Blog Archives - TheNewU

KNOWN BY GOD

6/30/2019

June 30, 2019 KNOWN BY GOD
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
1 Corinthians 8:3 “But whoever loves God is known by God.”
1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.”
Psalm 139:3 “You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.”
We may feel insignificant or feel as though we are lost in the crowd; just one of billions of people. We may wonder if our life really matters or if what we do has any meaningful consequences. I have a friend who believes that we live a certain number of years, then we die, and that’s all there is to it. When we come to understand that God knows us personally, it’s a life changer. In our finite mind, we cannot come near to understanding how God does what He does or to understand that He is all-knowing and all-powerful; yet, God reveals to us in our spirit that He is real and that He knows us, and that He loves us. For some reason, many find it difficult to know God as a God of love and a God who cares for us. Perhaps that is because they cannot reconcile in their own mind why ‘bad’ things happen if God is all powerful and is a God of love. That’s another subject, but briefly stated, we can know and experience God even though we live in a fallen world; we are being transformed and we, along with all creation, are waiting for our full redemption. Even in this fallen world, God is at work; He cares for us and His creation. As believers, we have been given the Holy Spirit who enables us to overcome the world and to experience the love and the fullness of God-even as we are surrounded by darkness. In the difficult times and in the trials, we can discover that God is with us, loving us, and comforting us, and using all things for our ultimate good. The important question is what are we focused on; are we looking for the expressions of God’s love, or are we focused primarily on our own interest and desires and preferences. God has demonstrated His love for us, He has poured out His love into our hearts, and He has made us His sons and daughters-we are in His family-let us live our lives from that perspective. If we need to adjust our perspective, let us do that; the truth is that God knows you, loves you, wants you to be blessed in the relationship with Him, and He will never, under any circumstance, forsake you. You are known and loved by God!
Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”
Blessings,
Buddy

THE GREAT MYSTERY REVEALED

6/27/2019

June 27, 2019                                   THE GREAT MYSTERY REVEALED
Colossians 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attainting to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 1:26-27 “ that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The old song-Let Us Dig A Little Deeper in God’s Word-certainly is a good admonition; the more we dig in the verses above, the more we find. To begin, we need to understand that there is a mystery in the ways of God, and only to those who know Him, does God reveal His mysteries. This truth explains how one who is very intelligent, but does not know God, can read God’s word and yet not understand what he reads. What a blessing to know that God desires for our hearts to be encouraged; that we experience love; and that we attain to the wealth that comes from the mystery that God reveals to us. Satan must have thought that he had won when he was able to introduce sin into the world by leading Adam and Eve to sin. However, God knew from the beginning that Adam and Eve would sin and that all of humanity would be affected by sin. In God’s wisdom and in His timing, He revealed His master plan as He sent His Son as Savior, the one who would gain man’s forgiveness. But, not only are we forgiven for our sins, we have been joined to God, restored to a relationship with God, made sons and daughters, made new, and given an awesome inheritance in the Lord. We have been transformed, but we are also being transformed; our salvation is much greater than we presently know. The great mystery of God is that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ! The one who does not know Christ does not have access to the treasure of true knowledge and wisdom that comes only from God. We may sometime erroneously think that we know all there is to know about God and therefore stop ‘digging a little deeper’ into His word. The awesome truth is that we can spend a lifetime learning of God and discovering new treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Being a Christian is so much more than going to church on Sunday and saying a few prayers; it’s about discovering and experiencing God in every aspect of our lives day by day. Yes, God has made known to us His mystery-that is, Christ is in us, and He alone is our hope, and He alone gives us real life. Let us set our hearts to be continually learning more of Him.
Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”
Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.”
2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”
Blessings,
Buddy

GOOD-BY GLOOM

6/24/2019

July 24, 2019 GOODBY GLOOM
We live in difficult times for sure. Our culture is off track. In the midst of “prosperity” it seems we lost our way as a nation. The culture told us that the goal of life was self-fulfillment and that we need to shed restraints. We believed that shorter work weeks and more pleasure were sure tickets to happiness. We were told that the advancement of technology, particularly computers, would simplify life and give us more free time. We came to believe that individual happiness was more important than commitment to family and church. Entertainment became the pursuit in life. As we began to discover that all the promises and our pursuits were empty, we turned to alcohol and drugs to find the “good feeling” we were looking for and it became our escape from reality. We came to believe that going into debt to get what we wanted was the thing to do. I know that not everyone bought into the culture, but certainly a lot have done so. The truth is that all of the above plus other such issues do lead to a sense of un-fulfillment and gloom. Buying into the ways of the world leads to emptiness sooner or later. The good news is that God has provided a solution that will chase away the gloom. One place we can discover this solution is found in Isaiah chapter 58. Chapter 58 reveals a lot of what is in God’s heart for His people. Some of the activity we are called to be about is to be “letting the oppressed go free”, “breaking every yoke”, “dividing our bread with the hungry”, inviting the poor to our house, clothing the naked, removing the pointing finger, end speaking wickedness, and “satisfy the desire of the afflicted.” These commands from God are broad and can be applied to numerous situations and circumstances we find in life. Jesus said that He came to set the captive free and that is the general theme in Isaiah 58. There is a promise for those believers who give themselves, in the name of Jesus, to such activity as we see above. The promises: “our light will break out like the dawn”, “our recovery will speedily spring forth”, “our righteousness will go before us”, “the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard”, “we will call and the Lord will answer; we will cry and He will say ‘Hear I am’. Verse 10-11 says if we do these things, our “light will rise in darkness, and our gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Even though these verses are found in the Old Testament they reveal the compassionate heart of God. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we can now engage in the same ministry that is in the heart of God. Jesus said that He fulfilled the Law so we are no longer “under the Law” but under grace whereby we can be living expressions of the compassion of God and as we express His compassion, the sense of gloom will disappear.
Matthew 25:34, 35&40: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’………..”And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
Blessings,
Buddy

WORDS AND THOUGHTS

6/21/2019

June 21, 2019 WORDS AND THOIUGHTS
Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”
Proverbs 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.”
How powerful and beneficial it is for us to be able to choose the words we speak and what we meditate on in our heart. I think at times we think and act like we are subject to our minds and our hearts rather than having dominion over our minds and heart. (See Philippians 4:8). What one finds himself often meditating on largely defines who he is. The heart of a man is the core of his being; our actions originate from our heart; obviously, what is in our heart is the most crucial aspect of our lives. The good news is that we can direct our heart, and when our heart is right, our words will be right. Many have had bad experiences in the past and perhaps grew up in a home where strife and conflict was the norm. Our hearts can become defiled through our experiences and the choices we make; some live with a constant sense of guilt and un-forgiveness deep within. The good news for us is that even though there may be many reasons for a wounded heart, or even a hardened heart, we can have a change of heart for the better. What I say next may sound contradictory in some ways to what I have said thus far in this blog, but we need to understand what the scriptures say in regards to this issue. If you have read many of my blogs in the past, you probably noticed that the major theme of my blogging is that we have been made new, including getting a new heart. Even though we have been made new, we must choose to walk in our newness-it is not automatic; we must continually be putting off the old self and putting on the new self. When we are walking according to the Spirit, when our hearts are turned to the Lord, our hearts are pure, and our words become a reflection of our heart. The point is, let us be conscious of the condition of our heart and let us evaluate what it is that we meditate on-the things we think about most of the time. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Let us examine our hearts as well as our words; let us make sure that we are ruling our spirit so that our thoughts and our words are pleasing in His sight.
Ezekiel 36:26a “I will give you new heart and put a new spirit in you.”
Colossians 3:1 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Blessings,
Buddy

NO PLACE FOR LONE RANGERS

6/18/2019

June 18, 2019                                  NO PLACE FOR LONE RANGERS
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 of one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:20-21, 25-26 “But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”                  “that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Body life as pictured in the New Testament is in sharp contrast with the culture in which we live. The term ‘body life’ refers to how believers interact with other members of the body of Christ-the church. We live in a time in which it seems that many are isolating themselves from involvement with others. Even within the church, we see the trend of less involvement; perhaps we go to the church meeting, we greet a few people, listen to the message-then we go home and back to our private lives. Of course, this view is not true of all believers-some are connected and involved. I’m not being critical, just trying to be honest; I recognize within myself the tendency to live to some degree an isolated life. If there is anything clear in scripture, it is that we need each other whether we believe it or not-that’s how God designed His church-the body of believers. Actually, we are not truly complete individually; we find completeness and the sense of fulfillment only when we are connected to and taking our place in the body. Here is an interesting truth; we even need those members who are not our ‘favorite ’people-you know what I mean. Where we lack in certain areas, others are strong in that area and we benefit from them. Another fact of body life is that it can be ‘messy’; when members with different personalities and backgrounds come together, there will be some bumps in the road and even conflict. But that is the beauty of it; God brings us together and He is transforming each of us and revealing to us that in Him we have unity. The miracle is that God is able to bring various members of the body together in unity, regardless of race, cultural differences, economic status, education, and personality differences. This beautiful dynamic is not found in the various secular organizations. If you are a believer, then you are a member of the body of Christ, and you have a place and a function within the body. We see this truth in 1 Corinthians 1:18: “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” Let us not miss or overlook the fact that God calls each believer to be connected to His body that we might fulfill our function within the body. It is an undisputable fact that the body needs us, and we need the body. May we be counter-culture and discover that God has placed us in His body, and it is only there that we are enriched, encouraged, equipped, blessed, and able to supply where others may lack. 1 Corinthians 12:13, 27 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”            “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Blessings, Buddy

SEEING THE UNSEEN

6/15/2019

June 15, 2019 SEEING THE UNSEEN
2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are not seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”
Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Many make decisions and live their lives based on the temporal instead of the eternal. We may have a difficult time accepting the fact that what is unseen is actually has a greater importance than what we see with the eye; yet the temporal easily becomes our focus so it seems. The scriptures make it abundantly clear that there is much more out there than what we see in the natural. The key question for us is where is our focus in life-on the here and now, or on the eternal-the things unseen. As we read the word of God and as we understand His ways a little better, we discover a principle that helps us understand His word. Throughout the scriptures, we see that the natural precedes the spiritual; the natural is a picture of, or portrays the spiritual. For example, the children of Israel entering the land of Canaan in the Old Testament is a picture of the believer entering into the abundant life we have in Christ. It’s important that we do not settle in on the natural, but seek the eternal truths. Throughout the word of God we find the word ‘faith.’ The very essence of faith is believing in something we do not see with the natural eye, but with our spiritual eyes. Hebrews 11:1 gives a great definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Let us do just what Colossians 3:2 instructs us to do: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” And let us remember that this temporal world-the houses, the cars, the computers, the bank accounts, and all of this world system will pass away, but the things of God and His kingdom are eternal-they will never pass away. Just to name a few, here are some of the truths that will always be: God is eternal; Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of all who trust Him; Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for His followers; God is a good God and a God of love; God’s commands are good and have eternal consequences; and we have been adopted into the family of God and given new identities. When we walk in His ways, we are doing what has eternal value. When we forgive one another, love one another, prefer one another, when we bless, when we pray, when we express the love of God, when we think like God would have us think and respond like He would have us respond, and when we take to heart His commands, we are doing the things that have eternal value. We live in the temporal world and have to take care of the physical responsibilities, but we are spiritual beings if we belong to God, and we can do all we do with a view toward the eternal. Let our lives be lived in a sure and steadfast faith in God, knowing that what we do not see with our eyes is much greater that what we do see with the eye.
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy

SEEING THE UNSEEN

6/15/2019

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

6/12/2019

June 12, 2019 BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Some may read these verses and see them as good advice or suggestions, but believe that these commands are beyond human grasp. I certainly agree that these verses may seem like a stretch for us, but at the same time believe that God did not give commands that we could not keep just to frustrate us or cause confusion. The key to unlocking and experiencing the truths of these verses lies in knowing God personally as a loving Father and beginning to understand our true identity in Him. Also, we must believe that God is who He says He is; that He is all powerful, that He rules, that He is our creator, and that He is wisdom. In addition, our world view must be built on truth that we live in a fallen world due to sin entering the earth, and as a result, trials and difficulties are a part of this earthly life. However, during this time of living in a fallen world, God is at work in the lives of His followers transforming them into His image; the trials we face are being used to make us overcomers. So, we can live being anxious for nothing-if we know Him and accept the fact that He is working all things for our good. ((((verse))) There is a connection between not being anxious and prayer and supplication to God with thanksgiving. God invites us to make our request to Him; He may not answer every request like we would like Him to do, but should He not, we can rest in the fact that He knows what is best for us-and that is what He does. When pray and make supplication to God, believing He always knows and does what is best for us-whether we understand it or not-we experience His peace, and our hearts and minds are guarded-which results in being anxious for nothing. Even though they are necessary for our transformation, God takes no pleasure in His followers experiencing trials and difficulties and He does not expect us to enjoy them either. But let us know that the trials are serving a higher purpose and that one day, all trials and difficulties will be no more. This view of trials and what was to come can be seen in what was said about Jesus: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us put our full trust in God, knowing that He loves us and knowing that He has an eternal purpose for us.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Blessings,
Buddy

A GOOD CONSCIENCE

6/7/2019

June 7, 2019 A GOOD CONSCIENCE
Hebrews 13:18, 20-21 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Verse 18 would be a good verse to put on our refrigerator or on the dash of our car-or even better, on our heart- to serve as a reminder and a motivation to live in such a way that we have a good conscience, and to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. The Holy Spirit living in us enables us to do just that; however, it does not happen automatically. God has designed it in such a way that as believers, we have the power of choice; the Holy Spirit guides us, draws us, and convicts us, but does not force us to follow Him. Ephesians 4:30 amplifies this truth: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” One thing for sure-we have all done things that were wrong, resulting in a ‘bad’ conscience. In those times that we have had a bad conscience because of some action or inaction on our part, we see clearly the great value of a good conscience. The good news is that no matter of our past, we can today live with a good conscience because when we are honest with God, when we confess any faults or sins that we may be guilty of, God forgives us and cleanses us, making us pure. The very act of confessing to God is doing the right thing and when we do, we immediately sense His cleansing. It is a good day when we purpose to conduct ourselves honorably in all things-and we can do just that. Even if, for example we wronged someone, it is an ‘honorable’ act to ask their forgiveness; it’s not about perfection on our part, but about doing things in a way that pleases God, and that is honorable in His sight. God has equipped us in everything to do His will; there is no place, no circumstance, and no time that we cannot do His will. To conduct ourselves ‘honorably in all things’ is not limited to how we relate to others, it also includes how we manage our thought life. When we dwell on improper and unhealthy thoughts, our conscience becomes defiled. If one continues to dwell on wrong thoughts and continues to live in a way contrary to the ways of God, his conscience becomes seared. 1 Timothy 4:2. As believers, God has enabled us to ‘conduct ourselves honorably in all things’ and the result is that we enjoy a good conscience. Even when we falter or sin, we can confess it, be forgiven, and return to being honorable in all we do and regain a good conscience. God has ‘equipped us in every good thing to do His will’-we do not lack anything because His Spirit lives in us. Let us be about what He has for us and live is such a way that He is pleased and enjoy the blessings of a good conscience.
Acts 24:16 “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.”
Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Blessings,
Buddy

BUT THE DOERS

6/4/2019

June 4, 2019 BUT THE DOERS
Romans 2:13 “for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.”
If not spiritually alert and watchful, even as believers, we can fall into the same error that Paul was addressing with the Jewish leaders of his day. The error is that we can get into a mind-set that says that if we believe God’s word, then we are good. In other words, we think that because we ‘believe’ the word of God, and perhaps attend church services, God is pleased and nothing else is required of us. We have made what we believe, paramount to the neglect of doing or applying what we say we believe. To clarify one point, one is saved by believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came and paid the price for our sin; we are not saved by our works; all would agree that what we believe is vitally important. However, if our belief does not result in action, then our belief is suspect, because we act on what we truly believe. (If I believe that it’s going to rain, I take my umbrella.) The command to be ‘doers of the Law’ may sound legalistic if we do not know or understand what it means for us to be new creations, or if we have a wrong view of grace. The whole point of the gospel is that God has not only forgiven us, He has also given us new hearts, new minds, and new spirits, and has joined us to Himself-we have been transferred to His kingdom; as believers, we live in a new realm. God has poured out His love into our hearts. Once we know who we are in Christ, it becomes our desire to do the things that please God; His word becomes our delight-that is our new nature at work. We discover that His commands are not burdensome, but rather, leads to life and fulfillment. If we find that we have desires to do things that are not pleasing to God, then that is a sure sign that we are not living out of our new nature, but according to our old nature. Galatians 5:16 tells us “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” We have been given the Spirit of God, enabling us make the choice to walk by the Spirit, and by doing so, we will be doing the works that God has ordained for us, and God will be pleased and we will be fulfilled.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
James 1:25 “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
Blessings,
Buddy