Blog Archives - TheNewU

BUT NOW

8/30/2021

August 30, 2021 BUT NOW
Ephesians 5:8-12 “for you were formally 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. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead, even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
God did not say that we should be light; He says that we are light. We are not light by our own doing, but only because Christ lives in us; He has made us new creations and we have been joined to Him; no longer are we in bondage to sin. Whenever we read the paper or watch the news broadcast, or listen to conversations at work or at the coffee shop, we see the evidence of living in a dark world. However, we as sons and daughters of God, live in the light and the truth of who God is and who we are in this present world: “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14. We no longer have to respond as the world responds; we no longer have to view life as the world does; and we no longer have to live with a sense of despair and hopelessness. We know that God is working out His plans and purposes and that He is using the things of this darkness for His ultimate good. Our hope lies not in what we see and hear, but in the assurance that God will bring His plans to past. Let us be renewed in our minds and spirits and let our light shine in the darkness. Everywhere we go, there is a need for light; those that are lost have lost their way; they need to see the way to the Father. The light we have comes from God; it is our privilege, our opportunity, and our calling to let the light of God shine through us. Let us walk according to His ways, and not according to the ways of the world; let us be the light that we are.
John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Blessings,
Buddy

A GOOD CONSCIENCE

8/27/2021

August 27, 2021                                    A   GOOD CONSCIENCE
1 Timothy 1:18b-19   “that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regards to their faith.”
It is a healthy mindset to know that we too could suffer shipwreck in regards to our faith. We cannot ‘coast’ on our spiritual journey, or be lackadaisical concerning our spiritual health and wellbeing. One indisputable fact is that we have a good fight to fight-every day; obviously, the inference is that we can be fighting the wrong fight. There are many wrong fights to fight; for example, we could be fighting to attain more wealth so that we can have what we want; or we could be fighting to gain popularity….or whatever. It would be a sad day to reach the end of our life and look back over the life we lived and realize that we gave our time and attention and energy to fighting the wrong battles, and that we were focused on the wrong things. However, the good news is that we can spend the remainder of our days fighting the good fight and keeping a good conscience. What is more valuable than a good conscience? The good fight is about having a faith in God that keeps our attention and focus on living as unto Him-not unto our ways. God has given us many wonderful, life-giving commands and instructions in His word, and by hearing and obeying His words, a good conscience is assured. It’s a real ‘street’ fight-a fight in the trenches. God does not zap us with victory; victory comes as we win the fights. We may be looking for the big fight, and miss the real fight. Many fights we fight are about what may appear as small things; such as my response and attitude toward my spouse and those closest to me; what I choose to let in the eye gate and ear gate; honoring and blessing others; speaking the truth; encouraging those who need it; meeting pressing needs; having a giving spirit; being diligent; keeping my word…and etc. In a summary way, we can say that to fight the good fight is about continually choosing to walk according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. We must remember that God has called us, made us new, and has given us the Holy Spirit; He has equipped us for all circumstances in life and has made us overcomers; the good fight is about living out who we are in Christ.
Ephesians 6:11-13, 16 “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”       “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”
Blessings,
Buddy

FREELY GIVEN TO US

8/25/2021

August 25, 2021 FREELY GIVEN TO US
1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12 “But as it is written. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart man, the things which God hath prepared for them that live Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God.” “Now we have received not the things of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.”
It is likely that we underestimate the power, the impact, and the work of the Holy Spirit who lives in those who belong to God. Verse nine above is normally interpreted has what God has prepared for us in heaven; BUT, notice the BUT at the beginning of verse ten. The statement “But God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit” is an amazing and intriguing statement. To believe that God has revealed to us the things that ‘eye hath not seen’ and the ‘things which God has prepared for those who love Him,’ is certainly a departure from the common belief of many believers. Verse nine is not just about what is prepared for us in heaven; it is also about what God has prepared and made available to us in the here and now. We must note that this promise of knowing what He has prepared for us, is reserved for those who love Him. I am not suggesting that we know all things in the ‘here and now’ or that we know in detail what we will see once we are in heaven; but I am suggesting that God has more for us in the here and now that we might currently know. The good news, almost too good to be true, is that the things He has for us, He freely gives to us! Again, there is a proviso: God gives more revelation and understanding to those who love Him. If by chance we question our love for Him, we need not feel condemnation, because it is likely the Holy Spirit that is drawing our heart and our love to the Father; God is for us, not against us. Just to mention a few things that God has freely given to us; He has given us hope, love, faith, confidence, mercy, encouragement, patience, power, joy, peace, purpose, wisdom and understanding, self-control, kindness, fellowship with Him and with other believers, diligence….and much more. These gifts from our Father are lasting, and even increase. What we focus on is so important; we need to develop our mindset and have the eyes of our hearts opened so that we may see the things He has given to us. Ephesians 1:18. No matter our background, no matter our present circumstances, no matter how we may have ignored God, let us see that He loves us and He has freely given us His Spirit who reveals all that He has given to you and I. God is indeed a good God!
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that all ways having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”
Blessings,
Buddy

OUR JOY MADE FULL

8/23/2021

August 23, 2021 OUR JOY MADE FULL
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to 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 abode with him.”
John 15:9-11,14 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.”
In our culture of independence and self-reliance, the words ‘command’ and ‘obey’ have a negative connotation for many. Many perceive God as a God who gives out commands, and if we do not obey His commands, we are in trouble; also, some have the view that the commands of God somehow rob us of life, and would keep us from doing what we want to do. The part of us that resist the commands of God is our old man, the flesh; but we are not bound to the flesh; we can walk according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. As we read God’s word with an open heart and mind, we discover that God is a good God; that He is for us and not against us; that He has a great love for us; and that He desires that His children experience abundant life and a life filled with joy. In fact, He sent His Son to die for us that we might come to know Him as our Father. We need to rid ourselves of any view of God that is not in keeping with who He is. Loving and keeping God’s word go hand-in-hand; it’s crystal clear-if we love God, we will desire to keep His commands. To embrace and to walk in the ways of God is to embrace life. All of the commands of God are for our good! The battle we face is that of choosing to live according to our ways-our logic, our thinking, our desires-or to the ways of God that are clearly presented in His word; it is a matter of submitting (another word that has a negative connotation to many) to God’s word as the authority in life. In our spirit, we know that His commands are good; commands such as-be kind-hearted, encourage one another, prefer others, honor others, help one another, forgive others, give, bless……and the list goes on. The great news is that if we love Him, we will keep His word; and Jesus and His Father will come to us and make their abode in us! We are in error if we believe that we can live according to our ways and at the same time enjoy the presence of the Lord. Obeying God’s word is not about trying to earn His love, but about expressing our love for Him by keeping His word; God loves us even if we do not walk in His ways, but He desires that we experience life to the fullest-and that is done by keeping and by doing His word. God promises that when we keep His commands, our joy will be full!
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Blessings,
Buddy

REIGNING IN LIFE

8/21/2021

August 21, 2021 REIGNING IN LIFE
Romans 5:17 “For if the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:31, 37 “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through the One who loved us.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God has made provision for His sons and daughters to overcome the ways of the world; He has made us overcomers. Yet, many believers find themselves being overcome and defeated by the ways and the cares of the world instead of being overcomers in this fallen world. Just what is there to overcome? What are the ways of the world? Just to name a few-selfishness, anger, fear, depression, broken relationships, materialism, wars, division, addictions, dishonesty, corruption, immorality, unfaithfulness, hopelessness, pornography, ungodliness-and the list goes on. To overcome implies that there is a battle-there is something to overcome, and this battle is continual. Do we join in with the gossip? Do we tune in to programs on the television that are not fitting for believers or do we use our iPhones for the wrong things? Do we buy in to the idea of ‘self-fulfillment?’ (You get the idea.) What the world calls ‘normal’ is far from what should be ‘normal’ for the believer. If we are to overcome the ways of the world, we must believe that we are who God says we are; we must embrace our position of sons and daughters of God who have been made new creations. Our old nature-who we use to be-would have us revert back to living according to our old nature that was focused on self. God has made us light and salt in this dark world that has lost its way. We have what the world needs; we are not called to join in with the world, but to point them to the One from whom life flows; to the One who fulfills our deepest longings. It is liberating to known that we do not have to live according to the ways of this world-we can live on a higher plane; there is a better way where there is love, joy, peace, hope-even in adverse circumstances. In the kingdom of God we can love our enemies; we become givers; we honor and prefer others over ourselves; we share burdens; we have a gentle spirit and are compassionate; we speak the truth; we are quick to forgive-and a whole lot more. The next time you find yourself thinking and responding as the world would, be reminded that there is a better way-that Jesus has made you an overcomer of anything or anyone that is contrary to His ways. You and I have been set free to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, and living in His way has no regrets!
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 8:37 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
Romans 6:12-13 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lust, and do not go one presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present your members to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Blessings, Buddy

NO LONGER A SLAVE

8/19/2021

August 19, 2021 NO LONGER A SLAVE
Galatians 4:6-7 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
This one verse, when believed and received personally as true, solves the identity crisis and gives us the right perspective in life. Those who are sons and daughters of God are indeed privileged. All who do not know God as Lord and Savior are slaves; slaves to living life according to their own limited understanding, and slaves to sin. God came to save us, even to save us from ourselves. By receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord, we become sons and daughters, and as such, God sends forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. One of the greatest works of the Spirit in us is that of revealing to us that God is our Father! The word “Abba” is used as a term of endearment and intimacy and knowing God as Father in a personal way. We may know in our mind, and believe that God is our Father, but when the Spirit reveals this truth to us in the deepest part of our being, everything changes-and changes for the better! As sons and daughters, we have a rich inheritance in God, and the good news is that we do not have to wait until we die and get to heaven to receive our inheritance-it starts now and will continue throughout eternity-our inheritance will never be exhausted! I shared in a previous blog about how on one particular night, as I looked up to admire a beautiful star filled night sky, I heard in my spirit what I knew without a doubt was a word from God. What I heard was: “The God that made those stars is your Father.” Had you asked me years before that particular night if I believed that God was my Father, I would have said ‘of course I know that.’ That night when the Holy Spirit revealed to me that God is my real Father, everything changed. I suddenly realized that since GOD IS MY FATHER, what do I have to fear or what do I have to worry about? NOTHING! Many believers still live as slaves, not knowing or experiencing life as a son or daughter of God, not enjoying the inheritance that is theirs. The gospel truth is that we are no longer orphans and slaves to self and sin; we have been made sons and daughters of God and our inheritance has already began. Let us focus on, let it be the chief desire of our heart to know God as Abba Father. If and when that is our desire, we can be assured that the Spirit will begin to reveal to us that God is indeed our real Father. The Spirit of His Son has already been sent forth into our hearts.
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
1 John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God.”
John 20:17b “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”
Blessings,
Buddy

IN TIME OF NEED

8/17/2021

August 17, 2021 IN TIME OF NEED
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, 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 will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
Who is not, or has not been in a time of need? We tend to think that it is up to us to deal with, and to figure out how to get through our troubles. Often, we simply try to ignore our troubles, hoping they will go away; we may try to find something or someone that will help us forget our troubles. I love the phrase in the second verse above that tells us that God “comforts us in all our troubles.” Even though no one finds pleasure in troubles, troubles are a part of life-and God knows that. We can bring about our own troubles, but often, troubles come not as a result of our own actions or our own doings-they just come. The great news that we must not forget is that God, our Father, knows about our troubles and He invites us to draw near to Him so that we can find grace and mercy and comfort. He does not always make the troubles disappear, but He always comforts us-if we draw near to Him. The awesome, standing invitation from God is “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” If we do not draw near to Him and find comfort from Him, our troubles lead to all sorts of complications; going through troubles or times of need alone can lead to depression, loneliness and isolation, distraction, and can have an adverse effect on our health as well as our relationships with others. As we draw near to Him, as we go to Him, we tell him about the pain and disappointment we feel and we confess that our troubles and our needs are more than we can handle. God says that He is “gentle and humble in heart” and that we will “find rest for our souls.” How awesome and reassuring is that! When troubles come and we find ourselves in a place of need, God invites us to draw near to Him that He may help.
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Blessings,
Buddy

AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS continued

8/15/2021

August 15, 2021 AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS continued
1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”
In the previous blog, we looked at how critical it is that we embrace the truth of the above verse-that we ‘awake to righteousness’-that we awake to who God has made us, and sin not. When we hear “sin not,’ many jump to the erroneous conclusion that we are referring to a state of ‘sinless perfection.’ The main point is that we adjust out thinking-our belief-to what the scriptures clearly teach regarding believers having the power to say no to sin. This is not just a play on words, but is a huge issue; what we believe about the new nature and the old nature directly affects how we live. The old flesh part of us does oppose the new nature that God has given us, BUT we have the power not to yield to the flesh! We can ‘die’ to the flesh-not be subject to it. If we believe, if we allow the old nature to be ‘alive and well,’ then we will find ourselves habitually sinning. However, if we have died to self and choose to walk according to the Spirit, we will not sin. As said in the last posting, we have the power to choose not to sin. (The temptation to sin is not sin; yielding to the temptation is sin.) With that being said, let us look at just a few of the verses that tell us that the power of sin over us has been broken. Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body to obey it in its lust. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:1 “What shall we say, then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
1 Peter 1:15 “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
1 John 3:6 “No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has neither seen Him or known Him.”
1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lust of men, but for the will of God.”
Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”
Let us not miss the life-changing, most wonderful truth, that we have been made new creations and can now live in righteousness, no longer in bondage to sin; let us AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Blessings,
Buddy

AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

8/13/2021

August 13, 2021 AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”
This is an amazing verse; it sums us in just six words a vital truth that must be embraced if we are to live this Christian life that God has made available to us. It seems apparent that most believers have the view that even though we are sinners saved by grace, we still live with the old nature that causes us to habitually sin. This view comes from misunderstanding what Paul was saying in Romans 7 where he was describing life lived according to the old man, the flesh. Paul goes on to say that he was delivered from that life by life in Christ Jesus; Romans 7 was NOT Paul’s testimony. It is certainly true that we are saved by grace and not by works, but when we are saved, God makes us new creations with new hearts, new minds, and new spirits; at salvation, we get a new nature that is not drawn to sin. There are numerous verses that in no uncertain terms tell us that the power of sin has been broken and that we are no longer slaves to sin. Our salvation is so much more than a ticket to heaven; with our salvation comes the power to say no to sin! It is possible for believers to choose to live according to the flesh, but it is a choice. Galatians 5:16 tells us “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” The danger of not embracing the truth that we have the power to say no to sin is that we excuse our sin by blaming it on the sin nature that works in us; and as a result, we may not even feel remorse or repentant when we sin, because after all-‘that’s just our nature.’ This is not about ‘sinless perfection;’ it’s about walking in the Spirit and in the ways of God; it’s about overcoming sin; and it’s about living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. 1 John 2:1 says that “If we sin, we have an advocated with the Father.” Note the word ‘if;’ if we as believers make the choice to not walk by the Spirit and to walk according our flesh (if we sin), God forgives that sin when we confess it and turn from it. The key truth for us from today’s verse is that WE AWAKE to RIGHTEOUSNESS-awake to who God has made us-AND SIN NO MORE!!! There is more to look at on this topic, so we will continue in next posting.
Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
Blessings,
Buddy

CLEANSE OURSELVES

8/11/2021

August 11, 2021 CLEANSE OURSELVES
2 Timothy 2:20-21 “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but of wood and earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the M aster, prepared for every good work.”
Some have the view and the belief that ‘it is all up to God,’ and have more or less neglected the fact that believers have a responsibility to fulfill when it comes to our spiritual health and living out the gospel. Misunderstanding grace can lead one to such a belief. I have even heard it said that “It does not matter what we do because we are under the grace of God.” That perception is contrary to God’s word and it opens the door to choices that are detrimental to our well-being. Don’t misunderstand; if it was not for the grace of God, we would be lost, without hope, and we would not be forgiven of our sins. It is by God’s grace that we are able to act on and follow the teachings and the commands we find in God’s word. As I have often said, we must work with God as He works in us, and we must ‘work out’ our salvation. As you read 2 Timothy, and many other scriptures, you will discover what we are to cleanse ourselves of; we are to cleanse ourselves of any thoughts, actions and beliefs that are contrary to the ways of God. It is critical for us to know that we have the power-because of the grace of God and His presence in us-to cleanse ourselves. It sounds rather simple, but it is freeing and awesome to know that we can stop doing whatever we need to stop doing and we can start doing what we should be doing. The motive for cleansing ourselves is that we now belong to Him, have been joined to Him, and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Also, if we know experientially the love God has for us, it is only natural to want to do the things that please Him. We can make the choice to walk by the Spirit, and as we do, we will not fulfill the desires of the the flesh-the things we need to cleanse ourselves from. Some excuse wrong actions and thoughts by claiming that ‘that is just the way they are’ or that ‘we all sin, therefore, it’s not a big deal.’ The good news is that in Christ, we are overcomers, we are new creations, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Cleansing ourselves is a continual action on our part; we daily put off the old man and put on the new man we are in Christ; we lay aside anything that is not pleasing to the Lord.
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Hebrews 12:1b “let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Blessings, Buddy