Blog Archives - TheNewU

THE NECESSITY OF GOALS

3/30/2021

March 30, 2021                              THE NECESSITY OF GOALS
Philippians 3:12-13 “Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 29:18b, 21:5 “Where there is no vision, the people perish:”   “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
We must remember that no matter our age, we have not yet arrived; there is more that we need to accomplish. Everyone knows that it is a good and profitable to have goals and to reach the goals we set. As someone said, you do not climb to the top of Mount Everest without having a goal to do so. It may seem like a difficult thing to set goals and move toward them, but actually setting goals and reaching those goals simplifies life. Even non-believers benefit from having goals, but for the believer, goal setting takes on a whole new dimension. The amazing thing is that having spiritual goals as a priority impacts all we do and is the impetus for setting goals pertaining our day-to-day life. It is a very simplistic example, but the goal of mowing the lawn cut can flow out of our goal to have our home in order, because God is a God of order. In Genesis 1, God says that man is created in the image of God and He tells man to take dominion over certain aspects of His creation. The fact that we are created in His image and are given dominion calls for us to be a people who set goals-to move toward certain objectives. Not only does goal setting simplify life; we also accomplish more. Setting and reaching a goal brings a sense of accomplishment-that is the way God made us. One hindrance to setting goals is fear of failure; we remember our past failures and we simply want to avoid future failures, and one way to do that is to avoid setting goals. (“He who has no expectations will not be disappointed.” lol.) Setting goals is risky; we may not reach our goal. (Someone said that if we shoot for the moon and miss, we may hit a star.) However, there is one goal that is not risky, and that is the goal of knowing God in greater ways, to learn of Him, and to discover our true identity in Him. This goal pleases Him and He is more than glad to insure that we meet that goal. As our knowledge of Him increases, we discover that our greatest joy comes from living life as unto Him and doing the things that please Him-and naturally the goals we set flow out of that awareness. Certainly it is not wrong to set goals dealing with the materialistic part of life, but all goals we set should flow out of our relationship with our Father, desiring is to please Him in all we do.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”
Blessings,
Buddy

GOOD AND PROFITABLE

3/28/2021

March 28, 2021 GOOD AND PROFITABLE
Titus 3:5-8, 1
“He saved, us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” “And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
We often hear it said that we are not saved by good deeds-and that is true as the first verse above makes clear. Because of this truth, we may have a tendency to ignore good deeds, because after all, our salvation is made secure without any good deeds on our part. However, being a child of God, being joined to Him, and having the Holy Spirt living in us certainly is to have a great impact on us, and the life we live is to show forth the evidence of this awesome truth. Our motive for doing good deeds is what matters. We can do a good deed to impress others, to prove that we are a good person, or to simply make us feel better about ourselves; obviously these are not the best motives. Being about doing good deeds takes on a new meaning when we understand the true reason for good deeds. Simply said, we do good deeds because God is a good God. Because God is compassionate, loving and kind, and He is our Father, it only follows that we will be like Him in this world. Our new nature that we receive from Him is made in His image and because of this, doing good deeds is a part of our new nature. When we do good deeds with the right motivation, we are not focused on ourselves, but on what blesses and helps others, and in the process, we are blessed and fulfilled. This is where our old nature and our new nature clash; the old nature focuses on self and the new nature focuses on being about the things that please the Lord and the things that bless others. When we do good deeds as unto the Lord, we do not expect recognition from others, a ‘pat on the back’, or any pay-back from the one we bless. Also, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirt as He will open doors and put on our heart the good deeds we are to be about. Let us see that Jesus is our example; He came to give, to bless, to serve, and to demonstrate the love of the Father-let us be like Him in this life. Today, look for opportunities to do good deeds and be a part of meeting pressing needs of those we come in contact with. Remember, we do good deeds because that is what our Father does, not to gain God’s or man’s approval.
Matthew 5:15-16 “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick; and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Blessings,
Buddy

ALIVE TO GOD

3/25/2021

March 25, 2020 ALIVE TO GOD
Romans 6:1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-12a “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” “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.” “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lust,”
Can we believe and accept what is said in these verses? (Read the entire chapter of Romans 6.) Let us be open to what Paul is saying here and not let our preconceptions or our personal preferences cause us to miss the obvious powerful point that Paul is making. Many believers have difficulty in believing that the power of sin has been broken in them and they are convinced that they cannot live without sinning. Do not misunderstand; I am not talking about reaching some ‘sinless perfection’ state where we never sin. However, I am saying that we do not have to sin; when and if we sin, we do so by choice-not by an uncontrollable power in us that makes us sin. We simply cannot blame or use our old sin nature as an excuse for our sin. I think that not receiving these and other verses like these at face value has been a major hindrance to the growth and spiritual well-being of many professing believers. Paul ask some powerful, thought provoking questions and made powerful comments. ‘If we have died to sin, how shall we live in it?--As Jesus was raised from the dead, so are we through baptism raised from the death of our old sin nature and now walk in newness of life---Our old self was crucified with Him that we should no longer be subject to sin--Consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God--Do not let sin reign in our mortal bodies.’ An important word to note is ‘consider.’ We are to consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God. Do we view ourselves as believers who continue to sin; or do we consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God? That is crucial. These verses are really good news for us. We have been exposed to erroneous teaching for a long time regarding us being freed from the power of sin. 1 John echoes what Paul said: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteousness.” As said above, if we sin, we do so by choice, but even then God forgives us when we confess and turn from the sin. The point is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the power of sin over us has been broken, enabling us to live without being bound to sin. We are free to choose to walk by the Spirit, or walk according to our old nature, the flesh-but it is our choice. Let us consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God!
Romans 6:13 “and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

THE SOURCE OF LIFE

3/23/2021

March 23, 2021                                     THE SOURCE OF LIFE
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”                                                                                                                                                           John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have if abundantly.”                                                                                                                                        John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”                                                                                                                                                           Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
If we trust our human nature and we are guided by our human nature, we will not experience the full, abundant life that comes from God. If one does not known God as Lord and Savior, then he or she has no choice but to live according to their human nature. Living according to one’s human nature is to live a shallow life, not knowing the power and depth of life that flows from God. We are all born with a human nature that is opposed to the nature of God. It is natural for man to go about pursuing whatever he thinks will bring him happiness and fulfillment, but if knowing God is not his pursuit, he will never find what he is searching for and his inner longings will never be satisfied. However, the good news is that God had a remedy for mankind that was bound by a sinful nature; Jesus, the Redeemer, came to free man from his inborn nature and to give him a new nature that was like the nature of God. At the very moment we come to know Christ as our Savior, the power of sin is broken and we get a new heart, a new mind, and a new spirit-but there is more to come. God gave us His word that we might come to know Him in a personal way and that we might learn of Him and discover our true identity as His children. When we are first born again, we are babes in Christ, but we must begin the maturing process lest we remain babes; God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide and help us in this process. It is critical that we begin to read His word with the view of discovering who we are in Him and what it means to be joined to Him. It is super-critical that the pastors, teachers and authors we expose ourselves to are grounded in the word of God and are proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Sad to say, there are many preachers, teachers and authors who are teaching a false gospel. It is important that we listen to those who understand the nature of the new birth-that we have been made new and that the power of sin has been broken, and we can now do the things that are pleasing to the Lord. We no longer have to live according to our old nature; we can now walk in Spirit and not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Believers can miss experiencing the abundant life that comes from God if they fail to learn of their true identity as sons and daughters of God. Let us learn of Him and discover the life that comes as a result of knowing Him and knowing who we are in Him.
1 John 5:12 “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”
John 6:48 “I am the bread of life.”
Blessings,
Buddy

THERE ARE TWO OF US

3/21/2021

March 21, 2021                               THERE ARE TWO OF US
Galatians 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire 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 that you please.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Ephesians 5:8-10 “for you were all formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
It is helpful for us to know that there are two of us; we have an old self (the flesh) and we have a new self. The scriptures refer to our old nature as the ‘flesh’ or the ‘old man.’ The New Testament centers around the central truth that we have been made new creations, and only because we have been made new can we live according the wonderful and life-giving commands and instructions of God that are found in the scriptures-particularly in the New Testament. The good news is that we do not have to live according to our old man-our old nature-who we use to be. We must understand that we have a choice; we choose to walk by the Spirit, or we choose to walk by the flesh. This choosing is not a one-time choice, but rather is an on-going process; we must choose daily, even hourly as to whether we will walk by the Spirit or by the flesh. According to the verses above, we are instructed to ‘lay aside the old self’ and to ‘put on the new self.’ The amazing thing is that our new self is made in the likeness of God-in righteousness and holiness! Wow! The new self and the old self have nothing in common, and they cannot co-habit-and that is where we may err so often. We tend to think and act as though God is refurbishing us rather than making us a new creation with a new mind, a new spirit, and a new heart. It may be that we in a way like to think that we do not have a choice-we can simply blame our ‘short-comings’ and our sins on our old nature-claiming that we are not perfect and that even though we are saved, we still continue in sin. If we view ourselves as being saved but still under the power of sin, we miss the central truth and the implications of the new birth. We have been redeemed, the power of sin has been broken; we have been given a new spirit, a new mind, and a new heart; we no longer want to sin; and we have the power and the choice to lay aside our old sin nature, and the power and the choice to put on our new man-our new nature. Laying aside the old us and putting on the new us is not an emotional choice or dependent on how we feel, but is a conscience choice of our will. This is all possible only because the Spirit of God lives in us to enable us and empower us to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.
Romans 6:1-2, 4, 6-7 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”      “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.”     “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who died is freed from sin.”
1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”      (Note: if we sin. I am not talking about sinless perfection, but the power to live without sin when we walk according to the Spirit.)
Blessings,
Buddy

March 21st, 2021

3/21/2021

I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET

3/18/2021

March 18, 2021 I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET
Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
What Paul professed in this passage is amazing. Paul was not just born with a certain temperament that made him feel the way he did about being in need or having abundance; Paul learned this powerful, life-changing secret. Most would agree it is human nature not to be content when one is in need, and most would have a difficult time going from living in prosperity to living with humble needs; yet Paul was able to be content in any and all circumstances. Many believers find it difficult to experience contentment when circumstances turn for the worst-when their well-paying job is lost-when they face physical illness-when others wrong them or cause them hurt, and when dreams are shattered. What was this secret that Paul learned that allowed him to be content in all circumstances? I certainly cannot in a few words pinpoint this secret, but I think we can gain insight on the source of contentment. It sounds like a no-brainer, but certainly having an abiding, genuine, unfailing trust in our heavenly Father is vital if we are to be content. Paul had learned that the life of Christ was in Him and he was in Christ, and nothing would happen that God did not allow to happen, and that no matter what circumstance he was facing, God was at work furthering His purposes. In Paul’s mind, the circumstances he encountered were not just the ‘luck of the draw’ or the ‘flip of the coin,’ but were divinely allowed by his loving Father for specific purposes. Paul had learned what many of us need to learn-life and contentment does not come from things, but comes from knowing our Father. It is also worth noting that Paul also knew how to live in contentment in times of prosperity. We have all seen the fall-out and the stress that comes with riches, and we know that the abundance of things and prosperity can distract us from the things of the Lord. But again, Paul saw that even in times of prosperity, he could be about proclaiming the gospel. May we learn as Paul did, that he belonged to God, that God was sovereign, that God was using all circumstances to fulfill His plans, and that in Christ, he was sufficient for every circumstance in life, and that Christ was his life.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.”
2 Corinthians 12:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Blessings,
Buddy

GRACE HAS APPEARED

3/15/2021

March 15, 2021 GRACE HAS APPEARED
Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
Recently, I learned that the word ‘appeared’ as used in this verse, is an epiphany, which is defined as “Is the moment when a character is suddenly struck with a life-changing realization which changes the rest of the story.” It is indeed a big deal that at a particular time, the grace of God appeared. God had a profound reason and purpose for choosing to let His grace appear to all men. Before the grace of God appeared, man was lost, bound by sin, and without hope. But when His grace appeared, man could come to know full forgiveness for his sins and he could know Christ as his Savior. We should always thank God for saving us; however, the grace of God appearing, meant much more than a ticket to heaven; knowing and receiving His grace has a great impact on this present life. Because of His grace, we can now deny ungodliness and worldly desires-and that is an awesome truth. We innately know what is ungodly; we know it is wrong to lie, steal, to think wrong thoughts, to be unfaithful, to be unkind, to take revenge, to be self-centered, to be involved in sexual sins…and the list goes on. We also know what worldly desires refers to-wanting more and more things, to be materialistically minded, desiring to impress others with how we look, what we accomplish, and what we have acquired. To be ungodly and to be consumed with worldly desires actually robs us of the abundant life that God has for us. To repeat, because of the grace of God, the really good news is that we can say no to ungodliness and worldly desires. Not only can we deny these things, we can now “live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age.” What a blessing to be able to live this way-and we can. We can make decisions that are right and sensible; we can be about doing righteous deeds; we can live godly lives in this present age! Let us not believe the lie that says we cannot live this way. Jesus came to “redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Wow! Redeem us from every lawless deed---purify us for Himself….make us His possession….zealous for good deeds? YES-that is what He wants and that is what He made possible by His grace. Let us say good bye to living compromised lives, to living in mediocrity, to being discouraged, and instead, embrace and be transformed by the grace of God that enables us to live according to His plans and purposes. Thank God for the transforming power of His grace.
2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”
Blessings,
Buddy

MANY BUT ONE

3/12/2021

March 12, 2021 MANY BUT ONE
Romans 12:4-5 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Ephesians 4:15-16 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted, and being held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
We must be alert to the fact that most of us tend to have an independent spirit. This tendency toward having an independent spirit runs counter to being a functioning member of the body of Christ, the church. Let me say at the beginning, just to clarify, that in one sense it is good to be independent; we should not expect others to do for us what we should do-you get my point. However, God has designed it in such a way that we as individual believers, need each other, if we are to grow and mature in the faith. The truth is that none of us are complete within ourselves. Each member of the body of Christ has been given a particular spiritual gift or gifts, and it is through the expressions of these various gifts that we grow and mature and become complete. What each member supplies to the body is what holds the body together. The obvious message for us is that we need the body and the body needs us-that’s the way God designed it. The follow up obvious message for each of us is that because we need each other, we are to be a part of the body-to be engaged in the body, the church. This is where the independent spirit so often surfaces. It may sound legalistic, but we need to be committed to being a part of the church gathering-not trying to earn God’s approval, but because we are needed there and we need the input and interactions of others. Tuning in to a television church service is good for those who are home-bound, but it is no substitute for being a part of the meeting together of believers. (It’s another subject, but you and I need to be a part of a church where the gospel is proclaimed and where there is a desire to be the church that God designed.) God works in and through us individually, but He also works in and through the church. The scriptures tell us that God has appointed certain members in the church for certain functions, but it also makes it clear that every member has a place in the body. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelist, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13. Concerning body life, there will likely be those that we are not naturally drawn to and there will likely be opportunity for conflict and disagreement; however, we are still called to be engaged in body life, and learning how to love and accept one another, and even appreciate one another in spite of our differences. Let us adjust our thinking if need be and let us see that God has chosen to work through His church, in spite of its imperfections at the present, and let us not neglect being an active participant in the body. Whether we know it or not, you and I are needed in the body of Christ.
Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Blessings, Buddy

TAKE PAIN WITH THESE THINGS

3/11/2021

March 11, 2021 TAKE PAINS WITH THESE THINGS
1 Timothy 4:11-12, 15-16 “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as long as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
In the word of God, we find God’s wonderful plan of salvation-but it is so much more than that. Some think of God’s word as a book of good suggestions, and may give themselves to occasional reading of the scriptures, and they may see the scriptures as lofty ideals, but impossible to live up to. As we read the scriptures above, it is clear that Paul was making the point (perhaps even belaboring the point) that it is imperative that Timothy, and ourselves, see the scriptures as our guide and instructions for life-you might say our ‘standard mode of operation.’ There is no room for us to take the word of God lightly, or as a book we read when it is convenient to do so. Simply said, our life is to line up with the teachings of scripture. In the above passages, we see words like ‘prescribe and teach,’ ‘show yourself as an example,’ ‘take pains with these things,’ ‘be absorbed in them,’ ‘pay close attention to yourself and your teaching,’ and ‘persevere in these things.’ (I can almost hear Timothy saying to Paul “Ok, I get the point.”) If not alert, we can let the routines and the difficulties of life, and the desire to acquire more posessions, cause us to become spiritually shallow, not alert to the things of the Lord; in such times, we find ourselves trying to work God into our schedule instead of experiencing His life in all we do. I think that is why Paul told Timothy to ‘take pains with these things;’ there is a discipline called for in applying the gospel and we are to remain alert spiritually. There are times when we must say no to what our bodies and our natural self wants to do, and say yes to the promptings of the Spirit. The good news is that when we follow the leading of the Spirit and apply the teachings of the scriptures, we are fulfilled. If needed, let us adjust our thinking, our beliefs, and our priorities and ‘take pain’ with the instructions of God’s word and let the life we live reflect the sound doctrine that has been delivered to us.
1 Timothy 4:6 “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”
Blessings,
Buddy