"Mounting Up To Run Faster In 2024" by Nancy Dufresne
In this past year, we have experienced a great flow of God’s blessings. We have seen the fulfillment of many things we were believing for, and we are so grateful to God for it.
We are also grateful for you, the friends and partners of Dufresne Ministries, for your love, faith, prayers, and generosity, and we are thankful that we get to run this joyous race with you!
We are excited and expectant about what 2024 holds for us all as we move forward with the vision. This ministry is growing and increasing. The pace is picking up, and we are loving the ride!
In this past year, we have experienced a great flow of God’s blessings. We have seen the fulfillment of many things we were believing for, and we are so grateful to God for it.
We are also grateful for you, the friends and partners of Dufresne Ministries, for your love, faith, prayers, and generosity, and we are thankful that we get to run this joyous race with you!
We are excited and expectant about what 2024 holds for us all as we move forward with the vision. This ministry is growing and increasing. The pace is picking up, and we are loving the ride!
In these last days, the plan of God is accelerating, and we must run skillfully and accurately if we are to run refreshed as we keep pace with His plan.
There is a scripture that God has impressed on my heart that I believe is a keynote verse for us in 2024. In it, we see how to run skillfully and accurately. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” Isaiah 40:31 (KJV).
We have been raised and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). That is the seat that we have been raised to and that we occupy as children of God. That seat is above the flow of this world. Since we have been raised, it is our privilege to conduct our life from this higher flow.
Isaiah 40:31 speaks of how to move in that higher flow. The Amplified Classic translation reads, “But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
In Hebrew, the word “renew” is exchange. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew (exchange) their strength….” In His Presence, a divine exchange takes
place – we take on His strength. He doesn’t just enhance our own human strength, but we partake of HIS strength. And those who do, “… they shall RUN and not be weary, they shall WALK and not faint or become tired.”
Those who do this aren’t running on the low level of the natural
realm – the realm and flow that produces weariness and tiredness – but they have “mounted up” above that natural flow into the flow of God’s strength; they are walking in the Spirit, living in His Presence. Then as they run in His strength, “… they shall RUN and not be weary, they shall WALK and not faint or become tired.” God intends that we run without weariness and walk without fainting.
How do we “mount up” into this flow of His strength? By taking time to “wait on the Lord” – ministering to the Lord.
Download a free PDF of our “Jesus the Healer” Annual Report Magazine.
This magazine showcases all the wonderful things our partners and friends have enabled us to accomplish in 2024!
2024 ISSUE
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall MOUNT UP with wings as eagles….” Waiting before the Lord, we partake of His strength that causes us to “mount up” above the natural flow of this world. We are to conduct life from this “mounted up” place.
This flow of strength can only come to us through time in His Presence. This is the strength we are to run in. This is how to run the “last days” pace.
The vision that God has called each one of us to fulfill calls for His divine strength and His flow – the flow of walking in the Spirit, the flow of living in His Presence. This is the flow that produces living in its highest sense.
As we continue to fulfill His plan, may we be “mounting up to run faster” in 2024.
"A Christmas Example Of Faith" by Nancy Dufresne
The events and story of Jesus’ birth are the reason for this Christmas season. But when I look at the account of these events recorded in the book of Luke, I see something very important that took place, even before Jesus was born.
The events and story of Jesus’ birth are the reason for this Christmas season. But when I look at the account of these events recorded in the book of Luke, I see something very important that took place, even before Jesus was born.
Luke 1:26-38 says, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
The angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary and told her that she was highly favored of God, and that she would have a Son whose name would be called Jesus.
Gabriel’s assignment wasn’t just to make this glorious announcement to Mary, but he also came to get Mary’s response to this announcement. He came to get her agreement to God’s plan. Mary gave her response to this announcement, “…be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38). He didn’t depart from her until he had her agreement.
Her agreement was given by speaking words. Her faith was released through the words she spoke.
God’s plan for our life needs our agreement. His plan for us doesn’t just come to pass automatically – we must agree to it – we must add our faith to it. Our faith is our agreement. Our agreement is given by the words we speak; our faith is released through the words we speak.
If God didn’t need Mary’s agreement to bring His Son into the earth, why would He have sent Gabriel to announce God’s plan to her? If He didn’t need her agreement, He would have just brought it to pass automatically – but He didn’t!
Getting Jesus into the earth needed Mary’s agreement. For redemption’s plan to come to pass through her, God needed her agreement.
God’s plan for our life needs our agreement. God has a plan for each and every one of us, but it won’t just come pass automatically. God’s plan for us calls for our agreement – our faith!
During this Christmas season, let’s follow Mary’s example of faith. She had faith to agree with God’s plan. Let’s continue to speak our agreement with God’s plan for our life by faith.
Mary and Joseph both walked out that season of Jesus’ conception and birth by faith. Man’s faith played a part in Jesus’ entrance into the earth so that the plan of redemption could come to pass.
If the greatest event in the earth called for man’s faith, every God-event in your life calls for your faith – your agreement.
May this Christmas season be a season when your faith in God’s plan continues to flourish and be released through the words you speak – agreeing with God’s plan for your life and for your family.
Mary gave us an example of faith to follow, “…be it unto me according to thy word.”
"Doing The Right Thing Every Day" by Nancy Dufresne
I’m reminded of a statement that Dr. Lester Sumrall made: “I don’t do anything great – I just do something all the time!” He didn’t measure the success of his life by the periodic dramatic moments of his life, but rather, by just doing the right thing every day. Practicing the Word and making right choices every day were what added up to living a life of greatness. Every day, he was a doer of the Word! He walked by faith in God’s Word.
I’m reminded of a statement that Dr. Lester Sumrall made: “I don’t do anything great – I just do something all the time!” He didn’t measure the success of his life by the periodic dramatic moments of his life, but rather, by just doing the right thing every day. Practicing the Word and making right choices every day were what added up to living a life of greatness. Every day, he was a doer of the Word! He walked by faith in God’s Word.
Luke 11:28 records that Jesus stated, “…BLESSED are they that HEAR the word of God, and KEEP IT.” It’s the one who does what he hears of God’s Word that will experience the blessing of God on his life.
William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army stated, “I’m not waiting for a move of God – I AM a move of God!” It was the way he lived his “everyday life” that enabled him to say this. Every day, he made choices toward his spiritual life. He was a doer of the Word every day. He lived in fellowship with God every day.
Smith Wigglesworth stated, “I live full of the Spirit. That’s why I have revival everywhere I go!” When we live full of the Word and the Spirit, it elevates the flow of our daily life, and out of that fullness we will be a great blessing to others. This was not just a periodic flow of Wigglesworth’s life, but a daily flow he chose.
These men were skillful at doing the Word in their daily lives. Greatness in the life of the believer is not built in the periodic dramatic moments, but in how we live our lives every day.
The faith life is about choosing to let the Word govern us. When faced with the circumstances of life, we ask ourselves, What does the Word say about this? We put the Word first – we act on the Word.
Joseph lived a remarkable life. During his teen years, he was a shepherd for his father, then his brothers sold him as a slave, and then he was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison for 12 years. His years of youth and young manhood were lived in difficult, dark surroundings. The enemy, no doubt, sought to destroy him during this season, but because he conducted his daily life in a way that was pleasing to God, God was able to use those difficult times as an accelerated training course to prepare him to run a nation by the time he was 30 years old. He wasn’t trained in the palace. He was trained for greatness by doing the right thing in the everyday moments of his life as a shepherd boy, as a slave, and then as a prisoner. He had to guard his mind, doing the right thing with his thought life. He had to guard his heart to keep out unforgiveness, bitterness, and offense toward those who had mistreated and mishandled him. He learned to do the right thing every day.
“Doing the right thing – being a doer of the Word – this is what helps develop us spiritually and makes us of great use to God.”
Doing the right thing – being a doer of the Word – this is what helps develop us spiritually and makes us of great use to God.
In contrast, we see Sampson. He was a man who had an anointing upon him. God had promoted him to be a judge over His people. Sampson had dramatic spiritual happenings, but he was dominated by his flesh. What he permitted in his daily life became his weakness.
It matters what we permit in our everyday life. The flesh and natural things lose sway over us as we let the Word dominate us. Being a consistent doer of the Word brings blessing, for with consistency lies victory. Life becomes sweeter as our skill in doing the Word grows.
In an interview, I was asked, “What was your darkest day?” My most difficult time wasn’t a day – it was a season years ago, when I was spiritually young and my mind wasn’t renewed with the Word of God. Everything was hard then. Ignorance of the Word and not being a doer of the Word makes life hard, for the enemy seeks to take advantage of ignorance.
We don’t have to live in a place of ongoing difficulty. As we keep hearing and practicing the Word every day, it makes life sweet! “…BLESSED are they that HEAR the word of God, and KEEP IT” (Luke 11:28).