Blog Archives - TheNewU

LACKING NOTHING

5/30/2024

May 30, 2024 LACKING NOTHING

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 “I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Colossians 2:10 “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

What God has done in in us is greater than we presently know. We may find ourselves struggling or being anxious even though He has equipped us and made us sufficient for anything and everything we face in this life. We do have needs; we may need a job, or need wisdom for a particular situation, we may need healing, etc., but in those needy times, the Holy Spirit guides us and enables us to be at peace even in times of need. We have been enriched in Christ Jesus and this enrichment touches every aspect of our lives; “in everything you were enriched in Him.” We may live as though the physical aspect of life is the most important; however it is more critical thar we be healthy in our relationship with God-to be spiritually healthy. When we know who we are in Christ, and when we are aware of how we have been enriched in Christ, we are able to navigate life in such a way that we live in peace and are able to overcome the challenges we face. The enrichment we receive includes knowledge; in Him we have an understanding and we know what we are to do; we no longer have to live in confusion and uncertainty. In many scriptures, there is a connection between how we live today and waiting for the revelation of Jesus Christ-His return. Being eager for His return and looking for His return has a way of impacting how we live in the present; certainly we want to be found ready when He comes again, living this life as He has called us to live. He has made us complete in Him; we have the Holy Spirt to enable us and guide us. God has not left us lacking in anything! Our part is to believe the awesome work that God has done on our behalf and to live in the reality of who we are in Him. Even in trials of life, we are not lacking.

2 Corinthians 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming for ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”

Blessings, Buddy

HOW WE KNOW

5/28/2024

May 28, 2024 HOW WE KNOW

1 John 3:22-24 “and whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given.”

As I often say, most have a tendency to complicate things. Even in Christian circles, there is a tendency to complicate the gospel. There are endless teachings on contradictory beliefs and interpretations of the scriptures. Some believe this and some believe that. All of this is to our shame. As someone said, ‘The bible contradicts itself, but only in our minds.’ It is good to do extensive study of God’s word and to search out the scriptures, to be a student of the word, and to be challenged by His word. However, we must approach the word with the awareness that God revealed His word in an understandable way; He did not complicate it; He desires for us to know His word. Also, to truly understand His word, we need the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of His word to us. The most important thing for us is to believe what He has said in His word; there are some things in His word that we may not fully understand, but nonetheless we must believe what He says whether we understand or not. Like so many passages of scripture, the above scriptures have a clear and simple message, a message no one could miss. For example, there is a connection between receiving form Him and keeping His commandments and doing the things that are pleasing to Him. Is that difficult to understand? And what does He command? That we believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another. Again, that is impossible to misunderstand. And, it’s quite simple; but abiding in Him results in keeping His commandments. We do not have to wonder if we are abiding in Him because we have been given the Holy Spirit to make us aware of the fact that Jesus abides in us. Back to the first line of the above scriptures: it says whatever we ask we receive from Him! That does not make God a heavenly Santa Clause. It is saying that IF we keep His commandments and IF we do the things that are pleasing in His sight, then ask what we may, and we will receive. As we walk with Him, we will become aware of what we are to ask of Him. Even though what we receive from Him may look a little different from what we envisioned, be assured that He always answers our prayers in His time and in his way. But, stay in the simplicity lane and keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight-then make your request known to Him-you will receive.
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.’
Blessings, Buddy

[email protected]

LIVING IT NOW

5/26/2024

May 26, 2024 LIVING IT NOW

1 John 2:4-6 “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

I have written several blogs dealing with this and other verses about keeping His commandments because He loves us. Today, let’s look at this verse from a different perspective. It sometimes seems that we are always chasing the rabbit, but never catching the creature! This is often true in all realms of life; whether it be in our world of work, maintaining our possessions, our hobbies, and even in our relationship with God. (There are not two categories-secular and spiritual; all we do is to be done as unto Him.) The good news is that the rabbit can be caught! We can come to a place that we are good with God; the striving can cease. It is not God’s plan for us to always feel as though we do not measure up in some realm of our lives; to feel that we need to do better. It is good to on occasion examine ourselves, but we should not get caught up in having to much introspection. We do not have to keep up with the Joneses; we can and should be ourselves. This does not imply that we are not to be growing in the faith; we are to be becoming more and more like Him. Here is the point: the love of God can be perfected in us! The love of God being perfected in us is the big game changer in every area of life. You might even say that His love being perfected in us fixes everything. It does not mean we will no longer face trials, but it does something in us that enables us to overcome the trial and not be defeated by it. The love of God being perfected in us is a super powerful force; a force that moves mountains; that conquers doubt and depression; that gives purpose in all we do; that turns our sadness into joy; and it is never depleted. In the darkness hour, His love raises us up and comforts us. When His love is perfected in us, our greatest joy is keeping His commandments; keeping His commandments is no longer rules we must keep. Now, the all important question: how is His love perfected in us? I don’t know! But I do know that when it is our greatest desire to know Him, when our heart is turned to Him, and as we read and meditate on His word, He will respond. We can not make His love perfected in us; it must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The good news is that when His love is perfected in us, for the first time we can live in real peace; we can simply enjoy our relationship with our Father just as Adam and Eve did as they walked in the cool of the day with God before sin entered the picture. And, amazingly, His love being perfected in us enables us to ‘walk in the same manner as He walked.’ And that is amazing!
1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Blessings, Buddy

FROM GOD

5/24/2024

The May 24, 2024 FROM GOD

1 John 3:7-9 “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because He is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

I am taking a bit of a risk in this blog. This passage of scripture is one that we may tend to read really fast and go on the next chapter because there are a couple of things said that may cause us to scratch our heads. You probably have not heard many sermons on this passage. I want to zero in on just a couple points. The word ‘practice’ has the idea of being continual-i think we understand that. Some truths to consider; God’s seed abides in us-that’s big! God cannot co-habit with sin-we know that. This passage boldly proclaims that because His seed abides in us, we cannot sin! That is a head-scratcher for sure. We all have sinned, right? So, what do we do with “he cannot sin?” Just two days ago, as I was reading this passage and thinking about “he cannot sin,” a sentence came to mind that I think was form the Lord; this sentence just seemed to drop in-I did not think it up-if you know what I mean. This sentence cleared everything up for me-now this passage makes sense. Here is the sentence: “The flesh is not in Christ.” The flesh refers to that part of us that resist or opposes God. The flesh battles against the Spirit, but we have the power to say no to sin-and we have the power to walk according to the Spirt and not yield to sin. Here’s the main point; the flesh is the old us AND it is not in Christ. We are a new species of humans, a new creation and in this new creation we have the seed of God abiding in us-this new creation has been born of God! This new creation that we are is much greater than we realize. This is so important because this truth is the basis of our true identity. Here it is: when we are walking in our new creation, when walking according to the Spirit-we cannot sin!! We sin when we choose to revert back to or yield to the flesh. This is not just a play on words! We must not underestimate what it means to have God’s seed abiding in us. God came to destroy the works of the devil-and He has done just that. This is not about sinless perfection; there are times when we yield to the flesh and sin-BUT it is our choice to do so! When we yield to the Spirit-to who we are in Christ-we do not sin. Think about it.

Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

Blessings, Buddy

PS: I would love to hear your feedback.
[email protected]

AND SUCH WE ARE

5/22/2024

May 22, 2024 AND SUCH WE ARE

1 John 3:1-3 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

We may overlook, or not be conscious of some awesome truths found in these verses. Do we know, do we experience the great love that has been bestowed upon us by our Father? God did not have to bestow His great love on us; He chose to because He loves us. Because of His great love being bestowed upon us, we are called children of God! Let us not take that lightly; for you and I to be called children of God is no small matter. There is an element of mystery in this passage of scripture. We do not presently know exactly what we shall be like as His children-that has not appeared to us yet. The absolutely amazing thing is that when He appears, we shall be like Him!!!! When we see Him just as He is, an awesome transformation takes place-we become like Him. Anticipating this amazing reality of seeing Him and becoming like Him does a particular work in us. If we believe that these things will come to pass and our hope is set on Christ, we will be about purifying ourselves, because He is pure. The process of becoming like Him starts now. God is holy and nothing can diminish His holiness; as we welcome Him and embrace Him, and as we behold Him, what is not pure in us vanishes. Sin-impurity-can not co-mingle with Christ. So, for us; let us focus on what lies ahead as we anticipate being changed into Him image and let us set our hope on His return above everything else. If and when we see anything in us-any thoughts, any actions, any motives, any deceit-or anything that is not pure, let us repent of whatever it is-let us cleanse ourselves of anything that is not pleasing to the Lord-it matters greatly.

2 Corinthians 7:1, 3:18 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Blessings, Buddy

INSTRUCTING US

5/19/2024

May 19, 2024 INSTRUCTING US

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, Christ Jesus; 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.

These verses make a great statement of purpose for believers; they are our marching orders; they are to be our mode of operation. We live in a fallen world; a kingdom of darkness where Satan currently rules. All though we live in a fallen world, we are not a part of it; we have been transferred to the kingdom of light-the kingdom of God. The obvious big point is that the people of God are called to live not according to the world system, but to live according to ways of the kingdom of God. We can live according to the ways of God only because we have been born into the kingdom of God and because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Before our coming to know Christ as our Savior, all we knew was the ways of the world; we needed and we got a drastic retraining-a remaking. The word of God is our new manual, our new instruction book. The word of God is not a book of rules we must keep to gain God’s approval; rather, it is a book showing us who we are in Christ; it reveals our new identity. To live life as children of God is not automatic-there is a learning curve. We are called to grow in the knowledge of God and to grow in the faith. It’s a ‘both-and;’ we have been made new and we can live as unto Him right now, but we are also to grow spiritually. Do not miss the first few words of the verses above; ‘the grace of God has appeared;’ God sent His Son to redeem us-to save us, and He came instructing us in living. Life in His kingdom is unlike living in the kingdom of the world; we live differently-in a good way. There are many words that paint a picture of the life we are called to live-compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness, honesty, gracious, preferring others, and the list goes on. A good summary of how to live life is to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live godly-God like. The Holy Spirt in us enables us to live righteously and godly in this present age. The world would like to squeeze us into it’s mold; but we have been set free from the power of sin, have been made new and we have the Spirit of God at work in us enabling us to live not as the world lives, but to live life on it’s highest plane, experiencing the abundant life that Jesus gives. So, let us always be aligning our lives according to the word of God that has been given to us.

John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’”
Blessings, Buddy

CALLED INTO HIS KINGDOM

5/17/2024

May 17, 2024 CALLED INTO HIS KINGDOM

1 Thessalonians 2:11-13 “just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of man, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Do we allow ourselves to be exhorted and encouraged in the things of the Lord?If not careful, we are guided by our own preferences and our own understanding. And, we may try to make the word of God fit our viewpoints instead of letting the word of God form our viewpoints and our beliefs. Paul and his co-laborers were exhorting and encouraging believers just as a father would do so to his own children. Whether its through a fellow believer, a teacher of the word of God, and certainly through the Holy Spirit, we are being exhorted and encouraged to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. We are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price and have been joined to God; now we are to live as unto Him. It is amazing and life-changing to realize that GOD HAS CALLED US INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY! Notice that we are called-not forced into His kingdom; not forced to live in a way that is pleasing to Him-but He is always drawing us to Himself. As in the case of the believers that Paul was writing to, let us also receive God’s word NOT as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God. When we accept the word as the word of God, it performs its work in us! Yes. We are to obey His word and we are to study His word, but it is His word that performs its work in us-it is a miracle, a work of the Holy Spirit. We can and should cooperate with the work of God in us, but it is God who produces in us what He wants to produce. Just think about it-God Himself calls us into His own kingdom and glory. Wow! Because of who He is and because of what He has done in restoring us to Himself, WE CAN walk in a manner pleasing to Him; we have the power to say no to sin.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Blessings, Buddy

HOPE

5/12/2024

May 12, 2024 HOPE

Romans 15:13, 5:5 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has called us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

There is a sense of hopelessness throughout the world. In the natural, there it is understandable why so many, including believers, are without hope-just look at the brokenness, just listen to the news. However, the astounding truth is that if one knows God as Savior, reads and receives the word of God as true and relevant, and knows his or her true identity in the Lord, they will have an abiding hope that comes form God. We all have disappointments along the way, but the hope we have from God will not fade away even in the most difficult times. Hope gives energy; hope is a motivator; and hope moves us to action. Hopelessness makes one lethargic and often leads to depression; hopelessness makes all of life a drudgery. The liberating news for us is that when our hearts are turned to Him as the source of life, He fills us with joy and peace and by the power of the Holy Spirit He causes us to abound in hope. We do not have to try to muster up hope. He is the God of hope! Because He is the God of hope, the result of His love being poured out in our hearts is that we receive a hope that does not disappoint. This hope we have does not come and go as it is a living hope and and ever-present hope. As alluded to above, life is not always a bed of roses; the hope we are talking about is not dependent on pleasant circumstances. It’s ok to be burdened about something-at times that is a part of life. In fact, the Bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens. Even though we hit bumps in the road of life, the hope derived from the presence of God never leaves us. If and when we feel hopeless, let us turn our thoughts from ourselves and our circumstances and plug into the hope that God has put within us.

Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Blessings, Buddy

PURPOSE

5/10/2024

May 10, 2024 PURPOSE

1 Thessalonians 1:4 “knowing, beloved of God, His choice of you.”

The realization that we are chosen by God is a life-changer. To know that God loves us not because of anything we have done, but simply because He chose to love us, impacts us in every way. His love for us is the big deal; everything revolves around His love for us. One thing that comes with the realization of His love for us is a sense of purpose. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, everywhere present; He is gracious and compassionate, He makes all things new; yet, we have been joined to Him and adopted into His family. With God, nothing is mundane or insignificant. It may be difficult to grasp, but God calls us to partner with Him in what He is doing; we can be a part of His fulfilling His purposes.WOW! We have been given the Holy Spirit to equip us, empower us and guide us in fulfilling our purpose. There are some purposes common to all believers; we are to glorify God in all we do, love others, forgive, and etc. However, God has specific, unique purposes for each of us. As we read the scriptures, as we learn of God, as we grow in the faith, and as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will discover the purpose(s) God has for us. Only as we walk in the purpose God has assigned to us, will we find complete fulfillment. Our purpose may not sound grand and glorious, but it is important in the kingdom of God-and that’s what matters. There is no ranking of purposes; whether one is preaching to thousands or visiting someone who is sick, each is important in the work of God. So no matter your circumstances, your background, your abilities, your financial status, or whatever, know that if you know God as your Savior, you have a purpose from God to fulfill. There are times when we may question our purpose or even wonder if we have a purpose, but that does not change the fact that we have a God given purpose. Let us examine ourselves and ask God to help us in identifying the purpose(s) He has for us-then let us be about it.

2 Timothy 1:9 “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but for His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,”

Blessings, Buddy

LIVING WATER

5/8/2024

May 8, 2024 LIVING WATER

John 4:10,13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’” “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall become to him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’”

We may not know exactly what living water is, but we all want it-right? There is something in us that longs for that which satisfies our deepest longings. Most go about life trying to find fulfillment, whether it be in their career, their possessions, their popularity, their physical appearance, their hobbies-or whatever. The woman at the well in the above verse was seeking what satisfies through relationships but never found it. Jesus said to the woman, that if she knew the gift of God, and she knew that she was talking to Jesus, she would ask Him and He would have given to her living water. The starting point is to know that God has a gift-and it is living water. If you have ever been deprived of water for several hours or a day or so, eventually you get to a place where you would give all you own for a drink of water; water is essential for life. Just as physical water is essential for physical life, the water (life) that Jesus gives is essential for a fulfilled life. We get thirsty, get a drink of water, but a little later we are thirsty again. When we drink the water Jesus gives, we never thirst again! I do not have a good definition of living water-but I know what it is. The water He gives becomes like a well of water springing up in us. This well flows no matter the circumstances we face or the difficulties we endure; nothing can cap this well. We may get discouraged at times, but this living water gives us the strength and comfort we need. This ever-flowing river of life is not something we produce; it is bigger than us-it’s the gift of God to us. Let us not look for what satisfies somewhere else, but let us continually recognize Jesus as the source and let us drink what He offers.

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.’”
Psalms 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Blessings, Buddy