions of people over the years find peace, freedom, and Serenity. 

Personal Application of Serenity Prayer

This prayer has been a go to for me as long as I can remember, and has served as a foundational prayer I draw upon when I am facing the challenging circumstances of life.  I was first introduced to the prayer by my father-in-law, Bill Dore’ over 35 years ago.  He is a very successful entrepreneur and has mentored me over the years in life and business.  I remember him quoting the serenity prayer way back in the day in the context of a business, acknowledging that there are some things in life that we simply should accept as reality, and then discern our role and responsibility in dealing with the challenge or circumstance we are facing. I have placed my faith and trust in God through this prayer many times over the past 35 years through many life challenges.  I have used it often in our business over the past 25 years.  As an M&A deal transaction advisor, we are dependent upon many factors (capital markets, family dynamics, financial performance, personal moods and motivations etc.) outside of our control for a deal to close.  It is typically a binary outcome where if the deal either closes we get paid a success fee, but if it doesn’t close, we don’t get paid our success fee even though we put in the work, which is typically thousands of man hours.  This can be costly and quite discouraging.  This is why I love and use the Serenity prayer and encourage our team in this prayer.  So much so that the Serenity prayer is hanging on the wall in our conference room at the office.    

Surrender and Trust

The most important element to finding Serenity is placing our trust in God and believing that He knows best and desires what is best for us. “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31 Serenity is a byproduct of surrender.  When we know and trust God we can surrender by faith and experience the peace and serenity that comes; “The peace of God that transcends understanding, that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6 We are simply acknowledging who God is and who we are.  It is so amazing that God desires for us to partner with Him.  He has a role for each one of us in His great plan for mankind, but we must not forget that it is His plan and not ours.  When we are walking in this truth under the covering of Jesus, we experience peace and serenity.  “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

Eternal Perspective

A few years back I discovered the second part of the Serentiy Prayer, which I had never heard before:

“Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardships as a pathway to peace, Taking, as He did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that He will make all things right, If I surrender to His will, That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next”

We all desire to experience peace and serenity during our time on this earth, and I believe that the Lord desires this for us.  But the reality is that we live in a fallen world, so the things of earth typically do not work out perfectly.  Having an eternal perspective allows us to recognize that the hardships of this life are what are refining us into the image of Christ.  There is purpose in the pain.  As we put our hope and trust in Jesus, we realize that the things of eternity, beyond our life on earth, are what really matter. This helps us in managing our expectations while we are here.  So, we can be “reasonably happy” while here, and look forward to being “supremely happy” with Jesus for eternity. 

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

I pray you experience Serenity that comes from knowing and trusting the Lord.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Good Name

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold” Proverbs 22:1

What is Reputation?  By definition it is the overall quality or character of a person as seen or judged by people in general; recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability; a perception of public esteem or regard; good or bad name. Our personal reputation is what is implied when people hear our name mentioned.  What do they immediately think about us?  In the context of a “Good name” it speaks to your integrity and character from a moral and ethical standpoint.  Essentially it is what you are all about; the essence of who you are from an outside perspective.  The same is true for organizations such as businesses, schools/colleges and ministries. 

The Value of a Good Name – Our reputation is most valuable because it becomes the premise for our interactions with others.  Our reputation precedes us.  This means people have heard things about us before they actually meet us, and typically have formed some type of opinion about us.  It may be positive, or it could be negative.  Our reputations can be influenced in many ways and sometimes it may be unfairly influenced by hearsay, gossip, and rumors, that are not accurate.  I am sure we have all experienced situations where we had a certain view about someone by reputation then when we met them and got to know them, we experienced something different then what we heard or thought.  The bottom line is that our interactions and all we do and say over time, our track record, builds our reputation.  Some people inherit a good name from their parents or grandparents, and thus have the privilege and responsibility to uphold their family name and reputation.  Most others build a good name by reputation over the course of time.  It can take a lifetime to build a good reputation and it can take just a few bad decisions or mishaps to undermine a good name.   “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation and only one bad deed to lose it”  Benjamin Franklin

Our identity and reputation in Christ – When we are born of the spirit of God, we are transformed into a new creation in Christ and our identity is planted in Christ.  We still have issues and a sin nature, but our hearts are made new.  As we pursue our relationship with Jesus through abiding in Him daily John 15:5, God’s values become our values and our lives begin to look different as we are sanctified and bear the fruit of God’s spirit.  We recognize that we are living for something much bigger.  We are not just representing ourselves and our family’s name, which is important and meaningful in its own right, but we are representing Jesus and our heavenly family, His Church.  In joining God’s family, we are held to a much higher standard as professing believers, especially as leaders.  The stakes are much higher because our “reputation” can influence people towards are away from faith and how they see and know us really matters.  “Keep your behavior excellent among gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation”. 1 Peter 2:12 This can be a bit overwhelming, especially to new and young believers and rightly so.  If we try to do it in our own strength it is very challenging, but if we pursue the Lord daily and depend upon Him through daily abiding, He gives us what we need to walk in His light.  He continues to do His good work inside each of us to produce good fruit in us and through us.  Over time our lives become an overflow of what God is doing inside of us, which leads to a godly life and Good name/reputation.

Image vs Reputation – A good name is of great value, and we should live with this top of mind as we walk out our day to day lives and interactions.  That being said, God’s word tells us that we must check our motives.  “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven”.  Matthew 6:1 Are we focused on an audience of one?  Are we motivated by our love and desire to please the Lord our God?  Or, are we motivated to please others “man” and keep a good image.  This is a question we need to be asking ourselves often, especially in today’s world of social media where so many measure success by how many “likes” they can get from others.  This is always a temptation for us as we all desire to be liked and win favor with others.  Our reputation should be built on the foundation of our true character, who we really are on the inside.  What we do when no one is watching.  If we are building our reputation by managing our image through impressions and perceptions, we may be building our Good name on a poor foundation, sandy soil.  We should care about our image, but not build our reputation from it.  As believers, our reputation should first be built on a foundation in Christ.  His values should be our values.  Secondly, it is built on who we are and how we live; simple principles like honesty, integrity and dependability.  Like coach John Wooden said “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” Being true to God first and then to yourself is key to building a Good Name that is true and authentic.  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 5:16  This should be our motivation, to have our lives glorify the Lord.

Be encouraged and have a great week!!!!

-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

Labor Day is an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated in the late 1800s during one of America’s most challenging chapters during the height of the Industrial Revolution.  There was much achieved by our young and ambitious country at the expense of many.  During that time the average American worked 12-hour days seven days a week to eke out a basic living.  Many of these folks had no choice because they were simply trying to survive and they had the grit to do whatever it took.  Today the pendulum has seemed to have swung the other way with a culture fraught with apathy and entitlement.  God put us on this earth first and foremost to know and love Him and each other (great commandment), and secondly to be productive and purposeful.  This is godly contentment.

Contentment

So 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?  “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” Ecclesiastes 4:6

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?  We seek godly purpose and contentment!!!

Godly Contentment vs. Worldly Ambition

“Better one handful with tranquility than two hands full with toil and chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6 This has always been an interesting and challenging topic for me.  On one hand, I love the ideal of the American Dream and grew up believing that personal ambition was a very good characteristic that gave me the drive to pursue and achieve my dreams.  I learned early in my life/career that too much ambition if not tempered with godliness and contentment can lead to destruction.  I almost lost everything (wife, family, health) during my mid to late 20’s because I was so ambitious and insecure.  Through the pain of this experience, called the school of hard knocks and by the grace of God, I discovered the amazing gift of godliness with contentment in my early 30’s and it has been life changing.  It is a beautiful thing when we come to the realization that God is our provider and He is truly the one that we should be striving to honor and please.  Most importantly that He has a plan and purpose for our lives that is way bigger and better than our own, and if we submit and align to His plan for our lives, we can live with godly contentment that Paul describes in Philippians 4 above.  This is an amazing sweet-spot where we are living to our full potential by using our gifts and talents to the full while at the same time keeping our lives in good and healthy order.  This does not mean that it is easy and we don’t give it our full effort, it simply means we are doing what God created us to do.  In this place, we can sustain high performance for long periods because we are working from our gifting.  If we “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness” Matthew 6:33, then we find godly contentment and will flourish.  Divine order leads to divine blessing which produces godly contentment.

Am I content? – This is a question I ask myself often.  I believe it comes down to trusting God and truly believing He is sovereign and has made me for a purpose.  Knowing I am a son of the living God, and my name is written in the lamb’s book of life.  This allows us to live secure with our identity grounded in our relationship with Jesus resulting in a positive eternal perspective that foster godly contentment. 

The following are 3 questions that can help us gauge our level of godly contentment:

• Gratitude – Is my default a heart of gratitude or a heart of discontent? Do I see God’s hand and blessing in my life even in the challenging circumstances?

• Rest – Am I able to rest and practice Sabbath?  Do I recognize God as my provider an trust He knows and has what is best for me and my family?

• Being Present – Am I able to live in the present moment and enjoy the here and now, or am I always living in the future or questioning the past?

“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil – this is a gift from God”.  Ecclesiastes 5:19

Have a great Labor Day…..

-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

We just completed 21 days of prayer yesterday. This is a season of prayer where our church hosts morning prayer at 6am for 21 days.  During this recent prayer season, we had record attendance with thousands of people showing up at 6am seeking the Lord through fervent prayer.  There was lots of intense prayer around healing.  Additionally, I was with my friend Ed Kobel from Tampa, FL this week.  Ed leads an Abiding Ministry that encourages and trains believers to abide/connect with the goal to hear from God, John 15:5.  Ed has an amazing story.  Just 4 years ago he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer and experienced a miraculous healing.  He also shared with me about his sister-in-law who was recently healed from late-stage brain cancer.  She was put on hospice back in April of this year and given a few weeks to live.  He was praying for her in his time of abiding and heard God prompt him to host a prayer meeting for her.  He called her and asked her if she would be willing to participate in a healing prayer service, and she said yes.  They called the meeting at her home and followed what James 5:14-16 outlines below. The next week she got a scan and was found 100% cancer free.  The doctors were perplexed and had no explanation.  This was 4 months ago, and she is doing great.  This led her to give her life to Christ!!!!  Hearing this healing testimony raised my faith and prompted me to share this “Word of the Week” on Healing.  I hope this encourages you as much as it encourages me.  

God our Healer - There are many benefits to a relationship with the Lord Jesus but one powerful benefit that seems to be overlooked by many Christians is the gift of Healing. We all have areas of our lives that have dis-ease and need healing.  Whether we are struggling with physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual brokenness, our God wants to bring us healing.  In Exodus 15:26 God introduces Himself as Jehovah- Rapha, “the Lord who heals.”  The word Rapha means “to heal, to cure, to restore and make whole”.  By calling Himself Jehovah-Rapha, He is saying, Healing is what I am”.  Our God is the Great Physician.  Wholeness and restoration is what God desires for us in all areas of our lives.  Nothing that causes pain or suffering in our lives is above the healing touch of Jesus.  The key to receiving healing in our lives is first to accept and receive the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood that He shed on the cross, this is salvation.  “He (Jesus) Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds we have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24  Once we believe on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can then trust in Him for His healing power.    

Scriptural truths related to healing – God is sovereign and can heal anyone at any time whether they ask Him or not.  That being said there are a few things in scripture that God prescribes to those who are seeking a healing touch from the Lord.  These include:

• Prayer – “For everyone who asks, receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” Matthew 7:8  Prayer is simply our way of communing with the Lord.  We share our hearts with Him and let Him know our concerns, fears, hopes and dreams.  If we have a personal relationship with the Creator of all things and the great physician, we should simply ask Him to Heal us.

• Faith – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not yet seen” Hebrews 11:1  Faith is the key ingredient for God to move and work in His miraculous way.  Faith places our belief and trust in God into the active state.  It is by faith that that God moves, so we should do whatever necessary to strengthen and increase our faith in the Lord Jesus. 

• Praise and Worship – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12  Our biggest weapon against the enemy is acknowledging God by putting Him in the proper place through our praise and worship.  God’s name is above every name.  The name of Jesus is our trump card and is above the name of disease.  Everything must bow to the name of Jesus. 

• Fasting – “So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer”. Ezra 8:23  Fasting is a way to humble ourselves and couple the physical realm with the spiritual.  Fasting in conjunction with prayer adds another dimension of desperation and dependence upon the Lord as we cry out and trust for healing. 

• Anointing with Oil – “Is anyone among you sick:  They should send for the church leaders (pastors/priests/elders) and they should pray for him.  They should pour oil on him in the name of the Lord. The prayers given in faith will heal the sick man/woman, and the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ” James 5:14-15 As outlined in this verse, calling together the leaders of our local church to pray and anoint with oil is a powerful act of faith that can bring healing to the sick.

• Confession – “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. ” James 5:16 Confession of sins to other believers who are safe and trustworthy activates healing.

Healing is Personal – We all need healing at different levels but from time to time we have circumstances in life that are dire.  In these situations we become more desperate and dependent upon the Lord to show up and do His miraculous work.  I know we all know someone in our family or sphere of influence that is suffering physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and desperately needs healing.  I have several that I am standing with in prayer daily who are facing serious illnesses to include:

• Camille Hersarling – 22year-old daughter of our life-long friends Rachel and Neil Hensarling.  I have shared about Camille in the past.  She is fighting ocular cancer and taking aggressive cutting-edge treatments at MD Anderson that are very hard on her body. 

• Jack Grimsley – 18year-old young man who is son of our friend Bubba who has a rare form of late stage cancer and has been in the hospital fighting for his life for the past year.  His dad has been sitting faithfully at his side day and night, praying and trusting God for healing.

• Duke Donner – My 83year-old dad who is fighting Parkinsons and the challenges that come with that disease at 83.  

These are heart breaking and gut-wrenching situations that I don’t understand.  So, what do we do?  We love our friends and family by standing in faith and crying out on their behalf through intercessory prayer.  Standing faithfully in the gap believing and asking the Lord Jesus to do His healing work.  We pray and trust God and leave the healing up to Him. Please join me in praying for Camille, Jack, and my Dad.

Salvation and healing are God’s twin mercies.   So let’s posture ourselves for forgiveness and Healing of all of our disease and be restored in the name of Jesus.  Our ultimate healing is not in this world but in heaven united with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for eternity.  So if we can truly embrace an eternal perspective then we will find healing in all circumstances as the apostle Paul understood and shared in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What we lose in life we will gain in heaven.  Before that time comes, our purpose on earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death and point others to Jesus, He is the hope that brings healing.

Have a great week…. 

-Duane

Word of the Week - Revival

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14

What is Revival?  By definition it is an act of bringing someone or something back to life from a state of death.  It is also defined as renewed attention to or interest in something.  Christian revival is defined as increased spiritual interest and renewal in the life of the church or society, with a local, national, or global effect.  It is seen as restoration of the church to a vital and fervent relationship with God after a period of moral decline.   

What does Revival look like  – There has been many documented periods of revival around the world and in the U.S. over the centuries with the most recent U.S. revival being the Jesus Revolution  of the late 1960s and early 70s across America.  Since this was over 50 years ago, many Christians today have never personally experienced a great revival and may not know what it looks like.  The first revival in the bible was documented in the book of Acts in the early church with the beginning of the spread of the “way” amongst Jews and Gentiles.  It clearly illustrates what happens when people experience a fresh wave of God’s grace that results in spiritual enthusiasm among the faithful and its transmission to unbelievers.  This has happened over and over since the First Century, where Christians have experienced times of God’s renewing grace at an elevated level.  This results in energized Christians and churches that lead to new seasons of growth in the body of believers. These revivals include personal quickenings, when individual believers experience spiritual renewal with newfound focus on Christ; revivals of local churches that may begin in a particular church and then spread to others; and social awakenings like the Jesus Movement and Charismatic Renewal, in which Christians receive new enthusiasm and power, millions of unbelievers are saved, and national and even global culture is affected for decades.

How do we know if we are in Revival – The bible in Acts 2:36-47 illustrates signs of revival that have characterized spiritual renewal over the course of our church history. 

 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.—Acts 2:36-47 (NIV)

What are the signs of Revival  – The following are clear signs that Revival is happening.

• Jesus (Acts 2:36) – In Acts 2, Peter preached the clear gospel of Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried and resurrected from the dead as Lord and savior.  In Revival, the gospel of Jesus is the top priority. We simply need Jesus as our Lord and savior.

• Repentance (Acts 2:37-38) – In revival, people experience conviction for their sins and repent and change.  They turn their attention away from the petty things of this world and spend more of their time and energy focused on things of God and eternity. Things that really matter.

• Passion for Prayer (Acts 2:42) – Revival gives people a new desire to pray, worship and meditate on things of God.  God takes away distractions and we hear from Him more clearly as we seek Him with fervor.

• Hunger for God’s Word (Acts 2:42) – When we are in a season of Revival, people pursue God’s Word to seek out truth and find the answers to the questions of life. 

• Burden for the lost (Acts 2:40) – Through conviction of sin and renewed life in Christ, believers realize that others are lost and desperately need Jesus.  We can no longer be content to let people live without being confronted and offered the love of Christ that we are experiencing.

• Increased Salvation (Acts 2:41-47) – A fruit of Revival and a burden for the lost is an increase in salvations and new believers.  Praise God!!

• Increase in callings to ministry and missions (Acts 2:20) – During revival, God’s people sense a calling to serving Jesus, whether in vocational ministry or in consecrating their daily work life to Jesus and using their vocation as a platform for the gospel of Jesus.

• God’s Presence (Acts 2:40, 43) – God is always present, but in Revival, God’s presence becomes obvious among us – whether in conviction of sin, healings, signs and wonders, or in manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• Generosity/Giving (Acts 2:45) – Church offerings and giving to God’s work greatly increases during Revival.

• Greater frequency of gatherings for worship, prayer and God’s Word (Acts 2:46) – Not only do the number of church activities increase, but believers begin to meet together more frequently outside of church to share how God is working in their lives.

• Increased fellowship among believers (Acts 2:46) – In Revival, God’s people experience greater love for one another that draws them together frequently and attracts unbelievers to the body of believers.

• Favor and persecution (Acts 2:47) – God’s favor will be with His people as they abide in Him and spread the good news of Jesus.  Both favor and opposition arise in Revival.  Mockers and opposition from people in power will increase but we know in the end the Love of Christ will prevail.  This makes us dependent upon Jesus and thus we rely on the Lord’s favor to fight for us as we overcome persecution and opposition.  “the Joy of the Lord is our strength” Nehemiah 8:10

Revival is here!!!!! - Based on these signs and what I have seen and experienced recently, I would suggest that we are on the front end of a full blown Revival in America.  Beginning with the Asbury Revival back in February, to the  to what we are seeing and experiencing in our local Church, Church of the Highlands, here in Birmingham, I am pretty sure we are in a season of Revival.  Our church is in a season of 21 days of prayer that we do every year in January and August, and we are seeing record attendance.  Since the beginning of this year, we have been experiencing record attendance, salvations and giving like never before.  Last week we had four days of “Revival Services” across our 24 campuses and saw an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  We had tens of thousands of people showing up with standing room only with people in overflow and foyers hungry for and seeking God.  I am experiencing this first-hand and it is remarkable and very encouraging.  I am also seeing signs of revival around the world.  I recently met with one of the leaders of Global Media Outreach Global Media Outreach (GMO), a ministry I have invested in for nearly a decade, that is using technology to fulfill the Great Commission.  Since 2004, they have touched billions around the world with the gospel message of Jesus using the internet and technology, and have prompted hundreds of millions of people in their decision to follow Jesus.  This year, they are seeing extraordinary growth and receptivity to the gospel message around the globe.  Finally, I have the great privilege to attend a million-salvation celebration next week with John Maxwell who’s ministry will surpass a million documented salvations this month.  I could go on and on, but you get the picture.     

This is so very exciting!!!!  For a time such as this God is bringing Revival.  What a blessing that we get to participate in a move of God through Revival in our city, nation, and world.  That being said, let us never forget that Revival starts inside each believer (you and me) and grows from there.  Gipsy Smith one of the most impactful British evangelist of modern times, who played a meaningful role in several revivals of the late 1800s and early1900s, was once asked how to start revival.  He answered:  “Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of the floor.  Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start the revival inside the chalk mark.  When He answers your prayer, the revival will be on”.  We are each revived by the spirit of the living God through Jesus when we are saved and born of His spirit.  The best thing we can do to fan the flame of revival is simply fan the flame of revival in our personal walk with Jesus.  It is from the overflow of our personal relationship that God does His amazing work through each of us to influence and change the world.  Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me then I will abide in you and your will bare much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5

Be encouraged and have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Integrity

“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out” Proverbs 10:9

What is Integrity?  The definition is simply “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness; the state of being whole and undivided”.  I think of integrity as being true to God, myself, and others with God at the center of it all.  I think we have all heard the concept of Integrity as what we do when no one is looking. “Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Ephesians 6:6

As followers of Christ, are we truly living our lives first and foremost to an audience of one, Christ Jesus? 

Integrity allows us to live free before God and man – One of the most powerful blessings of Christ is that He came to give us true freedom through the Cross.  By overcoming the sin of the world, He gave us the gift of eternal life and the ability to access that same power to overcome our sin and curse of this world.  When we are born of the spirit of God, we are redeemed into wholeness in Christ and through this process we become what God intended us to be in Him, our unique person in Christ.  There is tremendous security and freedom that is found in realizing that we are created uniquely perfect in God’s image as His sons and daughters and His purpose for us is to live to the fullness of who He called us to be in Him, to realize our full God given potential and “become the best me I can be” and let God take care of the rest. 

Prior to my rebirth in Christ at the age of 33, I struggled in many ways;  subconsciously, I was always trying to become something or be like someone else.  This made me insecure, incomplete, and discontent.  Looking back, I can see how I lacked integrity, even though I was generally a good moral person by the standards of the world.  I was conflicted because my life was planted in shifting sand and not on the solid foundation of the rock of Christ.  When I surrendered my life to Christ and made Him Lord and King of my life, my identity was made complete in Him and I started living secure, free with wholeness/integrity to Christ, myself, and others.  What an amazing and powerful gift.  “For creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into freedom and glory of the children of God”. Romans 8: 20-21

Integrity protects us from sin and death – If a man walks with Integrity before God and man then he will be a man of virtue, pleasing to God.  The bottom line is that being a person of Integrity is foundational to being a person of solid character.  If we have a tendency to compromise, we are on a slippery slope.  Of course, the enemy is crafty and looks for our vulnerabilities, and as humans we all have weaknesses.  That being said, if we desire to be men and women of Integrity, we will seek the Lord and ask that our hearts be pure, and our ways be blameless.  We must realize our human depravity and understand we all have blind spots. “For the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things you please”. Galatians 5:17. The power to walk with true Integrity comes from God through Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith; Jesus became a man and lived with full Integrity, blameless and without sin.  Walking in Integrity brings life and protection to every aspect of our lives. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12

Christ centered Integrity brings order and begets blessing – True Integrity is also a superpower in life, business and ministry, and leads to tremendous blessing and favor if demonstrated consistently over time.  If we place the Lord at the center of our lives and make Him our first and preeminent priority (First Fruit), then every area of our lives will be Integrated in and through Christ and we will live with divine order and blessing.  The alternative, which is very common to the ways of this world, is to compartmentalize our lives so that we have all components of life in different silos. This is a very challenging way to live because we are always fretting over how to order our time and priorities, and we generally live in disorder.  When we put Christ at the center of our lives and invite Him into every aspect of our lives, then we can live with much more order, which produces harmony, peace, and fulfillment in our lives. “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well”.  Matthew 6:33 As we place Christ at the center of our lives (live surrendered lives), we become more Christ-like and begin to produce spiritual fruit in all areas of our lives.  Christ at the center means that He is connected to every area of our lives, and He is the source, which brings us back to a key concept I talk about often, living with dependence on God through abiding in Christ. “I am the vine, you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and you will bear much fruit.  Apart from me you can do nothing”.  John 15:3 I believe this to be the life blood of our walk of faith and living a life of Integrity. 

See illustration below from my friend Ken Boa www.kenboa.org of Compartmentalized Life vs. Christ Centered (Integrous) Life:

View fullsize

View fullsize

As followers of Christ living with Integrity, there should be no sacred/secular dichotomy.  Our lives should be Integrated in all things.  We should be the same person at Church on Sunday, at work on Monday-Friday, on the golf course or at the hunting camp on the weekends, and especially at home with our families.  This is the evidence and blessing of Christ at work within us.  It all works together (integrated), so that we live in light of eternity and become all that Christ has in store for us to become in Him. 

Have a great week!!

-Duane

Word of the week - Rest, Recreation, Renewal

“Come to me, all of 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, ad you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Matthew 11:28-30

I am just returning from a 12-week Sabbatical, see “Word of Week – Sabbatical” from April 30th for context.  It has been an amazing time of rest, recreation, and renewal.  During this time of extended sabbath rest I enjoyed: 1) Extended times of prayer and fellowship with God during my first fruits abiding.  I was able to take long prayer walks and just spend more time with God in His word allowing me to go deeper and feel more connected, 2) I spent extended time with my wife Amy on a few trips but mainly just having longer more casual visits over meals and at random times of the day or week, something that is very out of the ordinary for me.  Our relationship definitely has grown deeper and stronger during this time, 3) I was able spend some quality time with my kids and grandkids enjoying simple things at a much slower pace.  One of my favorite times was our week down at Dauphin Island with all the kids and grandkids, 4) I was able to connect with some of my good  friends at a deeper level on a few trips to the farm, lake and abroad, 5) I took the opportunity to take some bucket list trips with family and friends and travelled to Italy, Brazil Peacock Bass fishing, Argentina bird hunting and Rwanda Africa with Bridge2Rwanda, an amazing leadership development ministry that I have the privilege to support and serve as a board member.  Not to mention the time I spent doing the simple things I love like clearing trails in the woods at my farm, catching bass at sunrise or walking 9 holes of golf after dinner on a cool summer evening as the sun went down.  I could go on and on but you get the picture, see a few pics below.

I am so very grateful to be blessed with such a great team that afforded me the opportunity to take this time of extended Sabbath.  I did not have any major epiphany, but I can honestly say I have experienced soulful rest at a level like never before and it is deeply refreshing.  It is like I hit a reset button giving me renewed energy and excitement towards the future.  The good news is that even before I started my Sabbatical, I was living at a healthy rhythm and pace and taking a weekly sabbath, so I was not living anywhere close to the line of burnout like I experienced a little over a decade ago when I took my first sabbatical that literally saved me from burnout.  This time around, I started my sabbatical from a great place after working hard to plan and host a multiday event celebrating our firm’s 20th Anniversary, see “Word of Week – Celebration” from April 16th.   

As I reflect over the past 12 weeks, I wanted to share a few insights from my sabbatical:

Rest – What is soulful rest?  I believe it can be different for all of us, but for me soulful rest is when I get to a place where the internal voices and external expectations that drive me are quieted, and I find respite.  Rest is defined at intermission or cessation from motion.  For me, this is not so much a physical thing as it is mental and emotional.  One simple goal I had as I started my sabbatical was to be able to wake up in the morning without having a mental to do list that popped into my head before I got out of bed.  This is very hard for me because I love to produce and accomplish things, it makes me feel good.  If you are wired this way, it takes meaningful faith and trust to let go of your innate need to be productive and simply let go of those desires and fully trust God and rest in Him.  Getting to a place where you know all is well with your soul even though you are not really “doing” the things that make you feel like all is well, like working to accomplish and produce.  “Be still and know I am God” Psalm 46:10.  It took me about 3-4 weeks to wind down the list in my head and start to find my footing in a rhythm of rest, but I was able to get there and discover a new level of pace and serenity that was meaningfully refreshing.  Simply put, I believe soulful rest is when we experience deep inner peace, and the driving voices are quieted.  This allows us to be more present before God and others. 

Recreation – I love this word.  It is defined as refreshment of strength and spirit beyond work.  “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. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others, but He also gives provision for our enjoyment.  As we recreate, we are being renewed and refreshed and it is good for the soul and spirit.  I think it is so cool how God created us with all of this in mind.  He created us to be responsible and productive in our vocation and calling, to work diligently unto to Lord and add value to others, but He also created us with a deep need to enjoy Him and His creation.  I used to think having hobbies was a negative because it competed for my time in areas that I believe to be more meaningful and important like work and family.  Now I see it much differently and greatly value my hobbies and time spent recreating, although I probably have too many hobbies 😊!  I now see recreational time in a similar way that I see the time I spend working on my physical fitness.  To maintain a healthy body, most people need an exercise routine to stay in good physical shape.  Similarly, to maintain a healthy soul, we must invest time in recreational activities that we enjoy, so we can be refreshed and find space between work and fulfilling our day-to-day responsibilities.  Of course, different seasons of life will influence how much discretionary time we have for recreational activities.  If you are in your mid-30’s with small kids and an aspiring professional career, you will need to be more thoughtful about how you use your time, because there are lots of demands during this season of life.  For example:  I hung up my golf clubs when I was 36, because we decided to have another child, our sweet daughter Isabella.  Fifteen years later I pulled them back out, based on my game may have been a mistake, but I am now in a season of life where I have time to enjoy golf.  The bottom line is that we need a healthy and balanced rhythm of recreation in our lives to maintain a healthy soul.  This reality was reinforced during my sabbatical.  

Renewal –  “Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man (flesh) is decaying, yet our inner man (spirit) is being renewed day by day” 2 Corinthians 4:16.  God made us multi-dimensional in body, soul and spirit, and our spirit is the part of our being that is most important because it is the part of us that can connect with God and will last forever.  God’s desire for each of us is that our spirit would come alive through the process of spiritual regeneration, when we make Jesus our Lord and King, we are born of the spirit of God.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17  But this is just the beginning of our walk with Jesus into the abundant life He speaks about in John 10:10.  God has designed us to be continually renewed in the spirit, which means we are made new and have new energy and excitement in our relationship with Jesus and walk of faith.  We cannot force this, but we can posture ourselves and set the table by taking away the distractions and creating the environment for God to show up and renew our hearts, minds, and spirit.  When we set aside extended time and make ourselves available with a desire to hear from the Lord, He is known to respond and give us the gift of His presence, which renews our soul and spirit.  During my time of sabbatical, I was able to experience extended times of less distracted fellowship with the Lord, which renewed my spirit and deepened my relationship with Jesus.  The biproduct of this is experiencing more spiritual fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control in my life.  I am not where I want to be but I have surely come a long way. 

The most exciting thing is how much my time of extended sabbath helped me realize how blessed I am in every way.  My heart is filled with gratitude, and I am counting my blessings.  Just to mention a few:  My amazing wife Amy of 31 years, who I love more than ever; who loves me, and may even like me more since my sabbatical 😊!  I have 3 godly daughters, 2 sons by marriage who are great men, and 7 grandkids who are all healthy and love Jesus.  I have loving and supportive extended family who I love spending time with.  I am part of a phenomenal church family at COH led by one of the most humble and gifted leaders I know.  I enjoy brotherly friendship with some amazing men of God who encourage and challenge me to keep getting better.  I am equally yoked with godly business partners, and we get to grow and lead a world class team of professionals toward becoming the Gold Standard in our industry.  I live in a great country, even with all of its challenges, I feel blessed beyond measure to be a U.S. citizen especially after spending so much time travelling aboard.  Ther is no place like good ole Birmingham, Alabama, USA.  I could go on and on, but I will spare you because I am sure you get the point and this Word is getting way to long! 

I pray we all can enjoy the benefits of Sabbath and enter into soulful rest in Christ, whether on a sabbatical or just enjoying a weekly sabbath.  It is healthy and good for the body, soul and spirit.

I hope you have a blessed week.

-Duane