January 9, 2023                                       HAVING  STRONG  ENCOURAGEMENT
Hebrews 6:18-20 “in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. The hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
There are three realities that each of us must face: we live without hope; we live with a hope that is based on self and the world around us; or we live with a hope that is rooted in the knowledge of God. The hope that is based on self and/or the world around us is not a steadfast hope. For many, hope is dependent on the circumstances or on their ability to bring about the desired outcome. The hope that is rooted in God is steadfast and is not dependent on the will of man or on circumstances. The acid test for the believer that reveals the source of hope is adverse circumstances, when everything seems to be wrong, when things are not what we desire. Depression and anxiety can be signs that our hope is not coming from our relationship with God. It seems that the more affluent a society or individual is, all too often, hope in God wanes. As believers, it is wise, and it is scriptural, for us to examine ourselves for the purpose of making sure we are spiritually healthy. One reason for evaluating our spiritual health is to determine where our hope lies. A foundational truth regarding hope is that of knowing God according to the scriptures-who He says He is-not who we think He is. Not knowing God according to who He says He is an unsure foundation that will not stand the test and will lead to disappointment. If we are to have a steadfast hope, even in an affluent society, and even in the midst of trying times, we must continually feed on the truth of God’s word, increasing in the knowledge of Him. When we believe that God is who He says He is, when we believe that He is sovereign, when we believe that His plans and purposes will come to pass, and when we know that we belong to Him and are being used by Him, we will have an abiding hope and we will be encouraged because we know that God never fails. This does not imply that we are oblivious to or in denial about the fact that we do encounter trials and difficulties; it does mean that we are confident that God works in and through the difficulties we face. For sure, our soul needs an anchor in the days in which we live. The only sure anchor that holds in the most violent storm is our relationship with Jesus-He is THE anchor; if our anchor is anywhere else, the storms will prevail. We have been given the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things of God, and as we come to know God and to know who we are in Christ, we will experience the sure and steadfast hope that is rooted in God Himself. Whatever you may be facing, let your hope in God be strong.
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Psalm 147:11 “the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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January 6, 2023                                    BE  TRANSFORMED
Romans 12:1-2 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We hear a lot about self-improvement; we should pay attention to our state of being; eating heathy, physical exercise, and continuing to learn, and etc. However, let us not overlook the transformation work that God does in us. As I often say, God is not out to make us better or refurbish us, but to make us new creations. If our focus is on ‘trying to do better,’ and if we rely on self-effort, we will experience frustration in our spiritual life. We must live according to the truth that God has revealed, not according to our own understanding and our own preferences. The truth is that Jesus came to redeem us and to transfer us from the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light where we live as sons and daughters of God. He has transformed us, made us new with new hearts and new minds and new spirits, and has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live according to the ways of God. God has done all of that; yet there is a part for us to be about; we must by faith believe that we are who He says we are and that He gives us the power to live this new life. Not only are we to believe that God has done these things, we must embrace them and put them into action. In the passage above, we find a warning to believers; even though we have been made new, it is possible for us to be conformed back to the world. For that reason, we must be continually being renewed in our minds; we must think on the things of God and always be pursuing what God has for us. The life of a believer is a life of being pro-active in the things of God. There is a great opportunity for us; we can now present our bodies, our life, as a ‘living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.’ We no longer have to live a sub-standard life where we experience frustrations, failures, bad attitudes, boredom, discouragement, doubt, fear, or whatever. The life we live day by day can be a living testimony of how God has transformed us; we can be expressions of the character of God. Paul began this passage by saying “I urge you.” Let us be reminded that God Himself is urging us to present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice to Him.
1 Peter 1:15-16 “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
Matthew 5:16  “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.”
Blessings,
Buddy   

 
January 4, 2023                                            NEW  CREATIONS
Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Galatians 2:20-21 “I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
We may get so use to our routines in life that we forget that we are new creations. Being made new creations is revolutionary-it’s out of the norm! We have not been refurbished, but made new creations; we are no longer who we use to be, and life is not what it use to be. I do not fully understand the implications of this, but if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, (dying to ourselves) we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. And, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life. Paul said in Galatians 2 that it was no longer he who lived-but it was Christ living in him. The amazing thing is that we can walk in newness of life; we no longer have to live in the ‘ho-hum’ of life or have to live without direction and energy for life. Rather than being exhausted or overwhelmed in life, we can experience the life of God in us renewing us and giving us hope in all circumstances. It may sound over-simplistic, but as we are experiencing this newness of life, the grass will be greener and the skies will be bluer because we have the very life of God in us. We can be thankful that the old things-who we use to be and all of our failures-have passed away-and the new has come. This does not imply that we are exempt from trials in life; but it does mean that we experience victory over whatever trials we face. Being new creations and walking in newness of life calls for faith; by faith we believe the truth that God has declared and we walk in it-we apply it. We cannot live ‘our life’ and at the same time experience His life. The crucial point of all of this is that of dying to ourselves and being raised to a new life in Christ. The Spirit of God has been given to us to lead us and to reveal the truths of the word of God to us; our part is to be sensitive to the Spirit of God and to follow as He leads.  Living as new creations does not happen automatically; we must by faith in what God has declared, ‘put on’ the new person we are.
Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regards to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
January 2, 2023                                               GIVING  THANKS
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 5:20 “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.”
One thing for sure; we must get our focus off of the immediate troubles if we are to live out the instructions we find in these verses. We must not operate totally on our own reasoning and understanding; we cannot be guided by human wisdom and human interpretations of circumstances. These two verses, and really all of scripture, require faith. How can one ‘rejoice always’ when their love one suddenly dies, or when their house and all of their possessions are destroyed in a house fire. How can one ‘in everything give thanks’ when they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Are we really to give ‘thanks for all things?’ These are not easy questions to answer; but nonetheless, we must seek out what God is saying about giving thanks for all, and in all things. I do not think that God expects us to give thanks for having a terminal illness, or for any such circumstance; but I do believe that we are to give thanks for what He is going to do in and through adverse circumstances. That is where our faith is required. Often, when trials come, we see no way that good will come out of the trial; but that is when we must trust our loving, all-knowing Father-that He is working all things for our good if we love Him and are desiring to walk in His ways. Just as having an ungrateful heart produces bad fruit, a grateful or thankful heart produces good fruit. We can easily be thankful for the ‘good’ things in life, but learning to be thankful in all things and for all things takes us to a new and better life-a life of trusting God, knowing that He ultimately will use even the most difficult times for our good and for His glory. So, even though we may not ‘feel’ like it or even though we do not understand why God has allowed certain trials to come our way, let us be ones who gives thanks to God for all things-just as He instructs us to do. Remember that God is sovereign and remember that He loves us and will never forsake us. (It goes without saying, but it is fundamental that we love God and are walking according to His leading; in other words, if we are not walking according to the ways of God but are living according to our own dictates, then we will miss out on some of the blessings and promises of God.)
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.”
Blessings,
Buddy