Duneland Christian Living, 267 Burdick Place, Chesterton, IN (2026)

10/14/2024

To all my friends as our years roll by. I stumbled upon this line adapted from a Simon and Garfunkel performance of The Boxer: “I’m older than I once was but younger than I ever will be.” It’s both humbling and motivational at the same time. Hmmm 🤔.

10/11/2024

Northern lights made to Chesterton Indiana.

09/28/2024

Psalm 79:1
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

ET’s Commentary
This Psalm is written during a time when the Babylonian Empire broke the defenses of Jerusalem. The city was burned, and Solomon's temple was destroyed. Death and misery were everywhere. Many Israelites were taken captive. Sound familiar? It should. When we take the core of the message and the plea for God’s intervention into today’s world, we can see the existence of the same circumstances suppressing our peace. History does in fact repeat itself. The troubling reason or cause of the continuing offenses made upon God’s children; I believe rests in one statement; We have replaced God as our faithful leader with governmental organizations that no longer follow in His Holy Word.
We have placed leaders into power that distort the basic truths that our eyes see, and our ears hear, all scripted to entice, lure and persuade us to follow their desires. We no longer seek God’s desires but follow willingly the voice of false prophets (politicians). The allure of potential tangible evidence of peace is so strong that we allow ourselves to believe that peace is possible through man. Peace can only come from faith and trust in God. Leaders of any kind or any ilk who do not profess the authority and power of the Lord as the ruler of all creation will certainly take us in directions that will perpetuate the hatred and violence through division and device rhetoric. For thousands of years have passed and we are still seeking peace and the ability to love one another through our differences.

God has and God will continue to call out to His people in the truth of their current state of being.

Collectively, we are no further along our journey then were the Jewish people in 586 BC. The evidence is clear. The events of October 6th, just like September 11, 2001, are obvious examples. However, there are almost an unlimited number of other less evident examples that surround us today. First, we need to take off our blindfolds, take out our ear plugs and earnestly take stock of what we see and what we hear. In our own country, we have placed our hopes on the upcoming election and that the results will set us free from all harm and danger. The tragic truth is that it will not. We have become so far removed from our Lord that we no longer place high regard and high esteem on candidates that have lived a life of service in care for others. We like or rather we support political parties, worldly philosophies disguised as God’s truth, and we select our path based on what appeals to us rather than what follows God’s Holy Word.

We are so entrenched in our positions that we stubbornly oppose any perspective from the other side. We hold so close to our own personal desires that we choose to follow the words of candidates as opposed to their actions. In this nation in particular, we are so bent on the concept of freedom that we give credence to the concept that anyone can come and go, do or don’t, anything that their hearts desire without ever approaching God in prayer to seek His desires. The founders of our nation understood their flaws as mere humans and gave reverence to the creator and sustain of all peace when they wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Before you say anything about my point here, let me acknowledge that they too were flawed. The difference between today’s leadership and that of our nation's founders is that they understood their shortcomings and flaws. They knew in my opinion that authority rests in the Lord not in a king or political hierarchy.

If we truly seek peace and want all people to prosper, then we need to follow in God’s Holy Word and stop looking for God to arise from the ashes of the worldly conflict. Today, nations have indeed invaded God’s creation in both literal and figurative means. Our government and I suggest all governments have invaded God’s Holy Temple (His people) have or are actively seeking to destroy His Holy Temple (His children). Nations have enacted laws that encourage divisive, destructive and sinful behaviors all under the auspices of freedom. Nations/governments no longer seek accountability for sinful behavior while they enable and encourage our children to live in opposition to the Lord’s Holy Word. The answer to our problems, the end to all violence and the establishment of peace comes to those who follow in God’s footsteps. We must acknowledge our own participation and turn our lives over to seeking God’s truth. We must stop being blinded by the shining object dangled in front of us by politicians and focus ourselves to live faithfully in the arms of our God. When we choose to place our hopes, dreams and needs of the Lord we will then choose to promote leadership that encourages all people to do the same.

Have a blessed day!!!

08/31/2024

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge…

ET’s Commentary
…and the meek shall inherit the world. it never fails to amaze me that the scriptures a given to us in a wide variety of means for their discernment. By this I mean, the Bible is not simply presented as statements of facts but rather as a collection of poetry, lyrical verses, stories, parables, documented history of man’s experiences and of course quotations of the Lord God Himself. Perhaps overlooked, is the question as to why such a variety of communication methods are used and gathered into one collection? I believe that God created each of His children with different patterns of thought which leads to diverse ways in which people learn. Some people have are moved and motivated by art, some by music, some by mystery and some by research and discovery. The reality is that in our uniqueness each of us process information differently.

Our text today comes to us from the Book or Collection of Proverbs. The Book of Proverbs is an example of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Traditionally attributed to King Solomon, this collection serves to raise questions for us today about values, morality, purpose, and folly that bring us to a crossroad of behavioral truths. These adages emerge from man’s individual and collective experiences that contrast good from bad, right from wrong and moral from immoral actions. As we go further and before we get to the nitty gritty of verse 15:1, let us speak to what wisdom is and is not. Wisdom is the use, disuse, or non-use of knowledge (or factual information). It is truthful, as it represents real experiences, but yet it does not provide a definitive answer. It is not a mathematical equation that also yields the same answer. The outcome from applying wisdom takes shape in various forms and although most of the time wisdom is victorious it does not guarantee any given result. It is a pattern of anticipated behavioral outcomes.
The variables of for any outcome are great and the proper application of wisdom will provide likely healthy results, it is not assured since man is a broken, prideful, and sinful being the is no absolute predictor of another's response. This then is our launching point for today's text. In this saying, we are reminded that when we respond gently with humility to an assertive or aggressive action from another person, we will likely change the balance of discussion. Hostility breeds hostility. Our own aggressive nature tells us we must win the battle as it is presented, so we meet head-on with the challenge at hand. Instead of bringing a balance to the encounter, we add fuel to the fire. As we spoke last week, man is a reactionary creature. Stepping back from the battlefield and responding with kindness serves to at least temporarily change that balance. The aggressor who once stood on stable ground of their own creation, now must decide how to re-establish firm footing. This person can respond in one of two ways, proceed on as if nothing transpired, standing on their own foolishness or realize that their position will have little or no effect on the fool who now stands in opposition.

The wisdom of this saying will not guarantee an immediate end to the battle, but it will alter, delay, and bring all involved to new grounds for confrontation to turn to conversation. Of course you may still get slapped, but that was always going to be the outcome if you approached the situation in a reactionary manner. The escalation of conflict begins at the moment of first encounter, and it continues to feed from the negative feelings, words, and emotions that ensue. The hope one may have is that you or your argument are more powerful than the other person’s. And if so, you prolong the battle by placing yourself in the middle with expectations of pushing the other person into submission. These situations are not seen in just the physicality of conflict, but it also resides in the conveyance of thoughts, ideas, and words. More often it is the case that we contribute to the conflict by the insistence of our own desires and perspectives. We think we are right, and we believe that we can fix the issue if only people would listen (obey) our words.

Healing of differences starts with reliance on and the evocation of the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. The application of wisdom in these circumstances is to be attentive to the presence of God. It is with God that we are given strength to pause, strength to release our perspectives and the courage to seek peace and understanding. Our faith and our knowledge of the loving nature of God opens the door for peace to enter. When we refuse to enable the Holy Spirit which rests within, we take matters into our own hands. In doing this, we create even more and perhaps harmful scenarios to emerge, many of which lead to dangerous or at least undesired outcomes.

There are important lessons in this text for all of us who are traveling this journey of faith to note. First is to seek to attempt to bring true balance by offering peace and hope in our response when presented with the opportunity. Second is to always respond in an affirming and uplifting way. Acknowledge the challenge, fear, doubt and or anger before you try to take any other step forward. Third is to remember that you are never alone and seek the voice and call of the Lord before you take any action. Now as mentioned earlier, when confronted with anger and although you offered peace, you may still get hit. But in the words of our Lord, then “offer the other cheek”. Examples of peace-filled demonstrations and their success are well evident and documented throughout history. Unfortunately, so too is war and although WWI was labeled as “the war to end all wars”, death, destruction and violence continues to this day. It all makes sense that if we are as a people, as a society are to survive, we must give up our own reactionary and evil responses when faced with the manifestation of evil.

This verse from the Book of Proverbs tells us more about ourselves and our moral beliefs than we likely care to know. But I will leave you with these last few thoughts. In the second sentence we read “the wise adorns knowledge”. This is to say that knowledge unto itself is meaningless and lifeless. It only comes to life when wisdom calls for its use. Knowledge alone will cause divide because of it’s misuse. True that facts are facts, but in our great and creative abilities, we can present facts, invent facts and abuse facts for our own destructive and divisive purposes. It through the power and majesty of God’s Holy Spirit that gives us the wisdom and ability to fully engage the truth.

Have a blessed day!!!

08/24/2024

Matthew 11:28-29
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

ET’s Commentary
The burdens and responsibilities of life seem overwhelming at times for many. As we grow in age, position, family and faith the world and life itself gives us more to digest. Whether it is the turmoil of political and social affairs, violence locally, nationally and around the globe, raising of children or the passing of loved ones, all adds up over time. The sum total of these becomes the burden or the load that we drag around with us each and every day. Like gravity always pressing us to downward, we become captive to the earth unable to soar to new heights. The world surrounds us and consumes us to such an extent that we become one with the world, blocking us from the truth, the power and grace that we are offered by way of the cross.

In times when the weight of the world is resting heavy on our spirit, we often take one of two pathways for finding rest and hopefully peace. As discussed recently, our first reaction is to fight and push back harder in an effort to gain control. The second is to hide or run from the reality and we resort to some form of escapism, be it alcohol, drugs solitude or perhaps total avoidance. Whichever direction your “natural” tendencies take you and traveled alone you may never find the desired outcome. Confrontation or pushing back on the world, you will find in some cases that the pattern of problems or issues will repeat itself disguised in ways that may at first be alluring. In other cases, you may discover that pushing back is simply impossible. The mass of issues is so meaty, so deeply ingrained and the inertia so great that nothing you can do will cause the faintest of movement, at which point you give up and become once again the creation of the world. Similarly, escapism will eventually lead to the collapse of your spirit. In a world that is so definitely focused and relentless in sucking you into its problems and issues that you cannot run fast enough without falling into dangerous territory. Escapism often leads to depression and or addiction, just the place that the world wants you to be at so that your faith shines brightly.

Underneath it all and tucked away we may find yet a third and overgrown pathway, FAITH. Is say overgrown not simply because we often choose it only after the first two attempts have failed but also because religion today, itself, has allowed it to be so. Yes, I said it. Many churches and congregations of various denominations also place burdens on its people or people in general. These churches place process and methods ahead of the plain and simple truth of God’s mercy and grace. Requirements for attendance, financial support, rituals, sacraments, standing, kneeling, sitting, and dress codes may be burdensome for many. Although considered to be supportive of a spiritual journey, these human inventions serve as a filter to the unfailing and never-ending love that God has for each of his children. Shielding, concealing, and delaying a person's direct encounter with the living Christ. Our Gospel text for today is a direct statement for any and all people to take to heart. The weight of the world is so great that only God has the power, authority, and ability to lift out from underneath its grasp. There is only one barrier between you and the throne of God and that is you.

Living a life that is not dictated by the world is difficult but when we open our eyes and look behind the facade of the physical world, we find that true peace exists in the spirit. Our bodies may toil earnestly, our egos may get scratch, our reputations that we so desire may be tarnished because of the overpowering secular world, but there is nothing that can alter our fate, the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. The body’s ability to tolerate pain and recover and the often-untapped power of our minds to recalibrate and to reboot are amazing things. When looking back we can testify as to how resilient we are and how much capacity we have for change to take root. Created in God’s image, man has for more capabilities than we may ever know. However, we frequently place limits on ourselves and on God’s strength, love and plans for our lives.

As we consider this text, we should ask ourselves this question. When overwhelmed, we first turn to God in prayer or do we take it upon ourselves as an attempt to fix, change or end the difficulty we are facing? If the answer is anything other than taking it to God, we then need to ask; why is that? What keeps us from seeking the most capable, most definitive, and most available solution? Perhaps it is because we expect what we want to be the answer. Or we expect the answer to be immediate. Lastly and most likely is that we expect the answer to be evident by its physical appearance. As I look at my journey of faith, the evidence of God’s hand is often seen in the patience granted to me so that I do not act in ways that are destructive or unproductive. The ability to persevere, the awakening of a new day and to gain a new outlook on life are frequently the answer to my prayers. The rejuvenation of my spirit opens opportunities for me to take more appropriate forms of actions, other words to use and new perspectives to consider while leading me from adversity, anger, and fear.

All this helps me to realize that my home is not of the earth but rather of heaven. This home awaits me because of the cross. My real salvation will be granted upon following my Lord into the everlasting. This world shall pass as will I, so why should I seek anything other than the love, care, and peace of God? In Jesus, God has removed all barriers, all weight has been taken off our shoulders for nothing left exists for us to do in the physical sense. We only need to place our priorities on serving the Lord to the best of our abilities and when we struggle, call upon God’s Holy Spirit to lead us. We are not made with the power or authority to conquer the world or conquer other people; we are made for the sole purpose of servanthood. This is the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Have a blessed day!!!

08/17/2024

Romans 12:17-18

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

ET’s Commentary

Evil takes many shapes and forms. It is witnessed in the physical world through dangerous or harmful actions. However, evil is not simply hurtful actions, but it is also experienced in the less obvious aspects of our lives, our thoughts, our inactions and our avoidance from living peacefully with others. We all can point to the physicality of evil, but we often overlook the evil that rests within and which directs us to avoid positive and affirming positions in our relationships and keeps us from entering new ones or renewing old ones.

Diving into our verse for today, we read from the Apostle Paul clarifying the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. A simple and quick reading of verse 17 will open a pathway for our discussion which will center on revenge. Paul writes, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” or do not mimic the evil that you received back into the world and onto the originator of the evil. First, let’s work to define “evil”. The word standing by itself is a strong and absolute statement. It implies intent to disrupt, radical alterations from what is good. It is also seen as an affront to healthy living, revealing the troublesome, bad and ugliness of the human response of revenge. Revenge is not a corrective action; it is merely a modified version of the original evil that was thrown upon us. In our minds, our response is justification for more evil to be seen. But it is no more than a renaming of the evil perpetrated; we think, “revenge is not evil but a necessary action to eliminate further evil.” And so, the cycle begins.

In all of history, man has reacted in attempts to eradicate evil by returning the same volley perpetrated by our foes. Yet still here we are fighting wars, holding back aid, and avoiding direct contact for remediation of our problems. It is far easier to throw back force than it is to fight our urge to retaliate. It takes emotional and spiritual strength to turn the others cheek and release us from the bo***ge of our human and primal urge for using force to resolve our issues.

To really seek and understand Paul’s text, we need to look beyond the surface of the implied, actionable revenge component and open our hearts to include the concept of non-actionable revenge. As an example, in our lives, there are relationships that are weakened and or absent from our daily experiences. Somewhere along the line these once important and thriving relationships have slowly or perhaps even quickly ebbed to the point where there is little to no evidence of any existing relationship. For me, I can see the application of this text in a new light, one that starts with me. I have to ask myself, what role did I play and or continue to play in a failing or failed relationship? As pride filled humans, we often hold ourselves in higher esteem and rarely reflect inwardly on such an issue.

Our “normal” and likely first reaction is to hold back our attempt to fix or improve upon the status quo. In other words, we decide to act in similar ways. If we have not seen any actions, reactions or outward response from the other, we retaliate by doing the same. We hold back our phone calls, email, messaging, and responses in social media outlets. We embody what we don’t like about the status of the relationship. Yet, in truth there are times when we all take that first step but if little or no progress is made to reestablish the relationship, we quickly go back to treating the other as we have been treated by them. In doing so, we return the “evil” (what is bad) by being bad ourselves. Paul lays it out for us today, do not embrace the wrong, rather always look to do the right thing. In so doing, we emulate the hope we have for peace to emerge and not encourage another return volley of the hurtful kind.

Offering a sign of peace by demonstrating our willingness to be peaceful is the only path that will lead us toward change and improvement. Even if the improvement is nothing more than the realization that we did the right thing and we can find our peace and rest in following the faithful path. It is here, when we are following the teachings of our Lord that the power, strength and the glory of God will enlighten our hearts and gives us pause and rest from the battle, knowing we offered love and not hostility. We did not take the easy path, the easy path of revenge but instead we took the least traveled and the most challenging path of forgiveness.

Doing what is right, requires us to consider; what is right according to God. How will God view our actions or inaction? These should be our first thoughts when confronted by the wrongdoings of others. Am I in keeping with His call on my life and I’m I keeping His commandments for how I am to live? I urge all who read Paul’s letter, and particularly the verses presented here today. To properly define evil, we must go beyond the extreme and the traditional perception of the horrifying, debilitating and destructive nature of human actions. It is also in the subtleness of non-verbal and less obvious actions displayed onto us and or taken by us. To sit back, doing nothing to attempt to rejuvenate spoiled relationships is a form of returning evil with evil. We are no different for in our stepping away, we amplify the non-existence of the relationship. It Paul’s own words, “If …as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Please understand that peace can be found, and rest can be gifted from the pains of failed relationships. There are times when we discover that there is nothing left for us to do that will change the trajectory of these relationships. These then are times when we lift the individual's up in prayer and call upon the Lord to work for His glory and give all peace. When we are in the midst or at our wit’s end of trying to not repay evil with evil, the Lord our God will cover those who call upon Him for mercy, peace and rest.

Have a blessed day!!!

08/03/2024

Isaiah 48:17

Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.

ET’s Commentary
In our society today, the word profit is often described as “ill-gotten gains” of the few. Certainly, not all people have the enabling benefits of having profited in their lives. So then modern-day culture convicts' people who appear to have an advantage or receive any extra comfort from life that has eluded the masses. The “woke” viewpoint is to eradicate personal, monetary, and physical gain or at least redistribute them to achieve equity. This perspective on profit only serves to cloud the truth of God’s grace and blessings from people that are thriving and or struggling in the faith journey.

Our text for today speaks to us of not physical or tangible profits but rather to the growth of hope and the prosperity of peace in our lives. Isaiah speaks God’s words for the benefit and profit of our lost souls. It is in God grace and the presence of the His Holy Spirit that we find our bounty. A harvest of the sweetest kind, the love and forgiveness offered to us in Jesus Christ. It is in this sense that the words “profit” and “benefit take on new life. A life that is derived through God’s Holy Spirit. A life that thrives because it is no longer bound to worldly viewpoints and worldly directives. Uncoupled from content of society and culture, our spirits profit when we hear the word of God, and we seek to obey His call on our lives.

The path of God is always true. He protects all those who step upon this path and venture to journey toward Him. By his mercy and love, we profit from His truth. The pathway of the world can only provide temporary gains or profits. There is nothing that comes from the world that will last an eternity. All things created by man will eventually crumble and fall. But the profits of the spirit will be with us throughout eternity. God is teaching us about His priorities for our lives. When we listen, learn and respond to His voice, we are rewarded by the deepening of our faith and a growing reliance on His presence. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we receive the highest of high rewards, forgiveness of our sins and the open pathway to eternal life. This is the reward we seek, and this is the reward of our desires.

The difficulty for us in this text is that we cannot fully separate ourselves from the immediacy of rewards gifted by the world from the subtleties of those gifted to us in faith through the power of God. We confuse and conflate the two paths and become uncertain as to our fulfilling our God given purposes for this life. We thank God for the blessings bestowed upon us by our actions in this world when we really should be asking if we are serving if we have glorified His Holy Name? We intertwine the receiving from the world of accolades, acclaim, wealth with the blessings of God. One is not in receipt of God’s blessing because they have things. The blessings of God are an internal peace, joy and feeling of wellbeing that supersedes the fortune of fame.

As long as we allow the world to use the terms “profit and gain” as something to be ashamed of we may never fully proclaim the richness of faith for others to see and experience. We are being misled and misdirected to be shy about the bounty of blessings and the joy we receive when we serve and bring honor and glory to God. The text is all about spiritual profits. The value of which awakens us and enables us to fulfill God’s plan. To this end, however, we must take note that Isaiah speaks to the book of life and doorway to peace being open and it is up to each person to choose to walk the path of faith or not.

God is taking us to the doorstep as the door is left agape. It is now up to each to decide to enter or step onto His pathway. As Isaiah states, God is the teacher, we are the practitioner and God has gifted to us freewill, it is now a choice of which journey to take. We can take the pathway of the world and seek the glories of power, fame, and wealth. Or we can choose the path of peace, joy and happiness that can only come through the Holy Spirit and will last an eternity. Isaiah directs us to imagine ourselves living in the freedom of God’s grace, a world without violence, war, famine if only we had chosen to be obedient to His teaches. But man has chosen the path of the world instead and we receive only artificial and temporary benefits which turn to dust.

Let each of us acknowledge that it is in our ability to awake each day and chose to do what is right by God’s standards over what is right for our own benefit and glory. The choice is ours, but the contrast comes to us in the answers that arise from the disparate paths. We can choose to be good, or we can choose to be bad and justify ourselves by worldly accomplishments. The true question is, what did God want you to do? We can choose to forgive or not. We can choose to love or not. We can choose power over cooperation. We can choose to serve or be served. We can choose ego driven or live in humility. We can choose to rise up to our calling or we can choose to push others down. We can choose self-pleasures or bring joy to those who struggle. The options are plentiful. The choice is always the same. This is where the rubber meets the road.

As I recently wrote, God made us in His image and as such we innately understand good vs evil. The unfortunate thing is that we have become so engrossed by and with world views that we no longer clearly see the differences between these concepts. In the world we are taught to be bold, powerful, courageous, and thirsty for success. All of which are like glittering objects that attract our eye and attention. We are distracted and we become convinced that worldly pursuits bring us the benefits of our desire. The truth of the Lord, the word of God, tells us differently. God’s peace and prosperity resides in our hearts and not in the size of our house. God’s blessings fill our hearts and our souls completely. True happiness and true prosperity will be with us throughout our days on earth and the eternity of heaven when we follow in His teachings. We must seek His guidance and when hearing His voice, execute His wishes to the best of our abilities. If we are in keeping with His word, then His love will manifest in our lives forever.

Have a blessed day!!!

Duneland Christian Living

10/14/2024

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