Blog Archives - TheNewU

FOR HIM AND THROUGH HIM

5/30/2016

May 30, 2016 FOR HIM AND THROUGH HIM
1 Corinthians 8:6: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”
As the saying goes, this verse is a “mouth full,” and it would be a great verse to have as a caption over our lives. In just a few words, this verse answers the questions of man about his identity, the reason for his existence, and his purpose in life. If this verse is the bedrock of what we believe and if our life flows out of this verse, we will not struggle with the reason for our existence and we will know our purpose. In the world, there are many so-called gods, but in reality, there is but one God, and those who belong to Him know Him as their Father. All that we see and all of creation comes from our Father God and all that He has done, and is doing is based on the love He has for His people. The problem that many may have with this verse is that it states that we do not exist for ourselves, but that we exist for Him. Those that do not believe in God would say that they exist for themselves; but it is also possible for believers to find themselves living for themselves. Knowing who we exist for, is the most basic, and the most important knowledge or understanding to be gained. Understanding who we exist for sets the stage for our life, gives directions, and it simplifies life. Knowing that we exist for God eliminates many other distractions that would cause us to lose focus in life. Knowing the reason for our existence serves as a filter in the decision making process as anything that is not in keeping with existing for Him, is eliminated. Only by knowing that we “exist through Him” and “for Him” can we live in our true identity and experience life to the fullest. Existing for Him impacts every aspect of our lives, including our career, our family, our relationships, and all that we do. As believers, let us be reminded that we exist not for ourselves, but for Him and through Him, and let our lives be a testimony of what it means to live in our true identity-sons and daughters of the God who created everything.
Acts 17:28: “For in Him we live and move and have our being.
Romans 11:36: “Far from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Blessings,
Buddy

DAY BY DAY

5/26/2016

May 26, 2016 DAY BY DAY
2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
We do not like being reminded that our bodies are decaying! However, if we fail to grasp the truth that Paul is presenting in these verses, we will be out of focus and will not have a healthy perspective of life as we age, and we will become complainers, depressed, or live with a pity party mentality-or all three. The fact is that our bodies are decaying, and no amount of exercise or proper diet can stop the process. (Exercise and proper diet are important for sure and they have their benefit.) The pains and discomfort that accompany aging are no fun, but the good news for the child of God is that the reality that our bodies are decaying is not the end of the story, and it’s not all gloom and doom. The blessing is that our inner man-the real us-can experience a renewal day by day, and this renewal of the inner man enables us to be overcomers in dealing with the aging process. In fact, the “momentary, light affliction” that we endure is actually working for our good in that our afflictions are in some way, which I don’t understand, are producing eternal blessings for us. The key to being renewed day by day and not succumbing to the aging process, is to realize that what we see is temporal and will pass away, while the things we don’t see are eternal and will last forever. This is a foreign concept to the natural man as it is his nature to live his life based on what he sees-the tangible-the here and now. Those who have placed their trust in God have the Spirit of God living in them have been made eternal beings with the power to overcome, and are destined for heaven. Even though we have to deal with the temporal, the here and now part of life, our focus is to be on the eternal. We will be better, and more effective in what we do in the “here and now” if we have our focus on the eternal, because when are focused on what is eternal, we are better equipped for the present. If we live focused on what we the temporal, we will live far beneath the plans and the life that God has for us. Let us be reminded that there is much more to life than what we see with our eyes; let us see value in the “momentary light afflictions;” and let us set our sights on living as spiritual beings, realizing that one day, our mortal bodies will put on immortality and we will forever be with the Lord. We are called to be good stewards of the present, but let us exercise our stewardship from an eternal perspective. So when the pains and discomfort come, remember that they are momentary, and that they are working for our good as we endure with an eternal perspective.
Romans 12:2: “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.”
Blessings,
Buddy

WELCOME

5/22/2016

May 22, 2016 WELCOME
Luke 9:10-11: “And when the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. And taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. But the multitudes were aware of this and followed; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.”
Most of us do not like our plans changed by someone else, right? How Jesus responded to the multitudes is amazing and is something we need to learn from His example. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, when He took on the form of man, He took on the physical makeup of man. Jesus knew what it meant to be hungry and physically tired, and there were times when He would withdraw to find rest. In the passages above, we find that Jesus “withdrew by Himself,” and then we read; “but the multitudes were aware and followed.” (I always wonder how the multitudes know everything!) Even though Jesus wanted to be alone, the multitudes followed, interrupting His plans. If we were in His position, we might reluctantly put up with the multitude, but Jesus welcomed the multitude, and that’s the amazing truth to glean from this passage. When you have had a busy day and you want to be alone, and the “multitude” knocks on your door, to welcome them is not the norm. Did Jesus welcome the multitude just because He was a friendly sort of person? Jesus always expressed love and compassion, even when His plans were interrupted, and He could do so because He was not living on His agenda-but on His Father’s agenda-that’s the difference. Even when Jesus was a young lad, He said: “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) In John 4:34 we read: “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.’” If there is a key, if there is a “secret” to living like Jesus; it is to live on our Father’s agenda and not on our agenda! When Jesus saw the multitude, He saw it as another opportunity to do what His Father sent Him to do-to express the heart of God. Jesus was not just by strength of His will doing what God said to do, but because Jesus and the Father were one, Jesus found pleasure in doing the will of the Father. We see this truth in Matthew 9:36: “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” We often see Jesus, or think of Jesus teaching or speaking to the multitude, but let us not miss seeing Him welcoming the multitude-a beautiful and refreshing picture. Because we have now been joined to the Father, we too can live according to our Father’s agenda just as Jesus did. This is perhaps the ultimate decision for every believer-will we live according to our agenda, or according to our Father’s agenda? The over-riding truth of the Christian life is that we die to ourselves, our agenda, and live in the newness and power of His agenda. Jesus came to do the Father’s will-and that is our mission as well. In fact, God has designed life in such a way, that we can discover what we long for, only by living by His agenda. When we realize this truth, we will find that dying to self, or living according to His agenda, is not a “sacrifice” we make, but is the doorway to life. So, the next time we find our agenda being derailed, instead of being frustrated, let us find a way to express our Father’s heart-that’s who you really are.
Blessing,
Buddy

NO CONDEMNATION

5/19/2016

May 19, 2016 NO CONDEMNATION
Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
If we fail to experience the truth found in this key verse, then we miss the core truth of the gospel. Before we came to know God, we were condemned, guilty, and without any possibility of us cleansing ourselves and were doomed to live under the “law of sin and death.” Living with a feeling of condemnation is a horrible way to live; it is like being imprisoned to the emotions that accompany condemnation. Before salvation, we were sinners by nature, and living in and with sin is who we were. When by faith we accepted the Lord as our Savior, we received a new nature and we were no longer subject to the law of sin and death. As believers, we can still choose to sin, but when we do, we are choosing to live contrary to our nature. Jesus’ dealing with the sin issue is a monumental deal and perhaps we don’t yet fully understand the full impact of being forgiven for every sin we ever committed or ever will commit and perhaps we don’t fully understand our freedom. In contrast to the “law of sin and death” is the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” The key to understanding the whole issue of sin and forgiveness is to understand that we are in Christ Jesus, and in Him, we have been “set free from the law of sin and death.” Because we are in Christ, even if and when we sin, we are forgiven, not condemned. At the core of our being, God desires that we realize that we have been set free from the condemnation that comes from the law of sin and death. Notice the words: “have been set free”-it is a done deal-no more condemnation-ever! It is true that as believers, we feel remorse or convicted when we sin, and it’s possible for a believer to feel condemnation, which is different from remorse or conviction, if they do not understand their freedom in Christ. As believers, we belong to God, we have been adopted into His family, and in His family, there is no condemnation, but there is discipline, training and a maturing process that the Father takes us through because He loves us and He is transforming us into His image. Understanding the freedom that is ours because of our relationship with our Father who has set us free from the law of sin and death, is most critical if we are to live according to the plans of God. The basic truth of the gospel, and the primary reason that Jesus came and gave His life, is that man might be set free from sin and be joined to the Father. The good news for you and I is that we no longer have to live with condemnation because in Christ, there is no condemnation.
Romans 7:6: “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”
Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Blessings,
Buddy

FINDING BY LOSING

5/16/2016

May 16, 2016 FINDING BY LOSING
Matthew 16:25: “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.”
What a paradox! Often, the truths presented in the scriptures are in stark contrast to the nature of man, and this verse is certainly no exception. A great motivation force, or drive in man is that of self-preservation, so the idea of losing one’s life is contradictory to basic human nature. Man wants to be in control, and man is on a constant mission to secure provisions for himself, to “find his life,” and to find happiness and fulfillment. Sad to say, but if this is the mission in life, the mission will fail, and the life we are seeking will not be found, even though we sought it with all our might. In Isaiah 55:8 God clearly tells us that His ways or not the same as ours: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. God has designed life in such a way that the desires of man and the longings of his heart can be realized and fulfilled only in Him. It is true that a person who does not know God can find or experience what they would call happiness or fulfilment, but it is temporary and it does not compare to the lasting joy and fulfillment that comes from God. The core issue revolves around the will of man and who he chooses to yield himself to-God or self. God desires that we experience fulfillment and a sense of completeness and He has made provision for us to experience all that He has for us. God has given a hew heart and a new mind to those who have put their trust in Him, and out of their new hearts and minds, they can live life as God designed and by doing so, will experience life to the fullest. Living as new creations, we will discover that it is more blessed to give than to receive; that knowing and following the Lord is far better than following self; that living out of the love that God has placed in our hearts is better than being focused on self; and that the peace and joy that God gives cannot be found anywhere else. In fact, we will find that all that Jesus taught and all that God has spoken through the scriptures are the ways that lead to life, whereas the ways of man lead to death. One who does not know God may involve himself in good deeds, such as feeding the hungry, etc, and they may “feel” good about what they have done. However, only those who lose their life for His sake shall find the abundant, overflowing life that comes only from God. To lose our life for His sake involves embracing His word as truth and light, and living according to His word and His ways. It means turning from trusting in ourselves to trusting God and all that He has done and said. Jesus came to a lost, dark world demonstrating life in the kingdom of God and it was in great contrast to life in the world. The life that Jesus demonstrated is available to every believer, but in order to experience that life, we must die to ourselves- that is, lose our lives for His sake. Once we “lose our life” for His sake, He then fills us with His life and we then for the first time live according to how God designed us. Let us be quick to lose our life-He has something much better in mind.
John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly”
Blessings,
Buddy

A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

5/12/2016

May 13, 2016 A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
Malachi 3:14-17: “You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of Host? ‘So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also test God and escape.’” Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “And they will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day I prepare My own possession, and I will spare as a man spares his own son who serves him.”
There is a time period of approximately four hundred years between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. In Malachi, we hear a theme that sounds familiar in the day in which we live. The ones that Malachi was addressing were saying that “it is vain to serve God” and those who do evil do not receive any consequences for the wrong they do. It sounds like the Israelites were having a real pity-party because God was not doing what they wanted Him to do! It is not uncommon in our culture to hear believers expressing their disappointment in not seeing God work as desire to see Him work. Our culture, as a whole has rejected God and we are at a point where many call what is evil good, and what is good evil. Just as in Malachi, some have concluded that it is vain to serve God, and it appears that there is often no consequences for the “doers of wickedness.” Even as believers, we may sometime wonder if God is observing, or paying attention to the evil perpetrated by those who have rejected, or denied Him. Is God just?-we ask. It is interesting that in the last book of the Old Testament, God gives us an insight, or truth that we would do well to heed. No matter what is the norm in our culture, no matter how many reject God and turn to evil, we are to maintain a healthy fear of the Lord. Be assured that God is keenly aware of everything taking place in our culture; He is not taking a nap; and He is not dead! To have a fear of the Lord does not mean that we “fear” God, but it means that we do have a respect for Him, the all-powerful God who created us. A healthy fear of the Lord tends to keep us from sinning against Him-so that kind of fear is a good fear to have. Some in the day of Malachi, feared the Lord and they “esteemed His name” and because of that, a book of remembrance was written before God! In our day, let us not buy into the culture, but let us speak to one another about the Lord; let us fear Him; and let us esteem His name. Our confidence and our joy is not to be based on whether or not we like or understand what God is doing, but is to be based on the character of God and His word. God says of those who fear Him and esteem his name: “They will be Mind!”
Malachi 3:18: “So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

5/12/2016

HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES POSTING BLOG. SHOULD HAVE ARTICLE POSTED BY 5/13.
PLEASE EXCUSE.

BUDDY

REST FOR THE SOUL

5/7/2016

May 7, 2016 REST FOR THE SOUL
Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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 SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”
People have many and various ideas about what God is like, but these verses accurately describe the true nature of our God, and as you read them, you see that they are totally about the compassion that God has for His people. Some may think that theses verses are addressed to non-believers as an invitation to find salvation in Him, and I am sure that that has often been the case, but I also believe that these verses can also be an invitation, and a reminder for believers who have become weary and burdened. The greatest, and most glorious invitation we could ever receive is God inviting us to come to Him-with no conditions for doing so. God knows that we can and will experience times of being “heavy-laden,” and we need not feel guilty for that, but we have the opportunity to go to Him and be refreshed and find rest. It is awesome to know that just as we have a heart, God has a heart, and He is humble in heart and He is gentle! Even though God is the source of all wisdom and power, He is willing and desirous to teach us and for us to learn from Him-He is a teacher like no other. By taking on His yoke, we are being in union with Him and His purposes, and we are choosing to live under His lordship. The yoke that God has for us is not burdensome and it does not cause us to be weary, and in fact, being “yoked” to Him leads to life. God does no weigh us down with laws, rules and requirements that we cannot keep, but what He does desire of us is that we come to Him and discover that He is the source of life. God knows that life earth has its difficulties and challenges and He has compassion for that, and that compassion was demonstrated when Jesus left His heavenly home and came to earth as Savior. The good news for believers is that God has put His spirit within us and He has made us “new creations,” enabling us to experience His kingdom here on earth, even in mortal flesh. Our redemption will be complete when we exit this earth to live with Him in heaven-a place that Jesus has prepared for us. In the meantime, we can experience His presence and we can find that He is all we need and that He is more than sufficient for any challenges we face in life, and we can have the joy that only He can give. Let each of us RSVP to His invitation and let us go to Him and find all that He fills the longings of our soul.
2 Corinthians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
Blessings,
Buddy

NOT IN VAIN

5/3/2016

May 3, 2016 NOT IN VAIN
1 Corinthians 3:12-13: “Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.”
1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
It should be a no-brainer for us, but just as Paul instructed the early believers, we need to be reminded that the life we live, the things we do, will one day be deemed by the Lord as either in vain, or not in vain. We have the choice of building with gold, silver, precious stones, or we can build with wood, hay, or straw. Obviously, wood, hay, and straw will not survive the test-and yes, there is coming a day when each believer will give an account for his life. All work that is done as unto the Lord is not in vain, but all other work that is not unto the Lord is done in vain. The key factor that determines the quality of our work revolves around our motivation for what we do. “As unto the Lord” means that my actions and my thoughts flow out of my relationship with Him and it implies that the Lord has instructions and desires for me and I want to be obedient to Him. I’m reminded of an old gospel song that has a good message, entitled: “I’m Working on a Building-For My Lord.” In the Christian life, we are called to work and to build, not to gain salvation, but because God wants us to partner with Him as He furthers His purposes for us and for all of creation. When we are expressions of the gospel, in whatever we are doing, we are building with gold, silver, and precious stones. We are blessed as we are about the Lord’s work, but there is an ultimate future blessing that awaits us, and this blessing should serve as a life-long motivation to make sure that our life, our work is not in vain. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul instructs us that “in the twinkling of an eye” our mortal body will put on immortality! Wow! The fantastic plans that God has for us through Jesus Christ is the ultimate motivation for us to not to work in vain, not to give up or be discouraged, but to be about building with gold, silver, and precious stones. Whether on the job, on vacation, at play or wherever-when we are conduits of the love of God; when we are living out the commands in scripture; and when we are blessing others, we are building with gold, silver, and precious stone. Beware: the enemy want us to be busy building, but with wood, hay, and straw! Let us take to heart the admonitions of Paul-let us be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” By the way, when our work is not in vain and when we work as unto the Lord, we will experience ultimate fulfillment-that is the way God designed life to be for the believer. There are many things that would distract us and cause us to be building with the wrong material, so let us have a God-given determination to build according to God’s plans.
1 Corinthians 3:14: “If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.”
Blessings,
Buddy